Claiming Treasure Ch. 16-20

I pulled my laptop out and set up at a desk they had for me. "I'll be fine, honey," I told a worried Ron. I'd learned long ago that he was incapable of understanding my computer job, and I no longer tried. "Go get dinner and bring me back something I like."

"I'll be back. Have I lost you for the night?"

I nodded. "You know how it is with computer geeks. I'll be down here until I can't function, then I'll come up and snooze for a few hours. I'm glad I slept on the plane." He stepped out, and Patrick showed me what they had so far.

Heather Rhodes' POV
Cascade Pack House

"Thank you for dinner," I said as I excused myself from the head table in the Pack dining room.

"Have fun at training," Alpha Carson said.

I smiled before I followed Beta Carl out of the room. I'd settled into a routine while my ribs healed up; I'd use the exercise bike in the morning before knife training, spend the afternoon with a pack member shadowing their job, then after dinner, it was time for firearms training. I loved using the Firearms Training System and had become quite proficient at busting plates. I wasn't up to Beta Angelina's level yet, but I wasn't embarrassed by her anymore.

We went down to the training area, but instead of going into the training room, we went into the armory. "What's going on?"

"Now that you have proficiency in using the firearm, we are going to start training on the practical aspects. I expect you to carry a firearm on you any time you are out of your room," he said.

"Is that necessary?"

Carl shook his head. "Probably not, but I've talked to you about habits. Carrying a pistol and at least one knife needs to be a habit, just another part of getting dressed. If it isn't a habit, you might not do it. You NOT have it when you need it."

"How am I going to carry? I'm going to be as big as a house soon." My belly wasn't much now, but wearing a heavy gun belt and holster wasn't going to last long.

"That's why we're here." He opened a cabinet and pulled out a few holsters, then a blue plastic training pistol. "While you can carry with a belt, it would be good to do so. We don't have to worry about you hiding it from the Pack, so we'll use an outside-the-belt holster." He helped me replace the belt on my jeans with a more substantial one, then threaded on the holster. "Police carry on the hip for good reasons; it allows you to sit normally and is fast to draw. Give it a try." I went through the motions he showed me at half speed, then went faster until it felt jerky. "Not bad. Some people prefer appendix carry, here in front to the left of your buckle, mainly if they sit down a lot or are driving. I don't like drawing across my body, so I don't do this. The small of the back holster gives good concealment, but is uncomfortable when sitting or driving."

I tried the two and had to agree. "Hip, for sure," I said.

He set me up with a holster and belt for the Glock I was used to firing, then set it aside. "As you get farther along in pregnancy, the belt won't work. Ankle carry doesn't help because it's difficult to bend down. There are two options then, shoulder holsters and bang bras."

"Bang what?"

"Here." He handed me a small holster that looked like a C-clip. Taking out a different plastic pistol, this one being a single-stack 9mm Glock 43 compact, he put it into the holster. It covered the trigger and barrel but was open on the bottom, and the grip was showing. "Want to try?"

"How does this go?"

"You need a sturdy bra. Clip this over the strap in front, so it hangs just below." I was glad I was wearing a loose T-shirt; I turned away and clipped it in place. It felt weird as it hung there, but wasn't uncomfortable. I turned back around; looking in the mirror, you couldn't even see it. "To use this, you reach up, grab it by the grip, and give it a sharp pull down."

I did what he said; it popped free. "Nice," I said.

"Not good for anything more than a compact pistol, though. I prefer you wear a full-sized shoulder holster." He took the rig out and put it on; the pistol was under my left arm, grip forward, while the other side could hold two spare magazines. The draw wasn't much slower than the hip holster, and the weight was evenly distributed across my back and shoulders. "What do you think?"

"I like it," I said. "I like them both."

"That one is yours now that we've adjusted it. I'll get you a compact pistol and bra holster; you can use it as a backup. When we leave tonight, we start. If I catch you out of your room without a pistol, you're not going to enjoy the punishment when we do our morning runs," Carl said.

"I don't enjoy the runs NOW," I teased him.

