by Jordan Dane
Oh, God.
The wolves were in attack mode and wouldn’t break off the hunt with a victim weak from blood loss and in shock. Tanaka swung a tree branch until one of the wolf pack clenched the end in its strong jaws. Tanaka was too weak to hold on. It wouldn’t be long now.
In the rocks to the right, movement caught his eye and Kujo yelled.
“It’s the girl. She’s climbing to get away, but they’re closing in. We have to get down there.”
“Roger that,” Mercer said.
As Mercer and Kujo moved inside the helo, the Bell 429 pitched with their weight shift and the pilot had to make corrections to keep the aircraft steady in the buffeting winds.
“I can’t set down here. Too rocky and narrow, but I can get you close if you have more guts than sense.”
“Do it,” Mercer said.
He made sure he had full mags in his SIG Sauer and M-16. Kujo checked his gear and his weapon, too. Ciara had her compartment door open, ready to jump. As the helo hovered closer to the ground, the pilot called out.
“That’s it, as far as I can go. I’ll find a spot to land. Good luck.”
Kujo made the first jump and Mercer followed. Ciara hit the ground and tumbled on impact, but she leaped to her feet with gun in hand, ready to fight.
In the commotion, the doors were left open and Mercer heard Karl, barking as if he were attacked. Both dogs were determined not to be left behind. Without a command, the animals made the jump and hit the ground running, together.
Karl and Six attacked the wolves as if they were one unit. Karl’s massive size and heavy fur would insulate him from bites, but Mercer watched his dog charge into the fight without hesitation, alongside Six.
“Let’s back them up,” he said to Kujo.
“Roger that.”
Even after shots were fired, the wolves stood their ground, unwilling to give up their kill. Tanaka dropped to his knees, his eyes glazed over in shock. His hospital scrubs were covered in blood. Mercer aimed his SIG Sauer and fended off any wolf bent on killing the kid.
Kujo fired at the wolves on the rock face, careful not to hit Gabriela. He bounded up the ridge and muscled his way toward the frightened girl. He had gotten to her in time to save her life.
“You’re safe now. I’ve got you,” Kujo said as he cradled the girl in his arms.
Ciara rushed to Tanaka, firing her weapon to stand between him and the rest of the pack. One wolf yelped when the bullet entered its body and the animal spun in circles until it died. Mercer hated destroying such beautiful creatures, but that didn’t stop him from pulling the trigger when he didn’t have a choice.
“Take care of the kid. I’ve got this.” Mercer told Ciara.
She dropped to her knees by Ichiro and said, “Stay with me, Ichiro. We came for you.”
Mercer repelled the pack until they vanished into the darkness. Worried for the dogs, he called out for Karl and gave the command to ‘come.’ Karl and Six raced from the trees, panting with bloodied snouts. Since neither dog licked wounds, that quick assessment would have to suffice until each dog could be examined more closely.
Mercer kept his M-16 ready, but as he watched Ciara apply pressure to Tanaka’s wounds, he fought the rage welling in his soul, a feeling never far from the surface after the brutal murder of his wife and child. Ciara didn’t stop working on Ichiro. The kid had fought for his life—and the life of Gabriela—but it didn’t look good.
When Ciara gazed up at him with tears in her eyes, Mercer saw her seething anger and the mind numbing heartache.
Ichiro Tanaka lay sprawled in the dirt, a hero by any man’s standards. He deserved better.
Chapter 14
St Peters Hospital
Helena, Montana
Mercer didn’t know if he could face the death of Ichiro Tanaka. It reminded him too much of his own tragedy and the never-ending torment of loss. A date on his calendar would soon come and bring it all back. He didn’t want to be in a strange town on that day, but Ciara wouldn’t let him leave Helena. She made him sit beside her in the hospital waiting room—along with the rest of his team and the Uptons—until word came whether the kid would live or die.
Hours later, a grim faced doctor dressed in scrubs walked out to introduce himself and deliver the news. Mercer stopped breathing until the man told him about Tanaka.
