Aztec Treasure

Chase Nygaard’s POV

Arrowhead Pack

I stood outside, watching the cars depart and hoping I was doing the right thing.

Spider Monkey’s home would be empty before anyone figured out what she had done. Frank had taken the shadow task force away, and they took their server and all their computers along. Teri had set the team’s computer network up independently of the Pack server and the “dirty” hacking server in Spider Monkey’s home office. Nothing would trace back to her.

Nor could the Feds confiscate any of the computers Spider Monkey used in her hacking. The computer hard drives got erased, demagnetized, crushed, and sent to the landfill from outside Pack grounds.

Now, I had to protect the people who had done our Pack and our country a great service. Spider Monkey and Vic would not return; they stayed in the DC area, hiding out until we could get them to a safe hideout. I’d sent a warrior to Maine to meet with Alpha Conor Shaw of the Katahdin Pack, asking him to retrieve and shelter the pair until the fall. I was confident the Alpha would do so, and their Pack was so remote that hiding my Betas would be simple.

Teri was Spider Monkey’s partner in crime, so she had to go too. It would take longer for her name to come out if it ever did. Rori came up with the solution with people we trust who were here recently. We could send Rick and Teri as security for Lance and Maria, who could disappear onto country highways for a week of riding. Howler agreed to come out and join their ride, letting my Betas drive their truck back home without attracting notice. The pair would stay at their home until I asked them to return.

As for Maria and Maritza, they had nothing to do with the hacking. Rori and I didn’t want them to be here through the lockdowns, searches, and suspicions that were coming. In effect, we were giving the newly mated pair a honeymoon while keeping their family safe. I knew they’d have a blast touring northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. Hell, I wish I could go!

Rori and the twins didn’t need the hassle either, so I sent them all to Oxbow Lake.

When they were all out of link range, I brought the remaining Pack members in on my mental send. “Arrowhead Pack, we are going to Condition Yellow for the next few weeks. All those with security responsibilities are to have their weapons staged and ready; those without are to make sure their safe room supplies are ready to go. No one leaves the Pack House vicinity unless in a group of four or more, and all will carry sidearms or rifles. My permission is required to leave Pack grounds.”

I could feel the wave of disappointment rolling over the Pack; summer was coming fast, and there was so much to do. “I know this sucks, but the safety of the Pack is more important. There are two threats to our Pack. The first is the Federal Government; some Pack members will come under suspicion soon, and there could be arrest and search warrants associated with them. I’ve sent those members to safer locations until the Council Chairman can deal with the issue. The FBI and whoever else they send are not our enemies. They are doing their jobs, and I expect you all to be polite and professional in any dealings with them. Keep your weapons down and hidden and disarm if requested. Do not answer questions or provide statements without a lawyer present, and link me with any questions. They won’t find anything here, and they can’t stay.”

The Pack took this part well. “The second part is the reason for the extra security. The Sinaloa Cartel and rogue elements of the CIA and other agents are having a bad day. Chairman Colletta is providing information to help the President stop the threat, but this will take time. We need to be prepared for retaliation once they learn of what we did. It could take the form of an attack, a bombing, or a kidnapping to force us to give up the ones they want. I sent my family to Oxbow Lake in secret because of this threat.” The mention of a threat to the children sent a wave of anger through the bonds. “We faced a similar situation with the Sons of Tezcatlipoca, but the Sinaloa Cartel has resources rivaling a small country. An attack by trained ex-military forces is not out of the question, so we must be alert at all times, prepared to defend ourselves at a moment’s notice, and fierce in defense. Keep your senses alert and report anything out of the ordinary to the Security Center. Thank you.”

I didn’t have to wait more than fifteen minutes before it started with a call from the security center. “Alpha, Beta Tina reports eight FBI vehicles are inbound, driving out of Two Harbors without lights or sirens. Estimated arrival time is ten minutes.”

“Thank you.” I opened the link to the entire Pack. “The FBI will be arriving in a few minutes. Take your stations and observe, but do not display any weapons. Front gate, verify their identification, then escort the agents to the road between the Pack House and my home.” I called our Pack Lawyer, Ralph Emerson, and asked him to come out as soon as possible. “And bring a criminal lawyer along.” That got his attention; he told me he’d be there within the hour.

It was faster than I expected to get a Federal response. The column of vehicles ignored me standing there with my hands raised. They passed by my warrior on his ATV and headed right for Spider Monkey’s driveway. Armed agents spread out around the big lake home with pistols and rifles drawn. The team leader was Senior Special Agent-in-Charge Lucas Smallwood, who I’d dealt with during the Sons attacks and our outing. I recognized Special Agents Lana Black and Allison Cook as they got out of the second SUV. Everyone else was new.

