Aztec Treasure Ch. 61-70

"I can keep hacking," I told everyone. "If I can get access to the CIA account, I can do what I did with the Sons. The money will disappear, and no one will ever find it. That's over fourteen million dollars in off-the-books cash gone in a keystroke. Give me more time, and I could bust into the Cartel accounts as well. They have billions in assets floating around for me to take."

Vic didn't like that a bit. "The Cartels would kill us all if they found out. We only took the Sons' money, and the Cartel was already cutting them out of the picture."

"I won't get caught," I said.

Frank was on Vic's side. "The Cartel would stop at nothing to get the person who took their money. Eventually, they would find you, and they would destroy us. Even if we limit ourselves to the CIA money, we're talking international bank fraud. I can't defend that. I don't have a get-out-of-jail-free card for you, Spider."

"You could get one," I told him evenly. "The President doesn't need to know specifics, just that I hurt the ones responsible. The Cartels are not innocent in this if they supplied the missiles."

"I'll pass that along to her privately," Colletta said. "For now, I think it's best if your team focuses on accessing account records and tracing the money transfers. Stealing from accounts is a risk we don't need to take quite yet."

"I can do that," I said. "I'll keep working on the account access codes just in case."

I couldn't stop the yawn, and Chase noticed. "I want you to go back and brief your team, and then I want you to take a nap," he told me. "You've been working hard on this, and we all appreciate it, but your health is more important." I saw Rori looking up at him before he held his hand up. "No, wait. Brian, you go back to work with the team and pass along the orders. Spider Monkey can go straight to bed."

I put my hand over my belly and thought about arguing, but then I felt my baby start kicking my bladder and decided to use the bathroom instead. "Excuse me," I told everyone.

"I'll take you," Vic said.

"No, I'm fine. You stay here and do your job. I need to use a bathroom like RIGHT NOW." I left the room with Brian, hearing it lock behind me. He waited for me to finish before walking with me outside and down the hill to our home. It sucked not having the link because I couldn't listen to the rest of the meeting, and Brian wasn't saying anything.

There was nothing to do but nap. I fell asleep quickly, dreaming about what kind of pool we could build if I stole a billion dollars.

Ch. 65

Maria Meztli's POV

Arrowhead Pack Lands

After discussing it with Alpha Chase, we agreed the only open home was not suitable. It was the lake home the Pack is buying just outside the back entrance. Chase said it was too far from the Pack protection I still needed.

Instead, I accepted an offer from Roadkill and Possum to move into the mother-in-law apartment in the basement of their lake home. It was two houses down from the Alpha's home and directly below the pool portion of the Pack House. It put me a little closer to the front gates of the property, but it was defensible. The tunnel system entrance was in Roadkill's man-cave, just outside the two bedrooms and kitchenette we were renting from them.

It had taken only a few hours to move across the point with the help of available Pack members. The rooms in Vic's home we vacated backfilled with senior members of his team. It was a win-win for everyone, including Rori's mother and stepfather. They got a live-in toddler to spoil when the grandchildren weren't over.

As promised, my settlement came through, and my bank account reached new heights. I hired an investment manager, using her to build my fortune and set up a trust for Maritza. I kept almost two million in liquid investments on her advice to handle home construction and other expenses coming my way.

That led to the next challenge. Chase gave me a copy of the site plan for Arrowhead Pack lands and asked me to select a location for a homesite. Once I'd picked a spot, I'd pay the Pack for the hundred-year lease and submit plans for my home so they could ensure it 'fit in' with everything else. After all, the Pack buildings all used natural materials that blended into the surrounding rocks and forests. It wouldn't help to have a steel and glass, modern-architecture abomination in the middle of it. Add to that required setbacks, elevation restrictions, sightlines, lake contours for docks, and sunlight? We had a lot to do.

We needed to make some decisions quickly. Lance and I walked along the rocky shoreline as Maritza played in her cat form along the water's edge. Now that we had a link between us, she could get permission to shift without waiting for me to do it first. Jaguars love the water, and she was trying to trap minnows under her big paws as she trotted along. Roadkill was in the group since he would have to handle connection power, sewer, and escape tunnels to any spot we chose. Possum came along to help watch Maritza and to add her advice. Vic was with us for security. Finally, we had a general contractor, Jack Gleason, and one of the architects who had worked on the original Pack buildings, Audrey Meadows.