“That kid has no reason to be alive. He’s lost a lot of blood, but we’ve got him stable, for now.”
Mercer let out the breath he’d been holding. Dolores Upton grabbed for his hand and squeezed it.
“Oh thank the dear Lord,” the woman said. “And your team, Mr. Broderick.”
“We’ve had him in surgery and stitched him up. He’ll be a work in progress for awhile, but he’s alive. We mended broken bones in one of his forearms and repaired ligaments, where he fended off the attack. We were lucky to save his arm.”
The doctor shook his head and heaved a sigh.
“The thing is…gray wolf attacks are rare. Wolves are generally afraid of humans. The pack must’ve seen an opportunity to hunt and were hungry. They must’ve figured those two kids were easy prey.”
“What about rabies?” Mercer asked.
“Wolves don’t normally serve as primary reservoirs for the disease. From the account I heard from your people on what they saw, I doubt the pack had been sick with it. Animals with rabies don’t eat the prey they kill.”
The Uptons reacted and the doctor noticed.
“Sorry to be blunt, but the way they attacked Mr. Tanaka for sustenance, that bodes well for the wolves being unlikely to have the disease. But since there’s no cure for the rabies virus once it manifests, as a precaution, I’m having both of them undergo treatment.”
“How’s Gabriela?” Ciara asked.
“She only had cuts and scrapes, but when she said someone performed an illegal surgery on her, I checked her story out. By damned, she’s missing a kidney, a helluva thing.”
“This is crazy,” Zach Upton said. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Oh my, God.” Ciara shook her head. “Will she be okay?”
“We’ll keep her for a couple of days to make sure there’s no infection. She’ll face an additional four to six weeks recovery time, but she should be fine.”
After the doctor left the waiting room with the Uptons asking him more questions, Mercer collapsed in a chair. Exhaustion from lack of sleep had caught up to him. When he thought about how close he’d come to nearly losing Ichiro and Gabriela—and the audacity of Scott Welch to destroy lives—an ember of anger stoked his resolve.
The brand of justice, supported by the Alliance, did have a place in an uncertain and cruel world. He hoped he could live up to the challenge and remember days like this when he wouldn’t be so lucky—but nothing would ever make him forget what he had lost and why he’d been driven to create the Alliance.
Rest in peace, Keara and Braeden.
***
St. Peters Hospital ICU
Hours later
Ichiro opened his eyes to a blur of white, but awareness came with a dose of panic when he thought he’d been found by his abductors and forced into more surgery. A kind woman reassured him that he was safe and calmed him until he remembered Gabriela. He had to see her, to know she survived. Everything had been his fault. He’d taken her from the evil doctors, only to endanger her life.
Gabriela.
He tried saying her name, but the sound came out garbled. When he reached for the woman’s arm to force her to listen, he couldn’t move his hands. He looked down at his body and a flood of dark memories mauled him like the pack of wolves. Powerful jaws tore at the flesh of his arms and legs. He couldn’t stop them. His heart raced with the horror and he panted until his throat wedged tight.
“Gabriela.” He gasped her name as he writhed against the hands that held him down.
When coolness touched his fevered brow and soft fingers graced his cheek, Ichiro settled. His gaze centered on
a familiar and beautiful face that hovered above him.
“It’s…you.” He tried to smile. “Are you okay? I thought—”
“You saved me.” Gabriela’s sweet face grew tainted by sadness and her eyes welled with tears. “You would’ve died for me. Why did you do it? I don’t know what I would’ve done if you—”
Ichiro believed people crossed paths for a reason, beyond his understanding. He had accepted Gabriela’s powerful connection to him and hoped he would be worthy of her. Whether they would make a life together, or become very dear friends, he wanted whatever she needed.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to find out.” He smiled and when a tear drained down his cheek, she wiped it away with her small hand.
In that moment, Ichiro knew he loved Gabriela. He would always love her.
