Claiming Treasure Ch. 41-45

She started crying, and Rori leaned down to hug her as she let it out. "Careful of the ribs," I said. I finished her cast, then got the things I needed to support her ribs while she healed. Shelly was doing better, and Rori helped her sit up so I could tape them up. "I need to keep you here in the Clinic for a day or two; we had to remove one of your kidneys, and your wounds need to heal.

"I can stay?"

Her wide eyes, hollow cheeks, and half-starved body were driving my protective instincts high. "You're home now, Shelly. Get some rest." Marge picked up the dishes, and I gave her a stronger sedative so she would rest.

Rori stayed with her until she was in a deep sleep. "She's the daughter of an Alpha," she said.

"Yes, and her wolf shows that. It's weird," I said. "Alphas and Betas have impregnated humans many times before, but the resulting pups were always weak Omegas. Why is she the size and power of an Alpha?"

Rori took my hand and led me out of the room, turning the light off and closing the door. "Luna gives us our wolves. She must have a reason."

I just shook my head. "Daniel Forrest is an idiot. He was part of a group that almost wiped out Arrowhead, and a few years later, his heir to the Alpha position is born."

Rori shook her head as she leaned into me. "It wouldn't have mattered. There is no way Daniel or his father would EVER accept a female as Alpha of their Pack." I pulled her into my office and sat her on my lap at my desk. "She does have a blood claim to Donner Pack. Will that matter?"

I thought about it for a moment. "The Alpha position went to Sawyer, who won it in a challenge. I suppose she could challenge him if she could get enough support from the Pack. They seem to love Sawyer and Ashley, so I doubt the Pack would back a challenge from an Alpha's daughter."

"She's better off here, and it will be years before she is old enough. By Luna, she's barely started high school, and she's missed most of her freshman year!"

"Using her real name may raise flags."

"Her disappearing should have raised flags. I want Vic to figure out what's going on, and I want the people responsible for this clusterfuck to pay." She shook her head as she looked out the window. "She's broken like I was."

"Not the same, but we're going to help her, baby. We'll be the family she needs."

She leaned into my chest. "Yes, we will."

Ch. 44

Jack Coffey's POV
International Border

The direct route between Winnepeg and Two Harbors would cross into Warroad to the southeast, but this route crossed back and forth into Canada several times before it stayed in Minnesota. I was only going to do this once, so I kept going east until I got to Highway 53. My new American passport and driver's license didn't raise suspicions at the Fort Frances border crossing. From there, it was mostly south to Duluth, then back up to Two Harbors. With Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, there wasn't a fast route east-west in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota.

I needed to go to Duluth anyway. I needed guns.

Mabel Johnson's POV
Arrowhead Pack House

The girls had brought me to the pool after dinner, telling me that was the social center of the Pack during the winter and the best place to meet everyone. I was in awe of their Pack House; Bitterroot had barracks by comparison when I was there, except for the quarters of the senior leadership. I was sitting in the hot tub and learning about the leadership here when Alpha Rori walked in with her nannies and toddlers. She waved as she sat in the kiddie area with another woman. "That's Brenda, one of her nannies. Zoe is the other. The babies are Cheryl and Mark."

"The Alphas have twins? They are so YOUNG!"

"She's twenty and is pregnant again. She's the Blessed One." No one had ever mentioned that story, so I got a quick history lesson. I didn't even know Arrowhead had disappeared for almost two decades before coming back. "Wow."

"Our Alphas are the best," Tonya said.

"I have to ask her something, and I need to cool off," I told them. I was still a little nervous being naked in public after all my decades living among humans, but it was getting better. I walked over to the kiddie area and quietly asked Rori if I could talk to her.

"Of course, sit down," she said. I sat next to her in the shallow water.

Cheryl grabbed her toy boat and splashed her way over, plopping down on my leg with a squeal. "Who are you," I said as she started moving the boat across the water.

"Share-el," she said. "You play?"

"I'll play," I said with a smile. I knew how valuable babies were in Werewolf society, and the children of an Alpha were the future of the Pack. It was a big thing seeing that Alpha Rori trusted me enough after only a few hours to hold her baby. "I'm Mabel."

"May-Bell," she said. "Boat."

