Baby and the Wolf by Victoria Sue

Chapter Nine

It was complete shit,but Ryker’s phone woke them again. He sent Emmett a half-asleep, apologetic look and answered it.

Ryker listened a moment. “Get the team ready.” There was a pause. “Then we’ll have to manage without one.” He scowled. “I don’t care. What about Jesse?” He was quiet for a moment. “Louis?” But he winced the second he’d asked the question, then told whoever he was talking to he’d be about thirty minutes. He tucked the phone under his chin and listened for another two or three minutes. He sent a regretful look to Emmett as he pushed the phone into his pocket. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“Is there a problem?” Emmett followed Ryker as he pulled on his clothes and stalked to the door.

“I told you I do the rescue work? Well, the park rangers found a cave with a group of shifter kids from a pack that was taken over recently.”

“Kids?” Emmett said in surprise, fully waking up.

“They’ve gotten stuck in there, and if any of them are in the state of the omega coming to us, they’re going to need a medic. The trouble is they don’t trust us, and the rangers are worried the whole cave system is unstable.”

“Does someone from their pack know them?”

Ryker shook his head. “No, these kids were held separately from the rest of them.”

Emmett frowned. “How far away is the cave?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Can I come? I’ll be careful and stay out of the way.” He took a gamble when Ryker hesitated. “If I’m going to live here, I want to know what it is you do.” He saw the flash of longing in Ryker’s eyes and guilt stabbed at him. He still wanted to go though. “And I think the bite mark on my neck kind of qualifies me.”

Ryker flushed. Emmett didn’t want to score points. That wasn’t what this was, but he was serious about wanting more than a bodyguard. “You promise to do what I say when I say it? And that’s not me being a dick. I won’t know what the situation is until I get there.” He sent a meaningful look to Emmett’s belly.

“Promise.”

Ryker nodded, and Emmett grabbed a warm jacket. He was glad he’d remembered to bring his boots. When he was ready, Ryker came out of the kitchen with what looked like a sandwich. “Eat,” he instructed.

Emmett obeyed, unwrapping the packet as soon as he got in Ryker’s truck. “Tell me what I will see?”

“Rescue One will be on site in about fifteen minutes—Fox, Red, Chrissy, Liam, and TJ. We’re going to pick Chrissy up on the way. The EMT–Marco–and two of the park rangers are there, but the kids are panicked, and there’s an access problem apparently. We’ll be able to see better when we get there.”

“Are the park rangers yours?”

“Both human but trusted.” Which explained a lot, Emmett supposed.

“Do you have a Rescue Two?”

Ryker nodded. “We can split up, but we only have one medic.” They pulled up near the pack house steps a moment later, and Chrissy got in. She sent Emmett an approving look.

“How many kids?” Emmett asked.

“They’re not saying,” Chrissy replied. “There’s one who’s been talking a little, and Marco says he would guess eight or nine years old, but he won’t confirm it. If he’s been talking, it would make sense he’s the oldest. From what we can gather from the pack, there seems to be around eleven kids unaccounted for, but we have no idea if all of them are here or not.”

“Why are they in the cave?” Emmett asked. “Do we know?”

“They’re scared to death and hiding,” Chrissy said in disgust. “We think some asshole enforcer told the kids that the new alpha wouldn’t let them live because of who their fathers were and they ran. When the omega houses got taken over—”

“What’s an omega house?” Emmett interrupted.

“Well, according to what I was told, the alpha had four houses and he kept them totally separate. Each house had one enforcer and two betas to keep the omegas in line and to keep the younger kids out of the way until they started training, then they would go to a bunkhouse. If the enforcer deserved a reward, he’d let them take a turn with the omegas after the alpha was through.”

Emmett paled. “You mean…”

Chrissy nodded. “Once the omega was pregnant with the alpha’s child, it was a free-for-all nearly. No one could get the omega pregnant because he was already, but apparently this particular enforcer got his hands on the same drugs the alpha used to bring on their heats.” She shook her head. “Omegas are like gold, and because of the low shifter birth rate some idiots think that makes them tradeable.”

“What happened to him?”

“Riggs escaped in all the confusion while they were rounding up the omegas.”

“Riggs?” Ryker snarled, and as Emmett glanced up at him, his knuckles whitened so much it was a wonder the steering wheel wasn’t crushed.

“Do you know him?” Chrissy asked.

“It might be a coincidence,” Ryker bit out. “My dad had a beta called Riggs.” He swallowed. “He was a bully when I knew him, and he’s the sort to progress to rape.”

