Abandoned Treasure Ch. 01-19

No wonder they sent the junior guy.

It was Saturday, the eighth of September, and I'd been driving around for ten days without a break. I figured if I reported my task was complete, either Trestman or Alpha Todd would send me right back out.

Great Falls wasn't far away. I could get a hotel with a pool and hot tub, have pizza and beer while watching football in a sports bar, and relax before heading to Bitterroot on Monday.

I made a reservation at the Holiday Inn near the convention center. The website showed a sports bar and casino at the hotel, with other sports bars nearby. It was almost eight at night when I drove down Tenth Street. I stopped at Target to pick up a few things, and when I walked out, I smelled it in the breeze.

Rogues.

Male and female.

And the female was pregnant.

Chapter 16

Nicholas Parker (Nathan Storm's) POV

Great Falls, Montana

Saturday, September 8, 2007

"Let me take that, baby. You shouldn't be carrying anything heavy."

Nora rolled her eyes as she looked at me. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

"I know, but you shouldn't be doing anything that might kick off your labor." I grabbed the bag off our bed and slung it over my shoulder. "Everything else is in the car."

She stood up straight with her hands on her hip and grimaced. I'd never say anything, but she looked like she'd swallowed a beachball. She'd kept working out during her pregnancy. She'd stuck to a healthy diet with the occasional cheat day so she didn't gain too much weight. "My back is killing me."

"It's only going to get worse these last few weeks. I'm glad we're moving in with Georgina until the baby comes." Georgina was a Werebear midwife and a close friend. We'd been visiting her Den for checkups every month. The old bear sniffed out her pregnancy before my cum stains had dried.

"She's right. It's too risky being away from here when the baby comes."

I locked the door from the kitchen to the garage, then tossed the bag in the back with the rest of the luggage. Nora was moving carefully in her eighth month. I helped her slide into the passenger seat of our green Explorer, then opened the garage door and got in. I started the car and looked at the clock to see it was seven thirty-eight at night. It would be dark by the time we got out of town. "Five Guys again?"

"When your pregnant mate has a craving, the smart wolf gets it for her," she growled. We had it every month on the way to and from our well-baby visits, and I'd taken the chance a few times in between when she needed it.

"Yes, ma'am," I said as I turned towards town. The line was longer than I'd hoped, so she spent more time in the car waiting for me than I was comfortable with.

Nora practically attacked the bag when I got back. She moaned as she bit into a handful of fries while I pulled out of the space. "Sank ooh," she said around a mouthful of spuds.

"Anything for you, baby." Before we left town, she got the ketchup cups set up for the fries, and I had my burger in hand. I took a bite of the greasy burger with the works and smiled.

Life was good.

Council Enforcer Vic Knightly's POV

Great Falls Target Store

I practically ran to my car, tossing the bag in while I searched for the fugitives. It didn't take long to spot them across the street at a Five Guys burger joint. Carol was sitting with the windows down in a blue Ford Explorer. Nathan Storm got in the driver's side with a takeout bag and two drinks. They both changed hair colors and styles, but the scent doesn't lie.

It was them.

I started the car and tore out of the lot, following them as they turned east. I fished out my phone and hit the speed dial for Chief Enforcer MarkTrestman, leaving it in hands-free mode. "Trestman," he answered.

"It's Knightly. I found the rogues, Nathan and Carol."

I heard him put the call on speaker. "Where are you?"

"Great Falls, Montana, heading east on Tenth Street. The pair are in a blue Ford Explorer, Montana plate Echo Alpha Zero Whiskey Zero One Foxtrot Yankee. Nobody else is in their car, but we're in the middle of town."

"Have they made you?"

"I don't think so. I scented the pair from downwind as they were leaving a burger place. They are eating fries and driving normally."

"Good. Stay back, and don't let the car out of your sight. I'm going to bring Bitterroot into this call."

I focused on driving while my boss got Alpha Todd on the line. "You're sure this is them?"

"There is no doubt, Alpha. You should know that Carol is pregnant. She looks like she could have the baby at any moment."

"That complicates things a bit," Marksaid.

"It doesn't change a thing. Those two are fugitives responsible for the deaths of TWO of my Pack members. Kill them if you must, but don't let them escape!"

It did for me. I wouldn't risk an innocent pup. I didn't care what the parents had done. "Sir, what are my orders?"