"All right. Leave the plastic gun here, and we'll go to the trainer." Going in, I was handed the laser Glock replica and holstered it. For the next two hours, we practiced drawing and firing, using videotaped shoot/no-shoot scenarios based on police training. It was fun but nerve-wracking. The scenarios he put me through drove home just how quickly a situation could degrade, and how little time you had to make decisions.

I was tired when he finally shut the trainer down. "Nice job," Carl told me as he took the training pistol from me. "Now, we go to the armory."

We walked to another part of the basement, near the security center. "Holy shit," I said as I followed Carl into the room.

"Redneck heaven," he said as he walked past the shelves filled with pistols and the wall racks of rifles. Over the next hour, he showed me how to operate and clean the Glock 19 and the Glock 43. When I had them ready, he handed me the magazines and a pair of latex gloves. "Silver-core bullets aren't something we mess with," he said. "It won't harm you, but it won't be pleasant if you have residue on your fingers and touch someone. Use gloves and wash your hands after you load the magazines."

I filled three 19-round magazines and one six-round magazine. I took out two more rounds; inserting the magazines, I racked a round in, ejected and topped off the magazine, then put the full magazine back in. The tiny Glock didn't bother me at all in the bra holster. "Nice," I said as I peeled the gloves off.

"Wipe the grips with a baby wipe, then wash your hands," he said. "The silver ammunition won't kill a werewolf unless you hit a vital area, but it will cause the wound to bleed, and it burns like fire. I wish we could do some live fire, but Doc says no."

"If I have to fire these while I'm pregnant, I'll apologize to my babies for the noise later." I impulsively hugged him. "Thank you, Beta Carl. I've learned a lot from you."

"You're welcome, Luna." He got a glazed look that meant someone was mentally sending to him. "I have to go. Have a good night; Angelina will be outside your door at six for your run."

I groaned. "Don't you people sleep?"

"Don't forget a weapon," he said as he left me at the staircase.

I looked at the clock, and it was past ten already. I better get some sleep.

Ch. 20

Joe Walker's POV
Banff Pack Computer Room

It was so simple, and I almost missed it.

The mystery of how the hacker had accessed a secure Council server had evaded our team for three days now. The worm had destroyed many of the files, its design such that it covered its tracks. I had to find something else.

We knew that the program had infected the hard drive between six and nine days ago. The connection logs were not corrupted, thank Luna. These files recorded the IP addresses, usernames, and passwords of those accessing the system. It wouldn't tell me what they did, but it would list who had accessed and for how long. I was slogging through the pages of data, cursing the fact that the trials resulted in so many people logging in during this time when I saw it.

The same username and password had been used twice, both active at the same time, and from different servers.

I moved over to the terminal connected to the reconstituted Council server, which still was isolated from the outside world. Accessing the right file, I found out the username belonged to Colletta Nygaard, former Luna of the Cascade Pack.

I looked up and across the room to where Beta Teri was staring at her screen. She hadn't yet figured out the source of the hack or how it worked. As I considered the new information, I had to wonder if she was here to find the hacker, or if she WAS the hacker. Luna Colletta was the mother of her Alpha and was hostile to the Council and its decisions.

It wasn't enough, not yet. Going back to the log, I did a reverse lookup of the IP address used for access. Neither matched the IP addresses used for the Arrowhead Pack server. One went to a server in Australia, while the other was in rural Minnesota.

Two Harbors, Minnesota. Home of the Arrowhead Pack.

My head hurt at the possibilities. I walked over to where Lisa was pinching the bridge of her nose while leaning back in her chair. "I'm going to take a break. Want to get some air?"

"Sure."

"We'll be back in a few. Anyone need anything from upstairs?"

"Milky Way bars," Patrick said.

"I'm good," Teri replied.

Brian Steele was still sleeping, so I held the door open for Lisa and followed her upstairs. Walking outside, we enjoyed the crisp night air. There was no one around at three in the morning. "I need you to tell me if I'm crazy or not," I told her.

"About what?"

I explained what I found. The dual logins by Luna Colletta. The fake IP address in Australia. The potential Arrowhead involvement in the hack. She didn't say anything for a minute as she walked along. "It could be Arrowhead was hacked first; someone found Colletta's login and used that for their own devices," I said.

