Chapter 19 - Rael
August wanted to keep surveillance on Venn, the organizer of the auction, from whom they had gotten information. Evidence suggested that he was about to organize another event, and being close could provide them with access to higher levels of the network.
But the involvement of Caldwell Pack was too great to be disregarded. And the fact that it was so personal—these were the people who tortured Alanis, who tried to sell her—made it impossible to wait.
“Follow up on the Caldwell lead,” August said. “I will liaise with the Lumen operatives here and maintain contact with Venn. In case either of us gets anything concrete to follow, communicate it across.”
“Are you sure about this?” Rael asked. “Splitting up will result in reduced manpower.”
“I will have the Lumen team, you will have Alanis, who is more than three operatives combined. And, more than that, this is personal to her. She needs closure, and you need to be there when she gets it.”
Rael couldn’t argue with that.
The following morning, they made an early departure, the two of them in a single vehicle, heading northward toward Montana. The trip would take two days, possibly more, depending on the weather on the road and how wary they had to be as they approached.
The early hours passed very comfortably, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. But as they were driving out of the populated districts, and the country began to broaden out to rolling plains, Alanis talked.
“Tell me about your childhood.”
Rael gave her a quick side glance, taken aback by the question. “Why do you wish to know?”
“Because I told you about mine and because…” She hesitated for a beat. “And because I would like to know what shaped you into the man that you are now.”
“It was lonely. Silas was being groomed to be a leader with additional training. Our father was particularly hard on him. Javi was the youngest one, and he got away with more. I was the middle child. The sensible one. The one who did not need as much attention. The forgotten one.”
“That must have been quite isolating,” Alanis whispered softly.
“It was. I was taught at an early age that one had to be useful to get ahead. So, I became the one who settled things, the one whose presence was felt without a ripple. I believe that is why I chose to work in the intelligence field, that was what I was good at—observing, analyzing, and not panicking during a crisis.”
“And keeping a lid over your feelings,” Alanis added with a sad smile.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Until you came and caused me to lose control more frequently than I would like to admit.”
Her lips stretched into a genuine smile. “Sorry, not sorry.”
Rael laughed, shaking his head and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “What about you? What were you like when you were a kid, before things got bad with your pack?”
“I was uh…hopeful, I think. I continued to believe that, with enough effort, I would be good enough. That I would eventually shift like the others. My parents had said it would happen at the right time, that some of the wolves were late bloomers.”
“When did you know it wasn’t going to happen?”
“Around twelve. That was when all the rest of the kids of my age were shifting almost daily. It was clear then that I didn’t stand a chance.
” She looked out the window, subtly wiping her eyes.
“That was when the bullying began in earnest and also when my parents stopped protecting me against the pack.”
“They just... abandoned you?” Rael frowned. “Their own daughter?”
“They were frightened. The pack had made it very clear that to protect me was to risk their own position, and in Caldwell, position was everything. Lose it, and you were defenseless.” Alanis’s voice sounded matter-of-fact, like she had long ago accepted this fact.
“They chose survival. I can’t entirely blame them for that. ”
“Yes, you can,” Rael said firmly. “Parents are supposed to protect their children.”
“Well, they died about the time I was sixteen.” She shrugged. “So much for protecting, huh?”
Rael looked at her sideways and used his free hand to squeeze hers.
The car fell into a comfortable silence until Alanis broke it with a question. “Have you ever wondered what type of parent you would like to be? If you have children, I mean.”
“You’re asking a lot of questions today,” he chuckled lightly. He had never given much thought to children. So much of his life had been absorbed by the mission that the thought of planning a future on a personal scale was almost frivolous.
But now, with Alanis next to him, the idea did not sound so abstract
“I would not be like my father. I would make my children understand that they are treasured for who they are and not what they can do for the pack. That they should feel secure enough to be who they are, even if that doesn’t necessarily fit into what the pack expects them to be. What about you?”
“I never thought I would have children. That I would never dare to bring into the world a child who could be shiftless like myself and go through what I went through.”
“You thought?” Rael prompted carefully.
“Now I wonder... maybe it could be different. Maybe I could give my child the kind of support that I never had. Maybe I could make a law where being shiftless was no longer considered a flaw.” She glanced at him. “Your pack is trying to do that, right? With Elle?”
“It’s hard. But we are trying.”
“That is more than most packs do. Including the one I came from.”
***
They stopped their journey to stay the night in a little motel just out of Great Falls. Rael booked two separate rooms, despite his wolf howling. Alanis had a lot of things to process ahead of her. She did not need any distractions or pressure.
They had dinner in a diner on the other side of the street.
It was simple, burgers and fries, but it was good.
Or maybe it was the light-hearted stuff they talked about that made it good.
They talked about the books they liked, movies that made them cry, and embarrassing childhood stories that left them laughing.
“You ran to the roof to get a frisbee and got stuck?” Alanis giggled, her eyes bright. “How old were you?”
“Eight. And in my defense, it sounded like a good idea at the time.” Rael’s lips curved into a smile. “Silas had to shift and get up to help me down. He was so mad and said I was too big to be rescued from a roof.”
“But he rescued you anyway.”
“Yes. Even though he was peeved about it. That’s what family does. They show up, even when it’s inconvenient.”
“The Lumin did that for me, you know? When I was scared and had nowhere to go, they showed up for me.”
“That’s why you’re finding it difficult to come to a decision.” Rael nodded in understanding. “Because they are not just an organization to you, they are your family.”
