Chapter 38

Thanking the truck driver who’d given him a ride, Ollie climbed down from the cab of the semi and headed toward the diner and food his stomach craved after being on the road for a week.

After he’d found his aunt and uncle chained up in the Alpha’s basement, he thought it would take only a few days to get to his cousin, but after standing for hours in the dark at the side of the road with his thumb out as traffic passed him by, he realized it wasn’t going to be that easy. When dawn broke, he was unwilling to risk being seen, so he disappeared into the woods. It was slow going in his human form, but he knew shifting would put him at a disadvantage, especially since it was hunting season.

Luckily, on the fifth day, a truck stopped and picked him up, but other than a few, quick, fast food meals when the driver stopped to fuel up, there really hadn’t been time to keep clean.

Opening the heavy glass diner door, the smells of food on the grill assaulted Ollie’s nose, making his mouth water. Looking around, he spied the sign for the restrooms and made a quick decision to wash off some of the road grime before sitting down to eat. Although a shower was out of the question, he figured he could strip off his shirt and wash his face, chest and arms.

Pushing the restroom door open, a foul odor greeted him, stopping him in his tracks. He felt the hair on his arms stand up and his animal roared a warning. Without waiting to find out what his animal knew, he stepped back, whirled around and hastened out of the dinner into the fresh air. Scanning the area, he found what he was looking for and ran toward a truck that was moving slowly toward the on ramp to the highway. Waving his arms, Ollie jumped in front of the vehicle, shouting at the man to stop. When the truck rolled to a stop, Ollie sighed in relief.

Leaning out his window, the driver yelled, “What the fuck are you doing?”

Heading over to the man, Ollie asked, “Can I get a lift?”

“Where too?”

Shrugging, Ollie replied with a smile, “No place in particular…just wherever the wind blows me. Which way you going?”

“South to LA…is that where your wind is blowing you?”

Nodding, Ollie said, “Feels like it.”

“Okay...get in.”

Running around to the passenger side, Ollie scrambled up into the cab and buckled his seat belt. Then glancing over at the driver he said, “Thanks…I’m Oliver but you can call me Ollie.”

“Ollie…name’s Rusty.”

“Nice to meet you, Rusty,” Ollie replied, before turning to look out his window at the diner, now disappearing into the distance. Whatever was in that restroom was dangerous and he was glad to leave it behind. Unfortunately, it also meant no food. But given the choice between eating or surviving, he’d take the latter every time, especially since he was all that stood between his aunt and uncle’s continued captivity and their freedom.

~/~/~/~/ ~

Standing on the stage in the community meeting building, Tristan took in the faces focused on him, waiting for him to speak. It was going to be his first big test to see if he was born to be the Alpha of the Silver Point Pack.

Noticing his mate’s slight hesitation, Heath moved close to him and murmured, “You got this.”

Giving an imperceptible nod, Tristan squared his shoulders and began to speak, his voice loud and clear, projecting the authority his position granted him. After explaining his plan, he named the head of each squad first, bringing them up to stand in front of the stage. Once they were there, Tristan jumped down and shook the hand of each one before handing him a list. Then, returning to the stage, he said, “When the leader of your squad calls out your name, please come forward and stand behind him.” Watching as the names were called, Tristan leaned over to Heath and murmured, “I decided to use Jackson’s men to guard the trails…any objections?”

“Nope…I think it’s excellent because you’d have done that anyway if you’d had more of your own fighters.”

While the men he named as leaders continued calling out names, Tristan shifted his gaze over to Reeve who stood at the back of the room, glaring at Groose who was ignoring him. Chuckling, he asked his mate, “What’s up with Reeve?”

Glancing over at his friend, Heath grinned at the baleful look on Reeve’s face. “He’s pissed because Groose once made him wait to see Jackson.”

Nodding, Tristan turned back in time to see the last few men join their squads. When the room fell silent, he said, “Look at each man in your squad…memorize their faces and names…these are the men who will have your back just as you will have theirs. Some of you have first-hand experience with how ruthless and cruel Rudy can be while the rest of you have seen the results of it when you first came here with Reeve.