"Or it could be that Arrowhead wanted to spy on the council, and Teri is here to make sure it doesn't blowback onto Saint Rori," Lisa said. "You, I mean we, cannot hold back this information. It's my responsibility to inform the Council of the potential Arrowhead involvement."

"What if I'm wrong?"

She stopped and grabbed my arm. "What if you are RIGHT, Joe?"

I looked up at the stars. "You are right," I finally said.

"Come on. I've notified the Chairman we have a breakthrough. He will meet with us in twenty minutes." She led me back into the dining hall, where we got coffee and sandwiches before the meeting.

The Chairman blew a gasket when I told him what I found.

Beta Ron Carlson's POV
Banff Pack House

I woke at five, the bed next to me cold. Teri was in full computer mode, spending long hours in the computer center with no windows and no sense of time. "Love, how are you doing?"

"Busy," she said. "And frustrated. Nothing is happening."

"I know just how you feel," I said with a hint of horniness over the bond. I could feel her response, and I kicked it along with a description of what I'd rather be doing with her right now.

"I have a few more hours before I come out," she said. "Don't wait for me for breakfast. Get out there and continue your work," she said.

"Give me fifteen minutes." I quickly dressed and headed down to the dining hall. When Rori had sent me, protecting Teri was only part of why I was here. I was also trying to gauge the mood of the Pack. Rori suspected that even in Packs that were opposed to us, the strong opposition was only at the top. That is what Coral found in Blue River, and what I was looking for here.

So far, that was the case. I'd spent a lot of time talking with the Omegas and Warriors, most of whom were very interested in my Pack and my Alpha. If a challenger came forward along Coral's lines, the Pack would back him or her. They wouldn't openly disrespect their Alphas, but their eyes told me what they thought.

I got my pancakes and bacon from the kitchen, then sat down at the table in the nearly-empty room. One of the Omegas got me juice and coffee, just as another woman approached. "Beta Ron, what are you still doing here," she asked.

"Breakfast," I said. "Please, join me."

"You didn't leave?"

I looked at her funny. "Why would I leave?"

She shook her head. "The Council wakes me up in the middle of the night and tells me to order a jet for five people to go to Two Harbors, and have a car downstairs in thirty minutes to go to the airport. I thought something happened with you or your mate, and you had to return home."

"Maybe it's Council business," I said. "No one said anything to me."

"You're probably right."

I was getting that feeling that something was wrong. The full Council walked in with Alpha John, and all of us stopped talking and nodded our heads in respect. Councilman Kirk glared at me, which almost made me ill. "Something is wrong, Teri. The Council sent a plane to Arrowhead in the middle of the night, and none of them are on it."

"Shit. Lori left with Joe a few hours ago, and they aren't back yet." I could sense her fear through the bond. "I found something in the hack. It's a code I've only seen one person use."

"Who?"

"Spider Monkey."

FUCK fuck fuckity fucking FUCK! If she was behind this, we had a MAJOR problem. "We have to warn them, Teri."

"I agree. The Internet isn't available, and I can't get an outside connection without attracting notice." The Pack House was far removed from roads and surrounded by mountains, and there wasn't cell service here. "We can't risk a telephone, either. We need to get to where we can get a cell tower."

"We need to get out of here, and quick," I told her. "Come on up to the room. We'll steal a car and make a run for the US border." I excused myself and went back up to our room, throwing all our stuff into a backpack and a bag. I had just finished when Teri came in, pulling Brian Steele in behind him. "What's going on?"

"Brian is going to get us out of here, and Alpha Rori is going to take him into our Pack," she said.

"I cannot stay, the Alpha is going to kill me as soon as he doesn't need me," Brian said. "I'm your only chance of getting out of there without being seen."

"What's the plan?"

Ten minutes later, we were under a blanket in the back of one of the Pack cargo vans. We kept still as he slowed, mentally communicating with the guard at the main gate. "We're through," he finally said. "Thirty minutes, and we'll dump the van."

As soon as the service became available, I used my cell to make two phone calls. The first was to Alpha Rori, to warn her someone was on their way. The second was to order an Uber to take us to the Calgary airport. While I was busy with this, Teri got us a flight to Minneapolis and a connection to Duluth.

We would get home by nine tonight, and we knew we'd miss the action by at least eight hours.

