Wolf Hills

by Bianca D'Arc

  They set out a moment later, Jesse in the lead with one of the wolves, then she and Jason in the middle, followed by the final wolf. Jason kept her tucked low next to him as they moved through the empty field. He seemed pleased with the way she moved and after a while he stopped hovering quite so much. She breathed a sigh of relief. She might not be a werewolf, but she did have some skills.

  They stopped at irregular intervals along the path toward the house. At one point, Jason whispered to her, giving her an update from his radio connection.

  “Team 2 found about a quarter-pound of C-4 on the west side of the house, rigged to a trigger from within. My guess is the perimeter charges are meant to go when the main charge does to cover the broadest surface area. Get the most of us they can with one blow. It was packed with silver shrapnel.”

  “It’s disarmed?”

  “Already done.”

  Sally was appalled by the brutality of the hunters. An explosive wrapped in shrapnel was the purview of terrorists who wanted to harm as many people as possible with one bomb. The little sharp fragments—whether they be nails or other kinds of harmful metal objects—were meant to become projectiles when the charge they were attached to went off. And she already knew silver was poison to the werewolves.

  “Team 1 is working their side of the perimeter,” Jason went on. “I’d lay odds they’ll find the same kind of thing.” Silently, Sally agreed.

  They moved along at a quicker pace after that, knowing the two teams had already cleared the area they were moving through toward the house. That, and having Jesse up front, leading the way. He knew the scent of C-4. He could lead them safely and quickly to their objective.

  The team halted in the shadow of the barn, within visual distance of their objective. The way into the storm cellar was clear. It made sense if the intent was to lure Pack members down into the cellar and then blow them up. They were about ten yards away from the outdoor entrance to the cellar and Jesse moved closer to Jason for a quick consult.

  “Taking the main path inside is a little too obvious for me,” Jesse said, motioning toward the double doors that led down into the cellar.

  “Agreed.” Jason nodded. “What other options do we have?”

  Jesse scratched the back of his neck with one hand. His body language said he really didn’t want to reveal what he was going to say next.

  “There is only one other quick way in, but you’re not going to like it.” He pointed to the tiny window just visible above the foundation line of the house. “None of us will fit in that window.”

  “I will.” All eyes turned to Sally.

  “No,” came Jason’s adamant reply. “No way.”

  Sally just looked at him. “Seriously? You know I’m the only option unless you all want to get blown up together. Let me at least reconnoiter. I’ll stick my head in the window, take a look around, and let you know what I find. It could save us all a lot of trouble in the long run.”

  Jason’s mouth thinned to a tight line. “I don’t like this. Not one bit,” he ground out.

  “I know.” She placed her open palm above his heart. “And don’t think I’m not touched by your concern for my well being, but this is the kind of thing I was born for, Jason. This is the kind of thing I do every day. You can’t protect me from myself, or my calling. I can do this. I can help you, your Pack, and that boy in there.” She nodded toward the basement and his eyes followed her gesture. She could read the pain in his gaze, the worry, the way he was torn. It touched something deep down inside her.

  She realized in that moment that she didn’t want to see him go down those steps either. Into certain danger. Into a blast zone. But he would. And she’d be right there with him. Walking into peril because somebody else—somebody weaker and dependent on them for protection—needed their help. It was what they’d both been born to do.

  She reached up and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll be all right. Let’s do this together,” she cajoled. “Admit it, you need me.”

  He squeezed her hand as his gaze met hers. The ghost of a smile moved around his lips. “That I do,” he agreed quietly.

  The moment held for a heartbeat. Two. And then he was all business once more. A man in fatigues materialized at their side. It was the one he’d called Len.

  “The perimeter is secure. We found another quarter-pound of charges on our side, near the foundation. That leaves about a half-pound unaccounted for, which I assume is with Jimmy in the basement.”