“Yeah.” She pushed a fry around her plate. “And to leave them would be like I was putting my own needs before those of people who rescued me.”
“Or I suppose it might mean you are maturing. Developing out of the image they gave you into someone who has a choice of her own.”
“Do you think I should?”
“I think you should do anything that will please you, and I think you should stop beating yourself down simply because you want things. Your wants don’t make you disloyal or selfish. They make you human.”
Alanis sighed heavily. “How do you always know what to say?”
He chuckled lightly. “Trust me, I don’t. I tend to say something wrong and apologize afterward.” He stretched his hand over the table and grabbed hers, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “But with you, it’s easier. You make everything easier, Alanis.”
She turned her hand over, threading her fingers through his. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “Of choosing wrong. Of hurting the people I care about. Of wanting something I’m not supposed to have.”
“What if there is no wrong choice? What if both paths lead somewhere good, just different? And what if the only mistake is not choosing at all?”
“That sounds too simple and easy.”
“Most profound truths are simple and easy. We just make them complicated because we’re afraid.”
A couple of minutes later, dinner was over. They walked back to the motel, still holding hands. They stopped in front of Alanis’ door.
“You know, if you need anything, I am right next door.”
“I know.” She stood on her toes and kissed him softly and briefly. “Thank you for today.”
“Always.”
***
The following afternoon, they arrived at the Montana border. The terrain was now covered with thick woods and mountains. It was exactly where a pack could lay and never be found again, if they wanted to.
Rael proceeded with caution now, watching out for cameras or patrol.
The property records that August sent him last night showed that the former territory of Caldwell Pack was bought by one of the corporations known as Northern Acquisitions LLC.
The land was marked as a private reserve, which implied less intervention and more privacy.
A good place to conceal illegal activities.
“That road,” Alanis said suddenly, pointing to a barely visible turnoff. “That’s the eastern access point. It leads to what used to be the pack’s main compound.”
Rael pulled over, examining the road. It had fresh tire tracks on what was supposed to be an unused path.
“They are here. They came back. They’ve been here all these years.”
“We must check first, before we call in backup. Get visual confirmation, identify existing pack members, and assess their level of security.”
They parked the car a mile off, in the bushes, and walked. Rael allowed Alanis to lead the way—she was familiar with the area and knew where the guards would be stationed. They were stupid enough to leave everything the same way.
They glided through the woods without making any noise, and Rael could not help but feel impressed by how Alanis moved around effortlessly with minimum sounds. The Lumen had trained her well.
Twenty minutes later, they hid behind tall shrubs, looking over the Caldwell Pack. There were ongoing new constructions, new fencing, and a large parking area with lots of people.
Rael pulled out a pair of binoculars, surveying the compound. He saw no less than twenty people moving about, some of whom were obviously guards, others at work at some building.
“Look,” Alanis tapped his side. “The Alpha—Gavin Caldwell.”
Rael focused the binoculars on the man she’d indicated. He was tall and lean with salt and pepper hair. He spoke to a young fellow, pointing to one of the new buildings.
“And that is Dominique,” Alanis continued, her voice shaking a little. Rael directed the binoculars to a blonde woman giving orders to workers.
“I also recognize some of the pack members,” Alanis added. “Little fuckers.”
Another hour passed as they recorded everything they saw. And with every minute that passed, the image was becoming clearer and damning.
The Caldwell Pack did not disappear like they thought.
They had restructured and grown, expanding into a full-fledged trafficking enterprise—new facilities resembled holding facilities, suggestions of valuable inventory through security measures, individuals entering and leaving the area who corresponded to descriptions of familiar traffickers and other activities.
They both even spotted some of the handlers at the auction where Rael bought Alanis.
“This is it. The hub of the network we have been pursuing. All roads lead to here, and now we can stop them.
Alanis looked around, her voice hard. “How? There are too many. It would be unsafe and stupid to attack this place with backup.”
“We collect evidence first. Note everything, then we will liaise with my pack and the Lumen.” Rael gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
“We are going to do this right, Alanis. We need to be careful not to risk scaring them off and regrouping in the future. We do this once, and we do it right. I know you are itching to torch this place to the ground. But—”
“But that would be stupid to do.”
“Exactly.”
They crept away slowly and made their way back to the car without being noticed.
After they were out of danger, Rael drew out his phone and began to make calls—first to August, then to Silas, Javi, and Deva at the Lumen.
Every discussion was the same: “We know where they are.
We need resources. We must work together “
It was going to be a joint operation consisting of the Lumen, pack allies, and Weston Pack. They were going to gather enough evidence over the next two weeks, followed by a coordinated strike to save any victims present and arrest everyone involved.
It was ambitious, dangerous, and exactly what had to happen.
“Two weeks,” Alanis sighed as they moved into another motel. “Two weeks and this is all over.”
“Yeah,” Rael agreed. “One way or another. We should rest. We begin surveillance rotations tomorrow, and we are to make arrangements with the teams Silas is sending out. It will be a long two weeks.”
“Rael?” Alanis grabbed his hand before he could leave. “Thank you. For bringing me here. For helping me face this instead of trying to protect me from it.”
“You don’t need protection from your past,” Rael said. “You need support while you confront it.”
She kissed him then, fierce and grateful and full of promise.
“Two weeks,” she repeated against his lips. “And then I get to watch them fall.”
“Two weeks,” he murmured against her lips. “And I’ll be right there beside you when they do.”