The Pack owned a swath of shoreline across the southern shore of Arrowhead Lake. The Pack House and the main buildings were on a point extending a hundred meters out into the lake; the Alpha's home was on the tip. That left two shallow coves on each side. On the eastern side was where we started, moving along the empty lakeshore from Roadkill's home. The shoreline eased around until it faced the north again, running about two hundred meters more until it reached the boundary and the front gate. Just on the other side was a 'cabin' (think a large second home with plenty of room for entertaining). This chunk of land belonged to the Oxbow Lakes Pack Alphas, a gift from Rori to her Aunt and Uncle. Although not our territory, it tied in with our security systems as our Packs were close allies.

The lake was shallow in this section, with mud and rock base. After walking the length, we stopped to talk about it. "I'm not thrilled about the northern exposure," I said. "With the land sloping down, getting winter sun will be more difficult. The only spot I like is next to yours," I told Roadkill. There were two lots undeveloped there, and the back of them would face east or northeast, granting them morning sunlight.

"That works better for us since the tunnel doesn't extend this far yet," he said. "Utilities are easy, as they all come in from this side. You're also facing the human homes across the lake, so you need to be a little more careful you don't freak them out."

I snickered at that. "Anyone looking out a window now can see a spotted cat from the Amazon jungles playing in their lake, and it's no big deal. They know about us."

"Let's try the other side." One of the Omegas picked us up in a van and drove us towards the back entrance, past the beach, RV park, party pavilion, and boathouse. We skipped the outside properties but looked at the sites between the beach and the back entrance.

"It's quiet out here," I said as we walked along the shore. This section had sand or sand/gravel mix shoreline that gradually dropped into twenty feet of water.

"It is until the campground fills up and the jetskis start," Roadkill said with a chuckle. "The real issue here is security. You're farthest away from the safe room and armory, and extending the tunnels is very expensive. I've been talking to the Alphas about it, and we think we're going to have to put a safe room slash storm shelter out here near the RV park. The land doesn't rise high enough to put in the tunnels, so those people will have to run for shelter outside."

We moved to the other side of the Pack marina, where there was room for a dozen homes along the south shore until you reached the current construction. The difference was that the tunnels did come out close enough to connect. "What do you think?"

"One of those spots next to Roadkill. You know Maritza will want to be close to the pool, and we can easily put a dock in for our boats."

"Boats? When did a jet-ski become boats?"

"His and hers jetskis, a speedboat, and a fishing boat," he said.

I rolled my eyes. Boys and their toys. "Possum, would you mind neighbors who get a little loud while mating?"

She laughed. "You can design your home with extra soundproofing," she said. "I'd love to have your little girl nearby. It makes it easier for Grandma to watch them all."

Alpha Rori's voice pushed into our heads. "Good choice, Maria. We figured you'd want to be close to the pool, so our lawyer is already drawing up the paperwork for the lease."

I just laughed at myself; eighteen years old and already predictable. "It makes the most sense, but I didn't know if you'd want us that close. We aren't Beta-rank, after all."

"Don't worry about that, Maria. Work with the architect to figure out what you want out of your house and get it. We're excited to have you with us and to have you in the neighborhood."

"We're taking the lot next to Possum and Roadkill's house," I told everyone. We drove back, and I dried and dressed Maritza up on the way back. Possum volunteered to play with her downstairs while we worked with our building team. We walked the site again, talking about how the slope and the setbacks would affect the design. If we dug out the rocky hillside for a full basement, we could fit two stories above it, each level over 2500 square feet.

Jack Gleason started talking construction. We wanted the roof and exterior to match the existing houses and were willing to use the same Structural Integrated Panels to expedite construction. "We've already lost a month of the building season, and we'll lose another month getting a custom design and approvals. It's easier since Arrowhead is essentially a sovereign territory, but you're on a lake, so the state still gets a say. If you want to finish this before next spring, there a few things you could do."

