Missing Ch. 41-50

"I guess we're going." I hung my badge on a chain around my neck and stepped out while Gabe hooked a leash to Christina's collar. The young officer at the perimeter checked us in, then we ducked under the tape and walked towards the house.

I recognized the name on the mailbox. "This is Red's house," I said. "Iron Horsemen Manchester Chapter Club President."

The feeling in my gut was threatening to make my breakfast reappear. I saw a few people in DEA jackets near the garage door and headed that way. "We're looking for SAIC Rijos," I told them when they turned to look at us.

"That's me," the older man said. "What a shitshow. Your dog won't help with this one."

"What's going on?"

"Five dead bodies inside. All bound, gagged, and executed with what looks like twenty-two caliber rounds to the back of the head."

Fuck me sideways. "Who?"

"President Red and his old lady, Tartarus, Skidmark, and Fever. Everyone that we could directly tie to your kidnapping is dead."

"Damn." The implications were clear. "The Club cauterized the leak to keep us from making the RICO case."

"That's our theory, but we've got zero evidence to back it up."

And with that, any chance for revenge was gone.

Ch. 48

Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter's POV

Werewolf Council Headquarters

Pisgah Mountains, New Hampshire

The guards recognized me as I pulled into the compound and waved me through. Driving up the tree-lined road towards the main offices, I parked outside the lodge-like building. Some of the Headquarter outbuildings and the receiving warehouse were in plain sight, advertised as part of a corporate retreat and training center. The signage excused the supplies and people driving in and out.

The Council Headquarters moved when the Chairman changed, as the former Alphas wanted to be inside or adjacent to their home Packs. The Pisgah Pack had hosted the Headquarters for two decades now. It was a good location, with plenty of private forests and hundreds of square miles of wilderness adjoining it.

The sunlight was almost gone as I stretched my body out. It had been a long day already. I suspected it would get worse.

The passenger door closed with a thud. "Any idea what the Chairman wants?" The junior Council Enforcer, Emily Jones, had stayed with me since we left the Miesville Pack. The Chairman had us sticking around Minnesota long after the Council confirmed Alpha Leo and Luna Adrienne's leadership.

There were good reasons for that. Although Leo was 'not guilty,' he wasn't happy with his treatment at the Alpha Summit. He correctly saw Alpha Carl's charges and pursuit of Vicki as a personal threat. When the attacks resulted in his Pack members disappearing, it was even worse. At best, he would stay on a war footing for months. At worst, he might go to war.

Not far away in Stillwater, Alpha Ivan Volkov was doing a hostile takeover of a Pack. Stillwater had been dealing in criminal activities that risked human exposure. The Pack needed a spring cleaning, and there would be casualties.

Up in Little Canada, Alpha Carl Owens was licking his wounds after his plans fell apart. Would he give up his goal of bringing Sharkbait and her Alpha Mantle into his Pack? Probably not.

And just a few hours away in Wisconsin, Ivan Volkov's old Pack was reeling from the loss of their Alpha pair. Although it was under the temporary Alpha-ship of Steve and Carla Ingalls, it would take years for Marengo Lake to recover.

Finally, there was the matter of Bonnie Woods. She was already on our watch list following her mate's death. If a wolf with her skills went feral? Emily and I would be lucky to stop her. She was a legendary tracker, so sneaking up on her wasn't going to happen. She could outrun us easily, travel a hundred miles in a day, and was a dangerous fighter in either form. Add to it the consequences of taking down a well-known active Law Enforcement agent? The thought was already causing me headaches.

"Maybe Sanders wants an update on Bonnie," I told her. "He is rightfully worried that she'll act directly against the Council."

"The Council fucked her over, and her wolf won't forget it," Emily agreed. "She's smart, though. She still needs us to find Sean's killers, so she won't do anything until they are dead."

"I hope you're right. Stronger wolves than Bonnie have broken after a silver-whipping like that. No one is ever the same afterward."

"The look in her eyes when she arrived; it was detached, like she and her wolf are in hiding," Emily replied. "She got off that plane looking like she'd just been rescued from a prison camp."