"Go ahead and ask what you want," Rori sent me as Mark sat in her lap.

"I have my apartment back in Ely, and all my stuff," she said. "It's not much, but I need it."

She nodded. "Things are a little testy right now, with everything going on with the other Packs and the FBI. I'm fine with you going to get your things, but I want to send a few people with you. It's not about you; it's a Pack rule right now. No one leaves in a group of less than three, and a Warrior or higher has to go along."

"I don't want to bother anyone," I said.

"It's not a bother at all," she replied. "We have a dozen people who joined in the past week, and some of them arrived with just their shirts on their backs. We're sending a few cars down to Duluth in the morning to get them clothes and gear. You could join them and get things for you and Shelly. Hell, she didn't even have a shirt on her back, and none of the other girls are close to her size." I could see why; Shelly was nearly six feet tall but skinny as a rail. Even after she gained some weight back, she would need to shop around for stuff that would fit well and look good.

"I don't know, Alpha. I don't have money for clothes, and I'm fine using whatever is extra around here."

Rori just laughed. "Oh, Mabel, you're a breath of fresh air. Most of these people have lived their whole lives having everything provided for them, while you had to scrimp and save for what you needed." She handed off Mark and Cheryl to the nanny. "Come on; we need to talk in my office."

"Yes, Alpha," I said. I quickly showered and pulled on some clean clothes out of the bins of Pack spares, then put on my walking shoes and sweater. I walked to the office, where I knocked on the door.

"Mabel, come in," she said. "This is Beta Rick and Beta Teri, they came over from Banff earlier this week. They volunteered to assist you with your shopping, and with picking up your things."

"Oh," I said.

Rick and Teri smiled as they shook my hand and took in my scent. "It's no trouble, we need to learn the area, and we both need to get new vehicles. We're picking ours up from a dealer in Duluth, but it would be better if you got one from Ely."

"New vehicle? I can't afford a car!"

"We make a lot of purchases in cash, and it's best if that isn't all done in our back yard," Rori said. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a bundle of hundreds. "There's ten thousand here, plus whatever you can get for your car. I had Roadkill take a look at your Honda when he parked it; he said you're lucky it got you here."

That was true. If the floor rusted any more, I'd be able to stop my car like Fred Flintstone. "I'll pay you back."

"It's not like that. You haven't been here the whole time, but our Pack isn't broke, and we want our people to own stuff. The money is a gift, tax-free, and above board." She handed me a Visa card. "Every new member gets this too; it's five thousand to get them started with clothing and stuff for their room. Here's another card for Shelly; get her enough clothing to tide her over until she can shop for herself." I had a stack of hundreds in one hand and two credit cards in the other. I couldn't remember the last time I had more than a hundred dollars after bills got paid. "When we finish here, Teri will take you to the computer room to get your phone and laptop. They're pre-loaded with everything you need."

"It's too much, Alpha."

"It's nothing special; everyone gets this. Once you get settled in and get your Pack work assignment, you'll get paid for that. If you want to work out in the human world, you can do that too."

By the time I got back to my room, my head was spinning. At my last Pack, I shared a tiny basement room with three other Omegas. I worked for room and board alone. I stood at the window, looking out at the forest behind the Pack House, and wondering how I got so lucky.

The next morning, I stopped in to talk to Shelley about her tastes in clothes and got her sizes. Rick and Teri got in my beater, and we headed south with five other cars to Duluth. I went with the others to the mall while the couple went to pick up his car. Four hours later, their new Ford Escape was full of shopping bags.

The shopping didn't end there. Teri insisted we take advantage of the late-season sales and get some good winter coats and boots. The sporting goods stores had what she wanted, so we headed to Gander Outdoors in Hermantown.

I ended up getting two for myself, a lighter one, and a heavy-duty parka. I found a cute spring jacket for Shelly and put that in the cart too. I was looking at boots when I recognized a smell as he walked by. Peering through the aisles, I saw a man walking towards the gun counter I wanted no part of. "Rick, what is Jack Coffey doing here," I sent.

"WHAT?"

"Heading back to the firearms area. I'd recognize that fucker's scent anywhere." He'd been to my old Pack a few times, and the memories weren't pleasant for me.

"Leave your cart and head to the front entrance NOW," my new Beta ordered. "We're dialing 911."

