The Last Shewolf Ch. 46-51

"Trust me, that was better." We finished up our business and walked out together. The rest of the meal was uneventful; Hammer had pulled the manager aside and we had gotten a new waitress, in fact they all had because he sent her home. I'm glad Dad wasn't paying because these boys could EAT. King cut prime rib? Yes please. Side of shrimp? Sure. Texas Toast? Keep it coming. They were eating like it was their last meal, then I realized for some of them it might be.

We pulled out almost two hours later, there was only an hour's drive to Sheridan left. The feeling in my gut got stronger, something bad was coming and I didn't like it.

Viper's POV

With our bellies full, we were back on the road for Sheridan. There was an empty parking lot for a closed down business about ten minutes away from the turnoff to the Pack road, and we all pulled in there to go over the final preparations. The plan was fairly simple; Gabriel and his men would park in the State Park land on the north side of their territory, and attack in wolf form. I would take my men and create a distraction at the south side entrance road. Meanwhile, the ambulance would remain here at the parking lot, safely out of the way.

We didn't have good intelligence on how many people were in the Pack; we knew how many warriors they had with them when Zephaniel was there, and how many we'd killed, but not how many were gained or lost in the past few months. The Pack was over two hundred people when Zephaniel fled.

We had one last go-over of the plan. We would attack at 12:30, watches were synchronized, and Gabriel would give five minutes for the Pack to respond to our distraction before they would cross the lines. They didn't expect us to reach the Pack House, our job was to draw the Alpha and the Pack fighters away, giving the women and children time to reach sanctuary. We didn't need any of them injured in this.

Three SUV's left carrying the Knights to their insertion point, while we waited in the setting sun. "Get some sleep," I told Meghan. "Use the gurney, it's going to be a long night." She walked to the ambulance while the rest of us gathered by the cars. All except Shakes and Scrape, they were busy on the other side of the lot and around the corner, a good hundred yards away. When your bomb guy says to stay back, you do it.

We passed the time, made sure our weapons were cleaned and loaded, and waited. An hour later, Shakes called us over. They'd done some redneck engineering, surrounding the driver and the gunner in the pickup bed with steel plate. In the back was a swivel with a mount for the M240 machine gun that Shakes had obtained illegally. He had a couple of boxes of belt-fed ammunition with it under a tarp. On the outside of the pickup were some plates that seemed kind of familiar. "Shakes, are these the plates you made for the cabin?"

"Yep, I told you I'd find another way to use them." He was practically bouncing with excitement.

At 11:45 we loaded up, everyone except the ambulance and their protectors. Our plan was simple, run the gate and attract all the defenders to us. If it got too hot, we'd beat a hasty retreat.

We stopped by the side of the road just short of the turnoff, letting Shakes and Scrape go first. Scrape was in the back of the technical, the machine gun loaded and ready, steel plates covering him up to his waist while standing. They pulled into the entrance, accelerating towards the gate. We followed a few hundred yards behind.

As the gate came into view, we saw the flashes of machine gun fire then the crash as Shakes drove through the barricade. There were howls of warning, howls of pain, and then we were through the gates and racing down the path after him.

Ch. 47

Viper's POV

We pulled to a stop just outside the gate, bailing out to take positions along the road so we could cover Shake's attack. We were all outfitted with the same basic gear; AR-15 rifles with starlight scopes we'd bought, they were Russian surplus. I turned mine on, the big scope amplifying the limited light of the moonless night. I could hear Scrape hammering away on the big gun, firing at anything he could see. They'd made it a hundred yards or so in when we heard the tires go, and the truck started to skid until it stopped in the shallow ditch. "Cover them," I yelled as we opened up.

The border guards were already dead, but wolves were pouring in over the hill towards them. We couldn't fire effectively at that range, but the silver in our bullets would hurt them even if it wasn't a killing blow. The machine gun fire continued for a few seconds until it stopped, and I could see him struggling to reload, his right arm hanging limp at his side. We did the best we could, but without that big gun they couldn't hold the Pack off.

Shake's POV

I put the truck in park, knowing it was knocked out of commission. We hadn't expected spikes, but at least we still had cover. I could hear the rounds going over us, and Scrape firing the big gun over the cab. When he stopped firing, I knew something was wrong. I looked back, he was struggling to reload, his right arm wasn't working. "You hurt?"

