10

Gila Pack House

Alpha's Offices

Enrique finished his presentation to Robert and Renee and the Pack investigators, Melody and William, with his findings on the Telluride Pack. "So as you can see, the money shows that someone in that Pack paid to have Black Ker take out their Alphas. There are only so many people with access to the Pack accounts."

Renee sighed, since it wasn't the Alphas that meant one of their top Betas was a prime subject. "And your suspicion?"

Enrique put up the photo of David Francis, the new Alpha. "Occam's Razor... the simplest answer is usually correct. Who gains the most by the passing of the old Alphas but the man who takes their place?"

Robert sat back and thought for a while. "It's pretty thin, certainly not enough to go to the Council with. We have to be able to tie a single person to the assassination request. Plus, it doesn't make much sense. Why take out the Alpha's mate with poison? Why would Black Ker, with all her skills, not just kill the Alpha directly?"

"Well, if you kill the Alpha or is mate, the Pack will immediately know when the bond breaks. She was deep inside Pack territory at the time, it would have been suicide." Renee took his hand, she had met the dead Alpha pair and knew how loved they were.

"I don't know. Something is still fishy." He paused, sending out a request to the Pack for any members with family or friends in the Telluride pack to contact them and quietly ask if there was anything suspicious with the attack or the Luna's death. "Renee, if you can contact the Johnson pack and do the same, and William, please contact the El Paso pack. Meanwhile, let's focus the investigation on Alpha Francis." Enrique, William and Melody all agreed. "Anything else?"

"Yes, the Black Ker bank account." William sat forward as he spoke. "We need her to access that account and all the transactions. If we get that history, we can have Enrique go back and see if it can help to clear her in any way. Right now, we don't have any proof Joe's mate is anything but a stone cold killer for hire. Knowing who did the hiring won't save her."

"Then help him," Renee said. "When he calls tonight, pass along all the information we have gained thus far and ask them to go to the Los Angeles branch. Access accounts, get statements, safe deposit boxes, anything. I mean, we don't even know her NAME." It was true, none of the fingerprint inquiries had come back with any hits according to Alpha Merino of the El Paso pack. "If they need help, give it to them, but make sure any help can't be traced back to us. If this goes bad I can't have anyone knowing that we were behind aiding Council fugitives."

"I'll take care of it." Enrique packed away his computer as the meeting broke up; as he was leaving, Renee stopped him.

"I know Joe is your friend, and you want him to be happy and his mate to be innocent, but she probably isn't. Prepare yourself for what you may find, Enrique. Luna's plan is a mystery to me right now." She gave him a quick hug then exited the room, looking for her babies who were with one of the Omegas.

Private Jet

Somewhere over Nevada

Joe relaxed into the leather seat, finally accepting that no one was going to kill them in the next 30 minutes. His wolf was on edge, his phone call with Enrique had done nothing to calm him down. They were still wanted by every Pack in the country with kill on sight orders, and he still didn't know who his mate really was. Clearly she was skilled in weapons, she thought and acted without hesitation in dangerous situations and had killed at least five werewolves. Still, she was warm and innocent and showed a loving side that didn't match up to the picture Enrique had given.

The pilot had closed the cockpit door before takeoff, and had barely glanced at them as they got on. They had covered their faces anyway, the pilot was human anyway but it was clear he was used to ferrying questionable people around. Enrique had given them three names and cell numbers, each located at different airfields. All they had to do was call one and give them a code name and destination, so after a few hour drive they abandoned the Telluride Pack SUV and were airborne.

He looked down at his mate, she had curled up into his lap shortly after takeoff and fallen asleep almost instantly. His fingers absentmindedly stroked her black hair and the back of her neck as she slept, and the low-frequency purring sound she made was addictive to him. If he stopped, she would start to twitch and wake up, so he kept it going. She was so beautiful, so strong, so absolutely deadly; for a man who respected strength and intelligence, she blew him away with each new discovery.

But he didn't even know her name. He would never call her Ker, that was a name reserved for her enemy, not her mate.

