Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 119
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
A little over an hour after the bombing of the warehouse, the convoy drove off of the interstate and onto the road that led to their town and Shandaken. Ray couldn’t wait to get back to his mate, eager to appease her, and tell her all about their feat. Seconds afterwards though, the terrifying sound that filled his ears drew his attention: The whirring of a helicopter, audible over the rumble of the engine. Immediately, all four of them took furtive glances around them. Alas, they could only see trees, bushes and the scarce town lights at the bottom of the valley. Pete put his foot hard down on the gas pedal while the Alpha’s cell phone rang with an incoming call from James.
“Raul!” The urgency and the sheer volume in his voice sent slithers of fear slicing through Ray. “I’d been trying to hack into the security system of their base north of Cooperstown. I didn’t have any luck, until now. The cameras are placed at the exact same spots, but one chopper is missing.”
“Listen to me carefully,” Raul somehow kept his voice calm as he glanced out of the passenger window. “The chopper is heading towards Paxton; we can hear it. Those bastards will be looking to hit a public place after what we did to them. Head over to ‘Joe’s’ diner. Get everybody out.”
“We should have hit both warehouses,” Dean murmured, rubbing his index along his chin.
“That was impossible,” Raul rebutted. They turned left and onto the downhill road outside Paxton. “First of all, the one James mentioned is a hundred-and-fifty miles north of here. I chose the one closest to Paxton, because they could retaliate before we even got back. We could sacrifice another truck, but I’m not sure we had enough explosives to blow them both up.”
Ray chose to stay silent, understanding that his input on their actions would not make much of a difference. He could not change history. Gazing out his window, he swept the surroundings of his birthplace. Pete took a right, hairpin turn at high speed. Two, steady, red lights and a blinking white light on the horizon informed him of the helicopter’s whereabouts. They looked like little specks on the black canvas of the nighttime sky.
“There!” he almost shouted in a voice riddled with tension and fear, pointing his index finger up into the moving lights in the sky.
“Sons of bitches…” Raul grumbled, banging his fist on the dashboard. “I wish I knew how to use a rifle, just this once.”
“Stay calm, everybody,” Dean suggested, raising his tone. “It’s still far out.”
“This is a killing machine, man,” the Alpha snarled. Pete’s car raced into the last, left bend. “It can fire from five miles away.”
A wave of utter frustration washed over Ray when the buildings blocked the view of the helicopter. The Honda Civic roared into the main road, speeding past their property. The lights in his family’s cabins were on, somewhat appeasing him. At least, their loved ones did not seem to be any danger. Still, he couldn’t be sure. His siblings’ mates or Julia could be at the diner. Before he had a chance to speculate any further, an unusual noise rang in his ears. Dozens of simultaneous barks and yips added to his confusion. The sight of numerous of his fellow residents hurtling along the pavements in wolf form provided an explanation; yet, it sent his adrenaline into the ozone layer. The mere notion of the people of his town running for their lives made his blood boil in his veins.
The lights he had spotted earlier came into view when their car bypassed a tall building on the right. Now though, they were much larger, and the whirring was so loud that the windscreen began to vibrate. But then, another, much fainter sound gripped his heart in a power vice: the hissing of a missile in flight. Ray watched in horror, seeing the weapon fly through the air, leaving a red trail behind it, while heading swiftly towards its target. A deafening blast ripped through the night; the ground beneath them rocked. Tables, chairs, shards of glass, and chunks of concrete were tossed about in the area surrounding “Joe’s” diner; a huge fireball shot up into the sky. Pete stepped hard on the brakes, just before a chair leg slammed against the windshield, cracking it completely down the middle.
Ray stormed out of the car, fearing the worst. Shredded pieces of tablecloths were still floating down to the ground, when he spotted James, standing across from the burnt-out building, gasping for breath.
“Guys…” he said, panting, unable to say much more right away. His eyes were gray in the dim illumination. “Don’t bother looking in the debris. They all got out in time.”