"You're going to involve humans?" Even as a rogue, I'd never have thought of bringing humans into werewolf affairs.

"That's what Alpha wants."

I left the cart at the end of the aisle and walked quickly to get away from that vile man.

St. Louis County Sheriff Deputy Mark Brighton's POV
Duluth International Airport

"All units, requesting assistance. Federal fugitive Jack Coffey sighted at Gander Outdoors in Hermantown."

Holy shit. We'd gotten a briefing on this asshole. The Feds in the US and Canada had a warrant out Coffey on suspicion of soliciting multiple counts of murder. I told Max to heel as I hurried out the door with him on his short leash. I hit the remote for the rear door, which opened as we approached, and let Max jump in. I pushed it shut then went around to the driver's side. I jumped back in my cruiser and pulled away from the curb at the airport. "County 314 Kay-Nine, responding." I flipped on the lights and sirens as I pulled out of the baggage claim area and onto the road.

Max was excited as always; he and I had been partners for three years now, and he was a great police dog. After his police dog training in Saint Paul, he got additional training in explosive detection. He and I spent a few hours a week at the airport doing random checks. He barked as I accelerate out the exit of the airport. "Let's get some, Max," I said as we raced southeast on Highway 53.

It was less than five minutes until we arrived in the parking lot. Three cars from the Hermantown police were surrounding the exit, and I was the first Sheriff. This call would attract more cops than a new donut shop; I could hear the sirens coming from the direction of Duluth as I got out. "Who's in charge," I asked as I moved towards the Hermantown cops.

"I am," Sargent Larry Andersen said. "Suspect is inside at the gun counter. I sent an officer into their store security office, and they have him on camera."

I looked around as more units rolled up, and men took cover behind their patrol cars with their rifles. "What's the plan?"

"Get a lot more people here. The FBI is on the way, twenty minutes out. We're supposed to clear people out and keep him here."

It made sense. "All units, FBI has confirmed a facial recognition match on the surveillance photo to fugitive Jack Coffey. The suspect is wearing dark blue jeans, black boots, a red plaid shirt, and a Green Bay Packers leather jacket."

"Are you clearing the store?"

"Quietly. I've asked store security and staff to start moving people towards the exits, starting in the firearms area."

"Anyone watching the back? My dog and I can cover it." If he spotted the cops, he'd head that way. The loading dock and emergency exits were a lot to keep an eye on.

"It's all yours, Deputy. I'll send help when I can spare it."

I walked back to my cruiser and pulled out, driving around the RV's and boats on the side to the back of the store. I counted five doors and three loading docks, so I backed up my Explorer near the back fence and parked. I opened the tailgate and donned my tactical gear; knee and elbow pads, gloves, helmet, and a portable ballistic shield. I checked my M-16 rifle to make sure it was ready, then walked up and rested it on the driver's seat. I opened the back door and brought Max out on his leash and collar. He'd be on standby, as the back of the store was a lot of ground to cover.

"Suspect is moving towards the back of the building on the east side," the voice said.

"10-4, units responding to rear and side exits," another said.

I released the flap on my pistol, held the leash tight, and waited.

Jack Coffey's POV
Gander Outdoors Store

It had only taken a few minutes to find what I wanted. A Remington 870 shotgun with a pistol grip, extended tubular magazine, and short barrel. "That's great for home defense," the salesman said as he got the paperwork. "I'll need your driver's license."

I wasn't worried about the quality of my identification, the license was state issue, although my name was false. I was a reasonable match for the license photo since I'd dyed my hair to match. I'd carefully crafted it over the past twenty years, and this one had a Minnesota address. The background check would come back clean, and I'd walk out with the shotgun.

It was better for my purposes than a rifle or pistol. Buckshot couldn't be traced, as long as you didn't leave fingerprints on the ejected shells. At close range, it caused more damage than a wolf could heal. A shotgun had a big psychological impact I was counting on to persuade the Doc to cooperate. As I once saw in an interview with a dealer in South Africa as he explained it: "Around here, some speak English, some speak Afrikaans, others Dutch, but EVERYONE," he racked the slide back and forward, "EVERYONE speaks shotgun."

No one could mistake the threat behind that sound.

