by Robin Roseau
"Yes," said Lara. "Now is good."
Greg drove us. We drove past the house then parked a block away, in the middle of the block away from any street lights. Elisabeth was in fur. Lara and I shifted, Greg let us out of the car, and I led the way back, sneaking us through the shadows.
I approached through the back yard. I watched for motion sensors. I didn't see any. I turned to the wolves and drew a line in the grass. Lara huffed. I drew the line again, and they both chuffed.
I slinked forward, slowly, listening.
It was a pleasant night, and Lane had made it easy for me. His bedroom window was open. I could hear him breathing, his heart beating slowly. He was well asleep.
I ran back to Lara and Elisabeth, shifted human, and told them what I'd found so far. I shifted back to fox and led the way to the house, my ears working their hardest. I listened at the basement windows, but I couldn't hear anyone else in the house.
Lara and Elisabeth circled the house, sniffing like mad. We all came together and I led the way back to the bushes. Lara and I shifted back to human.
"I don't know," I said. "I can't hear anything, but if he's got her in there during the day, who knows how soundproofed the room is. I won't hear breathing or a heartbeat through that.
"I smelled something," said Lara. "But nothing definitive. Elisabeth?"
Elisabeth chuffed.
We stared at her. She whined and began leading the way back to the house. Lara and I switched back to fur and followed her. Elisabeth took us straight to the fresh air vent for the furnace. She sniffed like crazy there, and Lara joined her.
They both chuffed together and led the way out of the yard. They didn't stop at the edge of the yard but led the way back to Greg. He was waiting for us and opened the door. We jumped in, and Lara was human before Greg even climbed in. She pulled her clothes on. I shifted and did the same. Elisabeth stayed in fur.
"She's there," Lara said. "I'm sure of it."
I hugged her and began crying. "Now you get her out. Please, now you get her out!"
"We need to let Robert decide," she said. "Cops or us."
"What are we going to tell them?" I asked. "They need enough for a court order. We don't have that, and we're not going to get it."
"Lara," Greg said. "Michaela is right. We can end this in another hour. How many humans?"
"I heard one, in the bedroom."
"We smelled the one in the bedroom plus Virginia, probably in the basement."
"Alpha," Greg said. "I recommend we do our own raid. We go in silent but fast. The whole thing will be over in fifteen seconds."
"Leave someone in fur outside his window," I said.
"If we do it that way," Lara said. "We have to kill him. That leaves us with a body to get rid of."
"It wouldn't be the first for me," I said calmly.
"I don't like being judge, jury and executioner for humans," Lara said.
"Fine," I said. "Turn around and drive back. Help me sneak in. I'll find her. I'll lay my eyes on her. I'll then go to the police and report where she is. I'll go to jail for breaking and entering, but she'll be safe. If he doesn't have friends on the police force who warn him before they can rescue her."
Lara swore for a while. Finally she said, "Elisabeth, you plan it."
We arrived at the motel. Everyone helped with the plan. "We can't kill him until we're absolutely positive," Lara said.
"We don't have to kill him," I said. "You know, I am exceedingly quiet."
They turned to me.
"What if we slip a cell phone to her? She calls the cops, tells them where she is. She got the cell phone when he checked on her. She stole it from his pocket. He'll know something funny happened, but what is he going to do about it?"
"Risks?" Lara asked.
"The cops don't believe her or blow the raid."
"They'll believe her," Greg said. "But I don't know how well they'll do a raid. I can't imagine it's a very big police department. If he's armed, it could turn ugly."
"All right," I said. "We go in quiet. The wolves silently secure the upstairs. I rescue Virginia. We get her out of the house and she goes to the cops, telling them she got free herself when he got sloppy. If he wakes up, you take him out. If he sleeps through it, we get out and he doesn't wake up until the cops arrive."
"If she hasn't seen him," Greg said. "She might not be able to identify him."