"It's not far from that." Only Enforcers assigned as prison guards truly understood what went on in the cells. Rarely were Council prisoners Pack wolves as their Alphas handled those internally. They dealt with rogues and dealt with them harshly. "Her attack showed them up and got a few Enforcers fired. Bonnie's guards made sure her time in the cells was as harsh as possible. For ten days, she got no help other than the doctor's visits, and those were only to apply antibiotic cream. If she couldn't get up, she pissed herself. They'd leave her food where she had to get up to reach it. Every move she made was pure agony, and with the silver, she suffered alone."

"Do you think she can return to some kind of normal?"

"I'm amazed she was able to return to work after only three weeks. Her skin has healed over, but the lasting damage is far deeper. She can see the scars in the mirror and the looks of pity and revulsion from everyone who sees you. Those scars proclaim your guilt and shame forever. It messes with your head." That was one reason we'd been watching Bonnie's return to Miesville closely. Alpha Leo said she was making progress, thanks to Sharkbait and their Beta's daughter. I'd have preferred if she stayed in Miesville permanently, but her work pulled her away. Now, she was heading back to Baxter Pack and all the memories she held with her mate. It wasn't fair.

"CLYDE! Wait up!"

I looked over to see Bobby Shatford jogging over from the training field. Bobby was the Lead Instructor for our Council Enforcer classes. I saw Emily unconsciously going to a position of attention as he approached. She'd been his student not long ago. "What's up, Bobby?"

"Bro, you need to get back in the Council Pack Link. You made me get up and run over here." I'd linked with Miesville Pack as their Alpha, and I had to see the Council Chairman again to switch my allegiance back. Maybe that was why Emily and I were here? "I was hoping you guys could stop in and see the class while you're here," he said. "It's good for them to see a 'living legend' other than me."

I laughed; Bobby was a legend of the training fields while I made my name in the real world. "Do I get to embarrass you in the sparring ring?"

"Hell no. I wouldn't want to cheat the rookies of the chance to test themselves against the second-best fighter we have."

I gave him a confused look, then glanced over at Emily. "He must want you to fight."

"He IS getting old," she teased. "You know what they say about old wolves."

I laughed. "Yeah. When they can't take the ass-kicking, they just shoot you."

"Fucking pups," Bobby laughed. "Emily's welcome to spar if she wants. I'm tired of doing everything around here." He looked back toward the workout field, probably linking his assistant. "Hey, Karen wants me to invite you both for dinner. She figures you haven't had a decent meal in weeks."

She was wrong, of course. Miesville Pack was top-three for the food of all the Packs I'd visited, not to mention some of the restaurants. Still, I'd be a fool to turn down one of his mate's meals. "Is Karen making her famous fried chicken?"

"Does a wolf shit in the woods?"

I smiled. "Let me find out what the Chairman wants, and then I'll head over to your place."

He held out his hand to me. "It's good to have you back, Clyde. I don't know what the Council will do when you finally retire."

He walked back towards his students while we turned to head into the administration building. I waved at a few friends as the two of us headed for the Chairman's office.

The Regional Chairs stayed in their territories most of the time but maintained offices here. That meant a lot of closed doors before we got to his secretary. "He's on a call," Justine told us. "Have a seat, and there are drinks in the fridge."

I'd nearly finished my Coke when Chairman Daniel Sanders waved us into his office. "Let's get the allegiance change done first," he told me. We went through the brief ceremony, and he brought us into the Council Link. "Welcome back," he sent us.

"Thank you, sir." We spent the next thirty minutes debriefing him on the Minnesota Packs. He'd been reading the daily reports sent to the Council, so most of the discussion was of things you couldn't write down. He wanted my impressions of the major players and their Packs. I gave them as tactfully as I could.

Miesville? The Pack would be fine, and Leo and Adrienne would see it prosper. My worry was their strained relationship with Chairman and the Council. "Leo is more likely to resolve problems himself than involve even his Regional Chair," I told him. "He will never trust you after how you treated his Pack."

Stillwater? "Once Alpha Ivan cleans house, they will be fine. The ones he makes rogue, not so much."

Marengo Lake? "If a strong Alpha doesn't mate one of the daughters, the Pack will die out. It's on the decline, and temporary Alphas can't stop the bleeding."

Little Canada? "If Alpha Carl is smart, he'll stay on Pack lands unless under Council protection. Leo may not kill him, but he'll beat him to a pulp. Hell, Luna Adrienne would whip his ass."