"Broke my fuckin' arm," he said. "Can't get this reloaded."

I looked out, I could see the shapes approaching. "Bail out the back, run for it," I told him. "They'll cover you." He didn't argue, he hopped over the tailgate. I saw him running, holding his arm to his side. One of our cars started up, driving through the busted gate to go get him.

"Come on, you fuckers, come to Daddy," I said as I watched them approach. I had steel armor around my cab, they couldn't get to me easily and I couldn't get out quickly either. There had to be twenty or thirty of them out there, and they were smart enough to use the truck for cover, figuring they wouldn't fire on their own man. "Fire on my position, I'm protected," I radioed back to the guys as my hand hovered over the switch.

"You sure?" Viper was worried.

"Those popguns can't penetrate this plate. Duck until after the boom." The rifle fire stopped, which caused the wolves to surround the truck and try to get in. When they were all around or in front of me, I ducked down then turned the detonator switch. There were a bunch of little explosions, all so fast together it made for one big one.

I looked up and smiled. The area around the truck was a pile of blood and gore, my homemade Claymores had done their job. The few that hadn't been taken out were quickly shot by the riflemen behind me. I waited until the noise stopped, then got on the radio. "Any more out there?"

"Nothing yet, and the others have already crossed the border."

I looked around, I was a sitting duck with no explosives or guns. I unlatched the sliding bolts that held the right side of my protective plating in place, allowing it to drop onto the seat. Sliding across, I took out my Glock before I pushed the passenger door open. Looking around, there was nothing moving, so I went around to the back and got back in the bed. I unlatched the M240 from the mount, setting it on the tailgate along with the remaining ammo can. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the white phosphorous grenade and pulled the pin, tossing it through the broken back window of the cab.

I jumped off, grabbed the gear and made it five steps before the grenade went off. The night lit up as the burning metal set the truck ablaze. I ran back towards the gate, seeing the guys lit up by the blaze behind me. All of the sudden, I heard screams and shots. "WOLVES," I heard Viper yell.

They'd been flanked.

Gabriel's POV

We stood together just outside the border, the sixteen of us waiting for the clock to count down. When it was less than a minute, I gave the signal to shift. Moments later, I was surrounded by wolves of all colors and sizes, none as large as my black wolf. As soon as we heard the gunfire in the distance, we knew it was almost time.

We had to wait a few minutes before we could go, to make sure the reinforcements went the other way. I paced back and forth in front of my men, counting down in my head. When it finally was time, I turned and took off, my men following close behind. We thundered across the prairie, our paws tearing up dirt and grass as we bore down on the Pack House.

We heard an explosion in the distance, and the sound of rifle fire. Viper was doing his job, and now it was ours. Our group split in three, two veering off to surround the main house while my group went right to the front door.

The first opposition showed up as we broke into the clearing around the house. A dozen wolves had formed a line in front of us, hackles up. They had no chance, I could see the fear in their eyes and their bodies as we approached. These weren't the fighters, these were the old, the young, the injured. "Stop in front of them, do not attack until I say," I sent to my men.

"The back is unguarded, we are holding position," Abaddon said.

I shifted, drawing myself up to my full height. "THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER BLOODSHED," I thundered. "ALPHA STANTON, I AM GABRIEL. I CHALLENGE YOU FOR THIS PACK."

The wolves in front of us sat down, as did mine, while we waited. Nothing happened. Finally, one of the wolves in front of me, his black head flecked with grey, shifted and stood before me. "The Alpha has refused your challenge, he said he will not accept a challenge from someone who uses humans in a sneak attack."

"What do you think? You are a worthy adversary, your age and your scars attest to your life. Will you die to protect a coward?"

The man knelt down on one knee. "He is not worthy of my life. He is an evil man, I was protecting the women and children. Give us your word they will be safe, and we will stand aside."

"I have no interest in harming the innocent, I'm here to take out the cancer." I put my hand on his head, feeling is allegiance shift to me. "Show me to where he is hiding."

Our men shifted behind me, my group staying with me while the others made sure no one would escape. The old man led me into the house and up to the office of the Alpha. The door was locked. "He had it reinforced, it's basically a safe room," he told me.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way. Gather the other Pack members in the front, they can shift their allegiance or renounce their Pack ties at their option. He won't be an Alpha for long if his Pack abandons him, and they should."