I saw a breaching team coming up with their battering ram and arrived at the driveway just in time. “It’s OPEN,” I yelled. “The patio doors are open as well.”

The leader of the entry team tried the door handle, and it swung open. Agents did a dynamic entry, and I could hear the shouts of ‘CLEAR’ as they went through the house and garage. Finally, the entry team came back outside to report. “The home is empty, sir.”

“Set up security at the entry points. No one who isn’t wearing a badge gets in or out.”

A dozen people in FBI windbreakers headed in, carrying cardboard evidence boxes. “What’s going on here, Agent Smallwood?”

“Search warrant and an arrest warrant for Fukuyo Ashol.”

Lucas wasn’t pronouncing it right, which is why she’d gone by her road name since college. “As the lease-holder of that property, I’ll need a copy of the search warrant.” He handed one over; it covered her home and “any interconnected computer servers or mainframes.” Good luck with that; when Spider Monkey ordered the teardown, they took everything more sophisticated than the microwave. “She’s not here. What is the arrest warrant for?”

“Computer hacking, grand theft, bank fraud, money laundering, and anything else the US Attorney can find. Enough to put her away forever.” He squinted his eyes as he looked at me. “She’s a wanted felon, Alpha. If you know where she is, you should tell us now.”

“I don’t know where Spider Monkey is now,” I told him. “She and Vic left yesterday morning.”

“Uh-huh. If I find out you’re hiding Fukuyo or helping in any way, I’ll see you charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive. The best thing for everyone is if your people to cooperate fully.”

“My people and I will speak to our lawyer, who should be here shortly. I’ll be in my office. Ask any of my people for help finding it if you need it.”

“Agent Black will accompany you to make sure you don’t attempt to contact Fukuyo and warn her.”

I rolled my eyes and walked off as Lana hurried to catch up to me. “Sorry about that,” she told me as I held the Pack House door open for her.

“He does realize that we saw you guys coming, and we can communicate without talking, right?”

She let out a breath. “Agent Smallwood read the reports, but I don’t think he knows what to do with the knowledge. It’s something you have to immerse yourself in to understand.” She was right in that werewolf society was different in fundamental ways. “I think he’s still a little pissed off about your last get-out-of-jail-free card. He’s out not just to nail Spider Monkey but everyone associated with your Pack.”

I opened the door to my office and invited her in. “What about you?”

“I’m a sworn agent, Alpha. If I see a law broken, I’ll make the arrest. I figure you’re too smart for that to happen today, though.”

I snickered at that as I went to the cabinet with the built-in fridge. I offered Lana a bottle of Diet Coke and poured a glass of Cooper’s Mark Bourbon Cream for myself. “Are you going to be staying around?”

She nodded. “We’re the local office, and the Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis office wants a presence here. Special Agent Cook will be here too, and others.”

I thought about this. Both agents had fit in well and reported out fairly when they were assigned to monitor my Pack. “How long is Lucas here for?”

“Not long enough to hit the pool and settle the question once and for all,” she said, hiding her laugh behind her Coke.

The front gate guard interrupted. “Alpha, Mr. Emerson is here with Mrs. Knight, and the first news truck has shown up.”

“Tell Ralph I’m in my office and let him in. Inform the press we will not make any statement, nor will they be allowed on Pack lands.” I looked over at Agent Black. “Our lawyer is here, and I’ll need my room.”

She nodded. “I’ll get a cup of coffee and wait outside.”

I welcomed both lawyers into my office and sat down at the desk. I had one of my security people come up and scan the office for bugs. I had a good relationship with Agent Black, but that didn’t mean I trusted the FBI right now. Erica Knight had assisted us during our time coming out as a Pack, and I trusted her implicitly.

When the sweep finished, I laid it out for them; Spider Monkey’s hack of the bank, the information we gave to the President, and the pardon agreement we had in our pockets. “Why not produce the pardon agreement now and cut this whole investigation off?”

“Because it may take weeks to find all the people involved in this conspiracy,” I replied. “We have to play along until then.”

“Are they going to find anything in the search?”

“No. Spider Monkey knew that what she was doing in her office was illegal, so she set up her computer network accordingly. She had a dedicated hacking server plus a personal server for other work. She wasn’t connected directly to the Pack’s mainframe; she did have wifi access, but the computer she accessed with is gone. If they try to take our Pack server, we need you to fight it.”

“We need to make them prove it is within the scope of the warrant,” Erica said.

“And that time would be now,” I told them. “Our Pack’s server is adjacent to our security control center, which is in an underground ‘bunker’ below the Pack House. Our security guard is about to be handcuffed for refusing to allow access.”

“We’d better go before they blow the door,” she said. She would earn her money today.