And Bonnie? "I'm worried about her mental state, sir. She's got the look of someone barely holding on to her sanity."

"What would you do to help her," Sanders asked.

"I would transfer her to Miesville. She won't do it now, not so close to her retirement, but a fresh start would help."

He nodded. "I've spoken to Alpha Anthony. He's going to try and talk her into taking more time off now instead of taking it all as terminal leave. She has to go to work sometime, though. You can't walk away from retirement eligibility with only weeks left."

"Retirement won't happen if she goes feral," I replied. "I'm sure her Alphas will do what is best for her. I hope I don't have to put her down after everything she has been through."

Sanders leaned back in his chair and stared into my eyes. "Will you be able to if necessary?"

"I'll do my job, sir. I always have."

He nodded. "Enforcer Emily, do you have anything to add?"

Her eyes got wide; the most powerful werewolf in North America asked a junior Enforcer for her opinion. She took a moment to think of her answer. "The best thing for Bonnie Woods is for us to find the killers and let her participate in their execution. Only their blood can tame the rage of her beast."

"Thank you, Emily. Give us the room."

Chairman Sanders waited until she left the room. "You chose Emily to be your partner instead of an experienced Enforcer. I can see how she looks at you. Is there an attraction there?"

"No, sir. She was available at the time, and I wanted a female to help run the Pack with me. I've given her no reason to think it is more than a professional relationship, and I don't intend to."

"Why not? Clyde, we've known each other for almost twenty years. How many women have you dated in that time?"

I had to think. "I don't date. If Luna wants me to have a female, she will issue me one. So far, nothing, and I've been to almost every Pack in the US and Canada."

"There's a woman out there for you. I'm sure of it."

"I had her and lost her, sir. You and the Alphas keep pushing she-wolves towards me, and my wolf doesn't care. After all these years, we've given up on finding another. My human doesn't mind one-night stands, but my beast ignores them. Any woman I bed knows that in advance."

"I'm still worried about you. You've buried your loss in work, and work comes to an end. What happens then?"

"Fishing, I guess. Maybe traveling."

"You should spend time in Europe, even Russia."

I waved my hand. "Scratch and sniffs aren't painful enough to put me through?" He laughed. "At least as a Fixer, I have an excuse to leave quickly." I leaned forward in the chair. "Enough about my personal life. What's my next job?"

"Emily had it right. Bonnie passed along some information about where the Chemist may be operating now." He pulled up a map on his computer. "It's in Canada, probably closer to Quebec City than Montreal. This drive contains everything the Baxter Pack has on the operation."

"My orders?"

"Find them and bring them to the nearest Pack. These three were-coyotes killed two Pack wolves, and Bonnie isn't the only one wanting revenge. If necessary, notify the human authorities to handle it. Use the locals and the American volunteers meeting you at the Saint Raymond Pack."

I looked at the map and whistled. Saint Raymond was just over an hour west-northwest of Quebec City. The Pack House sat on the edge of a National Park with some seriously rough territory, full of lakes and mountains. The Pack was small, with only forty-four members as of the last Census. "There are lots of places for coyotes to hide. How am I supposed to play this?"

"By air and by scent," the Chairman replied. "Cover as much of the territory as you can from roads. The cook site will be in the woods but close to a road. He has to bring all his equipment and supplies to the cook site on foot. The local Pack has a couple of floatplanes you can use for aerial searches."

"It's a big damn area, especially for the number of people we're talking. A search like this needs planes, drones, and satellites. Maybe we should leave it to the government to narrow the area first?"

"They can't use their noses, and they can't track them overland if they go coyote. I know it's a long shot, be we need to get these guys." He pushed the flash drive, a stack of cash, and a half-dozen credit cards my way.

I put them all in my pocket. "Who is with me?"

"Take a dozen Enforcers of your choice."

"Orders understood, sir."

"Good luck, Fixer."

I walked out, already thinking of who I wanted to bring with me on this hunt.

Ch. 49

Bonnie Woods' POV

Manchester, New Hampshire

Saturday, March 14, 2020

The three of us spent the next few hours around the crime scene. None of us had jurisdiction, so we were lucky to view the crime scene from the next room. All five victims had handcuff bruises on their wrists, but the killers had taken the cuffs with them. Red's old lady was the only one shot in the forehead; they suspected she was the first to die, probably to make Red talk. The others had dish towel gags. A single round to the base of the head killed all four bikers, the low-power rounds not exiting their brains.