  Sally heard the low-voiced report and saw the interest in Len’s eyes as he took in how close she stood to his leader. He wasn’t unprofessional enough to mention it now, but she was pretty sure gossip would be running rampant once again as soon as everyone was safe.

  “All right,” Jason sighed heavily. “Sally will peek in the window but only after Jesse sniffs around to be sure it’s not wired too.” He nodded toward his brother as the others listened to the plan. “She’ll relay what she sees so that we can enter the more obvious way.” He held his hand out to Len and the man gave up his earpiece with obvious reluctance. Jason handed it to Sally. “You know how to operate a tactical radio?”

  “Of course, though I’ve never seen one this small.” She took the equipment from Jason and though she would’ve preferred a new earpiece, beggars couldn’t be choosers. She inserted the little device into her ear and learned the controls.

  Jason explained briefly how it worked, though the mic would remain in the on position for the time being. Jason wanted to hear every breath she took while she was out of his sight apparently.

  “I can’t get more than my arm in there.” Jesse spoke in a low tone, looking from the small window to Sally. “But you’re tiny enough to fit. See the way it juts out from the foundation? I put a snake camera through there earlier and spotted Jimmy tied to a chair to the right. Stairs to the left where we’ll enter once we have your intel. Jim won’t be able to see you unless you stick your head past the foundation, about a foot inside. Talk to him. Tell him to hang tight and not to move until we say it’s okay. Tell him we’re coming to get him.”

  “Roger that.” She nodded. “What if they have ears on in there?” she asked, knowing the kidnappers might’ve left a microphone or camera in the basement with the kid so they could hear or see when help arrived.

  Jesse held up a small black box. “Jammer goes on the minute you go in, just in case.”

  The plan was sound though there was always the possibility the bad guys could blow the charges remotely at the first sign of snow on their monitors. It was a chance they’d have to take.

  Jesse went ahead to check the window and pop it open. If it was wired in any way, he would be taking the brunt of it. Sally didn’t like it, but she knew Jason’s overprotective instincts were being pushed to their limit as it was. When Jesse gave the all clear, Sally made her move. Jason let her go with only a last lingering look and an admonition to be careful.

  Sally crept up to the window where Jesse waited. She kept her eye on the house. There were windows in the house above. She didn’t think any of the other kidnappers would be foolish enough to stay in the house after they’d wired it to blow, but who could tell. So far, she wasn’t impressed by their intelligence.

  “Perimeter’s clear. Best I could tell, the basement is clear, but I can’t be absolute on that. We’re keeping everyone back from the house, just in case they’re watching. They want to take out as many of us as they can in one shot,” Jesse reminded her. “Better to keep us scattered instead of congregating in one big group. Tell us what you see when you get inside. The Alpha and my men will hear you. We only have a couple of these tac radios to go around.” A ghost of a smile graced his lips as she nodded and he moved away to give her room to work her way inside the small opening.

  It was a tight squeeze, but she managed to get her head and shoulders inside the tiny window, her hands braced on the sill beneath her. The light was dim inside the dusty basement. Even darker than it was outside, with no moon. Her eyes w
ere sharp though and they adjusted. Turning her head to the left, she could make out the old wooden steps leading down into the cellar. To the right, she could see the outline of a human-shaped figure, tied to a chair. A quick look around didn’t reveal anyone else.

  “Jimmy?” she whispered, just loud enough for the boy’s enhanced senses to pick up. She saw his head lift and the glistening reflections that had to be his eyes turned toward her. “I’m Sally. Nod if you understand.”

  A slight movement in the darkness answered her question. They had established contact.

  “Are you alone down there?”

  Again came the brief nod. He was alone, but why didn’t he answer in words?

  “Can you talk?”

  He shook his head and she tried to peer through the darkness to see what might be preventing him from speaking. She thought she detected a faint line of what could be duct tape over the kid’s mouth. Damn.

  “Is that tape over your mouth, Jimmy?”

  He nodded again. Mindful of the microphone attached to her earpiece, she reported what she saw.