“However, now that Rudy is desperate, it makes him much more dangerous, especially since fifty, hardened criminals will be with him. And believe me, they won’t hesitate to kill because their freedom means more to them than your life. So to make it tougher for Rudy and his men, your leader will make sure each of you is paired with another member of your squad. You are to stay together at all times. If one of you is injured, your buddy will stay with you and call for help. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir!” everyone shouted.

“Any questions?” asked Tristan. Glancing around, he saw a hand slowly go up. Pointing to the owner of it, said, “Go ahead, Marty.”

“What if there’s an opportunity to kill Rudy? Should we do it or is he reserved for you?”

“Rudy is mine,” Tristan growled. “He wants my title so he’ll be coming after me. I don’t want any of you to be injured trying to stop him. It you spot him, pass the word to your leader and he’ll notify me. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Marty shouted, with the rest joining in.

“Good,” Tristan said. “Once you are paired up, head over to Reeve for your instructions and a map that shows the location each squad is assigned to.” Then Tristan jumped off the stage and headed over to Groose.

~/~/~/~/ ~

“Where the fuck is Bruno?” Rudy snarled at Seth while pacing between his desk and the window. The new location they were in wasn’t as good as the last one but once Frank had escaped, he knew it was just a matter of time before the High Council would send their enforcers to capture him and everyone with him.

“He’s not answering his phone,” Seth replied.

“Send him a message to meet me at the rendezvous point, asap,” growled Rudy before stalking away.

Hans waited until Seth was alone before walking over to him. “Still can’t reach Bruno?” he muttered under his breath while keeping an eye out for Rudy, should he return.

“No,” Seth murmured, typing out the text message to their friend. After hitting send, he pocketed his phone before adding, “Something’s gone wrong…it’s not like Bruno to worry us by not answering my calls. He should have been back by now.”

“Do you know where he went?”

“Yeah…he sent me the address.”

“Do you think we should go there?”

“Maybe…let’s wait for a bit and see if he answers my text.”

“Okay…but I have a bad feeling about this,” Hans muttered, before walking away.

“No fucking shit,” Seth murmured to himself. If there wasn’t an answer to any of his calls or texts in the next hour, then he and Hans would go find Bruno, regardless of Rudy’s orders.

~/~/~/~/ ~

“Good plan, Alpha,” Groose said to Tristan. “Have you decided where you want us?”

Handing Groose a map of the Silver Point Pack land, Tristan replied, “ The circled areas are trails Rudy could use instead of the road.”

Nodding, Groose studied the map, then looked at Tristan. “We can cover those.”

“Good, the same rules apply…follow them but do not engage Rudy or any of his men unless it’s absolutely a matter of life or death. Rudy is after me so here’s where he and his men will head. Once they are all here, join up with my men and surround them so no one can escape while I deal with Rudy…understand?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Groose replied, taking a box from his deputy and handing it to Tristan. “Jackson sent along communication devices so you can stay in touch with me and any others you chose.”

Surprised, Tristan opened the box and chuckled. “There are enough here for everyone to have one?”

“Yes, sir,” Groose said.

Picking one up, Tristan examined it carefully before asking, “How do they work?”

“The piece you’re holding goes into your ear. Once it’s there, two-way communication will be possible with anyone else who’s wearing one,” Grosse explained.

“Are they all on the same frequency?”

“They are.”

“What if someone hacks into the signal?”

“Impossible to do so, sir,” Goose said. “Nor can the signal be jammed. It’s the latest technology. ”

“Advanced high tech, then?” Tristan asked.

“Yes sir. Dire Enterprises always makes the best,” Groose replied.

“They do at that,” Tristan agreed, taking a few more out of the box before handing it back to Groose. “Make sure everyone has one.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Leaving Groose to carry out his order, Tristan headed over to Heath, smirking at the thought of surprising him with Jackson’s gift. It was the solution to the only weakness in his plan that had stumped him, but now, thanks to Jackson, he was more confident than ever of his success in capturing Rudy. Stopping in front of his mate, he said, “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

Smiling, Heath asked, “And what will I get if I do?”

‘You’ll see…now do it.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Heath smirked, following his mate’s instructions.

“Okay you can open your eyes.”

Glancing at Tristan for a moment before looking down at his open palm, he asked, “What the fuck is this?”

