Chapter 53 No More Missing People

*Alpha Connor *

"Alpha, we have followed the group of rogues. They have abducted a small child and his young mother and have brought them to a truck just outside the territory. The truck looks familiar. It passes through our territory, however I can not smell if the driver is wolf. The driver may be using the elixir to mask his scent." I had some of my boys follow the rogues. According to the Sheriff, there have been only a few number of abductions in the vicinity. Since it has been snowing, people rarely walk out into the open at night.

"Can you see the inside of the trailer?" I ask.

"Yes, Alpha. There's a cage inside full of people and children." They are actually doing this in broad daylight. They have some serious balls.

"Alright, send me the truck's license plate number. We have a mage to stop. And when the rogues are done there, kill them. I don't want them to know what we're doing." Every day I see amber alerts of so many missing children. I could easily put a stop to a series of abductions caused by one person. We had to kill the mage. It was the only way.

My phone pings with a message from my Gamma giving me the plate number of the truck. He also informs me it is now driving off towards the direction of Salty Moon forest. If the trucker doesn't make a pit stop at my truck stop, I'll have the Sheriff flag it down along the highway. If the driver doesn't stop, we'll have a spike strip waiting for him several meters down. It'll slow down the truck so we can get to the driver. No more missing people. Not on my watch.

I write down the truck's plate number and hand the piece of paper to my Beta. "Alert the men. If this truck enters the truck stop, tell me. If not, send the men as back up for the Sheriff. The Sheriff and his deputies may not be enough to stop this trucker. He might even have someone with him."

"Copy, Alpha." My Beta leaves my office and closes the door behind him.

My phone starts ringing. I look at the screen. The call is coming from an unknown number. I dislike answering unknown calls, but it might be something important.

"Alpha Connor, it's Lucas Lockwood." I walk to my office door and lock it. I put some music on just in case someone was listening in.

"Lucas, it's been a while. How can I help you? I hope this call isn't about another attack within my territory." I heard him sigh. It's been eighteen years to the day and he still regrets it.

"I know I shouldn't ask any more favors from you, Alpha Connor, but I'm afraid there isn't any one else I can ask. I need to ask you to lend me some of your men. I will be returning to New Jersey after my daughter makes her first shift.  Her mate has a number of his men with us, however, I need more."

"Will your daughter be returning with you?" I just wanted to make sure. He did say 'I'.

"Yes, she will be coming with me. I presume after the Christmas Ball of the Council of Wolves. She will be gracing the event with her mate, Alpha Ethan Crowne." So what Athena said was true. The black wolf is fated to mate Ethan Crowne.

"Sure, Lucas, I will send you some of my men. Let me make the necessary arrangements. Right now, I am busy tracking someone who has been abducting people. After I get this off my chest, I'll make sure I, myself, will meet you at the Four Seasons. I assume you will be accompanying your daughter to the ball?"

"Yes, my daughter is making the necessary arrangements for me and the others of our group. As of the moment, she has made arrangements for us to stay at Providence."

"I'm sorry...your daughter is making the arrangements? How so?" How can his daughter be making the arrangements when she's been kept hidden all her life. I doubt if she knew anyone else outside her circle. I would have expected Ethan to do it.

"Let's just say, Alpha Connor, the black wolf is very cunning." I hear the pride in his voice.

"I am very excited to meet your daughter. I have waited many years for her." The black wolf is playing chess. I  needed to be there when she starts taking out the pawns.

"I am glad you have something to look forward to. Thank you, Alpha Connor. I will see you soon then."

"See you, Alpha Lucas. May the Moon Goddess bless your every path."

"I pray the same for you. Good day, Alpha Connor." He hangs up.

I lean back in my chair and smile. I have rarely smiled since the day my brother died. This bit of news made me very happy. I will have the opportunity to stand side by side with the black wolf and avenge my brother.

I hear banging and yelling outside my door. Oops, I forgot I was playing music. I turn the music down and head to the door.

"Alpha, the truck is parked up front." My Beta's face was all flustered. "Why was your door locked and what was all that loud music?"

"I got a very important phone call. I was finally  given some good news." I smile at him. He stared at me, stunned to see me smiling. "Anyway, let's get to that trucker. I want to know where exactly he's suppose to bring those people with him."

"The trucker is in the bar." I nod my head and exit my office to go to my bar.

"Matt, I almost forgot. I need you to send an RSVP." I glance to my side, but he wasn't there. I turn to look behind me and there I find him standing still with his mouth wide open. "Stop it, Matt. We're going to attend the Christmas Ball this year. I need you to make the necessary arrangements and to have a team of men accompany us. Gamma and Delta will be in charge while we head to New York."

"I don't own a tux, Alpha." Matt and I, we were the same. Forest folk. We rarely went to the city or fancy occassions.

"Me neither. Find someone on the internet who'll rent us a tux. Now let's go." I turn and start walking and my Beta jogs to keep up.

"Do I need to shave my beard?" Now it was my turn to stop.

"I never thought of that. Do you think I need to shave too?" We both looked at each other and laughed. I guess we needed to make an appointment at the salon. I felt good. I have never had a good laugh for quite some time.

I walked out from the car shop and my Beta pointed at the white semi hauling a big white trailer. I recognized the plate number. It was the truck we have been waiting for.