  “There appears to be duct tape over his mouth and he says he’s alone.” She made a decision. “I can’t see enough from here. I’m going in.”

  She wiggled her way into the window, ignoring the curses and admonitions that sounded in her ear. Jason wasn’t pleased and he made it well known.

  “Give it a rest, Alpha,” she said finally as she hit the dirt floor on the other side of the window. “Clear the channel so we can get some work done. I’m in.”

  “We’re going to discuss this later, Sally,” Jason promised in a tense tone. “What do you see?”

  Good. He was back on target. They needed to get this job done. The quicker, the better.

  She moved carefully through the darkness to Jimmy’s side, mindful of where she stepped. The whole place had the potential for being booby-trapped but she didn’t see any signs so far. Only when she got close to the kid did she realize what they had done.

  “Jimmy is okay, but there’s a vest strapped to him. I think I just found the other half of that stuff we were looking for.” She didn’t want to alarm the boy if he didn’t yet realize he was wearing a bomb.

  “Son of a bitch,” Jason cursed.

  “It’s okay. Keep him calm,” Jesse said in that quiet, steady voice of his. “Tell him not to move.”

  “I’m going to remove the duct tape,” she said quietly as she bent over the youngster. “Try not to move, Jimmy. This might hurt your face a bit, but you’ll be able to talk to me and I want you to know that I am talking to some people that can help. See in my ear? That’s a little headset. They can hear us.” She talked while she worked the duct tape free as gently as she could, hoping to distract him from the pain. It seemed to be working. Jimmy held perfectly still, the little trouper.

  “Okay. Duct tape is almost off. How are you doing, Jim?” She tried to sound positive though, truth be told, she was scared of the bomb this poor kid wore strapped to his chest.

  “I’m okay. The vest is a bomb,” he whispered, surprising her. He had known and still kept his cool. Maybe werewolf kids were tougher than others. Or maybe it was just this one.

  “I know.” She met his gaze, amazed by the courage the youngster demonstrated. “But it’s okay. Just sit tight and we’ll figure out how to get it off you without blowing us all up.”

  “We’re coming in,” Jason warned in her ear. She spun to examine the entryway.

  “Hold that thought,” she cautioned him over the radio. “Something’s funny with the stairs.”

  “Those two men were wiring something under the stairs for hours today,” Jimmy confirmed. “And something’s buried at the bottom, under the dirt.”

  “Thanks, Jim. That’s really good to know. Sit tight and don’t move. I’m going to get a closer look,” Sally praised the boy as she moved closer to examine what might be under the dirt. Probing cautiously, she found the edges of a metal plate.

  “I think it’s a pressure plate of some kind. Same on the stairs. I don’t want to touch anything but I can find the outline of the edges under the dirt. The doors look clear from what I can see. I think they wanted to catch you on the stairs.” She looked for wires or other kinds of triggers on the doors and didn’t see anything that looked suspicious.

  “I’m going to open the door to your left. That would be the one on the south side,” Jesse clarified. “I’ll do it slowly. Tell me if you see anything inside like a trip wire or magnetic trigger or anything.”

  “Roger. Anytime you’re ready.” She gave him the go ahead. A second later, the left side of the double door lifted a fraction of an inch.

  “I don’t see anything. Keep going.” They were on the clock and the agonizing slowness with which they had to move was making her antsy. “I hope one of your guys knows explosives really well.”

  She didn’t say exactly why, but the implication was clear enough. That bomb vest was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Of course, she’d never dealt with a bomb of any kind before. Luckily, that kind of thing had gone beyond her purview for most of her career.

  “Don’t worry.” Jesse’s tone was reassuring. It spoke of experience. “I’ve seen bomb vests before. Just keep him calm.”

  She glanced back over her shoulder. “Jim’s doing okay. He knows not to move. You guys should be proud of him. He’s a credit to his Pack.” Nothing like a little positive reinforcement to help a kid keep his cool. But from the quick glance at Jimmy, he was holding his calm remarkably well. He really was a smart kid.