I listened as he answered a page on the PA system on the phone behind the counter. "Curt, that man is Jack Coffey, a dangerous fugitive. FBI is on the way, keep him calm and occupied until they are ready to take him down."

"I understand, I'll get to it after I help this gentleman," he said back. I looked around as I realized I was in trouble. A man in a store uniform was trying to move people towards the side of the store. I glanced towards the registers, and I could see uniformed officers near the entrance. I had to act quickly before more arrived.

I got the sales clerk's attention. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I need to use the bathroom," I said. Moving towards the boating area, I kept my senses sharp as I looked around the store.

The uniforms and the employees were all tracking me, the police reaching for pistols.

That BITCH! I'd picked up the stench of a Pack Omega on the way in, but I had dismissed the old she-wolf as a threat. I couldn't believe any werewolf would call the humans on me, but they must have. They probably figured the closest Pack could take care of me later.

Well, this old wolf wasn't going to down easy. I looked out to the right, through the glass doors at the outdoor boat and RV section, and I could see two police cars blocking the main entrance road. Turning left, I barged through a door marked EMPLOYEE ONLY and started to run for the back doors.

"HALT! POLICE!" I ignored the shouts from behind me as I ran through the hallway towards the emergency exit. Hitting the crash bar, I pushed through the door as the alarm sounded.

"FREEZE!" The command came from the ten o'clock position, from a sheriff's car by the fence. I dove behind a dumpster, ignoring the man. "COME OUT OR I'LL SEND IN THE DOG." I could hear more cars coming from each side, and I had seconds to make my decision. Pulling off my clothes, I shifted into my wolf and sprinted for the fence.

The dog was freaking out, but the cop had no idea what I was. The deputy had his pistol out as he hid behind his car door, waiting for the backup that was coming around the corner. I ran for the fence, skidding to a stop as I saw the problem. It was ten feet high and topped with barbed wire, too much for me to jump.

Escape would mean going through the Sheriff's car.

I turned and sprinted towards his car. His eyes got wide as he let the dog go; it took two steps before I crashed into it. My teeth tore into the dog's shoulder while his teeth caught my left ear. He whined as he went flying before landing heavily on his back; I was double his weight. The Deputy turned his pistol towards me as I rolled to my feet. I was on him before he could aim, my teeth ripping into his forearm and crunching bones. He screamed and dropped his gun, and I released him and ran to the front of the car.

Six police cars skidded to a halt at the corners of the rear lot as I jumped on the hood, then to the roof. One leap had me clearing the fence, and I landed and rolled in the grass on the other side. I raced for the trees, hearing the shouts and gunshots behind me fading. "WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO," I heard someone yell.

"ALL I SAW WAS THE DOG," another said.

"SPREAD OUT AND FIND HIM," the first voice said.

I crossed a road as the sirens continued, before finally stopping to gather myself a half-mile away. The good news? They didn't get me.

Bad news? I'd shifted around humans, leaving behind my wallet, keys, money, and car. I briefly considered looping around to get back to my car, but my keys were in my jeans, and there were cops everywhere. I'd have to do without.

I kept moving, making my way out of town, using the creek bed to hide my scent. That Colletta bitch thought it would be a good idea to expose our true nature to humans? Well, she was getting her wish, and sooner than she thought. If I couldn't destroy their Packs, the humans would.

Ch. 45

Colletta Nygaard's POV
Detroit, Michigan FBI Office

Frank was upstairs, dealing with the local Senior Agent and the Task Force staff, while I sat and read a book in the building cafeteria. He was an observer whose paperwork was signed by the FBI Director himself. His outsider status meant that no one trusted him, but no one wanted to get in his way either. He had been given access to the entire investigation but had no authority to direct the team. It was a frustrating dynamic for a man who used to run one of the busiest Drug Enforcement Agency offices in the country.

The information we had provided on Jack Coffey wasn't actionable for United States law enforcement; Jack was a Canadian citizen, and his last known location was in western Canada. The FBI was more interested in the man Jack had paid to set the bombs.

A ghost nicknamed "The Switch." Pay the man, and out go the lights. No one knew what he looked like or what his real name was, so the account information and phone number had given them new leads. The cell phone was a Detroit number, and it was not currently active.