“I’m beginning to figure that out.”
He turned back to the panel. “Besides, this isn’t really hacking. This is just running some diagnostics. The ability to override the alarm is usually built into the systems if you find the right––”
He hit the emergency override button, and there was a noticeable clunk from inside the guardhouse. He grinned and grabbed the fence.
“No, don’t!” she shouted, but nothing happened.
He turned back to the panel. “Unfortunately, there’s not a similar override for the gate, so…”
He examined where the fence was attached to the guardhouse and pulled on the first chain links nailed into the side of the wall until the fence peeled open like a sardine can.
Finally, he went back to the emergency panel to do the thing he really should have done first. He’d used the legitimate programming to cut off the electricity, but hewantedsomeone to know where they were. He reconnected the fence, which lit off every alarm it had since it was sitting in the snow.
“Come on,” he said, and helped her negotiate through the gap. On two legs, his little discs were completely inadequate, so he staggered after her.
They looked around; it wasn’t any different from the forest on the other side of the fence with sporadic pine trees draped in snow. They kept going until they reached a bit of logged ground with another hut at the edge.
She pivoted in a circle. “It wouldn’t be here. There’s no place to hide here. They’re in the ground.”
She took one uncertain step, caught the edge of her other snowshoe, and crashed into his chest. He put his arms around her, feeling the first shred of warmth since he’d changed forms. She gasped and opened her eyes but saw nothing. He could feel the magic. He knew he had turned the fence off, but it felt like he was getting electrocuted.
She immediately turned toward the edge of the field and pointed a trembling finger. “There.”
They scrambled toward the edge when a voice said, “Freeze!”
Mateo was so happy he hadn’t changed back.
He lifted his arms carefully, knowing what law enforcement saw when they looked at him, but Cat just turned and growled. “So now you come.”
“Don’t move.”
“How did you know we were here?”
“Every alarm and the place is going off,” the man said. “There’s a huge cavalcade on the way.”
“Good!” Cat said. “The kids are here.”
“The missing teens? Where?”
“Over there,” Cat said and stepped toward the edge of the clearing.
Mateo was torn between going after her and turning back to the guy. “Do you have a satellite phone?”
“Of course.”
“Can I have it?”
“You’re going to be charged with trespassing, my dude, no!”
Mateo sighed. “We set off the alarms to get you to come save these kids. Just follow her.”
The man’s limbs were moving before his brain could protest, which was most humans’ reaction to an alpha werewolf, and it was just enough of a concession to keep Mateo sane and in his skin as he followed Cat, too.
She unerringly headed straight for the only hill within the fenceline. They’d built mostly on a flat spot between mountains, but the fence climbed up a little bit, and sure enough, there was a hole in the ground.
“Hello!” she shouted.
After an endless, heartbreaking pause, a feeble voice cried out, “Hello?”
