Aztec Treasure Ch. 31-40

Maria Meztli's POV

Arrowhead Woods

I prayed Lance would stop shooting as I entered the fray, and he did.

Dropping down on a moving target was dangerous if done wrong. Go too early, and you could get run over. Too late, and you miss. Dad warned me about situations like this with motorcycles; as fast as they were going, they'd knock you out of the fight with the impact. My target wasn't a deer or pig, either; it was an adult male riding a heavy ATV. The key was to drop near the target, but not on him.

My front claws raked at his right arm and shoulder as I dropped towards the trail, my body twisting to stay out of the way of the tires. I shredded his jacket as he sped past, my claws tearing deep into his flesh. I landed softly, bounding after the ATV as it swerved off the trail and crashed into a rock.

I was on top of the attacker as soon as he stopped moving. I growled at him until he stilled; his rifle was trapped under his back, while his pistol was on his right hip, and that arm wasn't working. I put one of my big front paws on the middle of his chest, the claws poking through the flannel, and roared in his face.

He pissed himself. "GET HER OFF! GET HER OFF!"

"Hold him while I check the other guy," Lance said as he came running down from his shooting position. I could hear two more ATVs coming fast. My prisoner kept his eyes closed as he bled from his wounds. It wasn't long before Lance and two others parked near me. Lance used a set of heavy-duty zip ties to bind the prisoner's arms in front of him, then they sat him against a rock and removed his helmet.

"Damn, you tore the shit out of him," Colleen said as she opened up the medical bag she'd brought along. She had cut away his shirt, but the parallel wounds were deep and bleeding heavily. "He needs a hospital."

I moved silently over to my pile of clothes and shifted, pulling them back on. I felt good; I'd fought to defend my new home, and I proved to them I wasn't a helpless female. "What's the plan?"

Lance had removed the prisoner's weapons and left them by the crashed ATV. "We found their vehicles and trailers by the highway; the Sheriff is meeting us there. Monica took a round in the bicep, so she will meet them and head to the hospital to get it patched up. Tony, bring your machine up. We'll load the prisoner on it, then you and Colleen head for the highway and turn him over to the Sheriff."

"What about us?"

"We wait here for Alpha Chase and Beta Vic," Lance said.

We got the prisoner loaded onto Tony's machine; he'd lost so much blood that he'd passed out. Lance tied him to the rear luggage rack, and they took off to the south for the road. "Is he going to make it?"

"I don't know," Lance said. "If he dies, it's his fault alone. They came onto Pack lands with hostile intent, they fired at our patrol, and he kept heading for the Pack House. Three of his buddies are dead now. Even if he lives, he's going to jail for a long fucking time."

"I've never..." I looked at the blood on the ground as my hands started to shake and my stomach flipped. I panicked, running into the woods and behind a tree. I fell hard onto my hands and knees and started throwing up. I kept retching as Lance stood by me, holding my hair out of my face. "I'm sorry."

Lance helped me to my feet and kept his arm around me while he turned me back towards the trail. I wrapped my arm around his waist, taking comfort in the hold. "Your first real fight?"

I nodded. "Dad trained me, but I was protected." I was still shaking and needed his arm.

"It's the adrenaline in your system. Let's get you back to your ride, and you can sit down until everyone is here." He sat on my ATV, pulling me into his lap and holding me as I kept shivering.

That is how Chase and Vic found us when they arrived on their ATVs. "You're all right?"

"She's shaken up," Lance said. "It was her first action, and she tore the guy up. Maria did her job; the last one got past me, and she was our last line of defense before reaching the compound."

I stood as Chase walked over; he checked my face, then pulled me into a hug. "You fought well," he said. "I have to ask, though. Is the man you took out going to die from a forced change?"

"No, I didn't bite him. Claw scratches are neutral."

"Good. If the idiot doesn't bleed out, the cops will have someone to interrogate. Can you imagine? Four hunters against a Pack when we know they are coming?" Chase shook his head. "You'd think they would learn."

"We'll keep stacking bodies until they do," Vic replied. "It's not like we didn't warn them."

"I should take Maria back home," Lance said.

"Not yet; the Sheriff is on his way in now. He'll want statements from everyone involved," Chase replied.

"She's still shaking, Alpha."

I wasn't all right, and I wasn't going to talk to the cops. "Lance is right; I need to settle down. I'm not ready to talk to anyone right now."

Chase looked at Lance and nodded. "Drive her to the clinic, and have Possum check her out. I'll take care of the Sheriff."

Lance put on my helmet, then fired up the ATV as I tucked in behind him. I held his waist as he drove back at a leisurely pace. "We'll see the rest of the woods on our next date," he said with a laugh.

"You know how to show a girl a good time," I said as I leaned my helmet against his broad back. It wasn't long before he stopped at the clinic and helped me inside where Possum was waiting.

My pulse and blood pressure were high, but that was normal after such a traumatic event. Possum had me lay down for a few minutes. I started to doze off when the door opened. "Mama!" Maritza walked into the room, followed by Possum and Lance.

"Hey, baby," I said.

Possum put her up on my stomach and my little girl snuggled in. She checked my blood pressure, and it was back to normal. "You can go when you're ready," she told me. "Chase will find you when the Sheriff is ready to see you." She walked out, leaving Lance behind with me.

"I'm not talking to the cops," I told him.

"Do you need more time?"

"I need a lawyer. I'll never talk to the cops without one; Dad taught me that early on."

He must have linked someone because he didn't respond for about thirty seconds. "Our Pack lawyer is on his way out. Ralph Emerson remained loyal to Arrowhead from the time of the original Pack. You can trust him."

"No." My father had a lawyer representing the Club, but he'd never use that person to defend himself. Civil, criminal, it didn't matter; your lawyer had to be responsible to you, and you alone. His advice was even more important as I came to this pack with baggage from my previous life. "I'll retain personal counsel." I looked on the office computer for criminal lawyers in the Duluth area and made a phone call. My choice would arrive in an hour, and I left his name with Security. "Would it be safe to duck into the woods with her in cat form before we head to the pool?"

"Sure, no one can see you from off Pack lands here."

I pulled off Maritza's clothes and diaper, then my own, folding it all before shifting. Maritza shifted as Lance bagged my things, then he opened the door to the hallway. The wolves in the building were fascinated by our cats, and I was happy to scent excitement instead of fear as we walked by. A few were bold enough to reach out and pet or scratch us, which Maritza loved. I walked with Maritza into the woods, where she spent time sniffing and bounding around before doing her business where I did. Now that I knew she wouldn't pee in the pool, we crossed into the doggie door of the Pack House rear entrance.

A hush came over those in the pool as we walked in, wet from the shower Lance had given us in the locker room. Maritza sat up and looked at the huge room, her eyes wide as she looked at the slides and the trees. She heard squeals from the other children and took off for the kiddie area where the other babies.

People looked at me, but they were fascinated by Maritza. It dawned on me that because werewolves didn't shift until their teen years, they'd never seen anything like my little jaguar. She splashed in the water as the other babies grabbed at her fur and her tail. I followed her over, taking a little time to rub against some of the females watching them before I plopped down into the shallow water with them.

All of the babies came over, climbing on me like a jungle gym. I laid there with my tail flopping from side to side as they played with their new toy. When they had enough, I stood up and grabbed Maritza by the neck, carrying her into the deeper water. The watchful nannies kept the toddlers from following.

The water went from six inches to over two feet deep, leaving my shoulders dry as I let Maritza go. Swimming is instinctual for our cats, and she quickly figured it out. She paddled around for a bit before climbing up onto my back between my shoulders and holding on. I went into deeper water, avoiding the water volleyball game and heading for the area where the slides came down. I sank below Maritza, forcing her to swim again as I led her to the stairs.

We both shook off the water before I led her up the stairs to the smallest of the slides. My cub had no problems with the stairs and joined me at the top a moment later. I slid down in front of her, splashing into the pool just before she did. This time, she raced for the stairway to do it again.

When she was too tired to continue, we trotted back to the kiddie pool area where the babies had been dried off and diapered, and the nannies were feeding them dinner. I shifted, and Maritza stomped a foot in irritation before she changed back. There were extra towels and diapers on the table by the chair, so I dried us off, then put on her diaper and pulled her into my lap. "That was FUN," I told everyone. Other Pack members joined our group, including a pregnant Spider Monkey.

"How can you stand the cuteness," Spider asked. "I wish our baby could shift like that."

"I've never known different," I said with a shrug. The ladies had arranged dinner for the young ones here in the pool area, their high chairs between us as we snacked on pizza and chicken wings. "I can't get over how cool this place is," I finally said. "Are all Packs like this?"

"Only those run by a Nygaard. Carson has a great setup in Casper now, Sawyer's is under construction at the Donner Pack, and what Coral has planned for Blue River Pack blows this place away," Lance replied. "The Pack House and this pool area cost almost five million to build, but it's the focus of Pack life up here in the winter. Chase shared the windfall from the takedown of the Sons... Oh, crap. I'm sorry, Maria. I forget they were your family."

"It's all right, go on."

He looked embarrassed. "You know that Chase helped take down the Sons drug operation, right?" I nodded; it was on the news. "Chase and his brothers snatched millions in cash from a warehouse controlled by the Los Angeles chapter meant for the Cartel."

"And I took millions more from Club accounts before the Feds could take it," Spider Monkey said.

"You took my father's money?"

"I did, thus saving it from asset forfeiture laws," she said. "I kept track of the amounts. Now that you are part of the Arrowhead Pack, those funds belong to you."

My jaw dropped; why would she give me that? "I have no claim to the Club accounts," I said.

"It's part of your legacy, Maria. I've already spoken with the Alphas about this," Spider replied. "We took you in to protect you, but we aren't going to force you to stay with us if you decide to move on. You'll have enough money to settle anywhere you want."

"And if I stay here?"

"There are building lots along the lake if you want a home of your own, and those Harleys aren't cheap. You can go to college, provide for Maritza, whatever you want." I looked out on the pool, watching the adults play volleyball. The feeling here was different than the Clubhouse I'd grown up around. They were family, and violence wasn't a daily worry. I liked it.

Lance stood up and looked at me. "Your lawyer is at the front gate. Do you want to take Maritza along?"

"I'll leave her to finish dinner if that is all right."

"We've got her; go have your meeting," one of the nannies said.

"I better get dressed, then." Lance had left my clothing in a cubby in the locker room, and I met him on the other side.

"I had the riding clothes returned to the garage, and everyone is back now. You can use Beta Vic's office to meet with your counsel." We started walking towards the offices. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am. If my legal needs extend to the Pack, I'll bring in Mr. Emerson. I've got a lot to talk about."

"I'll be outside if you need anything," he said as he opened the door for me.

"Hello, Maria. I'm Thomas Kendall," the man in the expensive suit said. "I understand you need help regarding today's incident."

"My whole life has been one incident after another," I said as I shook his hand. "Let's get the business part over, and then we can go over my problems." It took almost three hours to go through everything and discuss our strategy. Today I acted in self-defense of others, and he helped me through the interview with the investigators. The rest? Let's just say he'd earn his retainer.

Ch. 32

Julio Salazar's POV

Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico

As soon as the Doctor ordered the collar removed, I thanked Tezcatlipoca for the favor. I was getting out of here.

I didn't do anything at first, waiting until the guards left for the helicopter to make my move. The Doctor was busy poking me with needles; he assumed that I couldn't shift in the five-point restraints, so he was safe. The explosion gave me the perfect distraction. In two seconds, I did a partial shift of only my hands and feet, the limbs elongating and changing until I could pull the paws through. I shifted my hands back, removing the thick strap around my waist as the Doctor looked out the door. When I was free, my cat emerged, and he was pissed off.

I leaped onto the Doctor's back, my claws digging in as my teeth opened wide. I crushed his skull like an eggshell, and he dropped bonelessly to the floor. I let him go, licking his blood off my teeth as I moved into the passageway. I held my head up, sniffing and listening for threats, and found none. There was a stairway at the end; I reached it and smelled salt air coming in. I bounded silently up the stairs until I reached the hatch leading to the helicopter deck.

I stayed in the shadows, searching the deck for guards. I could smell one male, but I didn't see him until I was on the far right side of the doorway. He was standing near the rail at the north edge, talking on a radio. "I need extract NOW," he told the person on the other end. "Two passengers."

"Roger that," the voice at the other end of the transmission said. "We're fifteen minutes out."

"Heading to the dock. Out." He looked towards me, but I didn't see anything to show he saw me in the shadows. "Fucking doctor is running out of time."