Heather Rhodes' POV
Cascade Pack House

I had taken a quick shower after my morning run with Angelina, thankful that my ribs healed enough that it didn't hurt to breathe. Dressing in yoga pants, sports bra, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, I walked into the Pack Dining Room at just before seven. Carson pulled out the chair to his right at the breakfast table and smiled at me. I looked around, but I could tell everyone expected me to take it. "Good morning, everyone," I said as I sat down.

"Good morning, Luna," the Betas responded. I just blushed; I didn't deserve the title, but I couldn't stop them from giving it to me. In their mind, I was their Luna as soon as their Alpha claimed me as his mate during the asylum hearing.

"Did you sleep well," Carson asked me as he started serving me scrambled eggs out of one of the bowls on the table while his plate remained empty. It was another one of his habits I couldn't break. Angelina had explained it all to me. Their wolf instincts demanded that he make sure his mate was cared for and fed, even before he ate himself. When the mate was pregnant, the urge to feed me was even stronger. He wouldn't eat himself until I had enough.

"Well, thank you." I was still in the room I had chosen on arrival and was still sleeping alone in my bed. Carson had the room across from me, not that he slept there. From the first night, his wolf would take over and whine at my door before sleeping in front of it. By the second night, I'd tired of the whining and just let him in. I made a bed for him on the floor next to my bed, and he stayed there in his wolf form. So far, I hadn't let him up in the bed, but he whined and put his head up by my pillow every night. I'd say no, he'd give my face or neck a lick, and then he'd settle down for the night. I turned to Beta Angelina. "What is the plan for this morning?"

"Alpha hasn't told me yet," she said.

I looked back at Carson. "The forecast is warm and sunny, and I would like to take you to some of my favorite places in the territory," he said.

"By ATV? Car?"

"Riding on my back, if you're up to it." I quickly nodded yes, because it was my favorite way of getting around. As fast as a horse, but with more acceleration and maneuverability, it was a rush like none other. "There are some waterfalls near the northeast border that should be amazing with the snowmelt. I was going to get a picnic lunch packed for us since it will take several hours to get there. The view is worth it."

I looked at his eyes, which were betting me to agree. I could see his love for me, and I liked spending time with him, but I had to respect our doomed future. The closer I got to him, the harder it would be when the Council took me away. I couldn't allow him to die, not when my twins would need him. "What do I need to bring?"

"Ski wear would be good for the trip, as there is still lots of snow around. Layers. I'll have you carry my clothes in a backpack with the food and anything else you want to bring."

"Swimsuit?"

He just laughed. "Mountain runoff is nothing to swim in," he said. "Bring your camera, though."

We talked about some of the things he wanted to show me, and others added their favorite spots. He had given me a high-resolution compact camera to capture memories with, and I'd bring that along. I wanted to leave him lots of photos of me to show the babies when they grew up. "What are you going to do on your day off, Angelina?"

She snorted in her juice. "Not a day off. As the Luna's guard, my place is out there with you. I'll be around, but you won't notice me."

"Fine. I'm going to go change for my day out," I said. I stood and kissed Carson on the cheek, then started to walk out.

"Luna," Beta Carl said as he stood up and moved in front of me. "Spot check." He moved his hand over, tapping the holster under my left shoulder before he smiled. "Good."

"If you check to see if I'm wearing my Bang Bra, I don't know if your mate or your Alpha would remove your fingers first," I said as Carson and Angelina both growled at the thought. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

A few of the Pack members saw us off as I climbed onto Carson's wolf, and we headed out. I put my chest down and hugged his neck as he started to run up the trail, with the mud and snow kicking up behind us. I was still grinning as we reached the first rest point, a beaver dam that widened the stream into a beautiful mountain pond. "Too bad it's so cold," I said as he went over to take a long drink.

He just chuffed at me, following me as I circled the pond to take the best photos. I even had him stand on the bank so I could capture him and his reflection in the still waters. He was lying down and watching me, waiting for me to finish so we could get going again. I climbed back on, and we continued up the valley.

The temperature climbed into the fifties, and I took off my shell and snow pants at the next stop. This waterfall was only about eight feet tall, but the spring flow was impressive. I took more photos, enjoying my morning with him. He didn't shift, and we were soon on our way to the last one.