Page 14 of Alpha Awakened
Pipestone County, Minnesota
The helo flew them over the picturesque, rolling farmlands of southwest Minnesota. These were Snow Walkers’ pack lands. The wolves here had a heavy hand in the agriculture economy. Unfortunately, the farm they were approaching was producing more than the corn, beef, and milk the region was known for.
“Ready to do your part in the war on drugs?” Major Ortiz asked, speaking loudly into her helmet mic to be heard over the sound of the chopper blades.
“Ready, willing, and able, Major,” Hazard answered with a grin.
“Shifter council wants to make sure that shit doesn’t take over pack communities,” she continued. “Taking it out at the root is the best way to keep that from happening. And today’s target has established deep roots in the Midwest drug trade.”
Jax nodded. “So let’s yank ‘em out.”
They closed in on a massive, upscale white farmhouse set in the middle of a vast swath of emerald green grass. Front columns soared up to a gray roof, a black wrought iron balcony wrapped around the entire second story, and an outdoor chandelier hung high above the wide entry doors.Neatly maintained barns and other outbuildings spread across the thousand plus acres and the entire property was enclosed by a white, split rail fence. The farm rivaled Dallas’ Southfork ranch in its grandeur.
Hazard got ready to fast rope down to the ground. When he received the signal to go, he grabbed the rope and jumped out of the helicopter. Hands tightly gripping the rope, he zipped down the line until his boots hit the crushed seashell of the driveway. Ortiz dropped down after him, while Jax and Ice slid down on the other side of the helo. Hazard took off the heavy gloves he’d used to descend the rope and quickly tucked them away in a side pocket.
Once they gave the all clear, the soldier left on board with the pilot unhooked their ropes to let them drop to the ground and the helo took off. Now, it was up to the 448 to infiltrate and apprehend. They were after three people. Emma Larson, the leader of the outfit, Liam, her right-hand man, and Olivia, Emma’s sister and the head of the organization’s finances. Their support team would sweep the property and take the targets into custody once they’d captured them.
The mansion’s exterior security lights gleamed dully on Ice’s black wolf mask when he turned to Hazard.
“Keep your eyes sharp and head on a swivel, Corporal.”
Hazard nodded. “I’ve got your six, sir.”
Ice appeared unimpressed with his declaration.
“Just make sure you keep up,” he said in his gruff voice.
Hazard didn’t let Ice’s indifference bother him. Apparently the big alpha needed more time to warm up to him. Although he wasn’t particularly warm to anyone on the team. The call sign Ice was definitely warranted.
They went up the wide front steps to the door. Ice, Hazard, and Ortiz held their guns at the ready, while Jax carried a battering ram to breach the entrance.
“Go on one,” Ortiz said. “Three, two, one. Go!”
Jax swung and slammed the battering ram into the seam of the double doors. They flew open from the force. He immediately tossed the breacher aside and stood back to let Ortiz enter first. Hazard followed behind the major and Ice into a large foyer with a smoothly polished dark wood floor. Directly across from them was a wide staircase with a curving banister. A young brunette man in a pale peach button down shirt and cream corduroys stood frozen half way down the stairs. He wasn’t on their target list, but he had to be secured.
“Mitchell,” Ice said.
Hazard understood the unspoken order. He moved from his place at Ice’s rear right. “On your knees!” he yelled as he went up the steps. Wide-eyed with fear, the omega obeyed. Hazard quickly restrained him with Flexi-Cuffs that he then attached to a banister in the stair case railing. He’d be fine there while they searched the premises for the ones they were after. “Where are Emma, Olivia, and Liam?” he asked.
“Emma and Oliva are up— upstairs in the blue room,” he stuttered out. “Down the hall to your right. I— I don’t know where Liam is.”
“You two get the sisters,” Ortiz directed. “Jax and I will take Liam.”
“Rog,” Ice confirmed the order. He quickly went up the staircase, Hazard following close behind.
When they reached the second level, Ice cleared the doors on the right and Hazard took the left. Their movements were precise, quick, and in near perfect rhythm. They had to be ready to react fast, but also carefully. Neither of them wanted to shoot an unarmed adult or a harmless child.
Toward the end of the hall, they reached what the omega had probably been referring to when he said the blue room. Unfortunately, it was empty. Which made sense. The womenhad plenty of time to move between when Jax had bashed their door in and now.
Temporarily thwarted, they backed out of the room. Hazard wondered where they could have gone. The women couldn’t have gone downstairs because they would have seen them. Unless...
“Captain. A place this big should have a servant’s stairwell.”
“You’re right. It should.”
There was one more door at the end of the hall. Quietly, they crept up on it. Hazard opened the door to reveal a narrow staircase. Ice went in first. At the bottom of the stairs was a closed door. Ice kicked it in with the sole of his heavy boot. The door bounced against the wall before sagging half way open. On the other side of the door way was what looked to be a servant’s prep room. And inside, several armed guards. One of the guards fired at them, but they ducked back into the stairwell and out of the line of fire. A bullet missed Hazard by inches, lodging in the wall next to his torso.
Hazard met his partner’s gaze in the dark, narrow stairway. Ice held up three fingers to indicate the number of armed guards in the room. Hazard nodded.