Mack 'n' Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9 by C.M. Simpson (top ebook reader txt) 📕

I managed to work my way through them and into the building schematics. At first glance, there wasn’t anything that looked a likely place for the wolves to be holding the cub, so I tried to put myself into the Rennet’s World wolves’ shoes, so to speak.

Why did they want the cub? Was he a good behavior bond? Insurance the father would do as they asked? And, if he was, where would they keep him? Close to hand? Would he serve as an example to other recalcitrant wolf commanders? Or would it cause an uprising if the other commanders caught wind of what they’d done? How quickly did they need to get their hands on him when they were speaking to the father?

It was hard to tell, but, if they were going to keep the cub as a trophy or leverage, then it would have to be in the upper floors of the tower where the company executives kept their offices. It sure as shit wasn’t here. If it was, I was going to have to risk taking the elevator and goosing it for the ride to the top.

“At least you could make it onto the roof from there,” Rohan said. “That way, if they get the teleport blocker back up, you could jump and we could grab you out of the air.’

Thinking “Oh, Hell to the Hells, no!,” I went through the corridor I was on, opening each of the three doors on either side. Three doors. Three rooms. Storage crates for shipping livestock and what looked like loading dock doors out one side. Fuck.

“Tell Mack I went upstairs,” I said, then added, “I don’t suppose you could do a security search for small wolves that might be somewhere in the feeds?”

It was a long shot, but Rohan grabbed it with both hands—and then he passed the idea to Cascade.

“Sorry, Cutter. I have to hold the system open. Cas will hunt them out for you.”

I wasn’t happy but I understood.

“Let him loose.”

“Already done,” and Rohan dropped out, presumably to battle the code that was still trying to take the system back.

The boy was good, so I guessed it would only be a matter of time before they wet-wired someone in to go hunt him down. I sure as shit hoped Tens would be on-line to help him out by then. What I hadn’t realized was that the dog was going to use my link to the system as his launch point.

I was just about to set off on my own hunt, when the Cascade’s digital presence rushed past me. Don’t ask me how he managed to wash my face in pixilated joy, on the way past, but seconds later he was gone—out of my head and into the system inside the tower.

“Move your ass, Cutter,” Rohan said, bouncing me out of my head. “He’ll let you know when he finds them, and then I’ll get him to clear you a path.”

Dog could do that?

“Dog can do a lot of things in the digital,” Rohan said—and he sounded like he’d raised the big menace all by himself. “I pretty much did.”

Yeah... he had me there. He really had raised the big menace himself. It explained a lot of what was wrong with the dog.

“Hey!”

And he shoved me right out of my head again.

This time, I didn’t waste time chasing things down or thinking smart ass thoughts at Rohan; I just got my ass into gear and started looking for the elevator.

“Take the next door, then the first elevator to your right. Cas has caught the scent.”

And wasn’t I relieved to hear that.

I didn’t wait to be told twice. I hit the door, and then the elevator. I didn’t even have to touch any buttons. The doors opened enough for me to slide on through, and then they closed and the crate was moving before I could register how small a box I’d stepped into.

“Not gonna matter,” Rohan said, and he sounded strained.

He explained before I could ask.

“You’ve got five, maybe ten, minutes. Tops. After that the blocker is back up. I can’t hold it any longer than that.”

“Gotcha.”

I stared at the counter above the door, watching the numbers rise. As I did, I wished I could access the security feeds and see what, exactly was waiting for me, but I couldn’t, so I did the next best thing—I went over my weapons and made sure everything was where I needed it to be, accessible and not safetied down.

“You’ve got half a dozen cubs, Cutter—and a dozen more kids.”

Rohan’s voice froze my hands, as my fingers flickered over the blaster hanging across my chest, and the Glazer tucked at my belt. I swallowed, and then moved my other hand over the large, broad-bladed weapon hanging on my other hip.

“How many guards?”

“Cas will clear the corridor, and open the doors. I need you to take out the assholes with the kids, or keep them busy while Tens locks on and starts teleporting.”

“Gotcha.”

I switched the Blazer and Glazer down to non-lethals. Couldn’t risk hitting a cub or kid if I missed. If they’d been adults I might have been tempted, but they weren’t, and their bodies wouldn’t be as forgiving of a stray shot. Best I could do was take as many shots as I could, and then switch to the blades and hoped the “Shady’s” counsellors could cope with the nightmares.

“Trust me, what they’re facing, now, is a shit-ton worse than anything you’re about to do with those blades. Just make sure none of the little monsters get a hold of your guns.”

Like they’d ever...

Well, goes to show just how mistaken you can be—and exactly how fucked the universe is at times.

Cas got the corridors cleared. At least, I assume he was the one responsible for what sounded like a small riot in the stair well, followed by screams from the reception area further in. I didn’t let either distract me, but took a turn into the corridor branching left, and