Emmett met Chrissy’s gaze in the mirror.

“Is this the beta who shot you?”

Ryker nodded. “If it’s the same guy. I have no idea what he’s doing out here though. I moved because of Zeke, but my old pack is two and a half thousand miles away.”

“Riggs was particularly vicious with Darriel,” Chrissy said. “The omega we’re getting tomorrow. Riggs tried to get Darriel to leave with him, and because he wouldn’t, he beat him. He nearly killed him. He would have if Seth hadn’t gotten to him.”

“Is Seth one of ours?”

Chrissy smiled. “A hundred percent human and one of the bravest men I know. Jesse, his bear shifter mate, shifted and went after him, but he got away. They were too busy saving Darriel’s life.”

“He won’t get far,” Ryker promised.

Chrissy’s glanced at Ryker. “I suppose Riggs is a common name.”

Ryker’s grunt was noncommittal.

“How is anyone these days allowed to treat people like this though?” Emmett asked. “You said omegas are rare.”

“Yes, very. Panther omegas certainly. Wolves in particular went the other way and treated them like property. They’re uncommon, but up to as recently as twenty years ago, wolf packs treated male omegas like mar-wolves,” Ryker said.

“Mar-wolves?” Emmett queried.

“Because of gene dilution,” Ryker said. “Shifters breeding with humans occasionally meant you would get a pup born that couldn’t shift but wasn’t an omega. They were called mar-wolves and often expelled from the pack.”

“That’s awful,” Emmett whispered, his heart hurting for such an unjust system.

“And then the problem became worse,” Ryker continued. “A lot of packs started reporting an increase in mar-wolves. The entire wolf shifter population took a nosedive, and many packs disbanded because they simply didn’t have the wolves to keep them operational. So, despite being needed, omegas were blamed for the decrease in wolf shifters because they could never shift. Like they’d infected the race somehow.”

“We know for sure that some packs have become creative in increasing their population,” Chrissy added.

Emmett’s heart started beating loudly.

“The pack we’re getting Darriel from used male omegas for breeding. The alpha decided it was the only way he could get his own army, hence the omega houses.”

“And some unscrupulous alphas will pay a lot of money to a pack to get their hands on one.”

Emmett felt sick but was stopped from asking any more as they pulled into a clearing with two other vehicles; Emmett guessed they’d arrived. He got out slowly as Fox ran over to them. They were at the base of a sheer rock. There were two wolves prowling on the ground, and a man was lying flat on a ledge about twelve feet above them.

“The cave entrance isn’t very high,” Fox explained. “But we’ve had to pull away because we started a rockslide. There’s a back entrance, but it’s not safe. We sent scouts in, and the tunnel started crumbling, so they pulled out. We can’t rappel down either for the same reason.”

“Any contact?”

“Marco’s got a little information from one kid, but he’s scared. They won’t come to the cave entrance, and we can’t get to them. To be honest, I don’t know how they got in there in the first damn place unless it was bigger and the slides have caused the problem.”

Just then, an SUV joined the others in the clearing. Emmett’s eyes widened when his dad got out and pulled his jacket collar a little higher. He looked equally stunned to see Emmett but recovered quickly. He walked over to them. “I was on my way to the pack house. What do we have?”

Fox briefly repeated what he’d just told them. Two park rangers appeared in what looked like climbing gear from the trees to the left. “The whole cliffside is unstable. There’s a ridiculously small opening, we’d need a child to get through.”

Ryker huffed. “Jesse?”

“Jesse wouldn’t fit even if we could get him here, and he’s in Asheville,” Zeke said.

Ryker looked at one of the wolves who seemed the smallest, but that was relative. All the wolves were huge.

“How far away is the opening?” Emmett watched the wolf shimmer, and a gray-haired man stood in its place. Red threw him a ranger’s jacket and some pants, and he put them on quickly. “The actual access isn’t bad, but then it narrows quite dramatically. The kids are petrified. I tried to test the walls, but any movement threatens another landslide. Fuck knows how they got in there. I think there are three kids, but I’m not sure. The little guy who’s been talking to us is called Calvin, but he’s convinced the enforcer is going to hurt him if he talks to us, and he’s very reluctant to share anything.”

“What about Fox?” Emmett asked quietly. “Won’t he fit?”

Ryker followed Emmett’s gaze to the wolf shifter and looked puzzled. “Huh?”

Emmett flushed. “Never mind,” he hissed.

“No, what did you mean?”

Emmett squirmed. “It’s just you said you had Elk shifters, so…” And Ryker’s puzzled look cleared.