“Thank God,” Ray sighed in relief, strolling towards the ruins of what was once “Joe’s” diner. It was a heartbreaking sight… charred, flipped over chairs; mangled tables; chunks of the stove were scattered all over the parking lot; tiny shards of glass littered the ground; and the aluminum of the doors had been twisted, bent, and blackened as well. He shook his head, unable to believe the destruction that had befallen the building which had housed some of his family’s fondest memories. But, it was his oldest brother who seemed to have been affected the most. Raul kicked a broken table away from him; his face twisting with rage, he let out a loud cry of agony.
“Something tells me they’ll accuse us of this,” Ray confessed to Dean, turning his head to the right to face him. “They’ll say we brought this upon our town.”
“I couldn’t care less, kid,” Dean stated, his voice coming out slowly, watching the flames that were reflected in his eyes. “We had a lead. We acted upon it. End of story.”
“If anybody’s got a problem with what we did, let them talk to me,” The Alpha growled, striding away from the rubble.
“They’ll all understand, once they watch the video,” James announced, stepping beside Ray.
“What video?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, and turning towards him.
“Their mission briefing,” James explained, his tone firm. “I’ve got their commanding officer on tape, talking to his troops about their mission. They were minutes away from mobilizing.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” Ray praised, with a small smile on his face. “Can you bring your laptop over to our estate?”
“Actually, I left it in Raul’s cabin,” James replied, folding his arms across his chest. “Why?”
“Our people are going to demand answers, man,” Ray uttered, pursing his lips. “The sooner we are able to provide them, the better.”
“I’ll see you there, then,” James winked at him. Staring at the devastation around him, the youngest of the Bradford brothers swallowed hard. His town had lost the one and only diner available, and his family had lost their second home. Still, this was a loss that he could not grieve. Ray had a much bigger issue that needed his attention. In this dark hour, he hoped that reason would prevail, and his fellow citizens would not seek to punish him and his brothers, before they had a chance to explain themselves.
Chapter Sixteen
The almost complete emptiness of their front yard did not fool Ray, upon his return from the diner. The attack was still too fresh; it was only a matter of time before a mob of angry shifters showed up, demanding an explanation for what had transpired. However, there was someone outside, just a few paces away from his cabin. It was none other than his beloved Julia. Exhausted and drained from his long, hard day, he didn’t have the courage to run towards her. His heart was screaming its longing to hold her, but there was not much strength left in his muscles. All he could offer her was a bitter smile. Still, just when their eyes met across the yard, his mate started a hurried dash towards him. The sight of her long, curly strands, bouncing up and down with every stride, sent a sense of comfort into his soul. After what they had been through that day, it was one of the very few things in this world that could accomplish that. Julia jumped onto him, and threw her arms around his neck, welcoming him into her loving embrace.
“I told you I’d come back to you, mess,” he whispered, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Oh, my God…” Julia sighed, clutching the back of his neck. “It’s all over the internet. I got scared out of my freaking mind, when I saw the pictures,” she went on, her voice wobbly leaning back to look at him. “There are eighteen dead, and more than thirty wounded. The press is saying Muslim extremists did it.”
“Well…” Ray snorted in amusement, his smile broadening. “Who else would they pin it on? They just love accusing fanatical Muslims.”
“It really is a shame about the diner,” she declared, her voice steadying. “Kate and I ran outside when we heard that explosion. Dean called her and told her the news.”
“I’m sorry, too, but…” he paused and sucked in a deep breath. “That’s not what worries me right now. We can all help rebuild that place. It will take a while, but we’ll do it. Whatever wars we’ve fought have always stayed out of Paxton, Jules. We’ve never endangered the civilian population. That changed tonight. If James hadn’t run off to warn the customers, a lot of people would have died.”
