Call of the Cougar

by Terry Spear

  "Woohoo, hot damn, Tracey!” Anton called out from the mine.

  "Anton?" Tracey squeezed Hal’s hand. She couldn't be more thrilled or surprised.

  Hal squeezed her hand back. “Go, see him while Emmett’s bandaging me.”

  Tracey kissed Hal’s cheek, then ran off to the mine.

  "She's not going to abandon you for her old partner," Emmett said.

  "You got that right," Hal said.

  Tracey glanced over her shoulder and gave Hal a small smile.

  When she reached the shaft, she called down. "Anton?"

  "You did it! You found it. Hallelujah!"

  "What are you doing here? I thought you were still convalescing."

  "Typical, partner, you’re more concerned about me when here you've been through a hell of a lot all the time I've been sitting at home, doing nothing. Tons of ivory is down here. They hauled it to the ladder and it's sitting there to be picked up and stored as evidence. Over a million dollars' worth, looks to be. Which is why they were trying so hard to get rid of you so they could get it out of here. It looked like it had been buried under an avalanche, and they've been working for months trying to unbury it.

  "Just for your information, the boss doesn't know I'm here. I've been keeping up on what you've been doing, and when I heard you thought the ivory might be in the mine, I wasn't staying away. Except Dan wouldn't let me come until all the shooting was over. But it's all here. Every bit of it. Want to see it?"

  "No. Thanks. I'll take your word for it. But we still didn't get Mooney."

  She didn't want to see all the tusks that meant the death of so many elephants. But she was glad to be able to finally bring these men to justice. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Are you returning to work soon?"

  "No, three months convalescence. Heard you were on administrative leave."

  She smiled.

  "Hell, I knew you wouldn't let the case go."

  "How's the wife and your daughter?"

  "Great. We're all coming to the wedding. Who would ever have thought it?"

  She glanced back in Hal's direction. Who hadn't he told?

  Anton headed back up the ladder. "Boss will surely take you off administrative now, officially."

  "I'm taking some time off, officially."

  Anton smiled and looked back at Hal, who was frowning at the EMT. "He looks like he's as reckless as you. Word in the rumor mill is he's applying for a position and wants to work with you."

  "That's the rumor."

  He laughed. "The two of you will be good together."

  "What about you?"

  "I think for a while I'm taking a desk job. I'll have to so that I can get back in shape. At least for now, that's the plan."

  Stryker joined them and said to Tracey, "Gesner? The man you shot in the arm? He's going to talk to try and get some immunity."

  "I wish none of them would get any immunity, but if it means the rest will get some long jail time, I'm glad."

  "Amen to that," Anton said.

  "Glad to see you doing so well." She gave Anton a hug and he hugged her back.

  "Take care, Tracey. You were always my favorite partner."

  "Thanks. I’ve enjoyed working with you too. I'll be seeing you."

  "At the wedding," he reminded her.

  "Uh, yeah, at the wedding." She still hadn't wrapped her mind around that. Though she wanted to catch Mooney more than anything else in the world, she wasn't delaying her wedding to Hal for anything.

  "Come on. Unless Hal wants to ride in the ambulance, I'll drive you to his truck. What made you park over there?" Stryker asked.

  "He didn't want them to see us if they were monitoring the wagon trail. Did you find their vehicles?"

  "Vehicles?"

  "They had to have parked somewhere, then hauled the ivory out, and loaded them somehow into vehicles close by."

  "We're bringing men and equipment to haul the ivory to a truck on the main road."

  "Right, and so how did they move it here? And how were they moving it out?"

  "Maybe in small amounts."

  "Where are these men's vehicles? Did you find them anywhere?"

  “No. We didn’t.”

  She glanced at Benny’s body. The EMTs were putting him in a body bag. She took a deep breath, caught Hal's gaze as he headed for her, all bandaged up. She turned and went to intercept him.

  "Are you ready to go home?" He pulled her into his arms and squeezed the breath from her.

  "After the doc sees to you."

  "She's liable to make me stay over in the hospital tonight."

  "Then I'll stay with you."