“It’s a nickname because of his gray hair and his social life. If he isn’t out patrolling, he’s in some bar. He isn’t a fox shifter.”

“I can get guys with oxygen tanks, but they won’t fit through,” the ranger said interrupting the conversation and saving Emmett from embarrassing himself further. Then Emmett processed the problem.

“What about me?” Emmett spoke before he even realized he was going to.

Ryker and his dad both turned with identical looks of horror on their faces. “Absolutely not” and “No fucking way” were said in unison. Emmett ignored them both and looked at the park ranger who seemed to know the most.

“Will I fit?”

He looked warily at Ryker–who growled alarmingly–and nodded reluctantly. “You’re about the only one who would, but even then it will be tight.”

“You’re telling me the ranger service doesn’t have anyone else?” his dad snapped out.

“They do,” the ranger confirmed. “She’s on her way, but we can’t risk a helicopter for the same reason that the rotor draft might cause another landslide. She’ll be an hour.”

“Which might be too late,” Emmett said quietly.

“He can’t even shift,” Ryker said. “There’s no way this is possible.”

Emmett ignored him again. “What would I have to do?”

“Crawl through and find out why the kids won’t come out. See if they’re injured or if it’s just fear.”

Ryker snarled. “I forbid it.”

Everyone’s conversation died, and Emmett stared at him. He was tempted to ask exactly who the hell Ryker thought he was to forbid Emmett to do anything, but he met Ryker’s eyes and saw the flash of fear in them. He walked up to Ryker—ignoring his audience—and reached up, cupping Ryker’s face. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to those kids and I could have helped.”

“But you’re—”

“Capable,” Emmett interrupted, knowing his dad was listening.

Ryker’s distress was palpable, and he leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. “I lied. I don’t just want to see you. I want you here all the time. I couldn’t cope with you being so far away, and I want you in my bed every night.” Emmett guessed every shifter would have heard that, and he didn’t dare look at his dad.

“Me too. So, let’s get this done, huh? So we can go home?”

“That’s bribery,” Ryker huffed.

Emmett didn’t reply, just made the “little bit” sign with his finger and thumb and turned back to the rangers. “Tell me what to do?”

“Actually,” Red said, breaking the silence and looking at Ryker. “He can wear the new O2 guard. Impossible on a shifted wolf.” Red didn’t bother asking Emmett to change because bulking him up was counterproductive. It also meant he had very little on him in the way of protective gear except a hard hat. He just fitted a cross strap over his chest, pushed in a square, brick-looking thing but was incredibly light, and showed Emmett the small, folded mask. “It will only give you thirty minutes of oxygen, but nothing else will fit through there.”

Red looked at Ryker. “Knee pads?”

Ryker shook his head. “Nothing that might get him snagged up.”

Emmett was ready in a moment. He experimented with the oxygen, then quickly put it away to save it. “Do we know any other names?”

“Calvin’s the only one who’s talking. We’re assuming he’s the oldest, but he won’t give us any more information.”

The ranger jogged down from the ledge. “He says Sarah’s gone to sleep and she won’t wake up.”

“Which could be lack of oxygen or simple exhaustion, Marco,” Chrissy said, practically wringing her hands. Emmett glanced at the medic, frustration poured off of him. Emmett knew he had to do this. Red slid a water bottle into another pouch and stepped back.

Ryker stepped forward. “There’s an open radio fastened to your belt. We can hear everything you say. You don’t have to press any buttons to talk.”

His dad was hopping from one foot to the other, clearly agitated.

Emmett walked up on the ledge. He wasn’t worried at that point; even if it was narrow, it wasn’t very high. They’d all agreed—much as he knew it was killing both Ryker and his dad—that he needed to go up alone to decrease the risk of a landslide. He was attached to a rope that Fox and Red let out slowly. He had a small, folded stretcher also attached to him that was just about big enough for a child when it was opened up. The entrance to the cave dipped quite sharply, and he crawled to the small opening in front of him. He stared in horror. He wasn’t even a hundred percent sure he would fit. What if he panicked and passed out? He would cause more problems. Emmett took a deep breath and centered himself, then crawled nearer to the hole.

“Calvin? Can you hear me?” My name’s Emmett.

What he got was a shuffling noise and a whispered “Uh-huh.”

“That’s great.” He tried on the off chance. “Can you come nearer so I can see you?”

“No. If I move, rocks fall off the walls. One hit Sarah.”

