Page 96 of Forbidden Moon
Ben swayed in his chair as if Caleb struck him. He swallowed hard and looked at Oscar.
“Anything else?”
Oscar respected these people, especially Ben, and understood the impossible choices facing him. He owed Gladstone his best advice.
“If the pack wants to stay here, you must silence the humans who already know too much. Unless we can dig up more information, I see only two possible options: take the fight to the enemy in a preemptive strike, or wait for them to attack and kill them here. Either way involves the tremendous risks I’ve already mentioned. Just so you know, Alpha Sheppard is aware of the situation and asked me to remind you of his full support, whatever you decide.”
Before Ben could respond, Caleb proffered one last suggestion.
“Hold on. I’m not ready to give up on Gladstone yet—not for Hook or anyone else. My guess is he’s feeling rather smug and overconfident about now. What we need is a bit of stealthy surveillance, and I know exactly where to find him.”
####
ABLACK UTILITY VANslowed to a stop on the narrow county road to disgorge four wolves: Caleb, Nolan, Ash, and Scooter. They easily blended into the dense woodland on their way to the coordinates. Donna and Erin pulled away, proceeding to the rendezvous point to wait. Knowing Russell and his stooges were armed, Ben wanted the good doctor on hand in case bullets started flying and someone got hurt.
They’d managed to throw the team together, load up supplies, and be on their way in short order. As an information-gathering mission, Ben left the particulars up to Caleb and the timeline open-ended. The foursome easily reached Hook’s home unseen, given the heavily wooded terrain. They approached from the rear of the property with an excellent view of the large backyard, presently empty.
Instead, the scent and voices of several humansweredetected near the driveway. Circling around, they spotted five men conversing next to a blue pickup truck. Two of them wore bandages and all stank of fear. Given what they knew, these must be the men who attacked Jonah and RJ! Presumably, they’d reported to their fearless leader after a hasty retreat from the park. A large, muscular man, perhaps in his late forties, continued speaking.
“... some excellent work today. Now we can take care of those twisted mutants and show the world what true patriots look like. We’re going to blow this thing wide open and get the recognition we deserve.”
A man with a bandaged wrist responded with a question.
“When do we make our move, Russell?”
“Soon. I want everybody here tomorrow night at six, and we’ll discuss it together. I hear there are around a hundred of thosethingsliving on the Preserve. We’ll have to keep at least a few alive to prove what they are, but the rest are going down. You guys get on home and rest up. See you tomorrow night.”
Smiling, Russell waved goodbye as the pickup backed out of the driveway and then made his way into the house. Caleb sent the others around back while he approached the simple ranch home cautiously, ears cocked and nose twitching. After a few minutes, Hook exited the patio door into the back yard, carrying a cold beer in one hand and a phone in the other.
He settled on a well-worn lawn chair in the shade, chuckling to himself. His idea to challenge the fag couple spotted around town was right on the money. Apparently, those perverts loved sticking their dicks into anything that moved. It pleased him knowing the Michigan Foresters would do the world a favor by eliminating the festering pocket of queers inhabiting the Preserve.
After downing half the beer, Russell made a call and then several more. If he only knew he was nearly surrounded by some of the same creatures he wished to destroy—each of them listening carefully to his conversations and eager to tear him apart.
####
AN HOUR LATER
Ben and Oscar met the team when they pulled into the lot, eager to hear what happened and make sure no one was hurt. Each face and scent revealed a frustrated disquiet, yet the men still did not know if the mission met with success. Ben made a point to thank each of them before retreating to the Tactical Center with Caleb. Despite the lingering vestiges of anger and disgust, the man radiated a growing confidence and sense of hope. Ben called him out.
“I’m getting mixed signals from you and the team. What happened out there?”
Caleb hesitated, his steady, unselfish demeanor shaken to the core.
“We arrived in time to overhear the last of Russell Hook’s conversation with the group who attacked Jonah and RJ. I came close to killing him within the first few seconds, and it went downhill from there. It’s as bad as we assumed, Ben. He plans to attack soon and leave only a few of us alive to prove what we are to the world. The sick bastard is mentally unstable and considers himself some type of hero.
“After the group left, Hook made several calls to other militia members. He’s announced a meeting at his home for tomorrow night with at least eight other men to make plans. Here’s the good news in all of this—as far as I can tell, only ten of the group know anything about us. I suspect it’s Hook’s inner circle or trusted henchmen. It gives us a much better chance to stop this before it blows up in our faces.”
Oscar’s eyes lit up with understanding, even as Ben struggled to see the ramifications.
“Dealing with ten is a lot easier than forty. This is exactly the break we needed!”
Ben nodded, growling as his brain caught up.
“Maybe, but I don’t trust Hook. We have to be ready no matter how many he brings to the party. Any specific suggestions, Caleb?”
He nodded, having formed a basic plan on the way back home.
“My wolf prefers direct action, but it raises too many red flags. We need to be at that meeting tomorrow night and find out more, then we plan.”