  "Hell, Tracey, I wanted to go home and have you all to myself in the master bedroom."

  She smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist as he draped his arm over her shoulders. "Stryker's taking us to your truck. He said there's no sign of these men's vehicles."

  "So where are they?" Hal glanced at Stryker.

  "Beats me."

  "You said that Gesner was going to spill the beans," she reminded Stryker. “So now’s a good time.”

  "Yeah. When we get to the area where we have reception, I'll call and ask him where they are. They might have more evidence in the vehicles."

  She was glad Stryker was staying with them, just in case Hal became too woozy. As soon as they reached the area where several vehicles were parked, including Stryker's Jeep, he handed her his phone. "Why don’t you ask him?"

  "Thanks.” She said to Gesner, “This is ATF Special Agent Whittington. I need to know where the vehicles are that you men drove here in."

  "We all rode in an SUV. It's parked around the side of Mrs. Blasdell's house."

  Tracey climbed into Stryker's jeep with Hal and Stryker. "She let you?" It was a Wednesday, so not a scheduled day that she'd be away and when they drove down the wagon trail, they saw her Cadillac sitting in front of the garage. She peered out the window, then moved away from the blinds.

  "She always lets us use her place to park our vehicles. She gets a certain percentage from Mooney to be quiet about it," Gesner said.

  Tracey wanted to strangle the woman. "Anything else you know about her?"

  "No. I just know that much because I worried she'd call the police and Mooney said it was covered."

  "Thanks." Tracey ended the call and relayed the information to Stryker and Hal.

  "Are you well enough that we can make a stop at Mrs. Blasdell's house?" Stryker asked.

  "Hell, yeah. Tracey lost a partner and could have lost another, not to mention being under fire twice because Mrs. Blasdell was acting as an accessory to murder."

  They parked behind Mrs. Blasdell’s Cadillac and got out.

  "She has a rifle," Tracey reminded Hal.

  "Yeah."

  Tracey and Hal waited by the vehicle, guns readied as backup, while Stryker approached the house.

  Stryker knocked on the door. "Mrs. Blasdell, we need you to open up and answer some questions for us."

  They heard an engine rev up on the other side of the house. Instantly, Mooney came to mind.

  Stryker, Tracey, and Hal took off running to stop whoever it was that was attempting to make a getaway.

  Mrs. Blasdell was backing up in a gray Suburban. All three of them fired several times at the tires, taking all four out, but she continued to back up the vehicle.

  Dan's police cruiser pulled up behind her, blocking her from escaping.

  "Out of the vehicle, now! Hands in the air!" Tracey called out.

  The woman scowled at her and then opened the door.

  Dan and Stryker ran around the vehicle to take her into custody, while Tracey stayed with Hal, who was leaning a little against her.

  Mrs. Blasdell was sobbing. "They forced me to allow them to park here. They said they'd kill me if I didn't."

  "All right. We'll check out your story. But for now, you're going to the police station to answer some questions." Dan read her rights to her and then locked her up in the back of the
car. "Are you okay, Hal?"

  "Yeah."

  But then Tracey thought she heard movement in the garage. She turned her attention to the closed garage. Hal was looking that way too.

  She and Hal headed for it, then Tracey hurried around the opposite side. Hal opened the side door to the garage and shouted, Deputy Sheriff Hal Haverton! Come out with your hands up."

  Tracey peered in through a window on the other side of the garage. It was dark inside, but Hal located a light switch and turned on the single naked bulb hanging from the rafters in the unfinished garage.

  Wooden crates filled the garage, and Hal wondered if some of the ivory was stored in these crates.

  A shot rang out and Hal dove behind a crate for cover, but the round hit the light bulb, shattering the glass and knocking it out.

  Tracey broke out a window, but someone fired in her direction. Hal listened for footfalls, thinking the culprit intended to sneak out into the dark. When he saw Mooney heading for the doorway, Hal rushed him. Thankfully, his cougar night vision helped him to see the man before he reached the door, though he assumed Stryker and Dan would be waiting outside, guns ready and would nab Mooney.