***
Helena, Montana
Afternoon
Mercer had begun to pack up his gear. Nilah had arranged for a flight out tomorrow morning.
Karl sprawled across the floor of the motel room, looking like a furry beached whale. Mercer had to step over him as he packed, but he’d never complain. Karl had taken on a wolf pack with his new buddy, Six, and would live to bark about it. As a precaution, Karl and Six had been taken to a local vet and given rabies boosters as a preventive measure. Mercer and Kujo would have to watch their charges over the next forty-five days, but he’d make sure Karl got plenty of attention.
When he heard a knock, Mercer lowered an eye to the peephole and opened the door to find Kujo and Six on his threshold. Kujo had told him he’d be leaving today. He’d expected it, but saying goodbye to someone who’d risked his life—especially for kids—it wouldn’t be easy. He’d found a kindred spirit in the big man with a noble dog.
“Six wanted to say goodbye to Karl.”
“He’s been a couch potato today. He could use a butt sniff.”
Karl lumbered off the floor and came to see Six with his tail wagging. Kujo let his dog off his leash and the two four-legged warriors ran into the open field next to the motel.
“So, you’re off? You sure you don’t need a ride?”
“No, I’m good. I’m seeing Molly this weekend and she’s coming to Helena. I found a sweet little B&B on a lake. Fireplaces in every room, claw foot tubs big enough for two, and good eats. Very romantic.”
Mercer grinned. Kujo had been stoic and all business during the mission, but his face lit up when he talked about Molly. The man had definitely been culled from the herd.
“Molly? You mean, Molly Greenbriar of the FBI, the agent who gave Hank my name?”
“Yep, that’d be the one. We’re engaged, so I’m planning on seeing a lot more of her.”
“Well, congratulations, man. I didn’t know.” Mercer shook his hand.
Kujo shrugged and smiled and his face blushed pink. Mercer knew a man in love when he saw one.
When Kujo called to Six, the German shepherd limped to his side on command, leaving Karl panting and whimpering. Play time was over. Mercer grinned at his dog’s goofy expression until Kujo asked him a question he hadn’t expected.
“Are you married?”
Kujo attached a leash to his dog’s harness and waited for his answer. He didn’t notice how long Mercer had hesitated, or that his eyes stung with the raw grief that he could never bury.
“I was…once.” He forced a smile. “I highly recommend it.”
“Well, take care,” Kujo said. “Tell the others goodbye for me. Stay on the right side of the dirt.”
“You do the same, big man.”
Unless someone got him to talk about Molly, Kujo never said much, but his strong presence had been felt through the entire mission. He’d been a rock that any team could build upon. Mercer liked his quiet confidence and would fight beside him any day. If Kujo and Six were any indication, Hank Patterson had an elite team in Brotherhood Protectors.
***
The next day
Morning
As Mercer helped his team load gear into a private jet bound for Zion, a police cruiser rolled onto the tarmac and up to the airport hangar. Chief Myerson sat behind the wheel. He couldn’t read the man’s sullen expression. When Keiko noticed the uninvited caller, she stepped toward Mercer, crossed her arms, and glared at Helena’s Chief of Police.
“If he tries to arrest you, I will gut him like a fish,” she said under her breath.
“Rumor has it, that’s against the law, even in Montana. Stand down, Lotus, but…thank you.”
Wearing sunglasses, Mercer emptied his hands and watched the uniformed Police Chief head toward him.
“Nice of you to come see us off, Chief Myerson. Very hospitable.”
Myerson ignored his bullshit.
“We searched that converted mine shaft on the Welch ranch. I thought you’d want to know what we found. Is there someplace we can talk privately?”
“Yes, inside. Follow me.”
Mercer headed into the hangar toward the office area and took off his sunglasses. A woman guided them to a small conference room, located next to a break room and offered them coffee. When the chief declined, Mercer knew the man wanted to get on with what he’d come to do.