When the noise shifted from purring to soft cries, he moved his hand down her shoulder and arm but it didn't help. Soon she was twitching, her legs kicking and her hands pushing out in front of her like she was trying to get away from someone. He pulled her up his chest, wrapping his arms around her, but her nightmare was getting worse by the second. She struggled against him, breathing heavily, until she let out a blood curdling scream. Joe shook her, tried to wake her up but nothing was helping, so he did the only thing he could think of.

Grasping her face to hold it still, he kissed her. Hard, passionate, forcing his tongue between her lips until she stilled and accepted it. She relaxed into him, and he moved one hand down her back to pull her on top of him as he reclined back. Her eyes finally opened as she pulled back, she looked at him and broke down sobbing. She collapsed back on him, her eyes leaving wet spots on his shirt as she let it all out. He held her until she looked up. "Do you want to talk about it, my love?"

She nodded slowly. "I was in the trunk of a car. My arms and legs were bound, I had a gag in my mouth and I couldn't see anything, there was a hood over my head. I felt the car stop, heard the trunk open and a couple men pulled me out."

"Werewolves? Cats?"

"No, they were human. They said nothing, one man threw me over his shoulder and carried me in. I struggled, but he was strong and I couldn't do anything. We went down some stairs, it smelled like mildew and urine. I heard a cell opening and I was tossed onto a mattress. A man came in, he was new, he smelled of expensive cologne and hair gel. The man pulled my hood off, grabbed my throat and pulled me up." Joe's fists were tightening and loosening as he fought off the shift. "He told me I was now theirs, and I would do what I was told or else."

"Or else what?"

"I woke up. Some GUY was kissing the hell out of me." She looked around, then back to him. "I'm not a heartless killer, Joe. I know that deep down, it's not me."

She moved up and kissed him again, their tongues dancing together before Joe pulled back. "I know that too, my love. My wolf and your cat don't know your past, but I've dealt with evil in the past, and you, love, are not evil. My wolf and I love you with all of our being, and nothing we find out about your past will change that."

"I hope so. I'm beyond nervous about this bank, I know we'll find out something about me but I don't know if I'll like what we find." She moved her hands under his shirt, feeling his taut abs and spreading her fingers over his broad chest. "I know one thing, Joe." He looked at her, curiosity mixed with lust in his eyes. "I like what I have right here." She pushed the shirt up, and he leaned forward so she could get it over his head and he tossed it aside. He returned the favor, pulling her T-shirt over her head, exposing her athletic physique. Her breasts weren't overly large, but like her they were firm, nicely formed and fit him perfectly. He kissed her deeply as their hands explored each other, then she pushed herself back and stood up. Popping the button on her shorts, she pushed them off and stood before him wearing only her socks. Joe quickly moved his hips up, pushing his shorts to his knees where she grabbed them and tossed them on the floor. His large erection popped up, and she grabbed it with both hands and gave it a long lick as he moaned in pleasure.

The feeling was incredible, and the bond only reinforced to her how good it felt to him and how it made him feel loved. She held it vertically, licking up one side before sucking hard on the tip, then repeating from the other side. After a few times doing this, she moved to the tip, allowing her tongue to shift slightly as it swirled around. The rough texture on his delicate crown just about drove him over the edge, so she focused on moving farther down. His cock stretched her mouth as she pushed it to the back of her throat; relaxing her throat, she pushed farther down, pausing for a few seconds before coming back up. With practice she was able to move further down each time, her eyes focused on his as she drove him crazy. When she finally had her nose buried in his pubic hair, her tongue flicking around the base, he couldn't hold back any longer. With a roar, he started to come hard. She backed off as his cum pumped down her throat, allowing the rest to fill her mouth as she sucked hard to get the last drop. When he finally stopped, she smiled as she came off him. "Cats love their cream, and I love the taste of your baby batter."

She crawled back onto the reclined seat, the armrests out of the way as she rubbed her face and chest up his body until she was again kissing him. His erection was soon restored, and she rubbed her slit up and down it, coating it with her juices. "Joe, I don't know what the next hours will bring. I need you to make love to me like it's the last time, I need you so bad it hurts."

He kissed her again, his hands moving down her side as she moved her sex up his cock until it was aligned. They both moaned in pleasure as she drove herself back onto him, taking his full length in one smooth motion. "Fuck, you're perfect," Joe whispered.