  As soon as Hal plowed into Mooney, Tracey climbed in through the window and was fired upon.

  Damn it to hell. Two men had been hiding in the garage.

  Hal heard a thump behind one of the crates as he fought with Mooney over his gun. Hal managed to hit Mooney in the jaw, and he released his hold on his gun. But then Mooney tried to get to a knife, and Hal wrestled with him until he could flip him over onto his stomach and cuff him.

  Wherever Tracey had gone, all was quiet. Hal rose to a crouch and studied the dark garage, looking and listening for any sign of movement.

  Then he saw Tracey headed for another crate, her light footfalls nearly inaudible. Even so, a man rose to avoid the crate and though Hal was certain he couldn't see Tracey's approach, he was probably listening to her footfalls. He raised a gun, and Hal fired four shots at the man, center of mass.

  He went down behind the crate and Tracey raced around behind it, giving Hal a near heart attack. He worried the scumbag was waiting for Tracey to show herself, or at least give away her position.

  Hal was running for the crates from the opposite side and found her crouching beside the man, checking for a pulse.

  She shook her head.

  Stryker called out, "Coming in!"

  "Two men down. Not sure if anyone else is hiding in here," Hal shouted.

  Stryker and four other law enforcement officers hurried inside, flooding the garage with flashlights and searching every inch of it.

  "I'm innocent of any charges," Mooney said as Dan read him his rights. "I was just here visiting my aunt and came out here looking for a screwdriver to tighten her bathroom doorknob, when the place was overrun by you people. Only we thought you were criminals. Hell, we were here just at the wrong time, got scared, and I stayed here to hide." He glanced back at the dead man. "I didn't even know he was hiding in here."

  Tracey frowned at him. "Tell it to the judge."

  Hal suspected Mooney's lawyers would be all over the case, trying to keep him from going to jail.

  One of the police officers brought in a crowbar, and they pried open one of the sealed crates. It was filled with ivory packed in stuffed animals. Several other crates were empty and plastic bags of stuffed toys made in China were sitting beside them.

  "So that's how they were moving the ivory." Tracey took hold of Hal's hand, glad it looked as though they'd finally made a breakthrough in the case.

  "One hell of a haul." Hal pulled Tracey into his arms. "One hell of a very Special Agent."

  "You'll make a pretty good partner," she said, hugging him back.

  Hal kissed her mouth. "You're damn right, I will."

  "I'm taking them to his truck," Stryker told Dan.

  When they got there, Tracey ended up driving to the clinic, and Stryker followed them there.

  Stryker had to help Hal, who wasn't happy about it in the least, into the clinic.

  As soon as they walked by Ricky and Kolby's room, Ricky hurried off the bed and ran after them in his hospital gown and bare feet.

  "Ricky, go back to bed," she said.

  "What happened?"

  "We'll tell you later."

  "Is the boss man going to be all right?"

  She smiled, amused that Ted's name for Hal had stuck. "Yeah, he's going to be fine."

  "Who bit him?"

  "Benny."

  "Damn. I wish I could have taken him on."

  "He's dead. He won't bother you again. Go back to bed."

  Ricky looked so serious, then nodded and returned to his and Kolby's room.

  When Hal and Tracey saw Doc, she just shook her head, fighting a smile. “Tracey’s bringing in more business than we normally get.”

  “I don’t need to be here. I’m just humoring her. Just do what you need to do, and I’m out of here,” Hal said.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” Tracey asked.

  “No. I know you want to check on the brothers and Shannon. I’ll be done in a minute.”

  Doc made Hal sit up on the exam table. “All right. What happened this time?”

  “It’s the end. The bad guys were hauled off to jail. The last cougar shifter involved in the affair is dead. The ring leader is going to jail if his lawyers don't get him out of this one, and the ivory, for evidence to build the case against the rest, was taken in for safekeeping.”

  “What about Kolby?”

  “I think we can prove he was coerced into what he did, and he’ll be fine.” Hal winced as the doctor cleaned up his bite.

  “Except for the shifting.”

  “Have there been problems?”