There were no signs of a struggle or forced entry. Either the bikers knew their killers or got taken by surprise.

Gabe took Christina on a walk around the perimeter, but they came up with nothing. My nose didn't recognize any supernatural involvement, and I didn't identify any scents from any of the people I'd served at the strip club.

The investigators struck out with the neighbors. No one paid attention to cars and motorcycles coming and going at Red's house, and no one heard the gunshots. That wasn't unexpected; a suppressed .22 caliber pistol inside the house wouldn't be heard outside the window, much less from hundreds of feet away. By the time we arrived, so many people had been into the house that scent tracking was impossible. Even if I could identify the killers and recognize their scent later, who could I tell? With no supernatural involvement, the Council would never take action.

Fucking Council. I didn't expect them to do anything for me anyway.

Eventually, the DEA left the scene to the crime scene technicians and the locals. I ended up in a conference room at the Assistant US Attorney for the State of New Hampshire's offices, looking at the other agents and wondering what was next. Gabe and Christina begged off. They changed and spent the afternoon shopping downtown instead.

At least there was pizza on the table. That was the highlight of the afternoon.

All the circumstantial evidence pointed to an inside job by the Iron Horsemen national leadership to cut out the chapter and keep the problem local. Our problem was that we had no evidence, no witnesses, and no suspects. These guys could have pulled in muscle from anywhere to get the job done.

If we had headaches, the lawyers had full-out migraines. The RICO case they prepared had imploded. The prosecutors were charging RICO based on my kidnapping and the murder of Detective Max. You can't indict dead people or take them to trial. With those two predicate felonies beyond their reach, you couldn't use the RICO threat to force Club members to turn on their brothers. The judge who signed the seizure orders was sure to revoke them after this morning's news. The Iron Horsemen weren't in the clear, but the killings gave them a lot of breathing room.

SAIC Rijos cut me loose just after three. "There's nothing for you or your associates to do now," he said as I walked to the door. "I'll keep your office informed of any developments."

"I appreciate you letting me be here," I responded.

"We owed you that." He looked like someone broke his favorite toy as he walked back inside.

I took the elevator down and out the door, where Gabe and Christina were waiting for me to emerge. I got in the back and let out a breath. "I'm sorry I dragged you out here," I told them.

"I don't mind since I'm here on official business," Gabe replied. "We have a three-and-a-half-hour drive plus time if we stop for dinner. If you want to take a nap, go ahead."

"I'm sure the cooks can set dinner aside for us. Let's go home." I waited until we were alone on the road before shifting and laying across the back seat. For some reason, I was more comfortable in fur on long trips.

"We're here," was the next thing I heard. It was dark out, but I could see the wolves running next to the car as we drove towards the Pack House. I missed the Pack Link welcome, but the howls and barks got the point across.

I was home.

"I'm starving," I said after I shifted back. "Can we go right to the dining room?"

"Sorry, the Alphas want to see you first," Christina replied.

"Great," I mumbled. I pulled some clothes out of my bag and dressed before we stopped in front of the Pack House.

"We'll have your dinner waiting for you," Gabe promised. They broke right while I went left and up the stairs to the Alpha's offices.

I could sense the Alpha couple was inside his office before I reached the door and knocked. "Come on in, Bonnie," Alpha Anthony called out.

I closed the door behind me just before Luna Pamela reached me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Bonnie," she said as her fingers traced one of the raised scars on my back.

"It's not your fault," I said as her mate joined the hug. "I did what I had to do, and they did what they had to do. I'd do it again in the same situation. I wouldn't be here now without Luna Adrienne."

"Let's bring you back into the Pack now," Anthony said. "If you still want to be in Baxter, I mean."

"Baxter is my home," I affirmed. We went through the ceremony, and I smiled as I felt the familiar bonds return. The rest of the Pack felt me join them, and everyone sent their joy my way. It was overwhelming, and my Alpha helped me sit in the chair as the emotions washed over me. "Wow."

"You may have joined Miesville for your duties, but Baxter will always have your back." Pamela and I looked at him in shock. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry."