Treasure

The three remaining men in protective custody sat around the holding cell contemplating their upcoming demise. “We’re just sitting around waiting for the slaughter,” Erich Gruber said. “In three days, that Nygaard kid will take on Daniel. If your son loses, our fate will be the same as Royce.”

“My son won’t lose. Sawyer hasn’t had to fight for anything; no one in his family has. Chase got Alpha by mating Rori, Carson got it handed to him when his Dad went feral. This is the first challenge for any of them.”

“Your boy hasn’t fought either,” Gruber replied. “We’re putting our lives in his hands, and he’s not....”

“I’ll kill him,” Daniel interrupted as he stood and moved in front of the former Chairman. “I’ll kill him and take the Pack, then Dad and I will be safe. You, however, better start learning that you’re not the one in charge anymore. It will be MY pack, and you will be just an elder under MY protection. If you and your wolf can’t handle it, get the fuck out of here right now, because I’ve had about enough of your attitude. See how you fare out there as a rogue.”

Erich stared at the young man he would be betting his life on. Daniel had the genetics of an Alpha, but he wasn’t the man his father had been. When he was sixty, his father had handed him the Pack so Craig could start lobbying for a Council appointment. The Donner Pack was safe and isolated from others. It was prosperous and easy to run. He’d been loyal to his father, but he owed Erich nothing. Staying under their protection would not work long term. He lowered his eyes, backing down from the young man’s challenge. Daniel smiled and sat down on the bunk again.

Erich knew that if he was to survive, he needed to do it on his own. He’d been in power long enough to have backup plans in case something went wrong. After the threat of exposure, he had made sure they were ready. There was a villa in the Swiss Alps, a new identity, hidden bank accounts, everything he needed. His briefcase contained a hidden compartment where the new passport, credit cards, and other documents he would need. He just needed to get back to the Pack House, and now was the time. He got up and walked to the guard on duty. “I need to return to my room at the Pack House,” he said. “Can one of you escort me.”

“Of course,” one of the Enforcers said. They walked out the door together and across towards the front porch of the big house. Most fighters had left, but there were some lower-ranking members of the Packs around. They stopped and stared at him as they passed.

The Alphas gathered on the porch glared at him. “Enjoying the day?” Michael couldn’t resist the dig.

“What you did today lacked honor,” Erich replied.

“You would know.” Erich walked inside; this was not the time for such a battle. He walked up the stairs to his guest room, asking the Enforcer to wait in the hallway. Once inside, Erich put his briefcase on the bed and opened it up. Taking the paperwork out, he cut through the bottom leather and exposed a plastic-wrapped packet. He removed the Swiss passport and other needed items. Taking off his expensive suit, he changed into jeans, boots, a flannel shirt over a turtleneck, and a black ski jacket. He put on a black ski hat and sunglasses to complete the disguise. It only took a few more minutes to transfer everything into a small backpack, turning him into a retired man on holiday. He slipped a small pistol with silver-core bullets into his jacket pocket.

The room had a French door leading to a small balcony. With the Pack distracted, he was able to climb down without being noticed. He ran across to the lawn to the large garage complex, looking for the rental vehicles. The line of SUV’s was in the front, and keys were in them. Picking the nearest one, he tossed his backpack in the passenger seat and started it up. No one noticed as he drove out of the compound, the tinted windows hiding his face. No one stopped him and soon was on the road heading for Highway 61.

He needed to get out of the country and fast, but he didn’t have long until the Enforcer figured out something was wrong and checked his room. Driving fast, he ran through the options. South to the Twin Cities, and catch an international flight to Switzerland. That would be the easy way. He knew they would be watching the airports and roads, and he no longer had access to the Council plane that was at the Duluth airport. North, and it was another two hours of driving to get to the Canadian border. He was already driving east, so heading back west wasn’t an option. He’d have to turn right or left at Lake Superior.

He went north, deciding there was less of a chance of werewolves in that direction. He didn’t know how much of a head start he had; Erich prayed it was enough.

About the time he turned north, the Enforcer was knocking on his door. When no one answered, and the door was locked, he contacted the Head Council Enforcer who was returning from the chase. He told him to remain where he was while they got a master key to him. The Council relayed the information to Alpha Michael, and a few minutes later, they realized Gruber left in one of the rental cars. “He’s got a thirty-minute head start,” the Head Enforcer said as he reported to the Alphas in the conference room.

Michael went to a map of the area. “He’s had enough time to make it to Two Harbors,” he said. “I’ll send guys out, but it will be tough to catch him. I have three cars with warriors and weapons in pursuit.”

