“Professional.”
“Or trying to look like it.” I leaned closer to the screen, something about their movement triggering my instincts. “Wait—there.” I pointed to a second figure approaching from the east. “And there,” I added as a third emerged from the tree line on the west.
“They could be splitting up.” Dungar’s frown deepened. “Targeting multiple access points simultaneously.”
“Smart. They could be trying to overwhelm our response capabilities.”
What they didn’t know was that we’d anticipated this exact scenario. Dungar had mapped out contingency plans for up to eight simultaneous breach attempts. He’d foreseen this tactic before I’d even considered it.
“Hail and Becken are in position to intercept from the eastern approach if need be,” Dungar said, his finger hovering over the radio. “Sel and Tark have the western area.”
The figures converged on the luminook pens, each carrying boxes a lot like the ones we’d seen Mary load into the back of her truck that they set down outside one of the pens.
“All teams,” Dungar spoke into the radio softly. “Stand ready but do not engage. Let them begin their operation before we move in. We need evidence.”
We watched as one of them moved to the gate, opened it, then waved for the other two to lift their boxes again and enter. When all three were inside and opening the tops of their boxes, Dungar lifted his radio.
“Move,” he said to his brothers. “Let’s capture our thieves.”
The command erupted into motion. I bolted, following Dungar as he burst through the office door into the cool night air. My heart roared up into my throat as we sprinted toward the luminook pens, our boots pounding the packed earth.
I could make out the hulking silhouettes of Dungar’s brothers emerging from their concealed positions as well. Ruugar appeared first, the others not long behind, each closing off escapes from differing approaches.
As we stormed closer, the three figures at the pens froze, their heads snapping up.
“Lift your hands and back away from the boxes,” Dungar snarled.
Three pairs of hands shot skyward in surrender.
“Sheriff’s department,” I said. “You’re trespassing on private property.”
One of them turned my way, and my breath caught.
“Mary,” I breathed, then louder, “Mary Pickens.”
She pulled off her hat, revealing her familiar face pinched with anxiety. “Deputy James, thank goodness.” She gaped at the orcs surrounding her, Ava, and Joyce. “What’s going on?”
“We caught you,” I said.
Dungar stepped closer to Mary, pulling sets ofhandcuffs from his back pocket. “You tampered with our perimeter fence. You’ve been surveilling our property for days, planning to steal luminook specimens for illegal sale.”
“What? No.” Mary’s voice cracked. “We’re not stealing anything. We’re here on official business. Surely you of all people know that.”
“What are you talking about?” I studied their faces for signs of deception, finding surprise more than anything else. “Breaking into private property in the middle at night hardly seems official.”
“But we’re not breaking in,” Ava said. “We have permission. We’re supposed to be here.”
Dungar’s expression hardened. “I think I’d know if I’d authorized anyone to access our luminook habitat after hours.”
“Ruugar, secure them,” I said, watching as the biggest Bronish brother take the cuffs from Dungar. “Hands behind your backs.”
“This is a mistake,” Joyce whimpered as Ruugar gently but firmly guided her hands into position. “We’re not criminals.”
I approached the boxes while Dungar questioned the suspects. “What’s in the containers?”
“Just supplies,” Mary said quickly. “Nothing harmful, I swear.”
I crouched beside the nearest box, using my flashlight to examine the contents. Instead of cages or the scientific equipment I’d expected, I found an assortment of stones shot through with glowing veins, small clothbags that smelled of rich earth, and delicate plants I didn’t recognize.