I waited until he was a few steps from the opening before I leaped out. He reacted well, drawing a pistol and getting off a shot as my teeth grabbed his forearm. His bullet pinged off metal as my teeth bit down, crushing his bones. He let out a scream and dropped the pistol.

I used my weight to pull him down, then dragged him to the edge of the platform. He tried to fight, kicking with a leg, but a rake of my claws left his slacks in tatters and his ankle a bloody mess. I dropped him at the edge of the helicopter platform and shifted back. "Who are you," I said as I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him to his feet.

"Daniel! DANIEL FRENCH!"

I was lifting him off the ground with one arm, with my grip hand partially shifted. He screamed as the claws pierced his neck. "And who sent you, Daniel?"

He pulled a remote out of his pocket, pressing the button. The oil rig shook as multiple explosive charges went off underwater. "The Company is going to get you for this! You're dead, and you don't know it! You, Maria, Maritza, all of you DEAD!"

"Then I will see you in HELL." With one hand on his neck and the other on his belt, I spun Daniel around and launched him like a hammer-toss. He cleared the safety nets, spinning horizontally like a boomerang as he plunged to the ocean. Daniel's scream ended in a splat, fifteen or so stories below me.

I looked around as the platform began to tilt, already beginning its descent towards the bottom. I could see burning wreckage to the north, so that was the direction of land. I was at the top of a sinking oil rig, and I had no idea where.

The helicopter platform was now leaning out over the ocean, the whole rig listing twenty degrees as the rig continued sinking. I grabbed one of the rescue rings and threw it as far away as I could. The waters were much closer now, and I didn't have much time. I held on to the upper railing and waited; I'd only get one chance to jump clear. I couldn't jump early and end up with the rig landing on me or sucking me down with it. The platform tipped farther and farther over as it sank. When the edge of the helicopter pad hit the churning waters, I pushed off the railing and dove into the waters.

I plunged underwater almost ten feet, swimming forward as quickly as I could. I broke the surface again and swam away, desperate to avoid the structures now crashing into the water around me. I kept swimming for almost a minute before I let up; I could hear the death throes in the water as compartments collapsed and steel gave way. I stole a look back in time to see it slipping under the waves.

Treading water, I looked around for anything that could help. I knew from watching documentaries that offshore oil rigs attracted fish, and with fish came sharks. I needed to get out of the water.

I spotted the rescue ring I'd tossed and swam over to it, grabbing onto it with one arm. I was looking for something better when I heard a boat approaching quickly. The center-console fishing boat was coming my way. I waved an arm and yelled as they approached, and they saw me. Two men in their fifties were on board; one pulled me up as the other turned to look for others. "What happened?"

"I don't know," I said. I was tired, naked, and streaked with blood.

"Here," one of the guys said as he reached into a compartment. "Put this on." He tossed me a T-shirt, and I pulled it on. I looked around as they searched for other survivors; several more boats were coming this way, and one of them was there to pick up Daniel and the Doctor. I didn't want to be there when that happened.

I walked up behind the guy who pulled me up as he stood near the bow. One shove in the back and he was overboard.

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK?" The captain was already turning, and I was on him a few seconds later. I grabbed him and broke his neck, letting him fall to the deck. Gunning the engines, I turned east to flee from the approaching vessels. The navigation system showed me exactly where I was, and I set the autopilot on a course of 070.

I removed the dead man's clothes, thankful he was wearing a belt as he wasn't in good shape. With the shorts, T-shirt, and boat shoes on, I took some time to look around. The boat keys were on a float with some others, one of which was for a Ford. Good; he probably left his truck at the dock. His wallet had a gas card, two credit cards, and a couple hundred in cash. I put it back in my pocket, then tossed his body over the rail as I sped away.

Like most offshore fishing boats, this one had a GPS navigation system built into the depth sounder. I played around with the controls to see the track, then scrolled back to the beginning of the voyage. They had put it at the Gulfport Marina.

I went northeast about twenty miles before turning towards Gulfport. Helicopters flew over, and I saw a Coast Guard patrol boat heading that way at full speed. It took almost six hours to get to the docks, and the tanks were near empty when I pulled into the marina. There was a long dock near the boat access, and I steered to it and tied up. I turned the boat off and pocketed the keys. I hopped onto the dock and up to the parking lot, clicking the remote until I saw the F-250's lights flash.