Aztec Treasure Ch. 81: End

It started to sink in that Richard would die in their custody. I could sense they were already thinking ahead to how to tell the Americans and minimize the damage. No one wanted to say the obvious.

I looked around the room. "Are we done? I'm starving, and the guys back at the hotel are ordering some barbecue."

The men looked at each other, then nodded. "Thank you, Alpha Chase." I left them behind, smiling as I walked away.

Todd would get what he deserved.

I joined the group in the waiting room, holding my son and daughter as they played in an area of the waiting room discreetly lined with Pack. The RV had just arrived in front of the entrance, and Rori was within link range. They would be passing the hospital in five minutes. "Let's go," I told everyone as I stood up with my twins. The entire group stood and formed a perimeter as we got the kids secured on the couch. While we were loading, others were heading for their motorcycles. I watched as they escorted the RV out of the light, sliding in place between the bikers and the support vehicles from the run.

I updated Rori on everything that was going on. "Richard Todd is here, probably in surgery. We're staying away from that mess. I got a text from Frank Grimes; he is in the air. He'll arrive at Mackinac County Airport at 7:20 tonight. I need to stay here for a while to watch over things."

"How long will Brent be needed there?"

"A few more hours, probably. I need to stay until Possum and Three Tequila are released, and we'll need to keep some people here to support Brent and Laura. It will be a few days until she can shift, maybe four days until the release."

"We don't have hotels here, but the rooms Maria arranged for tonight aren't far away on the Michigan side. It makes sense to move most of us there," she said.

"I agree. Let's rally everyone at the hotel from this morning. Designate a van and some riders to get Frank and take him to the casino hotel. At least on the US side of the border, we'll be able to arm everyone who has a concealed carry permit."

"Is it too dangerous? Should we cancel the rest of the trip?"

It was a question I'd been mulling over on the ride back. "I think it's prudent to send the little ones home," I finally said. "They can fly back with Grandpa Frank and stay at Oxbow Lake for a few days. I'll leave it up to my brothers whether they continue. It just sucks; this trip has been a blast, and now this crap."

"I'll make the offer to your brothers, but I want our babies to come home with me in the RV after they release it. We have vans and SUVs that can drive overnight while swapping drivers, and we'll be heavily armed. Chase, it's only an eight-hour trip."

"Should we send them all back that way? Should I go with you?"

"We don't want all the kids vulnerable in one place again," Rori said. "We don't need to pull anyone back home for security with my Aunt and Uncle taking them. You need a vacation, Chase, and you're a Brotherhood President now."

"What about Maria? And Maritza?"

"I'd like Maritza to go home on the jet with Frank, but it's up to Maria."

"She should be able to ride by tomorrow, and it's her trip," I agreed. "I think we lay out the options and let people decide what they want to do."

I figured the Brotherhood would stay on, while some of the wolves might leave early. The best riding of the trip was still ahead of us. "I agree. Pass the word when you rally, and make the travel arrangements. The doctors want to observe her for one more night as her concussion symptoms have been slow to clear. We should hold Frank's departure until we can get her to the airport."

"I will. Eventually, we should run out of people who want to harm us, right?"

I laughed at that. "Rich, powerful, and were means we're always targets, love. Cheryl is in danger until she is mated and has her first daughter, and our jaguars may always be a target because they're the last ones. Add in the crazies who want us to change them, a government we have a shaky relationship with, and Alphas jealous of our wealth and influence?"

"I don't want us living like prisoners, Chase. Security has to be a consideration, but we can't let it stop us from having fun." I had to agree.

"I'm going to check up on Lana and fill her in. I love you, Rori."

"I love you to the moon and back, my mate."

I went up the elevator to Lana's floor and walked to where the Mountie was sitting at her door. I showed him my identification as another man, maybe six-foot-five and covered in tattoos, came to the door. He was wearing a biker jacket, dark blue FBI T-shirt, jeans, and boots. "Who are you," the bearded man asked.

"I'm Frame, President of the Arrowhead Chapter of the Steel Brotherhood, and Pack Alpha," I replied as I held my hand out to him.

He looked at the Mountie, who nodded as he handed my identification back. "Special Agent Cole Brackers. We've been waiting for you."