"Follow and report, Enforcer Knightly. They must be hiding out somewhere in or around Great Falls. Figure out where, and don't let them catch you."

"Understood, Chief Enforcer. We are on the east side of town now, passing the Walmart on 87. Once we leave town, following without detection will get a lot tougher. There's nothing out here but empty fields once we get past the Malmstrom Air Force Base runway."

"Alpha Todd, how long will it take to get warriors to support my Enforcer?"

I could hear voices in the background from the Alpha's office. "I'm getting them together now. It's a four-hour drive, so figure one in the morning. Maybe longer if they keep heading east."

"We better hope they go to ground," Mark said. "The nearest pack on the east side is Casper. The Wyoming Pack is seven and a half hours from Great Falls."

"Send them to Billings," Alpha Todd said. "There isn't much out that way, but if they keep heading southeast, they can make the interstate. Once that happens, we'll never catch up."

"That works." I issued orders to call the Casper Pack Alpha to get them going. "Vic, I'm putting you on mute. Keep this line open until we've got them in custody."

"Are you running things from Headquarters?"

"No, but I'll leave someone here. We're getting the Council jet fueled up. I can be in Billings before Casper Pack can make it."

"Yes, sir." There wasn't much to say as we drove out of town. The good part of this portion of Montana was that it was flat and open, so I didn't have to get too close. The bad part? There was little traffic, and any tail would stand out.

Everything was going great until we approached Belt, and my target car turned left. "Guys? The subjects just turned left on 331."

"Oh, FUCK," someone said.

"Yeah. The rogues are headed straight for bear territory," I replied.

"DAMMIT!" It wasn't like Mark to swear, but he did. "Weren't you just there?"

"Yes, sir, about four hours ago. I got the usual reception. I didn't smell any wolf scent, though."

Alpha Todd was incredulous. "These fuckers are hiding out with the Bears??"

"The Werebears don't mix with Werewolves, rogue or not," the Chief Enforcer replied. "On the other hand, they have a defined territory and don't give a shit in the woods about who is on the other side. It's a damn smart tactic for a rogue, and we should have thought of this before. As long as they don't cross the territory line, they can hide in plain sight where we'd never look."

"What do I do, sir? Three werewolves fast approaching their territory won't go over well."

There was a long pause; Mark was probably consulting with the Council Chairman. "Vic?"

"Yes, sir?"

"We can't risk them making it to Werebear territory. Run them off the road and attempt capture. Kill them if they don't surrender."

"Sir, the female is pregnant!"

"This is a direct order from the Chairman. Kill them if they don't surrender, Vic."

"Yes, sir." I gunned the engine and started closing in on them. I tapped my hip, where my Glock with silver-core bullets sat. I'd never done a pit maneuver for real, and this one had to be perfect.

It wasn't to be. Nathan saw me coming and floored it. When I got close, the rogue started swerving across the road. I couldn't get next to him to do the pit maneuver.

I waited until a curve was coming, then rammed him from behind. The Explorer fishtailed, then went into a skid. Nathan might have recovered if the shoulder was two feet wider.

It wasn't. The front wheel dropped into the ditch, and no driver could stop it now. The SUV hit soft ground and pitched into the air. It rolled a few times before ending upside down by a barbed-wire fence.

I skidded to a stop at the edge of the road. Jumping out with my gun in hand, I rushed towards the smoking wreck.

Chapter 17

Nora Parker (Carol Sampson's) POV

Southeast of Great Falls, Montana

Saturday, September 8, 2007

I let out a burp, tasting the burger once again. "I love that place," I said as I looked out the window.

"I know, baby. Wherever we end up, we'll be close to a Five Guys franchise."

"In-n-Out burger works too. I had one when I was a kid." We'd moved seven times in my first eighteen years. The life of a rogue wasn't easy. When the Packs started to poke around, we packed up and left. I remember the scary times when Mom and Dad suddenly loaded everything into our trucks, leaving in the middle of the night. We didn't have much stuff, and my Mom homeschooled us, so we weren't registered in schools. A day later, and you'd never know we were there.

I looked down at the third of the burger I couldn't finish. "Do you want the rest of this?"

He glanced down. "You aren't hungry?"

"I love these things, but your child isn't giving my stomach any room to operate here." He shrugged and took it from me, finishing it in two bites. He'd eaten most of the fries as well.

Show-off.

He took a long pull on his Coke, his eyes moving between the dark road ahead and the rear-view mirror. "We've got a problem," he finally said.

