Chapter 58
December 7, 1982
16:00
Near Vermilion Lake
Northeast Minnesota
They’d arrived.
The area of northeast Minnesota they flew over to reach their target was beautiful. A rich boreal forest thick with pine trees bordered a sparkling, mirror smooth blue lake. Hazard’s nose picked up many scents on the breeze. Fresh water, wild life, plants. And wolves. Lots of wolves.
Larson’s tip was correct. Vengeful Claw was here.
The aircraft landed and the 448 deplaned with their support team. Ten soldiers had accompanied them to help even the numbers against the insurrectionists. Once everyone had boots on the ground, Ortiz turned to face them and offer a last directive.
“Listen up. Vengeful Claw knows these woods and they could have laid any number of nasty surprises in there. Keep your head on a swivel and don’t chase after anyone by yourself.”
After everyone’s nods of understanding, she gave the order to go.
“Let’s move out.”
Weapons up, they crept into the forest. The moment they were under the tree cover, howls began to echo all around them. This time the wolf cries were more than a signal from lookouts. They were a warning to those approaching. As a shifter, Hazard easily deciphered the eerie howls.
Our territory. Our lands . Turn back now .
“They’re trying to intimidate us,” Jax said with a sneer of disdain in his voice.
“It’s working,” one of the human soldiers grimly admitted.
Hazard scoffed. He wasn’t intimidated by a few wolf calls. But he could understand why a human would be unnerved by them. He gave the soldier a piece of advice. “If one comes at you, protect your throat.”
The soldier huffed a strained laugh. “Fuck, Corporal Mitchell. Copy that.”
The howls abruptly cut off. But before the silence had a chance to sink in, the sound of shooting tore apart the peace of the forest. Vengeful Claw had opened fire on them. Bullets whizzed past Hazard, dangerously close. Staying low and weaving between the trees, Hazard returned fire. His team did the same which resulted in a barrage of bullets flying back and forth between the two factions.
Hazard ducked behind a tree for cover but the Vengeful Claw members were everywhere. And now they added their manifesto’s cry to the cacophony of gunshots, wolf howls, and shouts.
“Shadow no longer!”
“This is our pack land now!”
Through the noise, Hazard heard a growl behind him. He spun around just as a large gray wolf leaped at him. Unable to swing his gun up in time to get off a shot, he took the full force of the wolf slamming into his chest. Hazard went down to the ground from the impact, landing on his back. The wolf was heavy on top of him, eyes glowing, snarling, snapping its teeth trying to get at his throat and rip it open.
Using one hand, Hazard held his rifle between him and the wolf as a barrier to protect his throat and face. With his other hand he reached beneath him and drew the knife Ice had given him from its sheath. He raised it in the air. Light filtering through the treetops glinted off the steel blade. It was a beautiful weapon, but in his world, weapons weren’t only for admiring. They were meant to be used. And although he hated to harm a wolf, he wasn’t going to let this fucker maul him to death.
Hazard plunged the blade into the wolf’s side.
Distracted from attacking him the gray raised its snout and howled in pain.
While the wolf was howling, Hazard stabbed it once more near its shoulder. With a sharp bark of pain, the wolf went limp and collapsed.
Hazard shoved the injured shifter off him and rose to his feet. He stood over the big gray wolf with his gun pointed at its head. It stared up at him, pain in its eyes and fear in its scent. When Hazard raised his weapon the wolf lowered its head and whimpered.
Fuck. He’d always had a soft spot for shifters in wolf form. He couldn’t kill whoever this was. Hazard spun the gun around and slammed the butt of it into the back of the big gray’s head. It slumped over on its side, knocked out cold but alive.
With his opponent downed, Hazard got his attention back on the rest of the battle. To his left, he saw Jax hit by a bullet. The big alpha staggered back and dropped to one knee. When his hold on his weapon went slack, Hazard rushed over to provide his squadmate with cover fire and medical attention if needed.
Someone approached on Jax’s left at the same time that Hazard reached him. It was Lance Corporal Quinn Ballard from the support team.
“I’ve got this,” the young shifter said. “See to Corporal Jackson.”
He took up a protective stance in front of them both and began firing at the enemy.
Free to check on Jax, Hazard kneeled down at his side. His sleeve was torn and bloody. Hazard ripped it open to see the damage. Blood trickled down his arm from a gunshot wound.
Jax gingerly touched the injury and winced.
“It’s only a flesh wound. I’m good,” he said.
“Were you hit anywhere else?”
“No.”
Hazard nodded. He took out gauze from Jax’s first aid pack and quickly wrapped it around his arm to stop the blood loss. They’d treat the wound fully once this was over and they were back on base.
Jax regained his grip on his weapon and the two of them got back in the fight. The battleground had settled with Legion soldiers taking cover behind a stand of trees and Vengeful Claw across from them behind another. There was a wide clearing in between the two sides.
Ortiz yelled out a call for the enemy group to surrender. They replied with a familiar refrain.
“Shadow no longer!”
“This is our pack land now!”
Hazard blew out an annoyed breath. “They’ve got a one-track mind.”
Since the enemy wasn’t giving up they would have to be put down. Using strategic cover fire, the 448 pressed forward, advancing through the trees until they were right at the edge of the clearing separating them from Vengeful Claw. That put them in grenade throwing range.
There was a lull in the gun fire as the 448 prepared for their next move. Before they could proceed, a sharp whistle split the air.
Hazard looked in the direction of the sound just as a voice called out from the enemy side.
“Hold fire!”
Ortiz echoed the order for her team. “Hold fire!”
Displaying either foolishness or bravery, Cortez strolled unprotected into the open space between the two groups of combatants.
This was their first time seeing him in person. Cortez was undoubtedly an alpha. Big, barrel chest, broad shoulders. He was dressed in a tight green tee, camo pants, and combat boots. A bullet proof vest protected his torso.
“We are at a standoff, Major Ortiz,” he called out.
Showing off her own alpha fearlessness, Ortiz abandoned her cover and strode out to meet him. She was a few inches shorter than Cortez, but her aura was equally as dominant.
Ice, Jax, and Hazard followed, taking up position a few steps behind their leader.
“Not for long. We’ll take you and your people down before the day is done.”
Cortez smiled. “Perhaps. Or perhaps we can settle this the old way. Without human weapons. As wolves.” He tossed his gun to the ground. “I fight one of you. If I win, you go back to your base and stay out of our business with the Snow Walkers. If your challenger defeats me, we will go into Legion custody without further resistance.”
“And you and all your people will honor this?” Ortiz asked.
Cortez nodded. “I give you my word as an alpha.”
Hazard stepped up to his squad leader to speak into her ear. “I don’t like this. He’s got too much to lose to risk his freedom in a wolf-to-wolf fight.”
“True,” Ortiz replied with her eyes still on Cortez. “But he’s smart. He knows he’s likely to end up dead at the end of a bullet if the firefight continues. And then his little rebellion will be over.”
Cortez of course could hear them. He gave an acknowledging nod of his head.
“We accept your challenge,” Ortiz said firmly and loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Excellent.” Cortez grinned, his eyes starting to glow. “Who will face me?”
Ice stepped up next to Ortiz. “I will.”