Chapter 22

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"All right listen up" The Sheriff call out to his assembled deputies.

"I got a call from the FBI field office, they have a lead on a possible terrorist outfit operating from out town from one of the farms. We are to help them in providing support & roadblocks while they will run the operation. So we have thirty minutes to start." From the tone of his voice they could tell he was not happy with this setup. He and his men were being left out and now the FBI will appear like heroes swooping in to save the day.

The Sheriff mentally shrugged, there was little he could do. The orders came from the top.

"Get ready men, we roll out in fifteen minutes" He said dismissing them and going back in to his office to fume on this overall situation.

As the deputies talked between themselves, one of the deputies quietly slipped away and made a call from his cell.

After a few rings the phone was picked up but the person on the other end was silent.

"Your time is up" the deputy whispered.

The other person simply hung up. The deputy hurried back before anyone missed him.

***

Charles looked at his phone after he hung up, his gloved cover hands holding it. He turned it over removed the back cover, removed the battery, plucked the SIM out and crushed it.

He looked over to his men and said too calmly "We need to crash"

They jumped in to action, by ten minutes they were all in multiple SUV's rolling out of the farm on to the freeway. Each SUV would take a different road to reach a pre-determined destination already discussed for contingency like this. The house would be stripped clean, whit no indication of their presence.

Charles was sitting in one of the SUV's in the back seat as the driver was hurriedly driving him away, he pulled out a box, a brand new cell phone, switched it on and dialed in a number.

***

The FBI unit arrived at the farm will all fanfare, sirens blaring, guns drawn.

But as the surrounded the house in the middle of the farm. A typical Midwest farm house, a little neglected and fading paint showing its age. Something did not feel right.

It was all too quite.

As some of the men walked slowly towards the house, their assault rifles pointed for any untoward activity.

The earth suddenly shook. Some of the men lost balance, others dived to the ground and behind their vehicles for cover.

The house had exploded to smithereens.

***

Sebastian picked up the ringing phone "Hello?"

"We underestimated the enemy" Michael said without a preamble.

Sebastian sighed "What happened?"

"Your Charles, is more pro then we thought. We got a lead to a farm in Montana, but they flew the nest by then. They also rigged the house, which was their base of operations to blow. Its smoke along with any clues it had."

"That's unfortunate. How is this going to play?" Sebastian asked. A house blowing up would attract all kinds of unwanted attention...like media.

Those bastards had been clever. The house had been rigged in such a way that the explosion mainly focused on destroying the house, with minimal or no impact outside it. Not one agent had been harmed. Some of them had bruises but it was mainly due to diving for cover in a hurry.

If even one agent died it would have been an all-out manhunt, now it would be an investigation which clearly did not have the same priority of a manhunt. Whoever rigged the house was a pro.

"Old house, leaky gas connection...shit happens" Michael said, Sebastian could mentally see Michael shrugging unconcerned. They would spin it as on accident.

"This Charles is a concern" Sebastian added brining back attention to more important topic. He was trying to emphasize it enough without giving everything away "He may be plotting something against our key assets or people"

"I understand. We underestimated him to be some home grown terrorist, but he is a pro. We won't make the mistake again, this time when we find him, it's not going to be FBI that we will send, but a wet team"

Wet team meant blood bath, lot of blood, hence the term...wet.

"Thanks Michael, Roma appreciates your help on this" Sebastian added.

"The least we can do for a friend of the US" Michael responded "Sleep easy Sebastian, we will find this bastard and find him soon"

"All right. Thanks again Michael" Sebastian hung up.

Fuck! They needed to find this guy, Sebastian had a feeling he was up to something. Which was not good...not good at all.

***

Charles got off the phone and spoke to his driver "Let's had to Minnesota"

He just got off the phone with one of his key ally. He was assured sanctuary in one of their territories in Minnesota deep in werewolf territory. They had to get off the radar fast from human territories.

He know Roma was efficient, but never though they would involve human law enforcement.

Did they know? Did they have a hint? He wondered for a moment.