When we entered the bar, I could see my men were all scattered in different places eyeing the one person we wanted to talk to.

"Is that the trucker?" I said, surprised. I didn't know the driver was a woman.

"Yes, Alpha. I didn't believe it myself. The driver is a woman." I shrugged my shoulders and walked up to the bar and sat down on a stool right beside her. I gestured to the bartender and he put a cold bottle of beer in front of me.

"Is that your truck out there?" I pointed to the white semi.

"Yeah. The white one," she answered. I inhaled deeply trying to catch a whiff of wolf. Nothing.

"What're you haulin'?" This time she turned her head and took a look at me.

"That's none of your business." She throws some money on the bar table. "I'd better be going. I'm on a tight schedule."

"Sit down." I tell her.

"What did you say?" Her voice went up a notch. I didn't like putting a woman in these kinds of situations, but when you aid in kidnapping people, woman or not, you have to face the consequences.

"He said sit down," my Beta said. He was on the other side of her, sipping a beer. "We want to know what's inside the truck."

"You got a warrant to search my truck? I'm no lawyer, but search and seizure is illegal without a warrant. I know my rights." I had to tip my hat to her. She knew she had rights. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You know where I'm from, it isn't RIGHT to kidnap people. That also applies to you, unless, I'm mistaken and you're from a different planet. So tell me. What's inside your trailer or do I have to use a bolt cutter to find out?" I turn my head to look at her. I could see her face had turn pale and her hands were trembling. "Ah, look at what we have there." I point outside. "It's the Sheriff. Let's go outside and take a look, shall we?" I stand up so, we could go outside and meet the Sheriff, but she grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Fine. There are people inside the freight. I just needed the extra money so I could pay off my debts." Here we go again. Maybe she was like the Sheriff. She probably lost big at the tables.

"You gamble?" I ask. "Maybe lost big and promised you would do anything to pay it off?" Her eyes widened.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I've heard the same from someone I know.  Where are you suppose to drop the people off? You tell me that and I'll let you go. I want the exact location. Not a state."

"I'm supposed to drop off my trailer near Providence." Providence? That's where Lucas was headed.

"Where in Providence? Providence is a big city. I need to know where."

"You'll let me go if I tell you?" She asked me for confirmation.

"You have my word." My Beta looked at me like I was insane. I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"I have to drop them off at a mansion, at the tip of Naragansett Bay. To be honest, the mansion isn't part of Providence. It is located at Warwick. Providence of course is a better known city and it's close by." It's always the small details that throw us off. "Now will you let me go?"

"Go." I mind linked the Sheriff a while ago to wait at the door to arrest the woman. Well, I made good my deal. I told her I would let her go.

She rushes towards the door of the bar and opens it to find the Sheriff waiting for her. "Wait! You said I can go!" She screams.

"And I did let you go. Unfortunately, I'm not the Sheriff." The Sheriff cuffs her and pats her down. He took her keys, wallet and a smartphone from her pockets.

"One is going to kill you!" She screams at me. The ONE name I despise. I narrow my eyes at her.

"So, you're a wolf?" I turn to the Sheriff. "Let's test her to see if she's wolf." My bartender takes out something wrapped in cloth from under the bar table. My Beta unwraps it to show a silver dagger. Using the cloth, he picks up the dagger and brings it to the women's skin. It leaves a burn mark. "Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. Put her in a silver cell," I instruct the Sheriff.

It took a lot of force for the Sheriff to take her outside to his car. He tossed me the keys to her truck and I walked to the trailer and opened it.  I knew what was in there, I just didn't think I'd feel this angry seeing it with my own eyes.

They were mostly children. I told my men to get them out of the truck and assist them home. If they didn't have a place to stay, they could stay in the trucker's quarters for the time being until Social Services arrive.

My Gamma and my Delta with their team of men arrived as we were giving the victims something warm to eat. I went into my office and took my travel bag. I decided I would be heading to Providence.

"You're in charge until I get back. If there are any rogues, don't hesitate. Kill them." I told my Gamma. My Beta walked up to us, a bag in his hand. Wherever I go, he follows.

"Sheriff, I need that woman's smartphone. One might call her for an update about her shipment." The Sheriff nods his head and hands me the phone. I give it to my Beta. "Matt, make sure it's unlocked. Cut off her finger if you need to." He laughs. He walks to the Sheriff's car to get her phone unlocked. I turn to my pack members who have gathered around, surprised I was going to leave the pack for the first time in eighteen years.

"I need four more men to come with me. Preferably wolves who don't have mates or young children they need to leave behind." My Beta's team raised their hands and volunteered. "As for the rest of you, the rogues of New York City won't like knowing their shipment was seized. Be ready for an attack. I'm hoping I'll be back before they find out. We're going to drive this truck to where it needs to go. I have a mage to stop." I jump into the truck. It had a GPS system on the dashboard and on it was the location of the drop off. Easy peasy.

"Alpha, may the Moon Goddess bless you," my Gamma said. My Beta climbs into the passenger's seat and starts browsing through the woman's messages. I look at my men who had volunteered and find them all seated comfortably in the back. It was a clean and spacious truck. I put the key in the ignition and start the truck.

I wave goodbye to my pack members.

It's time for me to wage war against One.