  “They’ve been shifting back and forth, trying to get the hang of it. I’m not sure if we're a zoo or a clinic.”

  Hal shook his head.

  Doc smiled. “They chased the nurse out of the room.”

  “In a dangerous way?”

  Kate taped bandages over Hal’s bite wound. “No, in a playful way. She recognized it, of course. I had to read them the riot act. No shifting until they’re at the ranch. And then they have to be careful around any new horses until they recognize the brothers. Do you think Ted will be all right with those two?”

  “I suspect he’s going to have his hands full, what with just teaching them how to care for the horses and now this. He seemed eager to do so. We can always make other arrangements if it doesn’t work out. But I'll give him a big pay raise.”

  “He'll like that. Sure you don’t want to take one of the beds for the night? Shannon’s going home tomorrow. Ricky could go home tomorrow also. He’s healing even faster than I thought he would. But Kolby’s injury will take a little longer. He’s fine, as far as it’s healing more quickly than a human’s, but his wound was more invasive. And when he goes home, he’ll be limited as to what jobs he can do for a while.”

  “As long as he’s going to be all right, we have no problem with him taking it easy for a while.”

  “He is. Both he and Ricky seem to be enjoying their cougar status, which can be a great concern.”

  “Good.”

  “And you should take it easy.”

  “Bed rest?”

  Kate smiled.

  “Am I done?”

  “You sure are. And congratulations on your success tonight. I’m so glad Tracey’s staying with you and joining the community.”

  Hal got off the table. “Thanks, Kate. I’m sure she’ll love it here.”

  He dropped first by the brothers' room on his way to pick up Tracey, who must have been visiting Shannon. Kolby was sleeping and Ricky was watching T.V.

  Hal stepped into the room and Ricky immediately muted the T.V. and frowned. “You look like me. What happened?”

  Hal explained what had gone down and then added a stern word about the shifting business.

  Ricky remained so quiet and looked so seriou
s the whole time, Hal was afraid he’d said too much.

  Then Ricky sank against his pillow, looking relieved. “Then we can stay at the ranch still.”

  “Sure thing.” Hal wondered then if Ricky had thought he hadn't wanted to deal with two wayward cougar shifters.

  Then Ricky smiled. “Do I get my gun back? You know, to shoot rattlers if they sneak up on the horses.”

  Hal shook his head. “Dr. Parker says you can go home tomorrow.”

  Ricky’s eyes widened. “I haven’t had a real home in years. But…” He glanced at his sleeping brother. “Can I stay with Kolby until he can leave?”

  “It may be several days.”

  “I want to leave, but I want to stay here with Kolby too.”

  “Are you both okay with the cougar change?”

  Ricky just grinned.

  “No more chasing the nurses.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Hal glanced at Kolby. “Make sure he knows the rules.”

  “He does.”

  “All right. Check in with you later.” Hal found Tracey speaking with Shannon.

  Both her babies were asleep in a bassinet, and he smiled at her. “Where’s the Dad?” Hal figured he was getting some shuteye.

  “Sleeping. We’re going home tomorrow, and he knows he’s going to be busy. Tracey told me all the trouble you’ve gone through. Chase will be upset that he wasn’t able to help out.”

  “He’s had his hands full himself.” And Hal was sure thinking how he wouldn't mind being in the same situation as Chase. Then again, he loved the idea of getting to know his mate before…before they added cubs to the family.

  Epilogue

  With the help of several of the shifters in town, Tracey moved her belongings from her apartment to Hal's ranch. He was glad she had moved in with him before the wedding. They had delayed seeing the puppies until he was more healed up. By that time, they’d released Kolby. He, Ricky, and Ted wanted to go too.

  Stryker reminded Hal of what he’d said to him about puppies getting in the way of a relationship, but Hal told him he had three puppy sitters who would eagerly take care of that problem. What he didn't tell Stryker was that when the time was right, he'd give one of the ones he had bought to him. Hal couldn't wait to see his reaction.

  “They are so adorable,” Tracey said, her eyes big with excitement as she cuddled one of the six puppies in the litter.