James was sitting by the bed, and Lana was happy to see me and appreciated all the updates I had. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been here," she sadly said when I finished.

"Shit happened the way it did, and it was my responsibility to protect them," I told her. "Your charge was Maria, and James protected you both." I could see James' shoulders relaxing; he wanted to transfer, and he was worried he'd done something to jeopardize that. "Frank's jet is arriving tonight and leaving for Minnesota in the morning. I plan to send you and James home on it, along with some of the young ones."

"Fine by me, I'd rather rehab by the pool," Lana said. "I'm officially on medical leave, but I will get my gun and badge back when I leave. I've filled Cole in on his duties."

"I can't wait. It's the first time the Bureau is paying me to ride since I was undercover with the Iron Coffins."

Brent's send cut in. "Alpha, the food is here. Should I send some up?"

"Sure. Enough for four werewolves and some for the nurses if we have enough. Cole looks like he can keep up with James and me." I smiled at Lana. "How about some barbecue instead of hospital food?"

"Oh, hell yea," she said with a smile as she sat up. Yeah, she's going to fit in just fine at Arrowhead.

Ch. 84

Maria (Meztli) Skollson's POV

North of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

One of the officers following us had a blanket, and she helped me wrap Maritza up and carry her out of the woods. She didn't want me to let her go, but I had to get carried out too! We arrived back at the scene of the shootout after the ambulance had left with the kidnapper. Curtis set me down on the back seat of their cruiser, keeping the door open. Maritza got handed over and I rocked her to calm her down. One of the detectives came to see me, but I had questions first. "How is her kidnapper doing?"

"He's messed up. He took a ten-mil round to the hip, plus he has a broken wrist and a bite mark on his ankle."

"Bite mark?"

"Yeah, it's not a big one. Two punctures on each side, about three centimeters apart."

"And the bite drew blood?"

"Yes, his sock was bloodstained."

"Did he say why he did it?"

"He hasn't said anything at all, unless you count begging for painkillers." He knelt by the car so he'd be more on Maritza's level. "I'd like to get your statement for the investigation," he said.

"There's not much to say." I told him about going to the hospital to see Lana Black, the three of us leaving the rest in the RV. "I got just two words from Laura when he attacked. She sent us the words 'gun' and 'help.' I knew something was wrong, and I could feel Maritza's fear over the bond."

"The bond?"

"A mental link between members of a family or Pack. It allows us to talk to each other as long as we are within a few miles of each other. The only Pack members around were Brent, who is Laura's mate, and me. Brent yelled at James to protect me and Lana, and ran outside. Everything I know about what happened down there came from him."

"So you didn't see anything?"

"Couldn't from our room, and James wouldn't let me leave until the scene was secure." I told him about the previous attempts on my life, my recent windfall from the court case, and Maritza's uniqueness. "The FBI sent Lana along because of the continuing threats. If Richard was rogue CIA, he would want revenge against our Pack for our part in taking down their group." We talked for another ten minutes as Maritza started to act up, and I gave him my contact information. "Can I go now? She's tired and hungry."

"Yes, thank you."

The Sault officers were under orders to return us to the hospital. They helped us back to their police SUV, and turned around to head back to the Trans-Canada Highway. I'd had Pack voices checking on me for a few minutes, so I wasn't surprised at all when I saw our escort. The group on the northern run, led by Roadkill, fell in behind the police car as we turned onto the highway. There were twenty or so riders, a mix of wolves and Brotherhood riders, all of whom had raced back here at high speed to find me. I smiled as they got in formation behind us; I felt safer already.

I pulled out my cellphone and updated Lance that I was headed to the hospital; he and the prospect had just crossed the border. Then I called Chase, but his phone went to message. I sent him a text instead. "Maritza is fine, we're on our way back to the hospital and we'll see you in half an hour or so. Maritza bit her kidnapper and drew blood." I called Roadkill next, then Lana's room at the hospital. Everyone was relieved that Maritza was safe.

She wasn't unhurt, though. Richard had kicked her into a cabinet, and I could see bruises forming on her chest and back. The EMTs suggested x-rays, but I refused the ambulance ride because I could sense she wasn't badly hurt. She fell asleep in my arms soon after we got up to speed.

