Claiming Treasure
Imbedded Agents

FBI Special Agent Lana Black’s POV

Two Harbors AmericInn

I was exhausted by the time I pulled into the hotel parking lot. I’d stopped at a Culver’s drive-through nearby, grabbing some food to eat alone in my room. My boss was freezing me out, and I was left to contemplate my sins over buffalo chicken tenders, cheese curds, and a turtle sundae.

My phone dinged as I turned on the local news.

Allison: It could be worse

Lana: How?

Allison: You could have spilled his coffee like I did.

Lana: If only

Allison: gotta go he’s yelling for me

Senior Agent Allison Cook was the only other female in my office, and she was my mentor and friend. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, and maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. The boss might eventually realize that I was alone and overwhelmed dealing with the scene on my own.

The locals were still showing photos of both Jack Coffey and the wolf hybrid. I started on my frozen custard as I thought back to the video of one becoming the other. Werewolves were real, and one was on the Most Wanted list. I was starting to feel like Agent Mulder.

I was tossing the garbage when my phone rang again. It was Senior Agent-In-Charge Smallwood. “Agent Black,” I answered.

“Black, I’ve got Allison in the office with me. I just got off the phone with the Director in Washington. The Arrowhead leadership has agreed to allow two female agents insider access to see how they live and work. They are trying to convince the President they aren’t a threat to national security, and she wants an objective and inside view.”

“Arrowhead is like Coffey,” I said, avoiding saying the werewolf word over a cellphone.

“Yes. Pack your bags and check out of the hotel and meet the agents on surveillance at the main entrance. I want you to keep your eyes open on this one. We don’t know how much they are hiding, and your reports will feed directly to the President and the National Security Council. Find out everything you can and send the results by encrypted email at least twice a day. I’ll send you an email with the recipients.”

“Like undercover work, but they know who we are,” I said.

“Exactly. Now get going.” He hung up, and I called down to the desk and told them I was checking out. It took me fifteen minutes to pack and settle my bill before I was in my car again. It wasn’t a long drive out to the surveillance spot overlooking the Arrowhead entrance and houses. Allison’s car was there, so I knocked on the van and was let in by the duty guys. Allison was standing in the back. “What’s going on,” I asked.

“It’s a huge fucking party,” the agent at the cameras said. “We’ve identified a half dozen vans running shuttles and verified they are going to the Minneapolis airport. They’ve been bringing in people all day, plus there are,” he looked at the clipboard, “thirty-two vehicles and two buses from out of state that arrived since this morning, all of them packed with passengers. The dining room at the main building is full, and all the homes must be bursting to the seams with guests. Then there is the pool.”

“Busy?”

“You can’t see inside easily because of the landscaping, shades, and condensation on the glass, but there’s one spot we’re able to see.” He brought up the camera on the big screen; it showed the top of a waterslide and four naked men and women waiting their turn. “They don’t believe in clothes, and they have at least two minors in there.”

“Nudism isn’t a chargeable offense,” Allison said. “Are the young ones being abused or forced in any way?”

“No. I’d already have called a raid if I could prove anything.”

I nodded. “So other than getting your jollies watching hot naked women using the waterslide, what else do you have?”

“You should see this.” He clicked on the computer, and a file came up. I recognized the car; it was the one I followed from Hermantown. It drove into the compound but parked by the front doors of a plain-looking building near the treeline, instead of the main house or one of the homes. I recognized Deputy Mark Brighton as he got out of the car. He was moving slowly and waited for the older man to come around and lead him into the building.

“It didn’t look forced,” I said.

“No one can reach him, and we haven’t seen him since this video almost two hours ago. The Sheriff is nervous; I told him we were putting assets inside, and he wants to know his man is safe. Smallwood agrees; you are to update his status as soon as you know it.”

“Understood,” Allison said. “Well, we better get going.”

“Good luck. We’ll follow you as much as we can on cameras, but to stay safe, take these.” They were necklaces with a pendant. “Twist the bottom, and it’s an emergency GPS beacon,” he said.

“No audio surveillance?”

“No court order for that,” he said.

I put on the silver necklace and checked my gun and badge as I walked out behind Allison. “How do you want to play this?”

“I’ll shadow Rori and try and get information about the leadership. I want you to circulate and learn what you can about the people and the guests,” she said. “Be friendly but professional.”

“I’ll follow you in,” I said as we reached our cars. There was visible security at the main entrance, with multiple armed guards and front-end loader parked between the boulders that moved aside to allow cars through. I showed my badge to the woman who came to the window. “Agent Lana Black, FBI. Rori King is expecting us.”