Stain's POV

One moment we're reveling in our victory, the next we're being torn apart by werewolves. I stayed in the SUV, window down as I struggled to pick up the dark forms in the night. Scrape was in the back seat, his gun in his left hand. I could see almost nothing, just the flashes from pistol fire. It seemed like forever, but probably was a minute before it was quiet again. "Who's wounded," Viper asked.

A few shouts went out. "Load them up, Scrape, you get them back to DeWalt." The doors were opened and I saw the guys as they came in. Dagger was being helped, he had a shirt tied around his left calf, it was already soaked in blood. He was gritting his teeth in pain as he hopped in the passenger seat.

"Move over, Scrape." I recoiled as I saw who it was, and what he looked like. Viking was shoved onto the seat, his head in Scrape's lap. He had a shirt tied around his neck, his right hand had been bitten off at the wrist, and he had bites all over. The bandages were soaked, and he wasn't conscious. "Get going, Stain, he doesn't have much time."

I didn't have to hear any more, I tore out of there like I was being chased. I almost rolled the SUV when the tires hit the pavement, but then I righted it and accelerated. I screeched to a halt behind the ambulance, jumping out to get the door.

Vivian was already waiting with the gurney, and Snake and I slid Viking out of the back seat onto it. I couldn't believe how much blood there was. We moved him to the back of the ambulance, where the interior lights could show what was going on. She checked his wrist, then his neck. I saw her use her stethoscope, then she shook her head. "He's gone," she said. "Take him out."

We pulled the gurney back out and latched the legs, then Snake and I picked him up and set him on the ground next to the ambulance. We covered him with the now blood-soaked sheet. "Who's next," Doc said.

"Dagger is," Meghan said. She had placed a combat dressing on his calf and was applying pressure as he sat in the open door. I pushed the gurney over and Snake picked him up and laid him on his stomach. Meghan kept the pressure on as we moved into the back of the ambulance.

As soon as he was in, Doc gave him a shot that knocked him out. Between her and Meghan, they had an IV started. I went back to my vehicle, opening the door for Scrape. "You all right," I asked.

"He's gone," he said as he stared at the body on the ground. "He died in my lap."

I looked past him, the seat and floor were soaked with blood, he was soaked with blood. "Come on," I said. "Let's get you moved." I helped him stand up and walked him to the ambulance, setting him down on the bumper. "Doc, his upper arm is broken," I said.

"Sling is in that cabinet down there," she pointed. I dug around and found the blue sling; it hurt him, but I got his arm into it. "Just don't move."

"No shit. This is all Shake's fault, hitting the ditch like that."

I grabbed a few towels from under the seat and went back to the car and the puddles of blood. I felt like that scene in Pulp Fiction where they are cleaning Marvin's brains out of the back seat; it was gross as hell. It had to be done, though, and it was better than worrying about Dagger.

I heard engines approaching and tires squealing. "Doc, we got more wounded!" The lights lit us up as they pulled in, and they were almost on top of us when I realized something was wrong. "THEY AREN'T OURS," I yelled as I reached for my pistol.

One car stopped in front of the ambulance, another behind my car and men poured out and shifted to wolves. I started firing, I got two. I was shifting to the third when I was tackled from behind. I heard a loud snap, all too late I realized it came from me. My vision went fuzzy and I prayed God would understand as I faded to nothing.

Ch. 48

Vivian's POV

As soon as I pulled the dressing off Viking's neck, I knew it was hopeless. Major arteries had been cut, and he had stopped bleeding. I checked his heart, no pulse. There was no way to help him now, and I had other people to treat. "He's gone," I told Stain and Snake. Their faces fell in shock and loss, but there was no time to grieve now. I watched as they took the gurney back out, taking him off and setting him down somewhere. "Who's next?"

"Dagger is," Meghan said. She was standing at the doors, watching him being brought over. It looked like his calf had been bitten badly, Stain moved the gurney over.

"Put him face down," I said and they did so. They wheeled him up into the ambulance, and Meghan and I got to work. His vitals were still good, and Meghan started a saline drip right away. I gave him a sedative, no way he wanted to be conscious for what I was about to do. I pulled the cloth away from the wound; a big flap was torn, and it looked like a chunk was missing from the muscle and skin. It was bleeding, but not badly, it hadn't taken out the artery. "Warm up a bag of O positive," I told Meghan as I finished inspecting the wound. It would be an ugly scar, but it was fixable.