When I was able to raise Chase on the link, I told him we were less than ten minutes away. He met our procession at the Emergency Room entrance, taking Maritza as one of the Brothers pushed over a wheelchair for me. The doctors did an examination and took a chest x-ray, finding no fractures. The investigators also took photos of her injuries for their file. "She's a lucky girl," he told me as I dressed her in clothes brought from the RV.

We were both starving by now, so as soon as I got released, we headed for the RV that had been driven up from the hotel. The riders were already there, eating barbecue and talking about the ride. They all cheered when Chase pushed us back out in my wheelchair.

I didn't have a chance to see Brent and Laura, because they still had the two-person limit, and Brent plus FBI Special Agent Cole Brackers made the limit. I found out Possum and Three Tequila had woken, and Roadkill and Mongo were in with them. They still had to give statements to the investigators before they'd be allowed to go, and we weren't leaving without them. Cole did come down to eat and introduce himself; he looked like he could hold his own in a fight.

The good news was that the crime scene guys had finally released Chase's RV. Some of the Ladies had done a quick cleanup of the inside so we could use it again. I used about six wet wipes to clean the barbecue sauce off Maritza's face and hands, then carried her inside. "How much damage did he do?"

Chase pointed at the damage. "That door is cracked where Maritza hit it, we had to toss out the carpet by the door, and they cut into the bench seat over there to retrieve the bullet. It could have been worse." I could see duct tape over the cut in the leather upholstery, and a throw rug covered the missing carpet section.

Their old men brought Three T and Possum out to join us, setting them on the couch. My new FBI bodyguard, Chase went forward to the driver's seat, and a few minutes later, the whole caravan departed for the hotels.

Everyone else was waiting to see us, and there were a lot of hugs and tears as we reconnected. "We should load up and head for the hotel in Michigan," Sawyer said. "That idea of yours to send people home was dumb."

"What do you mean?"

"Safety in numbers," Bear said. "You fuck with one of us, you fuck with us all. We got sloppy and left you exposed. It won't happen again, the Brotherhood won't stand for it."

"And we are having a great time and want to finish the trip," Howler added.

"What about the kids?" Chase looked at his brothers and twin sister. "We should send them home."

"Aren't you listening," Coral said as she smacked Chase on the back of the head. "Plane rides? Thunder runs? Not happening, Chase, not on our first motorcycle vacation. We ride together. The kids are always surrounded by at least twenty of us, no exceptions, and we'll be armed this time."

I had to agree. "Alpha Chase, we won't make that mistake again. I don't want to go home, and I'll feel better with Maritza along. This part of the trip is SO cool!"

Chase asked, "What about Frank and the plane?"

Sawyer answered that question. "He's bringing our injured home tomorrow. Possum volunteered to go as a nurse, so we'll bring Laura home to the Oxbow Pack Clinic with Lana. James and Brent will go with them." I couldn't imagine the hospital liked treating a werewolf in her fur form.

"This trip is only half over," I told them. "I'll be riding again by the time Lance gets his bike back." Another night rest and some shifting a few times would help heal me.

Chase looked over at Rori, who just nodded at him. "I guess we stick together then," he said. It took a while to get us all over the border, and we headed west through Upper Michigan to the casino hotel. Chase and Rori volunteered to keep Maritza in the RV overnight, so Lance and I got a room to ourselves. I couldn't stay in the jacuzzi overlooking the lake for long while pregnant, but Lance spent a lot of time massaging my shoulder and leg. As always, massaging turned into sex, slow and tender and careful.

Lance helped me through one more round of ice treatments before bed. I took a pain pill and tucked into my mate's side, quickly falling asleep.

Ch. 84

Maria (Meztli) Skollson's POV

Bay Mills Resort and Casino

I felt better when I woke up, and ditched the wheelchair after breakfast. The first I found out about the schedule change was when I asked about checkout, and Chase said we were all staying another night. "A few of us planned a run that will allow us to escort Lana and Laura to the airport," he said. "We added a run along the southern part of the Upper Peninsula afterwards."

