Missing Ch. 51-60

"Keep looking. I'm going to go back and see if I can pick up Bonnie's scent from downwind." I hung up and headed back to the townhouse complex, parking a few driveways away in guest parking. I spent some time pretending to look at a map while I took in the scents wafting on the wind.

There were lots of human scents but no hint of my mate.

My heart sank as I realized I'd lost her. I opened the secret pouch in my suitcase, removing a thin wallet and placing it in the inside pocket of my suit coat. I walked to the home in question, concluding Bonnie couldn't be there without me detecting her.

A slightly heavyset woman with greying hair answered the door. "Yes?"

"Special Agent Kent Nordby, DEA," I said as I flashed the fake badge and identification. "I have a few questions for you. May I come in?"

"Johnny isn't here," she said as she opened the door wider. "Is he in trouble?"

"This is not related to your son," I told her. She walked back to the kitchen, offering me coffee before sitting down at the kitchen table. "Ma'am, I need to know where you were this afternoon."

"Joyce and I went up to the outlet stores in Kittery," she replied. "We had lunch, I picked up some clothes, and then we drove straight home."

"Did you stop for gas in Kittery?"

She nodded. "Gas is cheaper there. Massachusetts taxes the shit out of everything."

I grinned with her; they did. "Did you notice anyone or anything suspicious while you were at the gas station?"

"No, sir."

"Would you mind if I had a look at your car?"

"I guess." She got up and grabbed the keys. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No. Our agents were following a person of interest who stopped at that gas station, and later, he slipped our surveillance." We walked out to her garage, and she opened the door. I could pick up a hint of Bonnie's scent as I reached the rear bumper. I used a penlight to illuminate the bumper, then found the tracker inside the right rear wheel well. "He must have found our tracking device and moved it to your car while you weren't looking. Thank you for being so cooperative, Ma'am, and have a good night."

I walked back to the car, tossing the tracker in the glove box. I called Luna Adrienne first to tell her Bonnie had given us the slip. Adrienne wasn't surprised, nor was Alpha McInnis. I finished up talking to Emily. "Any ideas?"

"I'll keep asking around. What are you going to do?"

"She could be in New York by now," I said. "I'm going to get dinner, a few beers, and a bed. Call me if you come up with anything."

I went over the data on my laptop again over breakfast. Nothing about the trip gave me any clues, so I looked up Bonnie's Harley. A few reviews talked about the small gas tank in the stock model, giving it a range of about 140 miles. Even with an aftermarket 5-gallon tank and driving carefully, she'd be on fumes when she got to Kittery.

Why risk it? Why not stop at any of the smaller towns along the way?

It only made sense if she needed to make Kittery for another reason. I pulled up her Council case file, focusing on her kidnapping.

That was it. Bonnie's DEA loan ended up with her working undercover at a strip club in Kittery that was popular with bikers.

Could it be that simple?

With the were-coyote revenge out of her hands, she was going after the Club that kidnapped her?

I closed my laptop, paid the bill, and raced out to my car. I was back in Kittery a little more than an hour later; nothing much was open this early on Sunday. I stopped at the Full Throttle Nightclub; they weren't open until noon.

I opened my laptop and searched for lodging nearby. I recognized the hotel nearby where Bonnie stayed; the desk clerk said she hadn't been there, and I didn't pick up her scent.

I hit pay dirt at the fourth place I checked, at least after flashing my fake badge. "Your girl left about seven," the owner said. "You can't miss those Harleys when they fire up."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No, sir. She headed off that way," she pointed towards the interstate, "and she was hurt."

"How?"

"There was blood on the washcloths and a towel in her room when I cleaned it. I hope her abusive ex didn't find the poor girl. My husband warned me someone was after her."

I stuck around long enough to talk to the manager at the strip club and get a copy of the security video. "Bonnie's not like any cop I've met," he said when I finished with him. "Walking in here without backup when every biker in the place knows she's a cop and was going to testify against the Horsemen? She's utterly fearless."

That's because she doesn't care if she dies. "She walked back out. Thank you for the help."

My mate was a badass. An angry and self-destructive badass.

Ch. 59

Council Fixer Clyde Lassiter's POV

Baxter Pack, Alpha's Office

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Frustrated didn't begin to describe me at this point.