“Welcome to Arrowhead, Agent Black. Please follow the man in the ATV, he’ll be taking you to meet with Rori and will make sure you get settled. Enjoy your stay, and let any of us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t expect a greeting like I was a guest at a fancy resort, but that’s what this place looked like. The lake ice had just cleared and the water was too cold to swim in, but a few docks and boats were already out. The buildings were large and beautiful, and the shoreline was undeveloped for hundreds of yards past the last home. We parked in the driveway of an expansive mansion on a point. I got out as the driver of the ATV came over; he was a dangerous-looking man in his forties.

“Welcome to Arrowhead, I’m Vic Knightly, second in command here,” he said as two women came out of the garage. “Catherine and Paula here will take your luggage to your room. You’ll be sharing a guest room; I hope you don’t mind, but we’re running out of space with all the guests.”

“That’s fine, but we’ll carry our luggage,” Allison said. “Senior Agent Allison Cook, and Agent Lana Black.”

His grip was firm, and he wasn’t intimidated by us. “Follow me then; we’ll drop them off on the way to see Rori.” We grabbed our bags and followed him through the garage and a mud and laundry room before arriving in the kitchen. “You two are aware of our nature?”

“You’re all werewolves,” Allison said.

“Almost all,” he said as we reached the stairs. He took us up and opened the door to a small guest room with a pair of twin-sized beds and a three-quarter bath. We set our bags down and walked back to the door, following him down the hallway. “Alpha Rori and Alpha Chase are putting their children to bed, we are to wait here for them,” he said as he opened the door to an office. “May I offer you water, juice, or coffee?”

“No, thank you,” Allison said. “We’re eager to get to work. I understand we have unimpeded access to your people and facilities?”

“Those are the instructions from our Alpha,” he replied. “You arrived at a busy time for us; we are gathering every unmated female werewolf in the world here.” He quickly explained the effect of a werewolf bite on humans and their extraordinary effort to save him. “So far, we’ve not found his mate. More women are arriving by the hour; the last should be here by morning.”

Allison’s face showed how much she struggled to accept it all. “If he doesn’t have a mate?”

“Then he will die,” he said.

“I need to see him,” I said.

“As soon as you meet the Alphas, I will have you taken to him.” At that moment, the door opened, and two people walked in. I recognized Rori from the photos; she was beautiful, smaller than I expected, and pregnant. After introductions, Chase walked over to the chair behind the desk and sat down, pulling her into his lap. It was clear to see how much they loved each other.

“Welcome to Arrowhead,” Rori said.

“We spoke to my mother, and she instructed us to be open and transparent with you now that the FBI and senior Government members know our secret,” Chase said. “You suspected we were holding back what we knew about the attack on our home, and you were correct. The attack was by werewolves in two other Packs, Monongahela in West Virginia, and Katahdin in Maine. We got a warning it was coming and thus were able to meet it with overwhelming force.” He reached into a drawer and handed Allison a flash drive. “On this are the names and ranks of the dead members of those Packs, and unedited surveillance footage from the attack. The Alphas of both Packs are dead, and we have replaced them with better leaders. We do not wish to hurt the remaining Pack members, nor do we have any issues with the men who surrendered.”

“Where are those men,” she asked.

“They were allowed to return home or join other Packs,” Rori said. “From our perspective, it is over. The Werewolf Council has approved the new Alphas. The only loose end is the man who ordered the attack, Jack Coffey. Our hacker has also included everything she could replace on his assets and activities.”

“I need to get this to my boss immediately,” Allison said.

“I understand,” Rori said. “While you do that, I will escort Lana here to see the Deputy. One word of caution, though. You may replace werewolf behavior violates some human cultural norms, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or pressured by them. I have instructed everyone to respect your work and to help if asked. You will be perfectly safe among us.”

“Norms like nudity? Public sex?” Allison noted they weren’t shocked. “We have an idea. You might want to screen the window facing east at the top of the waterslide.”

“Thank you. We try to keep our privacy, but yes, we like to be nude in the pool area, and we have fewer hangups about sex. It’s not a Playboy Mansion orgy, as most of it is between mates, but you can’t unsee it either. There are males who may show interest, but they will accept a no.” I looked at her like she was kidding. “My reputation in this area will protect you. None dare lay a hand on a woman without her permission.”

My hand moved back to my Glock. “I don’t believe we will be participating in that on duty, nor will we disarm.”

“I understand. If you’ll follow me?” We went back out of her house, with Allison getting into her car and driving off while Rori walked me across the road and up the hill to the main building. “This is the Pack House, the social center of the Pack. There is a bunk room for overflow in the basement, but the rest is all dining and recreational areas. Come on.” We entered the lower level, and she showed me the gymnasium, theater, and lounge before going upstairs. The dining room was huge, with three wings in a T-shape, and a buffet was still open along one wall. There were perhaps thirty people at the tables, talking and laughing. “With all the guests, we are keeping food service going around the clock, but mealtimes are at six, twelve and six. You are welcome to eat with us, or you can ask for food delivery to your room.”

“This is impressive,” I said. “It’s like a resort!”

“Just wait until you see the pool.” She led me down a hall. “Locker rooms are here. Most of us stay clothed outside the pool unless we are shifting.” The locker room was clean, with tile floors and cubbies for people to put their things. As we walked in, a wolf was rolling around on the floor, her nose in a blouse she had wrapped around her head. The wolf suddenly stilled and shifted into a tall, emaciated teen. “Shelly? What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Alpha. I picked up a scent and traced it to this shirt, and my wolf took over and went nuts!”

Rori took the blouse and brought it to her nose, a smile coming to her face. “Follow us,” she said. “The blouse belongs to Luna Kathryn of the Denali Pack. We’ll have to see if one of her Pack members is your mate, but you can’t claim each other until you are eighteen. Go in and ask if anyone sees her.”

“Thank you, Alpha! My wolf is so excited.”

“You’re a special girl, Shelly. Shifting early and replaceing your mate early! Both signs of a wolf with Luna’s favor.” The skinny teen left for the pool. Rori put the blouse back, then put her shoes in a cubby along with her dress. She was beautiful, a bit of a baby bump, but firmly muscled and athletic. “You might want to ditch the suit jacket and the shoes, Lana. It’s a little wet and humid in there.”

I put them in an empty cubby, making sure my badge and gun were secure. “Shelly didn’t look healthy,” I said. “What is her story?”

“Her mother is human and got pregnant after a one-night-stand with a now-deceased Alpha in Colorado. Werewolves have their first shift around age seventeen, but she shifted at fifteen to avoid an attempt to gang-rape her. She was brought here a few days ago after being hit by a car, and had been wandering around half-starved and stuck in her wolf form since Thanksgiving.”

“That’s horrible,” I said. Rori rinsed off in a shower before we walked to the door.

“That’s why our laws are so strict regarding human contact. Our young need the training and support of a Pack and Alpha so they can handle their wolves when they emerge. Children are precious to us; most only get pregnant once every five decades or so.”

The room was warm and humid, and reggae music played in the background. I looked around the pool, which was packed with mostly naked women, although plenty of men were there too. All looked like they were young and fit, the oldest in their fifties. I felt plain-looking in comparison, and my dress slacks and white shirt stuck out. “How does that work?”

“We live a long time, Lana. That woman at the table there?” I saw a woman with gray hair talking to four others. “She’s over three hundred years old.”

“Wow.”

“Come on, the Deputy’s in the pool.”

We walked past the tables and the snack bar, as I took in all the people having a good time. I could see the waterslide, and noted that translucent window film now covered the window. We got to the edge, and I recognized the hair. “Deputy Brighton?”

Mark was standing in the chest-deep water, surrounded by beautiful naked women. One was massaging his back as another came in and pressed her body against his as she smelled his neck. She shook her head no, clearly disappointed as she backed away before another took her place. “Can I help you, Agent…”

“Lana Black, FBI. I need to confirm you are here voluntarily and not in danger,” I said.

He looked around and laughed. “I’m sick and dying, but other than that, I’m having the time of my life,” he said. “All these beautiful women came here to see if they are mine.”

“More are still arriving, Mark. If she’s out there, we’ll get you together.”

“I appreciate what you are doing, Alpha, but we both know it’s a shot in the dark. I’ll enjoy every moment until the fevers take me.” He looked at me. “I’m fine, Agent Black. You’d need a tactical team and a bulldozer to get me out of here.”

“I’ll let my boss know,” I said as I pulled my phone out.

Rori led me away from the pool, towards the older man he arrived with and his medical kit. “He’s in the water because it helps with the fever. When it spikes, we have a tub ready with ice for him. We’ll do whatever it takes to help him, Lana.”

“I can see that. If you’ll excuse me.” I walked away and made the call.