"Her DNA will be all over that room," I said. "She only has to testify she was kidnapped and held there. Plus I bet he has a computer with evidence on it."
Everyone conferred. There was a slight risk, but he would have to have some high powered weaponry to be a threat to a werewolf, especially one in fur.
"I want Lara or Elisabeth with me, in case I need some strength. And I want all my knives back, just in case I need them."
Greg told me what he thought the probable layout was. He wired me up with a radio headset and had one for himself. "Who else is staying human?"
"I am," Elisabeth said.
"What do you want us to do?" Angel said, indicating herself and Scarlett.
"Scarlett to drive. Angel in fur to help Elisabeth and Michaela," said Lara. "Scarlett, if this goes badly, you will drive calmly away as if nothing happened. Angel you will do whatever you need to do, then you will leave as well. Work your way back to pack lands."
"But-" Angel said.
"Yes, Alpha," Scarlett said.
"Yes, Alpha," Angel echoed.
"Michaela-" Lara said.
"Yes, Alpha?"
"Use your judgment. Get the hostage free."
"Yes, Alpha." I smiled. "Thank you."
She nodded.
Greg wired up radios to everyone who was staying human. We talked it through a little longer, then we piled into cars. I strapped my knives on and put my chopsticks in my hair. Eric, Karen and Angel got furry. We parked a block away and climbed out.
"Radio check," Greg said. "In order. Michaela."
"Here."
"Elisabeth? Scarlett?"
I led us to the house, taking the back route again. I slipped to the back door, but it was locked. Greg came next to me; it took him a minute to get the door open. Then Lara led the way into the house with the wolves that would stay upstairs. I followed, Elisabeth and Angel behind me, and Greg retreated to his car.
Everyone was absolutely silent, and my ears told me the sleeper was still sleeping. I found the basement stairs right where Greg expected them, right off the kitchen. By prior agreement, I would descend first, feeling out for noisy treads. The third from the top had give, and I knew it would squeak if stepped on. I looked up at Elisabeth and Angel and pointed it out. The rest of the steps were fine, and I made it to the basement silently. Elisabeth and Angel followed.
"We're downstairs," I said quietly.
"Roger," Greg said.
Elisabeth and Angel both sniffed, and together they brought us to a sturdy door. It wasn't even locked. I used a mirror to look under the door, but it was dark, and I didn't see a thing. I opened the door a crack and peeked in with the mirror. Pitch dark.
"Me first," Elisabeth said very quietly. She held up three fingers, then two, then one, then she was in motion, moving into the room, Angel behind her, me last. I flipped on my flashlight and shined it around the room.
Virginia Callahan was taped to the bed and gagged and was trying to scream. No one else was in the room.
I stepped forward, shining the light on my face.
"Virginia," I said. "Shhh. It's Michaela. We're here to rescue you. You have to be quiet. Shhh. It's Michaela."
She grew quiet immediately.
Angel and Elisabeth set up a watch and I crossed to the bed, using the flashlight to search the room once more.
I knelt down. "Virginia, do you recognize me?"
She nodded, her eyes wide.
"These are my friends. The big one is Elisabeth. She is my sister-in-law. My wife and more of my friends are upstairs, guarding our escape. I'm going t
o take your gag out. Please don't scream."
She nodded, and I pulled the tape off. She cried out lightly, then spat out her own rag.
"Michaela?"
"Yes, it's really me."
"Not a dream."
"No, Virginia."
I examined her hands.
"I'm sorry, this is going to hurt a little. We need to make it look like you tore the tape. Do you understand?"
"No."
"We don't have any police here. We want them to think you got away. You tore the tape and escaped."
"Oh. All right."
I tried to tear the tape.
"Angel," I said. "Come bite this, please."
Angel padded over.
"Damn, that's a big dog," Virginia said.
"We'll do proper introductions later," I said. "Did they... touch you?"
"No."
Angel went around, biting the tape enough that I could tear it from there. Virginia did the rest, then rotated sideways on the bed.
"Do you know where you are?" I asked.
"Lane Brook did this. He had help, but I don't know who it was. I didn't see him."
"You're in Lane Brook's basement," I told her. She nodded. "The one helping him was Timothy Anderson. You recognize him as a clerk at the store. Understand?"
She smiled. "Yes."
"The police will find all the evidence they need. Don't fabricate anything else. We're going to get you out of here. We have a car waiting. We're going to drive you to a block away from the police station. You will walk the rest of the way. We'll watch you to keep you safe. You go in and tell them everything that happened, everything. Except you freed yourself. We were never here."
She smiled and nodded.
"Can you do that? The other choice is illegal."
"No, I can do it. Do Robert and Bree know?"
"No. They know we're helping. I have more friends with them. Virginia, you weren't rescued. You rescued yourself."
She nodded.
She tried to get up, but she was weak, so I helped her.
"One step squeaks. You'll need to step over it. I'll point it out when we get there."
I helped her to the stairs. We climbed up and slipped out of the house. Greg was right there, and I bundled her into the car. "We're clear," I said. "Elisabeth, get them out of there."
"On it."
Angel came out first and jumped into the car with us. The rest of the wolves all followed, Lara and Elisabeth last. They left the door ajar.
We drove quietly away.
Police
We called Serena. "Start pouring beer into him until he passes out," Lara ordered. "Then dump him back in his own bed."
We found out later she had to use the funnel we left her, but she got twelve cans of beer into him. He passed out on the drive back to his house.
We dropped Virginia off and pointed her to the police station, then we watched her until she walked in the front door.
I called Gia. "She's free."
"Really?"
"She's at the police station right now. I suspect there are going to be a large number of sirens in about fifteen minutes."
"Oh thank god," she said. "Robert is asleep."
"When the police show up, he has to act like he wasn't expecting a rescue. Do you think he can do it?"
"Yes. Both of them can. I'll let you tell them."
I heard her climb a set of stairs. She knocked then there was a pause. I heard her say, "Robert, it's Michaela. She wants to tell you something."
When he came on the phone, I said simply, "She's free. She is unhurt and at the police station. Gia has the rest."
He started screaming and crying saying over and over, "Thank god! Thank god!" Then I heard Bree's voice, and Robert told her, "Your mother is coming home!"
Gia took the phone back. "Brooke and I will handle this end."
"Thank you, Gia. We'll see you soon."
We watched the police station. Thirty minutes after Virginia had gone in, all the off-duty cops from three towns around started showing up. We smiled. A half hour later, with no sirens, they took off in two directions.
Serena reported she barely got out of Tim's house before they showed up.
Gia and Brooke later reported the reunion at the Callahans' as tear-filled. The police spent hours taking statements. Gia and Brooke were there for comfort along with Robert's assistant.
The rest of us went back to the motel and collapsed. I waited until morning then presented myself at the police station. "You may be looking for me," I said.
"And you are?"
"I was with Tim Anderson last night."
I was immediately handcuffed and ushered into an interview room. They read me my rights. They asked if I wanted a lawyer.
"No thank you. I'm ready to answer your questions if you ask them promptly, but if you don't, I'll demand my lawyer. You have ninety minutes, and you do NOT want her involved. She's a real bitch, but she's very good."
They asked their questions. I told them our story. I'd had a fight with Lara and had gone to the bar to cool off.
"What was the fight about?"
"She broke into my computer. Tim seemed nice and I told him about it. He said he could show me how to improve my security. He was kind of grabby, but I could handle him. I let him take me home to show me the computer thing, but then he got real grabby, so I left. End of story."
It was an easy story to remember. I deliberately hadn't practiced it, so I told it slightly differently each time they ran me through it, but the gist stayed the same.
They kept looking at my face, both sides of my cheeks. "We have a different story," they said finally.
"Oh?"