Scrape was led to the back of the ambulance as I was cleaning the wound with alcohol. "Doc, he's got a broken arm."

I didn't have time for it, a broken arm could wait. "There's a sling down there," I pointed at the cabinet. I was busy, light on my head, instruments in my hand as I opened the wound on Scrape's calf and cleaned it out. It would take lots of internal and external stitches, maybe even a skin graft later, to put the muscles back together. If he was lucky, the nerve damage wouldn't be bad enough to Meghan was moving around, getting the blood prepped, and setting up the suture tray when I heard tires squealing and cars coming closer.

"Doc, we got more wounded," Stain yelled from out by the car. I looked down, I could wrap it for now if a more critical case came in and do the stitching later. The cars skidded to a halt, then Stain yelled, "THEY AREN'T OURS" and all hell broke loose.

I could hear the pistol fire start, it was like firecrackers as they tried to hold off the attacking wolves. Scrape pulled his pistol, firing with his left hand as he moved to help Stain. I grabbed Meghan, pulling her backwards and shoving her down behind the cabinet next to the chair. I reached down and pulled a pistol out of my jacket, which was on the back of the EMT chair by me. "STAY DOWN," I told her as I moved past the gurney towards the back. It was bedlam.

I could hear Snake yelling around the corner as he fired his pistol, but Stain was in sight. He shot two wolves, I saw too late a wolf approaching from behind. The wolf jumped him, breaking his neck, before running past. I got off a couple shots but hit nothing, they were too fast, and I dared not leave the ambulance and Meghan to get a better shot. Scrape screamed, then his scream was cut off as a wolf tore out his throat. I could hear the fighting out of my sight, Urial and Maalik were in wolf form, and they were in pain. I snuck a peek, Urial's wolf was fighting three and losing. The attacking wolves were avoiding me, and I was helplessly listening as Maalik's neck was broken with a loud crack. Urial went down howling, they tore him apart.

I heard the door to the front open, Hammer had crawled in the passenger seat. His face and shoulder were covered in blood, and Meghan rushed forward with a towel to help him. "There's too many," he said.

As soon as it started, it was quiet again, and there was a pit in my stomach as I realized I couldn't hear Snake out there. I heard one of them shift, and a strange voice yelled, "STAND DOWN." I looked at Meghan and Hammer, then back outside, this wasn't good.

A man knocked on the side of the ambulance. "Doctor Vivian DelMara, it's over. This human won't make it long without help. I'm coming around to talk, don't shoot or he dies." I could see wolves starting to gather at the edge of the lot, covering my exit. I didn't have a choice.

"Come talk," I said as I lowered my pistol.

The large naked man came around to the back of the ambulance, an unconscious Snake being held by his neck in front of him. He was wheezing, he probably had a few broken ribs, maybe a punctured lung. There were bite marks on his hands, forearms and leg. The man let do, causing my husband to smack down against the pavement on his face. "It's over, Doc. Your guards are dead. You've got three more in there plus this guy who will die if you don't come quietly."

"How do I know you'll let them live if I come with you?"

"You don't. I really don't care, Doc, when we drove by I could smell you and the Alpha told me to bring you to him, no matter the cost. Now toss the pistol and come down here before I get upset."

I looked back at Meghan, she was holding the pad to Hammer's bleeding shoulder, she was frightened and she was my responsibility. I tossed my pistol on the floor of the ambulance. "I'll come," I said.

He raised his hand, helping me jump down from the back. His men shifted, going back to their cars and pulling on clothes. The man had a steel grip on my left arm as he dragged me to the big cars. "I lost four men getting you, bitch, you better be worth it."

"Maybe Alpha will let us have a taste, you know, for the effort," the driver said as I was pushed into the back seat, my captor with me.

"Nobody touches her, we deliver her to the Alpha unharmed," he said. He then looked at me, a smirk on his face. "After that, we'll see." The car pulled out, following the other vehicle. I looked back at the lot, at the blood and destruction, and hoped to Luna that Snake, Dagger, Hammer and Meghan would somehow be safe.