For three weeks, I'd been chasing after Bonnie without success. Twenty-five years in law enforcement and Pack Warrior training taught her how to cover her tracks, and she hadn't made mistakes I could use to my advantage. Her Alphas couldn't help me; she was outside link range and had avoided all other Packs. Alpha Anthony told her to 'keep in touch' when leaving Baxter Pack when she left.

She complied in classic Bonnie fashion with postcards sent from places she visited. She obeyed orders yet gave me nothing to go on. She kept her phone off, used cash, and didn't stay in one place for more than a night. If she did something that might show a location, like using a library computer to chat with her parents, she was gone as soon as she hung up.

I'd guessed she would head south from Kittery, and I was right. Emily found social media posts with videos of Bonnie sparring with the Sensei at Tersia Serrada Rapilon (TSR) Kali in New York City. I arrived late that night, and she was gone. That didn't surprise me; big cities like New York were Vampire territory, and Bonnie didn't return to the dojo the next day.

I tried to leapfrog her, sending Enforcers to watch Kali dojos in Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Virginia Beach. After three days of nothing, her parents got a postcard from the Spring Thaw Rendezvous on the River in Northampton, Pennsylvania. That was off I-70 near Allentown, Pennsylvania. I figured she might be heading for Minnesota next; not trusting Alpha Leo, I drove there next. Emily and another enforcer watched her DEA and FBI contacts there, and again she didn't show.

I told the Chairman that I'd need more eyes watching for her to catch up again. Sanders sent an email to North American Alphas, asking them to watch out for Bonnie Woods and notify me directly if she was spotted. I spent most of the next day on the phone, not with contact reports, but worried Alphas and Betas wondering if she was a danger. Many didn't accept my assurances that she wasn't a danger and said they would behave accordingly. I couldn't blame them; all the Alphas had been at the Summit when she was sentenced and flogged for her attack on Council Enforcers.

Staying well clear of them was a good idea.

The first sighting reported to me was at Bike Week in Myrtle Beach. The wolves lost her in the traffic, the tens of thousands of bikers making following her impossible. My Enforcers and I didn't arrive in time. From the photos she emailed home from a Starbucks on Pawley's Island, she'd had a hell of a time.

Then, instead of heading further south to Florida, she went to Atlanta, once again shown sparring with Kali masters at an area dojo. Three days later, Bonnie showed up at a Kali training center in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

It was the same place she'd started her training while Sean was in Green Beret training.

I'd finally given up trying to predict her movements and called up Alpha Anthony a few days ago. "Is there any place you KNOW she will be at a certain time? I'm chasing a vapor trail here." The only event she wouldn't miss was her last day on the job this Monday. The Sheriff's Department was planning a retirement party, and Luna Adrienne and Leo were flying out to help her celebrate.

All this led to my presence today, sitting in Alpha Anthony's office with his mate and Beta pair. "Have any of you heard from Bonnie?"

"Nothing," Anthony replied. "She might arrive tonight or go directly to work in the morning. All I can say is that she isn't within link range."

"And she might bolt if she scents you," Pamela added. "You know she won't react well. She's waited twenty-five years for this day, Clyde. Stay away and let her enjoy it."

They were right; as much as my wolf wanted to grab on to her and never let go, it wasn't the right way to win her human side. "You know that the Council expects me to determine if she is going feral."

"That is ridiculous. By returning home, retiring, and attending the party, Bonnie proves she is still stable."

"If Bonnie will not interact with me directly, I'll need to interview those who spend time with her. My report will be confidential and given in person to the Council."

"I will make people available to speak with you on Tuesday," Anthony replied.

It was the best I could get. "What are your intentions for Bonnie after tonight?"

Anthony didn't like the question. "What do you mean, Fixer?"

"Are you going to command her to stay in the Pack? Or are you sending her with Luna Adrienne to Miesville?"

"The question is Pack business, not Council," Anthony replied evenly. "I'll answer it anyway. Bonnie's recovery will take time, and forcing her to do something is counterproductive. If she needs more time to find herself, I will give it to her."

"I'll go. If I give you a note, will you see that Tracker Woods gets it?"

Anthony nodded. "I'll give it to her personally at the end of the party."

I pulled the letter out of my pocket and passed it to the Alpha. He couldn't miss the scent; I'd damn near soaked the envelope in my sweat. "Damn," Anthony said as he opened a drawer and pulled out a Ziplock bag. He put the letter inside and sealed it up. "I'm going to have to put this in my car. If I leave it here, she'll never come inside."