“You’re goddamn right about that!” A rich, elderly voice filled the air, forcing him to turn around. It belonged to Charlie Berenson, an eighty-nine year old carpenter, who used to be friends with their late father. He had just turned around the corner of their property, and, just as Ray had been afraid of, he was leading a sizeable group towards their homes. “Humans have never even dreamed of attacking us, and now, we have a fucking helicopter bombing us? Who the hell did you piss off this time, Uncle Sam? Where’s Raul, you little pup?”
“Pup?” grumbled Ray, the fear that had been festering within him instantly turning into pure rage, a feral snarl rattling from his throat. “Get a little closer; I’ll show you what a pup can do to an old fart like you.”
“I got this, kid,” Raul interjected, swinging his front door open with James right behind him. The two men rushed outside, while his brother struggled to maintain his composure. Had it not been for his Alpha, Julia’s mate would not have hesitated to take out his frustration on his father’s old friend.
“Said one pup to another,” Charlie hummed, giving an elbow jab to Clay Townsend, another senior citizen standing beside him.
“Shut the fuck up, Charlie,” Raul’s stentorian voice roared like thunder as he tossed a ferocious glare down at him. “Don’t think my father’s friendship with you is going to save you.”
“We demand an explanation!” Clay cried, taking a short step closer to the Alpha, his face tightening with tension. “We’ve been good to the humans. We’ve been protecting them for decades. Why would they do that to us?”
“Because Julia’s mom doesn’t like it that her daughter is involved with Ray,” Raul explained, his voice dropping in volume when he put his hands on his waist. “She’s dating some army contractor CEO. His men were about to attack us tonight, when we blew their warehouse to kingdom come. James…” he paused. “Do the honors.”
Just when he finished his sentence, Ava’s mate turned his laptop around, the screen facing the small mob. Intrigued, Ray started down the yard, averting his gaze from the man who had insulted him earlier. There was a view of the armory on display, with at least four dozen men in uniform gathered around, and one man pointing at something on a chart in front of them. James pressed the “spacebar” button on his laptop, starting the video he had talked to him about.
“This tiny little town here is called ‘Paxton.’ Population: Roughly two thousand. I’m going to repeat myself, in case some of you weren’t paying attention this morning. Its residents may look human, but they’re not. They turn into wolves somehow, and not just any wolves. Those monsters stand more than four feet tall at shoulder height. Now, I want eight snipers in two’s, fanned out around the town. Pick your positions carefully. They’re on the lookout for us. You fire at anything that moves. I don’t care if it’s man, woman or child. We need to draw them out. Once we’ve done that, the assault teams can move in and finish the job. The choppers are going to provide air support. Be on your toes with those freaks. They can…”
At that point, the deafening bang of the truck, crashing into the building interrupted the stranger. Its front end sent large chunks of aluminum flying across the warehouse while the troops reached for their weapons. A loud, blast explosion caused the camera to vibrate, just before a blinding light shot upwards toward the ceiling. The screen on the laptop went pitch-black because the camera lost its signal altogether. Ray smiled to himself, shifting his gaze up and to the left, to face Charlie. Much to his liking, their father’s old friend had dropped his gaze down to the ground, scratching the back of his head, at a clear loss for words.
“You bombed that warehouse? How?” wondered Clay, disbelief written all over his face.
“We rigged that truck you saw with explosives,” Raul retorted, glancing around at his fellow civilians. “We prevented a massacre. The bombing of ‘Joe’s’ diner was retaliation, but that’s it. We’ve got eyes on the base it came from. There are just eight men in there, and a single truck. They won’t attempt anything smart; not tonight that is.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlie muttered under his breath, slowly raising his gaze to the Alpha. “I guess I should be thanking you.”
“If you want to thank me, tell your children and your grandchildren to join the pack,” Raul urged him, his tone of voice stiff. “We’re too few to hold them off. I know what you’re all going to ask: ‘How can we go up against armed men?’ Well, we did that tonight, and we got out of there without a scratch. Helena’s coming back tomorrow morning with more information about them, but whatever she’s dug up, we need more of our own to join us in this fight.”