"I'm so full, it's like you were made for me." She slowly moved her hips forward, teasing him until they barely kept contact, then she plunged down on him again. "By Luna that feels good!" They lost themselves in the shared sensations, their animal parts connecting through the bond as their human bodies did so physically. Their bodies moved in perfect time, drawing out each sensation and imprinting it permanently on their memories.

They felt the power being let off the engines, and knew their time was coming to a close. Joe started to move faster, more powerfully, thrusting up hard into her until she was moaning each time he bottomed out. He could feel her orgasm building, his was almost there, so he reached down with his thumb and started circling her erect clit. She kept her hands on his shoulders and closed her eyes as she suddenly lost the ability to move, he pinched her nipples hard and that was enough to send her into orbit. She squeezed him hard, once, then again, and that was enough for Joe. He gripped her hips and pulled her down tight to his, letting his come jet deep into her, keeping her there until it stopped and she collapsed into his arms.

Joe held her close, enjoying the feelings through the bond as she came back down from the mountain to him. All the fears, all the events of the past few days hit him at once and he started crying into her neck. She hugged him back, kissing his forehead. "Joe, baby, what is it?"

He squeezed her tight. "I'd forgotten what it was like to be this close, this connected to someone. I can't lose you, my mate. I won't lose you."

"We will find a way, my love. Luna put us together, there has to be a reason, and I," she kissed his forehead, "LOVE," moving down she kissed the tear tracks from his eyes, "YOU." She kissed him, her tongue opening his lips as she poured all her passion and love into their kiss.

"Please take your seats and return them to the full upright position, we will be landing shortly in Los Angeles." The intercom broke the mood; taking some tissues from the table, they quickly cleaned their mess up and got dressed just in time for landing.

Undisclosed Location

"Boss, you'll never believe what Echelon picked up on the cell network." The man held a flash drive in his hand, moving to his boss's computer he plugged it in and set it for playback. "We've voice identified her as Black Ker."

His boss sat up, his mouth dropping open. "She's been out of contact for what, two years?"

"Yes, but the surprise is who she is talking to, because he is dead. Enrique Mendez."

The chair flew back into the wall as the man stood up, his hands shaking. "The NSA man who was killed last year? How?"

"I don't know." They listened to the phone conversation, taking note of the contacts and airports.

"Get our men on this right away, check every flight out of these airports and find these people. This is a national security priority, I'm calling the Director." He moved around the desk, squeezing his shoulder as they moved to the door. "Find her, detain her and bring her back."

"And if she resists?"

"Kill her."

Los Angeles

Joe looked over at his beautiful but nervous mate after he parked across the street from the Credit Suisse branch in Los Angeles. He could smell many things on her; sweat, their combined fluids from their Mile High Club induction, but fear permeated the cab of their compact pickup truck right now. "It will be all right, love. Go in there, get statements, get stuff out of the safety deposit box, and if you can get some cash. We're going to be off grid for a while."

She smiled but still looked at her hands. "What if... what if I really am that killer?"

"I told you, I love you for you. Whatever you were before is just that, it doesn't define what you are now and it doesn't affect how I feel about you. Whatever you find, we'll get through it together." He leaned over and cupped her face, turning it so he could plant a kiss on her lips. "Now go on in there and do it. We're in the middle of the city, so there shouldn't be any Pack wolves around and the humans aren't looking for you according to Enrique. Keep the bond open with me so I can know what is going on, and if you feel like you are in danger, just get out. Just tell me and we'll find another way." She kissed him back, then opened the door and walked across the street to the lobby.

She entered the building, completely unaware that the cameras now covering the downtown area were not just going to the police. They had been tapped, and in a secure basement in a downtown building, supercomputers running facial recognition software had her identified before she stepped on the sidewalk. An automatic alert was sent, and technicians started to focus on the bank and the surrounding area as the tactical team was scrambled.

She walked in, seeing the tellers ahead but knowing that numbered accounts were not done that way she approached the desk of an assistant manager. "Good morning, welcome to Credit Suisse, my name is Natalie. How may I assist you this morning?"