“Technically, he hasn’t done anything wrong,” Chairman Coffey said. “He was not under arrest and was facing no charges. If he’s off your land, he’s just a rogue.”

Michael smiled. “He took a car,” he said. He linked a Pack member who had rented all the vehicles for the visit, and the woman came into the room immediately. “Sharon, write down the license plates of the rental cars still in the garage and call the company. Report the missing one as stolen.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said as she went back out.

“That will involve the humans,” Martin said. “Are you sure?”

“Right now, putting him in prison for Grand Theft Auto sounds like a good start,” Michael said. “The rental cars all have GPS, so it won’t take long for the cops to find him. We need him stopped. Does anyone have people either south or north of here?” The Alphas talked it through; the challenge had been mandatory attendance unless you were on duty. The Council pilots didn’t count. They were staying at a hotel near the Duluth airport or on the aircraft. They would make sure Erich didn’t leave from there, but they didn’t have assets elsewhere.

“As long as we’re using humans, I want to bring my friends in on the fun,” Rori said. “The Brotherhood didn’t all leave. A few people I trust are staying for another week up in Grand Marais. I can send them this way to intercept.”

“And then what?”

“Gruber was giving the orders that led to the kidnapping attempt in Seattle. That’s all they need to know. If they find him, they’ll hold him for me.”

Coffey thought about it for a moment; the bikers exacted a justice that he respected. “Call them,” he said. “Will they ride in this weather?” The morning had been cold, and it would struggle to get to freezing.

“They sent their motorcycles back on trailers when they saw the forecast,” she laughed. “Even the Brotherhood doesn’t like turning into popsicles. They have rental cars.” The Alphas agreed it would help. Chase wheeled her out, giving her some privacy so she could make the call.

As they were dispatching people to track down Erich Gruber, their subject was driving north as fast as he could go without attracting attention. He was lucky it was a weekday and the offseason, and the roads were clear.

He didn’t count on the cops.

A State Trooper pulled out behind him just south of Beaver Bay. Erich looked down, adjusting his speed to the limit, and hoped the man would just move on to someone else.

He didn’t. A Sheriff’s car slowed as they approached, then pulled a U-turn with his lights flashing as soon as they passed. The Trooper hit his lights and siren as his backup accelerated hard to catch up.

Fight or flight? Erich didn’t hesitate. He pushed the gas pedal to the floor, and the V-8 roared as it tried to pull away. A rental SUV wasn’t the best choice in getaway cars, and the cruisers matched his speed. He weaved in and out of traffic, looking desperately for a way to get off this road. If he could get to the forest, he could get away, but the road wasn’t helping. Built into the hills above Lake Superior, there were rock cliffs on one side and steep drop-offs on the other, dropping hundreds of feet to the rocky lakeshore below. He couldn’t shake the cops, and the town of Silver Bay wasn’t far.

He should have noticed when oncoming traffic was absent, but he was too busy driving at ninety miles an hour and avoiding cars for that. He rounded a bend in the road only to find Sheriff and Police cars blocking the highway, lights shining, and guns out. Behind him, the two pursuers had increased to three. As he looked in the mirror, they moved to block his retreat. With no good options, he steered towards the shoulder at full speed. Turning at the last minute, the big SUV crashed into the railing. The sound of screaming metal filled the air. The high-strength cables and steel plates did their job for a moment, holding the back wheels up as his airbag deployed, but they couldn’t hold him forever. The big vehicle teetered forward, then started to tumble down the rocky incline.

The law enforcement personnel watched in horror as it crashed down, disappearing in a stand of trees at least a hundred feet down. Before they could call it in, there was a whoosh of flames as a fireball rose above the trees.

Back at the holding cell, Erich’s continued absence had Daniel and Craig getting more nervous by the minute. “What do you think is going on with him,” Daniel said over their family bond.

Craig sat back, his body language defeated. “The thing you have to understand about Erich is that he’s all about Erich, no matter how he might want to make it appear,” he said. “He may have pardoned himself, but he won’t be welcome in any Pack, and he’s too proud to submit to you and your authority now. I could see that in his face as you told him off.”

“You think he’s going to cut a deal?”

“With what? For what? Everyone is dead except us, and we’re as good as dead. Either Sawyer kills you, and then they kill me, or they keep sending challengers against you until you die.”

“Can they do that?”

He laughed. “Of course, they can. Did you see your Pack out there? They could put a rapist up for a challenge, and the majority of the Pack would vote for him over you. There’s no shortage of Alpha and Beta children out there who would love to take you out.” He froze. “The fucker ran without us,” he said.

“Ran? How?”

“He had a backup plan. We need to figure a way out of here and quick, because staying here is death.”