"Thank you, Alphas. I'll take my leave. I'm staying at the Black Bear Inn near the University. Please call me if anything changes." I walked back to my car, praying my words would be enough to give me a chance.

Bonnie Woods' POV

Baxter Pack Border

The light of my Harley illuminated the familiar driveway leading through the woods to the Pack House. The sentry recognized me, and I gave him a low wave as I passed. "Welcome home, Bonnie," he sent. Other Pack members started sending me greetings, and it wasn't long before the Alpha pair contacted me. "It's good to have you back, Bonnie. We'll see you at breakfast."

"Thank you, Alpha. It's good to be home again." I didn't go to the Pack House because I wasn't in the mood to see a crowd. I took the turn towards my parent's home instead. They waited outside with the garage open as I backed the Harley into the garage and shut it down. "By Luna, I missed you," I said as I stepped off.

Mom and Dad embraced me, then helped me grab my stuff. Mom had my clothes in the washer before I sat down, and Dad poured me my favorite drink. I smiled as I sipped the Knappogue Castle 12-Year Aged Single Malt Irish Whiskey; it tasted like being home. "Thank you," I told them both as they sat with me at the kitchen table. "I know you worry about me, but I'll survive."

"I want more than for you to survive, Bonnie. I want you to live," Mom said.

"I swore an oath, and now I'm prevented from fulfilling it. One way or another, I'll find a way," I promised. We talked for another few minutes before I stood up and put my empty glass in the sink. "I'm worn out from the trip. I'll see you in the morning."

"We love you, Bonnie," Dad said. I said goodnight and went back to my 'home away from home' bedroom.

In the morning, I rode to the Pack House and took the back way to my room. I started to cry as I took my dress uniform out of the bag for the first time since Sean's funeral. I took my time putting it on for the last time, ensuring everything was perfect.

When I walked into the Pack Dining Room, it got quiet. The Alphas stood, followed by everyone else in the Pack, and then the applause began. I smiled at them as Anthony called me to sit in the chair of honor to his right. I'm sure my blush was as bright as my hair. "Today, the Baxter Pack recognizes Bonnie Woods as she retires from the Penobscot County Sheriff's Department. Congratulations!"

Thank Luna, I managed to get through breakfast without spilling anything on my uniform. I also got permission from the Alphas to take up to a year off from Pack duties while I got my life together.

I made it to the station on time. The turnover and morning staff meetings passed too quickly, and the Detective Division had a backlog of work. It was the last time for the new Sergeant to pick my brain, and she did that often. Finally, at four PM, it was time to go. Everything I wanted from my desk was in a box.

The senior staff was waiting for me in Sheriff Ty's office. I signed the papers, handed in my badge and identification, and received my retired officer identification card. I shook a bunch of hands, then headed for the locker room. I changed into civilian clothes, putting the uniform in the box with my other things. "I'll see you there," I told everyone as I walked out to my car.

Geaghan's Irish Pub was full of friends and former coworkers when I walked in. The emotions hit me like the cheers, and I realized the last time I was here was for Sean's promotion party. So many memories were threatening to overwhelm me, and Adrienne saw it on my face and reacted first. "Just breathe," she whispered as she engulfed me in a hug.

I got good and drunk as the night went on, and it was for the best. Sally took my keys from me as I said my goodbyes sometime after midnight. "Come on, dear. Let's get you home safe."

"Thanks, Mom." I was in no shape to drive, and I knew it. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my car when Alpha Anthony knocked on the door. I rolled down the window, the smell hitting me like a brick. "What is this?"

He handed me the letter. "I don't know, but Clyde asked me to give it to you. We can talk tomorrow." He turned towards his car, and Sally backed us out of the parking lot.

"What does he want?"

I looked at the letter in my hands. "I don't know, and I don't care. I want nothing to do with those Council assholes." I tore the letter in half and tossed it in the garbage.

Ch. 60

Bonnie Woods' POV

George and Sally Woods Home

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

I woke at my parent's house with a splitting headache and nothing to do.

I was no longer in law enforcement, so no job waited for me to show up. I had no Pack duties since the Alphas granted my request for a year off to recover from the loss of my mate. Between my survivor and retirement pay, there was enough income to live comfortably. I had state-paid health care for life.