"What's going on?"

"The car back there is following us. Don't look back, though. Pull down the visor and use the mirror."

I did what he said and saw the headlights a quarter-mile back. "How do you know?"

"I've been changing my speed on the cruise control, and that car is staying the same distance behind us. That doesn't happen unless they are trying to tail someone."

I felt him speed up again. Sure enough, the car sped up and stayed in place. "What do we do?"

"We're about five miles from the turn. Call the Den and let them know what is going on."

I got out my phone and dialed. "Hello?"

"Stanley, it's Carol. We're heading your way, and we've picked up a tail."

"Wolf or cop?"

"It's not a cop. It's maintaining the same distance behind us while we change speeds."

"Did he ever get close to you?"

"No, he's stayed about a quarter-mile back."

There was a pause. "That's not a cop. They'd close to get your license plate and then follow until backup arrives."

"That's what my mate thinks. We're a couple of miles from the 331 turnoff. What do you want us to do?"

"I warned them not to fuck with us. Tell Nathan to floor it as soon as he makes the turn. If the wolf follows, we'll block him when he gets to our Den."

"Do you want us to go to Georgina's place?"

"No. We must assume the wolves are converging on you, so we don't want your scent around us. That would lead to a war with the Pack."

"So what should we do?"

"Tell Nick to keep going north on 331 to Highwood. I'll have Georgina meet you at Elmo's after I've dealt with this guy."

I felt the car brake hard before we turned left. I could see the tail car accelerate before making the same turn. "The tail is closing fast. I guess he's not interested in following us anymore," my mate said.

"I'm getting everyone armed and out to the trucks. We'll block the road after you pass."

"Gotta go. Thanks, Stanley."

"Stay safe, kid."

I set the phone in the center console and looked in the mirror again. "He's closing fast."

"He probably has a big old V-8 in that thing," Nick replied. "We need more curves because I can't outrun him on the straightaways." He was right. We'd only gone a few miles before the bigger SUV was on our ass. "Hold on, baby. I've got to keep him from getting next to us, or he'll take us out."

Over the next minute, Nick weaved back and forth on the deserted road. He managed to prevent the guy from passing us but couldn't do it forever. Sooner or later, we'd zig, he'd zag, and he'd be alongside. "Get the gun out of the glove box, baby. I'm going to let him come up your side. When he does, you shoot the hell out of him."

I opened the glove box and grabbed the Smith and Wesson.357 Magnum revolver. I opened the wheel, checked the six cartridges, and clicked it closed again. I'd been shooting since I was seven, so I knew what to do. I rolled down the window while Nick moved into the oncoming lane.

I heard the engine roar as the SUV accelerated towards us. This time, he didn't try to pass on the right. Instead, he rammed us from behind. "FUCK!" The impact knocked my arm into the door, and the pistol fell from my hand before I could stop it.

That wasn't the worst part. The impact knocked the rear loose, and we skidded towards the opposite ditch. Nick saved it but overcorrected as we swerved back to our lane. "HOLD ON," he said as he tried to gain control.

That didn't happen. I felt the passenger side wheel dip and catch in the soft ground.

And then we were flying.

The sounds of breaking glass, crunching metal, and a racing engine filled my ears as we crashed and rolled. The airbag shoved my face back, but the car was spinning and couldn't keep me in place. I got knocked hard on the side of the head as we rolled. When we finally stopped upside-down, I was too dizzy to think.

"Baby? Are you all right?" It sounded like I was underwater while he talked.

"Yeah."

"Fuck, he's coming." I heard a thump, ripping clothes, scraping claws, and a ferocious growl.

Then came two shots and a thump, followed by a whine. "Save... baby."

"Nick?" No answer. "NICK!!"

He didn't answer.

Blood was dripping down my face, and my stomach felt like I'd been stabbed in the gut. I fumbled for the seat belt release. When it let go, I dropped hard on my head and shoulder. Stabbing pain in my belly caused me to scream out. My hand came back full of blood.

"Easy now," a man's voice said. His flashlight shined in my face before he looked around. He smelled like a Pack Wolf, at least Warrior rank, and I hated him so much. I wanted to run away but couldn't think, shift, or move. "Let me get you out of here."

He grabbed my arms and slid me out the open window onto the prairie grass. He had me handcuffed before I could do anything else. "Nathan...."

"He's dead, Carol."

The emotions rolled over me as he helped me stand. I could feel the blood between my thighs as he helped me climb out of the ditch. I glanced back, seeing Nathan/Nick's wolf lying in the moonlight near the back wheel.

He'd died trying to save me, and he never had a chance because I'd dropped the gun.

The back of the SUV opened. I struggled and tried to get away, but it was useless to resist in my condition. The wolf lifted me inside, laying me in the cargo area on a blanket. With my hands cuffed behind my back, I couldn't do much. I saw him fold and roll a towel before placing it between my legs. "You're hemorrhaging," he said. "Hold that in place. I'll get you to a hospital."

"Leave me to die," I begged. If I could delay long enough, the Bears would come this way to investigate.

"I can't do that." The hatch closed, and the wolf went around and got in.

The wet blood continued to flow until I blacked out.

Chapter 18

Enforcer Vic Knightly's POV

Near North Moccasin Mountains, Montana

Saturday, September 8 ^th, 2007

I shot Nathan twice, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. I ignored him, focusing on the pregnant rogue in the driver's seat.

Carol was alive but seriously hurt. She had multiple cuts on her face and arms, but what worried me was the bleeding from her vagina. The crash so scrambled Carol's brain that she didn't fight me when I handcuffed her. She could barely walk as I brought her back up the bank to my car.

I hit the key fob for the rear door. The third row was down, so I eased my prisoner onto the blanket I kept there. Carol was in the fetal position, crying over her child, now struggling to survive. I grabbed a towel off the seat and put it between her legs. "You're hemorrhaging. Hold that in place. I'll get you to a hospital."

"Leave me to die," Carol begged.

I looked up; multiple cars were coming from the north. I didn't have time to retrieve Nathan's body, nor could I do anything to hide the crash. I had minutes to get away before they reached the scene. If I got lucky, the car would catch fire and destroy the body and the evidence. "I can't do that." I hit the close button and ran around to the driver's side. Putting the car in gear, I turned around and raced to the south.

I looked in the rear-view mirror, watching the headlights until the road turned and hid me again. I didn't have a good feeling about it. Why would three cars suddenly come our way when there was zero traffic for miles? Out here, there was a good chance the cars held werebears.

That's when I remembered I'd turned down the volume on my phone before trying my pit maneuver. I spun the volume control back up. "You guys still there?"

"We're here, Enforcer," Alpha Todd said. "What happened?"

"I forced them off the road, and they crashed and rolled a few times. Nathan came after me in wolf form, and I shot him twice. He's dead. Carol survived, but she's badly hurt and bleeding. I put her in the back and took off before other cars arrived. I think she's losing the baby."

"Dammit!" Mark yelled for someone to get the Doctor in there. "You left a dead wolf behind?"

"I didn't have a choice, sir. The female needs a hospital, or she and the baby won't survive. I'm going to hang up and dial 911. Maybe an ambulance can meet me on the way to Great Falls."

"NO!" I recognized Chairman Gruber's voice. "You CANNOT involve the humans. It's bad enough that you risk us all with your incompetence in leaving a dead wolf behind."

"Mr. Chairman, the baby won't make it without a hospital." I was doing almost a hundred miles an hour towards Great Falls now, but it was a twenty-minute ride. The way she was bleeding? No way.

"We can't worry about that. We have to contain the potential exposure back at the crash site. I'll contact the Den Leader personally. Maybe they can get there quickly enough to keep the Sheriff or Highway Patrol from finding out too much."

Trestman added in. "Vic, can you turn around and contain it?"

"No way, sir. I show up covered in blood with an injured woman in the back? I'd have to kill them all."

"We might have to get the bears to do that anyway," the Chairman replied.

There were no good options. "Carol? How are you holding up?" There was no answer, and the smell of blood filled the car. "I've got to check on her."

"Find a spot hidden from the road and pull over," Mark ordered.

I pocketed my phone and put it on speaker. I turned right onto a dirt road a mile later and drove a hundred yards until I was hidden from the road by a rise. I put the car in park and jumped out, hitting the rear hatch button as I exited. "Shit," I said when I got a look at her.

"It's Doc Jones. What is going on?"

"Doc, she's unconscious, pale as a ghost, and there's a lot of blood coming from her crotch. Her pulse is weak, along with her breathing."

"Do you have a knife, Vic?"

"Of course," I said. I pulled out my Gerber folding combat knife from my front pocket.