"I have a numbered account, biometrically identified." She tapped her forearm.

"Certainly, Ma'am, I can help you with that." She got up and led her through an unmarked doorway to a security station where an armed guard was sitting in front of the scanners. The security officer used a wand to read the chip in her forearm. "Ma'am, please look into the scanner for the iris scan." She leaned down, looking through the binocular holes at the photo of the Swiss Alps as the computer mapped the blood vessels on the back of her right eye, matching it to those on file. There was a 'beep' and a computer voice said, "Identity Confirmed." The security officer handed the manager a printout and they walked to an open conference room and closed the door.

"Thank you, Ma'am, for doing business with Credit Suisse. What services do you require today?"

"I need an account statement, all activity going back to when I opened the account. Also, I need to access my safe deposit box." Natalie nodded, logging into the laptop in the room she entered the information and a printer started up in the corner. A minute later, the fifteen pages of activity were in her hand.

Her heart almost stopped when she saw the current account balance. $2,287,451.87.

Holy fuck, she thought. "Baby, it's all right, tell them you want to transfer all but $50k to our new account." Enrique had set up a clean account for them, she passed her that number with the instructions. Natalie got back on the computer and with a few keystrokes, plus another fingerprint scan, she had it done. She put the bank statements in the purse they had bought along with her business suit on the way from the airport as they walked out and down a set of stairs. The manager opened a vault with a key and led her to box number 1987; inserting her key, she had her place her finger on the scanner and there was a click as the box unlocked. She removed it and set it on the table. "I will be outside when you are done, just press the buzzer by the door when you wish to leave."

She waited until she was alone, then with shaking hands she opened the safe deposit box. She was broadcasting what she was seeing to Joe over the bond, and when they saw the contents both of their hearts almost stopped. On top were a pair of Hechler-Koch semiautomatic pistols with holsters and magazines. She removed them and put them in her purse. Under those were five ziplock bags; flipping through them quickly she noted they all contained the same basic stuff. In each was a complete identify including driver's licenses, passports, credit cards, and other documents. Flipping through, she saw each packet was a different name, and in the photos she had different color and styles of hair. In another baggie were a half dozen keys with manila tags attached; looking at them, each had an address in a different town. Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, New York, Miami and Washington D.C.

"Love, something is wrong outside. Two Suburbans pulled up in front, they are human but look like law enforcement. They are gathered outside." He sent her the image. "Grab everything and get out NOW."

She pulled the last item out of the box, a large manila envelope stuffed with cash. Zipping her purse closed, she left the box open and buzzed. Natalie opened the door smiling. "All finished?"

"Yes, thank you. The box is empty and I'm in a hurry, can I be on my way?"

"Certainly, Ma'am. Let's go back upstairs."

Joe called her burner cellphone this time and she answered it on the stairs. "Eight men just entered, they flashed a badge to the manager. All appear to be armed and wearing bulletproof vests. You need to get out RIGHT NOW."

She touched Natalie on the shoulder. "My driver tells me that there are some papparazzi outside, is there a back entrance I can leave from?"

"Certainly, Ma'am, tell your driver to go to the alley on East Fifth street." Turning the other way to go farther down the hallway, they approached a security checkpoint at the back. "James, can you escort the lady out the back to her car?"

"Yes Ma'am." James stood up and walked in front of them, keys out.

"Thank you for doing business at Credit Suisse, and have a good day." Natalie was just shaking her hand when the guard stilled; spinning away from the door, he drew his sidearm and pointed it at her.

"Hands up, NOW!" She put her hands up while he talked into the microphone on his shoulder. "Rear service entrance, in custody, escort them through now." She could hear the doors slamming open as Joe panicked over the bond. They were out of time.

She looked at the guard, he was nervous and she knew he wasn't well trained, he had left her too close even with his gun drawn. She started to cry, and when she saw the gun divert just slightly from her head she moved faster than any human was able. Spinning her upper body down and away, her right foot swung up and knocked the gun from his hand. She continued the motion, her right leg landing as her left fist connected with his jaw. She ignored the pain in her hand as she watched him fly into the wall, bouncing off it before slumping to the floor.