Our group got on the road at nine, heading back east. Most of the party with carry permits was now armed, so a smaller group had departed earlier to go into Canada to retrieve our people. We waited near I-75 until they were through Customs.

We formed up our column again after our people crossed back over, and headed south to the Mackinaw County Airport. A few vehicles split off to escort Lance to the Harley-Davidson dealer across the bridge in Mackinaw City. Why only vehicles? The Mackinaw Bridge was several miles long, and used a lot of metal grating which wasn't fun to ride on, plus the winds could be gusty and dangerous. Lance was going to put his Harley on the trailer and drive it back over before he'd get back on.

I said goodbye to Possum as they loaded up the patients into the jet. It was a little painful getting onto Lance's bike, but once I was in place with my arms around him, I felt better. We rolled out of there as the plane took off, then we headed south until we picked up Highway 2 West. This road ran along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, and some great scenery. We stopped in Naubinway for lunch, taking over three restaurants. They couldn't seat us all, so we sent groups through the Top of the Lakes Snowmobile Museum across the street while we were waiting.

We picked up 123 just west of town, and followed it north and east until we got back to Whitefish Bay. From there, we headed north to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point, where I had guided tour times reserved for our group. I really liked this stop; the views were beautiful, though I wasn't climbing up on the light tower with my bad leg! Lance did go and take pictures, as did many others.

I learned a lot at the museum, including how of the 550 major shipwrecks in Lake Superior, 200 of them were in the vicinity of Whitefish Point. I had picture of us taken next to the Edmund Fitgerald's bell, and watched as Maritza and Lance searched the shore for agates.

We left in the late afternoon, stopping at the bottom of Whitefish Bay to visit the Point Iriquois Lighthouse. I enjoyed this stop as well, but kept comparing them to Split Rock Lighthouse back in Minnesota, and finding them a little tame in comparison. We got back on the road and returned to the casino with big appetites.

We had a section reserved in Sacey's, the all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. I felt bad for them; two hundred bikers and werewolves laid waste to the buffet like a locust plague. Our little girls, who got in free, did a little damage of their own. Maritza and the others all left with rounded bellies and tired faces; they would sleep well tonight.

Chase's RV was surrounded by others in our group at the back of the RV park. Rori and her nannies took Maritza again, giving us a chance to have more adult time in our room. Hey, it is our honeymoon, right?

Lance was resting against the headboard and I was between his legs with my head on his chest as we rested between rounds and watched cable news. The anchor followed the 'breaking news' sounder with this. "The Ontario Provincial Police reported child kidnapper and suspected CIA conspiracist Richard Todd died this afternoon in the Sault Area Hospital. Authorities said he died of a high fever, the result of a werejaguar bite. Police confirmed that kidnapped one-year-old Maritza Meztli bit him in a struggle yesterday morning in the parking lot of the hospital which left three people in the hospital, one seriously injured with a gunshot wound."

The co-anchor didn't seem to mind. "I'd call this one getting what you deserve, Ann. His conspiracy group tried to take down Air Force One, and made money with drug cartels. We all heard how painful the First Husband's death was, and I won't shed a tear that Todd is gone the same way. Mess with kids, and you deserve this and more," he opined.

A guest commentator wasn't so positive. "What you all are missing is the dangers these were-kind present to the human race. Their animal forms are dangerous; even a nibble by a kitten is enough to kill a full-grown male. We know they've killed in the past, but can we trust them not to do so in the future? The safe thing for us to do is to isolate them to protect us all."

The show's female host rolled her eyes. "And what? Imprison them on reservations because of how they were born? Are we going to force them to sew paw prints on their clothing to warn us?" The guest didn't know what to say to that. "As long as the only people dead are the ones that deserve it, I'm fine with what happened. If they murder someone, they can be held responsible in a court of law."

"How do you hold a one-year-old accountable? The kid can't even understand the charges, so how can you hold her accountable? No, the adults in the room, her parents, THEY should be held accountable for what the child does."

The host just stared at him. "Nicholas, if she was here right now I'd throw her a party. Come back to me when it's murder, not self-defense. After the break, a wind power project off Nantucket is blocked again by the rich and famous."