“You’ll have them,” Charlie gave an emphatic nod. “I’ll talk to my kids. We all will, won’t we, boys?”
“Yeah!” thundered the loud cry of more than seventy shifters, which rocked the Bradford’s front yard, and put a smile on Ray’s face.
“Great,” Raul nodded in contentment. “Send them over to the town hall tomorrow morning. Thank you.”
Ray’s heart leapt for joy, comprehending the effect of the bombing of “Joe’s” diner. His hometown was not going to be torn apart by internal conflict. The notion of a civil war would not become a horrible reality. The population was willing to aid the pack in what seemed an uneven battle. Still, despite his admiration for their sense of duty, Ray’s mind was clouded by doubt. They had to mastermind more ingenious plans to assault their foes, plans other than the involvement of a rigged truck, because the humans would anticipate that from now on. Deviating from “the wolf’s way” once was difficult, and he couldn’t be certain if they could beat the humans over and over again at their own game.
Chapter Seventeen
Even though his brothers would not be at their workshop the following day, Ray did not even consider going with them to the town hall. In actual fact, recruitment was a long interview, which included dozens of questions, and he lacked the required patience for it. To him, the addition of a hundred more individuals would mean nothing should their ignorance remain. They needed clues much more than they needed manpower. So, he chose the company of his tools instead, in the hope that Helena would enlighten them.
Nevertheless, wrenches, screwdrivers, and drills soon proved insufficient to distract him. For hours, Ray kept wracking his brain about ways to deal with his mate’s mother and her allies. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was only one way for them to get rid of this threat: they absolutely had to take out Carrie and Isaacs. They were the masterminds; the soldiers were just following orders. So, although part of him would gladly end Julia’s mother, a bigger part of him was screaming “no,” He wasn’t worried about his mate’s reaction. After all, Julia was so angry with her that she had even declared to him her will to do it herself. What really concerned him was their future. By no means did Ray want his offspring to discover that he had killed their grandmother, regardless of her actions. Yes, Carrie had betrayed her flesh and blood, she deserved the worst for what she had done, but he could do without that responsibility. She was still the person who had brought his mate into this world. Every time Julia would look at him, she would remember that he was the one who had murdered her. He didn’t wish for this terrible truth to come between them.
Understanding that attempting to work any further was futile, Ray left his workshop. As he found himself in his yard, however, the sight that he came across gave him a reason to smile. Helena, their beloved witch was back in town, in the middle of a cordial hug between her and Kate. Cliff stood just a few feet to the left, with her suitcase in his hands. Ray’s initial thought was to rush over to her. Still, he had to swallow this urge. The witch-protector of Paxton had gone through a six-hour flight, and a two-and-a-half hour drive. She was bound to be exhausted. Therefore, he chose to take his eyes off of her, and stride towards his cabin.
“Hey, young one!” called Helena in her feathery voice, making him regret his decision to get out of his workshop, forcing him to a halt before he could reach for his door handle. “Where are you going in such a hurry? Can I get a hug?”
“Of course you can,” he replied, shifting his attention to her. Her lips curved into a broad smile while he made his way over to her. “You just got here. I figured you’d be tired.”
“Oh, I’m exhausted,” she agreed, her eyes sparkling with amusement, wrapping her arms around his back. “But, I’m always eager for a quick embrace from my boys.”
“Welcome back home,” Ray spoke, his tone deep, holding her tightly in his arms. “You should get some rest. We can talk tonight.”
“Au contraire, mon ami,” the witch replied in a somewhat passable French accent. Julia stormed out of their cabin. “Timing is of the essence. I must speak to Raul and Dean at once. Where are they?”
“Hey, she’s back!” squeaked Julia with a toothy grin on her face as she thrust her arms around her.
“I’ll never get used to your ultrasonic girl,” Helena confessed, a hint of discomfort in her tone. “Where are your brothers again?”