There was no way they would know, they only way they would have come to know about him was through Drake and he had no doubt they would have made Drake sing before they put him out of his misery.

So Roma was aware of him.

He should be extremely careful now. Underestimating Roma was the quickest route to a certain death. But what did they know about him more than what Drake knew? He had known this day might come. That Drake would get caught and he would sing. So ensure that Drake did not know anything more then he needed to know. Which was not a lot.

He finally dismissed the thought. If they even had a slightest whiff of what we was doing, they would have never involved the humans. Instead Sebastian would have landed on his doorsteps would not have ended well for any of them.

Luckily they were still unaware, so the operation was still a go. This was but a small setback, it would set it back by a few months but that was ok. He was a patient man, he didn't get to where he was by hurrying things up.

He smiled satisfied, looking out of the window to the passing scenery.

***

"What's with the shit Maxwell is blabbering about Mates?" Alex growled in to the phone with Adrian.

Adrian took a deep breath to calm himself down "Listen, we are 10 minutes away, can you not let him out of your sight, with his wolf out he might be" Adrian paused trying to be a little tactful "unstable."

"Unstable my ass! He is all wolf and shit! You better come fast, I am not sure if I can handle him alone." Alex slammed the phone to follow Maxwell out of the control room, Maxwell was long gone but Alex knew where he was heading.

Alex reached the service elevator which would take him close to the hallway on the ground floor and was waiting for the elevator to come up when his phone buzzed again.

He looked in to it and his eyebrows drew together in confusion. It was Evelyn she was asking him to meet him in the west hallway connected to the Kitchen. The Kitchen was in a central location connected to both the east and west service hallways and each hallway and an exit. Maxwell was heading to east.

Her message said it was urgent.

Well, Maxwell could wait for a few minutes. Alex thought, knowing Evelyn if she said it was urgent it would be.

So as he got in to the elevator and headed down he decided he would sort out whatever Evelyn needed and then catch up with Maxwell. As the elevator door opened he walked in to the hallway and opened a door that would lead him to the west hallway.

***

"Where did she go?!" Maxwell demanded the petrified guard.

The guard clearly unnerved with Maxwell's wolf, showed his submissive side with his body language. He understood who Maxwell was talking about. The girl who approached him earlier wanting to we let out.

"She went back that way sir" he replied politely indicating to the very same hallway that Maxwell had emerged from.

Maxwell stood there contemplating.

"But she said she would be back, she looked like she wanted to go out...badly."

Maxwell was enraged.

How dare she run from him! He would show her! No one...ran from him...especially his mate!

He closed his eyes took a deep breath and her scent filled his nostrils.

He opened his eyes and smiled.

Finally! Her scent was fresh!

Your time has just run out little mate!

With determined strides he headed back, following the scent that would lead to her.

***

"Alex!" Evelyn cried out in relief.

"Hey!" What's up "Is everything ok? You said it was an emergency" he asked concerned.

"It kind of is" She pleaded "I want to leave and your guards refuse to let me go."

She said pointing to the guard on the door at the end of the hallway. When she had no luck on the east side entrance she did want to try her luck on the west side. No such luck, the guard would not let her out, but meanwhile she had messaged Alex, hoping he could help. He was a pretty high ranking wolf in the Roma circles.

Alex looked closely at her, she was all flushed and flustered "Are you sure everything is ok?"

She squirmed and was not looking in to his eyes.

"Please, I really need to go" She begged instead.

She looked desperate.

"All right" he relented as she sagged in relief.

He held her arm and walked a few yards away to the door they lead out of the building and a guard was blocking him. He straightened up when he saw who she was with.

"Listen" Alex said when he came near the guard "Let her through"

"But..." the guard gave a week protest looking between the two. The order had come from Maxwell.

"It's ok, I will deal with him" Alex said clearly understanding the guard hesitation....he would deal with Maxwell, once he cools down anyways.

The guard satisfied stepped out of their way.

Relief flooded Evelyn.

Finally!

"Thank you Alex!" She said with gratitude and stepped forward to hug him. He hugged her back.

And then, they both turned as they heard...

....a feral roar.