“A gift from Jackson. Go ahead, put it in your ear.”

Turning it over several times, Heath finally figured out which way it went and inserted the little black device in his ear. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked, grinning.

“Yup. The best there is in communication devices, made by Dire Enterprises. ”

“Holy shit!” Heath took it out of his ear, and studied it before putting it back in. “So you and I can talk. Fuckingfantastic!”

“Jackson sent enough for everyone, so I’ll be able to know exactly what’s going on in the field.”

“Shit…you mean everyone will hear what I say to you?”

“Yup,” Tristan replied, popping the ‘p’. “So keep it clean.”

“Aw…what’s the fun in that?”

“What are you talking about now?” Reeve asked, joining them.

“Here,” Tristan said, handing the other device to Reeve. “Does everyone know the location they are assigned to?”

“Yeah,” Reeve said, looking at what Tristan handed him. “Where did you get this?”

“Jackson sent it,” Heath said.

“Just for us?”

“For everyone,” Tristan replied.

Slipping the device into his ear, Reeve asked, “ Are Jackson’s men going to cover the trails?”

“Yes, so I’m sending you with Groose and Heath will stay with the men watching the road.”

Nodding, Reeve said, “Just be careful…Rudy is fighting for his life which makes him very dangerous.”

“I, too, am fighting for my life, Reeve, but more important, I’m also fighting for every man, woman, and child in my pack. Their lives are on the line because if I lose, they all lose, too…and I will not…cannot…let that happen . My strength comes from my pack…something Rudy doesn’t understand or otherwise he’d never be stupid enough to come here.

“For too long evil has filled every corner of my land, but after this, it will never find a foothold here again. I’m going to wipe out the stench of Josiah and Rudy so we can move forward where the future is bright for my pack…a pack where fear is gone forever…where hope is alive…and where joy exists.”

Tristan paused before continuing. “I owe you a lot, Reeve…you gave me a purpose when I was without one…a home I thought was gone forever…and a mate who I love with all my heart. I know you’re worried for my safety, but there’s no need to…good will always defeat evil.” Placing a hand on Reeve’s shoulder and squeezing it, Tristan continued, “But I have a favor to ask of you…make sure you come back or my brother Kahn will kill me.”

It took a moment before Reeve burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he muttered, “Asshole.”

“Hey, that’s Alpha Asshole to you,” Heath said, chuckling.

“Fuck you,” Reeve replied.

“Hey, boys,” Tristan said, smiling. “Let’s save the fighting for Rudy.”

Groose walked up to Tristan. “Sir, everyone has been outfitted and all that’s left is for a sound check.”

“Thank you, Groose, please proceed with it,” Tristan said. “By the way, Reeve will be accompanying you.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Groose replied, glancing at Reeve before turning away .

Tristan shifted his gaze back to Reeve, studying him for a moment before asking. “Is there a problem between you and Groose? Should I switch you to the men watching the road? I’m sure Heath won’t mind going with Groose.”

“I don’t have an issue with the man, Alpha,” Reeve replied, “He is a highly trained professional and I’m proud to be at his side.”

“Good,” Tristan said before walking away, leaving Reeve alone with Heath.

Reeve waited until the Alpha was out of earshot before looking at his friend. “You fucking told him about me and Groose, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Heath said.

“Why would you do that? It had nothing to do with anything except my mission to capture Josiah.”

“He noticed your reaction to Groose and asked me about it.”

“You didn’t have to tell him,” Reeve muttered.

“Yes I did and you know it. He’s my Alpha and I owe my loyalty to him first…and I’m sorry if that’s a problem, but I made it very clear to you,” Heath replied. “Put the shoe on the other foot…what if I wanted you to hide the truth from your mate? Would you do it…or would you more likely tell me to bugger off.”

Reeve fell silent for a moment before answering. “You’re right, friend. I’m sorry. I never realized how hard it is to submit to the authority of the Alpha in a wolfpack.”

“I know,” Heath agreed, understandingly. “I grew up in one, but after leaving home, I only had bosses to deal with and you can take it from me, a pack’s a whole different kettle of fish. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Maybe…” Reeve muttered, still not totally convinced. Perhaps a talk with Kahn would be in order to see if his mate had any ideas that might help him adjust.