My expenses weren't much. Since I didn't work for the Pack, I paid a fee monthly to support joint Pack operations and upkeep. I paid for my room at the Pack House, but it was less than I'd pay for an apartment in town. The daily food fee at the Pack dining room auto-charged if I used it.

I could go anywhere and do anything I wanted, except what I swore to do. The Alpha Order that Anthony passed down from the Council gnawed at my soul. Logically, I understood his reasons for doing it. The Coyotes had the Council by the balls, and they were scared to death of exposure. I just wished the Chairman had negotiated a better deal. I wouldn't be as mad if the cook was let go, because he didn't kill anyone. Letting the shooters go was unforgivable.

And if I couldn't forgive the Council, I couldn't support the Alpha who supported their decision.

I could have refused the command and broken the Pack bond when I first found out about the deal, but I wouldn't have made it three feet from my chair before Fixer Lassiter would take me out. They had time to plan the reveal and anticipated my reaction.

Breaking my Pack bond would play right into their hands. No Alpha would take a wolf in at my age; I was disgraced, scarred, and barren. If I didn't make their Pack stronger and more respected, they wouldn't accept me. I had no choice but to choke down my emotions and remain in Baxter.

My strategy depended on the Council deciding I wasn't worth watching closely. I'd behaved over the last month by avoiding wolves and coyotes alike. Traveling the country, sparring at Kali dojos, and hanging out in biker bars gave my anger an outlet. The Fixer would report what I wanted him to; I was hurting, but I wasn't an immediate danger. The Council couldn't follow my movements, and they couldn't keep spending resources tracking me down.

Mom had washed my clothes and left them stacked on my dresser. I got dressed for riding and went downstairs. There was a note on the table, on top of all the mail that had come for me during my travels. "Bonnie- there's an egg bake in the fridge, so eat that and drink plenty of juice to help your hangover. I'm working with Pamela all day, and Dad is training the new warrior class. I'm sure he'd love it if you stopped by. Rest up, and we'll see you tonight. Love, Mom."

The protein and sugars helped me recover as I went through the mail. I had all my bills on auto-pay, so most of the stack was trash. I bundled the retirement cards up to look at later. I was surprised the pile didn't include an official Council warning. I guess Clyde decided to deliver that personally. Clyde must have kept it in his back pocket for a while. The letter smelled like it had been soaked in the Fixer's ass-sweat.

No matter; I didn't want anything to do with him or his bosses.

I returned to my room and packed my saddlebags for the next adventure. I needed to be gone before anyone thought to look for me.

I wrote my surrogate parents a goodbye note, sealed it in an envelope, and wrote their names on it. I didn't want to be talked out of my plans or go through the emotions of saying goodbye. I loved them both, but I had to leave. Below it, in a manila envelope, was a copy of my updated will along with financial information and other details. I'd had a lawyer in town draft it for me, and left him instructions as my executor. The personal note with it was simple; I loved them both, but I had to do what I did for Sean.

I left my car keys on top of the pile, then grabbed my things and walked out for the last time.

I counted five times in my life that I'd sworn an oath. I vowed to love, honor, and obey Sean during our mating ceremony. I'd given my allegiance to Baxter Pack after I mated Sean. I promised Sean I wouldn't kill myself if he died first. I'd taken the oath of office as a Law Enforcement Officer. And finally, I swore vengeance on the ones responsible for his death.

I'd have to break the Pack bond to kill the coyotes responsible for Sean's death.

Sean would understand why I had to die to avenge him.

I opened the garage door when I was ready to go. Firing up my Harley, I left my comfortable Pack life behind as I roared down the street. A few people sent mental greetings, and Mom asked where I was going, but I just told her I had a few things to do.

Find the killers, then kill them.

I didn't feel like driving the freeway in the spring weather, so instead, I headed west on Highway 2 towards New Hampshire. I fell in with a riding club heading home from a run and stayed with them to Montpelier. It was a fun group of thirty or so, and they didn't mind having a redhead in tight leathers joining up.

They stopped at a biker bar for dinner. I ended up sitting with one of the single guys, a retired and widowed sixty-year-old nicknamed Salty. He was good-looking and in great shape for his age, and he was very interested in me. As members left for their homes, he stuck with me, playing pool and talking. The other club members gave us space to get to know each other, and I got the vibe they hoped we'd hit it off.