"Like what?"

"Using a poured-in-place foundation and structural panels is a great way to get weathertight faster. If you do that with standard or slightly modified home plans, it will get us building weeks earlier," he said. "You've got examples around you, and using existing plans cuts down the expense and uncertainty. You can still work with Audrey on interiors, room sizes, and things like that. What I need to get going on is a foundation and exterior panel designs so I can start ordering and digging." He excused himself, needing to get back to a building site. "Let me know what you decide, and I'll make it happen."

"Thank you." We spent the next three hours with Audrey and her computer. We ended up picking the home design Coral had built that was now Spider Monkey's place. It utilized much of the lot, and I knew I liked the open design. There was one thing I wanted that was different, and it took a few sketches to get it right. I wanted a bright, tall, and warm four-season porch to get through the winters that would help our cats get through the winters. That meant floor-to-ceiling windows on the south end. We ended up taking a corner of the home and notching out the second floor to make a tall, narrow space with room for cats to play. Inside this area, we'd put a hot tub, a table to eat breakfast, a circular staircase to the master bedroom, and a tree for our cats to climb and nap on. The rest was pretty standard, with lots of bedrooms, a workshop at the back of the garage, a huge master suite, and a big kitchen.

We finally sent Audrey back to her office to start working on the drawings. "Call or email me if you have any new ideas or changes, and you will," she said. "A few clicks on the computer is a lot cheaper than moving walls."

"We will," I promised before she drove away.

We ate dinner with the Pack and wore Maritza out in the pool, but there was something else my cat and I wanted to do. Maritza went to bed, and Possum agreed to listen for her waking up. It was a warm spring night, and the moon was out. "Care to run about the woods with me?"

Lance smiled. "Absolutely." He talked two of tonight's patrol wolves into providing discrete protection for us. No longer did the Pack have to hide shifting, so we shifted and had Possum let us out the door. Two patrols in wolf form flanked us as we headed to the center of our Pack lands.

Jaguars aren't suited for running all day like wolves are. We like to climb and swim and ambush. I struggled to keep up until I saw where Lance had led us; a small meadow near a creek. He stood tall and proud in the center and waited. Running was wolfy foreplay, so he was ready. A normal werejaguar female was only sexually receptive in cat form during her heat. I wasn't normal anymore; I'd been ready since we left the house.

I crept into the clearing, moving without a sound until I was rubbing my cheek against his side, marking him with my scent. He was bigger than me, and I didn't resist when he climbed over my raised haunches. His long cock pushed into my waiting depths, making me growl in pleasure as he hilted himself in me. He took me hard and fast, holding me by the neck until he filled me with his seed.

We lay together, talking over the link and watching the stars until his knot receded enough for us to disengage. I shifted back, and he turned with me. It didn't take long for my hand and mouth to bring his erection back, and this time I rode him. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life," he said.

"Good. Don't freak out; you need this." He lasted a long time, allowing me to reach bliss three times before it got to be too much for both of us. I grabbed his wrists with my hands, pinning them to his sides, and then I focused on a partial shift. My head sprouted fur, and my jaws elongated, and my moans became growls. I moved faster, and he pounded up into me as we raced to a mutual orgasm of epic proportions. "Move your head to the side," I told him.

He did, and when he started painting my insides, it put me over the edge. I moved down, clamping my jaws around the junction of his right shoulder and neck, and bit down. Warm blood filled my mouth as my teeth penetrated his flesh. I felt something shift inside me, and his eyes got wide open as the full potential of the mate bond coursed through him.

I released the bite as I regained control of my body, shifting back to normal as I collapsed onto his chest. I licked the blood clean of the punctures, and but they didn't stop bleeding. "We should get those looked at," I said. "I'm sorry. Big, strong teeth."

"You marked me. I'm sure it will scar well."

"Gotta keep all those horny bitches away from MY man," I said with a smile. I got up and went back to cat form. Lance walked around the clearing to verify his shoulder was all right. "Let's take it easy and enjoy the walk," I told him.

