“Yeah,” Mark said. “I think the men are off somewhere else.”
“Then we need a distraction. Make them even more shorthanded as they send people to check things out.” He moved to the back of his truck. “I’ve got a couple grenades. Low grade. Just enough to make a few booms.”
Alan shifted to peer into the trunk. “You carry grenades?”
Carl didn’t answer. He wasn’t in the habit of explaining how difficult and dangerous it was to take out a feral bear. Or to deal with Nick Merkel.
Meanwhile, Mark didn’t even blink. “How long to get in position?”
Carl looked at the tablet, pointing out the best place for maximum distraction. “Ten minutes.”
“Make it five. I’m breeching here and then heading here, where it smells weirdest.” Mark stabbed at the tablet with one finger while shucking off his jacket and shirt with the other. Beneath his clothes, his cell, in a neoprene pouch, dangled from a large lanyard, so he wouldn’t lose his phone while running around as a bear.
“It’s too soon!” Alan said. “You went grizzly less than eighteen hours ago.”
Mark grinned. “You keeping track?”
“Yes!” both Carl and Alan said together.
“How sweet,” he returned. Then he looked hard at Carl. “I need the release, Max. I got it under control.”
He was asking permission from his alpha. A good sign, but Carl still didn’t like it. But a good leader knew when to trust his men, so he nodded. “Be careful.”
“Don’t have to be. I’m good.” Then his grin abruptly widened into a muzzle.
Holy shit, Mark turned fast. He hadn’t even fully pushed down his pants when a grizzly suddenly kicked the jeans away.
“Stay in control!” Carl growled, but he had no idea if his friend heard. The man was full grizzly and moving fast into position.
To one side, Becca breathed his biggest fear. “He has a death wish.”
“No,” Carl countered. “He has a death sentence. And he wants to go out doing some good along the way.” Meanwhile, he pulled open the box of grenades, handing one to his brother, who was just putting away his phone.
“I texted Tonya what we’re doing.”
Smart man. Then, with a quick nod, Alan took off, heading through the tree line to the edge of the Moss compound. Which left him alone with Becca, trying to decide what was safest. Did she stay with him, close to danger? Or inside the truck down on the floorboards?
Becca decided for him. She set her chin and opened the truck door. “I’ll only slow you down.” Then she fixed him with a glare. “But first thing tomorrow morning, I’m heading for a shooting range.”
What a woman! Logical and smart enough to look ahead. But damn, he didn’t like leaving her alone. “Here,” he said, handing her his keys. “Drive home. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
She took the keys but didn’t put them in the ignition. “Go! Save Theo and Mark.”
Time was ticking away, but he couldn’t leave yet. He leaned in and kissed her quick and hard. Then he took off, running as fast as he could through the trees to where Alan waited for him.
Two minutes later, he heard Mark crash through the barbed fence, roaring. He’d be sliced up, but it wouldn’t be lethal. A split second later, he and Alan threw their grenades. The shooting started almost simultaneously, but the bullets went wide at seemingly random targets. He and Alan were safely hidden, but Mark was right there in the open, barging through like only a grizzly could. Fortunately, they’d guessed correctly that kids were manning the turrets. None of the shots landed where they were supposed to, and Mark made it inside the nearest building by ripping open a metal door with his claws.
From there, it was wait and pray while the rest played out. After long minutes, the shooting stopped, women peered out of windows to investigate, and then Carl’s cell phone chimed. He thumbed it on, his grip so tight it was painful.
“Mark? Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” his friend said, his voice thick and heavy. “Tell Tonya she’s got probable cause.”
Alan huffed from nearby. “She has a warrant. She doesn’t need?—”
“And whatever you do, don’t let Becca down here.”
CHAPTER 11
