Page 139 of Wolf Roulette

The cliff stewards moved in response to my order. Our lag time up there was a big disadvantage.

I checked on the positions of my team below. “Big Red. Initiate Operation Paw Patrol. Over.”

Luthers were climbing the ropes.

I lifted the walkie again. “Big Red. Initiate Operation Superwoman. Over.”

Pairs of cliff stewards worked with smaller versions of two-man saws to cut the pack’s reinforced ropes.

That was the cue for most of the remaining stewards to open fire. The pack took shield cover in response to Sascha’s howl.

Ten minutes in.

This was as good a chance as any.

I paced along the railing. “Big Red. Prepare Operation Hamster Wheel. Over.”

A small number of the paw patrol stewards ceased fire to flip large metal grills into place.

The tribe had kept this strategy on the back burner for years and we’d had the grills in storage ready to use. The gratings were a Luther-sized version of a cat-proof fence. Giant rollers covered the bars.

As the guinea pig, I could say that with certainty, the grills were an absolute bitch to climb over.

The only way was to rip the entire grating from the cliff face via the outer framing—or via sheer luck.

Lowering each grill into a forty-five-degree angle required three stewards. I winced as one grate dislodged from its bolts and crashed to the surface.

But the others all jutted out from the lowest tier as intended.

Stewards scrambled to cover the gap created by the missing grill as Luthers congregated there.

Crap.“Big Red to Reindeer. Cover needed at Operation Hamster Wheel defence. Over.”

“Reindeer. I see it. Roger that. Over.”

Reindeer redirected two units high on the wall to focus fire there.

The pack shot more ropes at the cliffs.

Six more.

My Operation Superwoman stewards hurried toward the insertion points to saw through.

Hmm.We wouldn’t hold the lowest tier forever. It was a fine line between waiting too long and giving up the ground too early. I pursed my lips. “Big Red. Operation Paw Patrol, initiate phase two. Over.”

In a subtle wave, the stewards below changed their positioning—specifically, they covered the grill framings.

The aim was to shoot any Luthers who realised they could rip the grills away. We’d doused them in wolfsbane to help.

More ropes exploded to sink into the top cliffs.

We weren’t harassing the pack enough.

Thirty minutes remained.

Give the order for the other operations,Booker said.We can always fall back on our usual strategy. And we have the last manoeuvre as back up.

If a wolf was urging me to move, then I should definitely listen.“Big Red. Prepare Operation Hairdryer. Over.”