  The door rose an inch or so in painstaking slow motion. She examined every centimeter of the surface but didn’t see any kind of booby trap.

  “You’re okay. Nothing’s attached to the door either on the edges or on the surface of the panel.”

  “How about the hinges?” Jason asked sharply in her ear.

  “Hinges are good too. I’d say you can open it all the way. The stairs are the problem and the pressure plate at the bottom.” She didn’t know how the guys were going to get around that.

  The door opened more quickly, but with deliberation. She continued to watch for any sign of a trap. She found nothing obvious on the door. It seemed like forever but was probably less than half a minute before she could see Jesse’s face through the widening crack in the door. Jason was right behind him. It was a relief to see Jason’s worried face, but she didn’t like knowing he was walking into a basement with a bomb anymore than he probably had liked her going down there.

  Well, if the worst happened, at least they’d be together.

  That thought made her brain stop working for a split second. When had this man—this werewolf—come to mean so much to her?

  When, exactly, had she fallen in love with him?

  She didn’t know for sure, but she definitely felt the emotion welling deep in her heart. She loved him. There was no denying it now.

  But the situation was hopeless. He was a werewolf. She was some kind of human-nymph hybrid, with a life of her own back in San Francisco.

  And a live bomb not more than ten feet away.

  That thought sort of put things back in perspective. First things first. They had to deal with the bomb and save the boy. Then they had some so-called hunters to track down. Safety and justice had to come first. Her problematic love life could wait a bit.

  The door was fully open. It was wide enough for the men to come through one at a time. These old cellars had been built strong and tough, with doors wide enough for farm equipment to come through. Originally, this room had probably been a root cellar where crops like potatoes and onions were stored through the winter. It had been reinforced to act as a storm cellar at some point, but the wide doors remained.

  “Is that the edge of the pressure plate?” Jesse asked, peering in and looking at her handiwork.

  She’d drawn a line in the dirt around the edges of the plate with her finger, leaving at least an inch of margin to avoid touching the plate. She wasn’t sure how
sensitive it was, though chances were it would require a person’s full weight on it to go off. No sense taking a chance that a stray mouse or rat scurrying through the cellar would set it off.

  “Yeah,” she confirmed. “Can you see the line I drew around it?”

  “Got it. Stand back.” Jesse stood, hefted his gun and simply jumped.

  Holy shit. She’d never seen a human being jump that far without even taking a moment to back up and start at a run. He made it look like he was just hopping over a line, when in fact, he’d covered a good fifteen feet horizontally. Sally was impressed.

  And he’d done it while holding onto his assault rifle. He wasn’t even off balance. He’d landed on both feet, happy as a clam. He moved forward and a moment later, Jason landed in exactly the same spot. Same way. Damn. It wasn’t just a soldier thing. Jason was every bit as nimble as his older, more worldly brother.

  “You guys don’t mess around, do you?” Sally stood off to one side as Jesse busied himself examining Jimmy and the vest. He didn’t touch, just gave a visual inspection that was very detailed and competent. Jesse didn’t give a hint to his thoughts until a tiny smile quirked one corner of his mouth.

  While she watched Jimmy and the soldier, Jason sniffed out every inch of the cellar, returning to her to stand close behind her. He didn’t put his arms around her. He didn’t impede either of their abilities to move quickly. He just surrounded her with his warmth, letting her know he was there, strong and tall behind her. His head dipped to place a quick kiss on her temple, but that was it. When she glanced over her shoulder, he was watching Jimmy and Jesse with an intense expression.

  Jesse looked up and signaled with one hand to his brother. Jason moved out from behind her.

  “What do you need?”

  “A steady hand and small fingers.” Both men turned their gazes on Sally. Jason didn’t look happy, but he was already resigned to her involvement in this. Jesse, by contrast, seemed slightly amused.