Side by side, we returned home an hour later. We shifted on the porch, and I could see the blood still oozing from the wounds. "Jesus, you got him good," Possum said as we walked in. She led him to the kitchen and sat him on a stool while I got the first aid kit out of the bathroom. She cleaned and disinfected the four puncture wounds, and then we pressed gauze over them until they stopped bleeding. "Normally, I'd put stitches in, but mating bites should be visible." She taped gauze over them and sent us off to bed with instructions to take it easy for a few days.

He tucked me into his side as he slept. I could sense the bond between us strengthening and smiled as I fell off to sleep.

Ch. 66

Spider Monkey's POV

Arrowhead Pack House

We did it.

It took my team three days to hack into the secure file at Banco Mexico and steal the password and fingerprint files from their central computer. With that information, we used a 3D printer to make fake 'thumbs' that would match those of the account owners. I had everything I needed in my purse; the account information, a flash drive with account histories, and two thumbs.

As I walked to the Alpha's office, my team was 'cleaning up' behind me. Brian was wiping all the removable hard drives. When done with that, he would be loading up all the hard drives, computers, routers, and servers that were part of my hacking setup. Nothing could tie us to what was happening next; none of us would ever get out of prison if we didn't do it right.

Colletta, Frank, Rori, and Chase were waiting for me in the Alpha's office. I closed the door, my elation at cracking the codes warring with my nervousness about what would happen next. "I have full access to the CIA and the Cartel accounts," I told them.

"What has to happen for you to make the transfers?"

"I need to access a Banco Mexico computer at any of their branches and log in," I told them. "After that, I can transfer the funds anywhere in the world. I've selected a series of banks that will be near-impossible to trace."

"Well done," Frank said. "Is there any chance the IT administrators at Banco Mexico caught on?"

"I'm the best at what I do, but I never say never. The more important point is that this opportunity could go away at any time. All it takes is one password change, and I'm locked out. All evidence of what we have done is gone in another twenty minutes."

Colletta nodded. "How much time do we have?"

"There's no way to know, but the faster, the better."

Colletta stood up. "We better get going then. There is a Banco Mexico branch in Washington, DC. Frank, you get the plane ready while I make a phone call."

Good. The sooner, the better, and I didn't want to put Arrowhead in the crosshairs. "Vic will demand to come. He won't let me go anywhere without protection," I said as I rubbed my baby belly.

"He's packing a bag for you now. Go pack, and we'll meet you in front of your house in ten minutes."

Chase walked me back home. "If it's too dangerous, I want you to back off. What we are doing is important, but nothing is more important than the safety of you and the Pack. We can always get money, and I don't need you up at night worrying about if someone found you."

"I know, Chase. But I also know who was on Air Force One that night. These guys aren't just traitors; they tried to kill your MOTHER and the leader of your kind. The Cartels would deserve everything they get, especially if they provided the missiles. I'll get this done, and then I'll take a long shower, lay on the hotel bed, and eat popcorn while I watch the news coverage. I'll sleep just fine, thank you."

"Let Vic take care of you. Maybe take a few days to see the sights and relax. It's better if you stay away for a bit, at least until things settle down. Tell Vic to bring your alternate identifications along and use those." We reached my front door, and he patted my shoulder. "You've done us a great service, Spider Monkey. Anything you need, we'll get for you."

"I know, Alpha. Thank you." Vic opened the door and brought me to our bedroom, where I quickly packed a few things for the trip. We left our cellphones at home, taking new ones registered to the Pack instead. The driver was waiting for us outside, and we headed to the Two Harbors Airport.

We didn't say anything about the job until the jet was in the air and the pilot's door was closed. The four of us sat around the conference table. "I've reserved a rental car for you under Vic's alternate identification; it will be waiting at the airport. Make your way home, and don't tell us where or when," Frank said. He handed me a phone. "I'll text you with the go-time once I have everything arranged. We need to coordinate this with the assault on the CIA safe house. We can't give them any time to destroy evidence before our men sweep in."

"What about the Station Chief?"

"Don't worry about Henry Consuellar. He's going to give up his co-conspirators, or we'll drop him on a street corner in Culiacan with a sign around his neck. They won't kill him quickly."