"Timothy Anderson claims you and he were kidnapped last night and tortured."
"Excuse me? Maybe he was kidnapped and tortured after I left, but if so, I was long gone. I walked home, my girlfriend came home, and, well, the rest of that is none of your business."
"He claims you got slapped around hard enough to bleed."
"I see. If I'd been hit that hard, would there be marks the next day?"
"Yes," said the cop.
"Where did I supposedly get hit? My face?"
"Yes."
"Look closely. You won't find any marks."
They did look. They looked very closely. They even took photos.
"He said your face was burned."
"I'm pretty sure that would leave a mark," I said. "And that I'd remember. I think Mr. Anderson is perhaps lying to you."
Hadley Smith showed up. The cops had no reason to doubt my story, and she had me sprung ten minutes later, but I had to leave contact information for them. They tried the whole, "Don't leave town" line, but Hadley told them off and pulled me from the building.
"Thank you," I told her.
"You're welcome."
"I'm sorry you had to drive all this way just for that."
"I drove all this way in case you all got caught and I had to get you all out of the slammer."
I laughed. "We didn't, but we sure made Tim Anderson look like an idiot."
She joined my laughter.
I had to arrive at the Callahans' in fur. It wouldn't do for the police to see me there. Lara held my leash. Bree answered the front door and pulled us in.
"Thank you! Thank you!" she said throwing herself around Lara.
She led the way into the family room. Robert and Virginia were sitting on the sofa together, clutching at each other, but they rose for us. Robert shook Lara's hand. Virginia wanted to know who the strange woman was, and what an unusual dog.
Lara knelt down and removed my collar. "Does someone have a blanket?"
Gia held one out.
"Virginia," Lara said. "I am a friend of Michaela's. I was upstairs last night, making sure that Lane Brook didn't interfere with your rescue.
"I didn't see you."
"You did, but you didn't know it," Lara said.
"Is Michaela coming over?" Virginia asked.
; "Yes. We're going to show you something very surprising. This is something you must never tell anyone. Even when the three of you talk about it, you must be very careful."
I shifted to human and let Gia wrap the blanket around me. Virginia stared at me.
"Where- where- where did the dog go?"
"Fox, actually," I said. "That was I. Want to see again?"
She nodded, and I shifted to fur, then jumped up on the sofa next to her and sat down where she could look at me.
"Michaela?" she asked.
I chuffed. Lara translated. "That means 'yes'."
Virginia reached out to touch me. I leaned into her touch, and she began petting me like a dog. It wasn't quite what I liked, but that was okay. Lara stepped forward. "She likes it if you dig your fingers in her fur like this."
Lara knew exactly what I liked.
"But be gentle," Lara added. "She is very delicate."
Virginia was understandably stunned and needed reassurance none of this was a dream. Robert and Bree helped to convince her.
Virginia pulled me into a hug. "Michaela."
I licked her face, then when she released me, I jumped down, shifted human, and wrapped myself in the blanket.
Lara was next. Lara scared the crap out of her. Then understanding dawned.
"That dog last night?"
"My friend, Angel," I said. "My maid of honor at my wedding."
"And the woman?"
"Elisabeth, Lara's sister. She's a werewolf too, but I wanted her human in case I needed her strength. Wolves are a lot stronger than I am."
It took a while for her to absorb everything, but finally she asked, "May I pet you, Lara?"
Lara moved closer and received the same attention I had received.
We stayed for a couple of hours, receiving countless thanks. Finally we wrapped up. "Just remember, we were never here," I said. "We'll go now. But I hope you will come down and visit us soon."
I shifted back to fox. I growled when Lara tried to put the collar back on me, and she laughed and said, "Michaela, I may be sufficiently well-behave to go off leash, but I'm not sure you are." But she didn't try to collar me again.
Gia, Brooke, Lara and I climbed into the car and drove slowly away.
Home
The drive to Madison was festive.