“I’m glad to hear Ichiro Tanaka will make a full recovery,” Myerson said. “I understand it was touch and go.”
“Yes, we nearly lost him.” Mercer fixed his gaze on the Chief and waited for him to take the lead.
“Terrible business.” The man shook his head in disgust. “I hope you know that Montanans aren’t like this. What Scott Welch did is an abomination.”
Mercer listened and Myerson went on.
“Apparently they were selling body parts to the highest bidder in an online auction. Illegal, black market stuff. We found a bank of computers where the bartering took place. Nothing too sophisticated, but it got the job done. Once the transaction was made, they flew in a helicopter for delivery. No telling how many kids they killed in that hell hole.”
“Will we ever know how many…or who?”
Chief Myerson couldn’t look him in the eye and only shook his head.
“They disposed of the bodies in a small crematorium onsite. No way to identify remains. They’ll be no closure for parents of the missing, but if it hadn’t been for you and your team, we wouldn’t have the kids you saved.”
Mercer let the gravity of the mission sink in on him. Yes, his team saved lives, but how many others had been lost forever.
“You think the mayor knew what his son was up to? Was Travis Welch part of it?”
“He says no and I believe him, but his political life is over. What Scott did will be an albatross hanging around his arrogant neck. That may be the only upside to all this.”
Mercer told the Chief about the attorney, Rebecca Bradshaw, and what she had been attempting to do with the children of immigrants caught up in deportation. The man promised to look into it, but Mercer suspected Rebecca Bradshaw would do what all cockroaches did when they were caught in the light—she would find a way to scurry into the darkness where she belonged.
“Just so you know, I’m not like Welch. People come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and faiths, and I protect them all. It’s my job.”
“If I didn’t believe that, you would never have gotten your hands on Delmer Whitcomb’s laptop through that anonymous source, Chief Myerson.”
The man did a double take and locked eyes with Mercer after he realized where the laptop had come from.
“I know we had our differences, but I’m grateful for what you did.”
When Myerson stood, Mercer did the same. The man offered his hand and Mercer took it.
“Glad we could help, Chief.”
Myerson left, but by the way he walked, Mercer knew the weight of his burden would be with him for the rest of his life. Kids had gone missing and died on his watch. A good man doesn’t forget that.
Mercer understood the regret that would face Chief Myerson, more than most.
***
An hour la
ter
On the flight home, Keiko celebrated the success of the mission with her team. Before takeoff, Ciara had been through a local farmer’s market in Helena and picked up dried Elk and Bison jerky. She gave everyone a jar of brandied Lapin and Rainier cherries of the Flathead Lakes region of Montana, a seasonal specialty.
The brandied concoction made a refreshing cocktail, but Mercer didn’t partake and chose to sit alone. Ciara had known her enigmatic boss longer and she seemed to protect him intuitively, as if she knew something Keiko did not.
That intrigued her.
“What’s up with him?” she asked Ciara after Stetson hit the head.
“I think this mission brought back too many memories. He’ll work it out. Don’t worry. He just needs alone time.”
Despite Ciara’s distractions, Keiko kept her eyes on Mercer. Alone, he stared into the billowing clouds, with the sun reflecting off the window, casting his face into shifting shadows. His expressive blue eyes failed to hide his misery. She’d seen him pull away before, but this was different. Everything in his body language told her to stay away—but she refused to heed the warning.
Keiko took off her safety belt and joined Mercer, sitting next to him. She offered him a cocktail, but he refused, barely looking at her.
“I know you would rather be alone. I get that, but sometimes in grief, we don’t know what we need.”
In her mind, she imagined making love to his body and his soul, pleasuring him in ways he couldn’t imagine. Her lips, her tongue, her fingers. She would dream of Mercer, even when she lay naked next to Stetson, when her body needed a worthy diversion. Something in her most vulnerable heart of hearts cried out to her. She wanted time to stop before he answered—when all things were possible—but as he gazed upon her, she knew.
She would never be good enough.