Emmett closed his eyes as a sick fear gripped him. He knew the guys were all listening, and the thought that Ryker was there gave him the bit of extra courage he needed. “I used to have a secret place to hide when I was smaller,” Emmett carried on as he shone the flashlight around the hole, but the passage banked a sharp left, so he couldn’t see in. “Mom used to make me snacks, and I’d take a flashlight and some juice and pretend I was searching for treasure.”

There was a silence for a moment, but then Calvin said, “Did you have to be quiet so the bad alpha wouldn’t get you?”

Emmett’s heart broke. Then he digested what Calvin said, and suspicion filtered in. “Calvin, did someone tell you to hide in here?”

Another silence.

“To hide from the bad alpha?” It was no good—he was going to have to go through. Not that there was an inch to spare. “Calvin?” he prodded.

“Yes.” The whisper was so quiet Emmett nearly missed it.

“Was it Riggs?”

“Yes,” Calvin admitted. “But we don’t have any water left, and Sarah won’t wake up.”

“Is there just you and Sarah?” Emmett shone the light through, and apart from holding his breath when a couple of pebbles slid away, he managed to crawl some more.

“No.”

Emmett shuffled further and tried not to think about how small the passage was. He couldn’t even lift his head. “Emmett?” Ryker’s voice was strained.

“I’m in the passage. I guess you heard all that?” He crawled determinedly. The roof was so low he felt it scrape his helmet. It was good that he wasn’t claustrophobic. “Tell me when you can see my flashlight, Calvin.”

“I can see it,” Calvin said, a little hope lifting his voice. A couple more yards and Emmett was through. The drop into the cave was only another foot. Emmett slid through on his belly and knelt up, shining the flashlight. He smiled at the four faces that suddenly sheltered their eyes from the beam.

“Are you really going to get us out?”

Emmett glanced at the small boy, who he would have guessed at around seven was Calvin, and nodded. “Absolutely. Where’s Sarah?”

Calvin nodded to another young boy with an older girl lying on his lap. Emmett tried to gently rouse her but she didn’t stir. She had a huge bump on her forehead and a trickle of dried blood running down her face. She was breathing, which was about the only good thing Emmett could say. “Ryker? There are five kids including Calvin, who’s the bravest young man I’ve ever met.” Emmett let his words carry deliberately. “We have a girl, Sarah, who’s unconscious and looks like she has a nasty bump on the head.” He broke off and smiled confidently at them all. “It’s yucky in here. I think we should all get out and go eat pancakes.”

Four hopeful faces that lifted at that.

“There’s a really good alpha who wants you all to join his pack.” He kept his fingers crossed, hoping the shifter language would work. “I need someone really brave to go first and lead everyone out. All you have to do is follow the rope, and my friend Chrissy will get you all fixed up. Her mate, Dinah, is awesome. She makes the best pancakes.”

“For real?” the little boy asked.

Emmett nodded. “I need to help Sarah.” He fixed his gaze on Calvin while he unfolded the stretcher. “All you have to do is hold the rope and follow it.” One end was tied to him, and the wolves had the other end. So long as the kids held the rope, they would get through.

Chrissy’s voice came on the radio. “And I need some suggestions. I mean, what will I do if I tell her to make blueberry and you’d really like chocolate chip? What if I forget the maple syrup?”

“I’m real thirsty,” a little girl–Ginny–whispered, and Emmett got out his water. The other two were Joshua and Mira. It was hard disciplining them to a few sips each, but he made it a reward for grabbing the rope.

“Calvin?” Brown eyes met his. “I need you to be the bravest and go first. I promise Chrissy will be at the other end.”

Calvin nodded and grabbed the rope. It was torturous. Emmett kept the radio on and listened to the sounds of them all getting clear. He closed his eyes in relief as the last one got out.

“Emmett?” It was Ryker’s voice.

“Sarah’s unconscious but breathing,” he confirmed.

“This is what we’re going to do,” Ryker said firmly. “You need to get her on the stretcher, then tie the rope to it. You follow behind in case it gets snagged on something.” Emmett felt one tug. Emmett clasped it and did as he was told. “Perfect.” Ryker’s voice was smooth and warm. “All we need you to do is get Sarah on the stretcher. Clip her in with the bands, and we will pull. I want you to keep ahold.” It was so good to hear his voice.

Fastening Sarah was easier said than done though, but Emmett eventually got her secure. “Ready.”

She was slowly pulled out the way Emmett had come in. The stretcher—small as it was—got snagged on everything. Emmett had to untangle it a few times. When he saw the entrance he could have cried, and with every inch he moved, he heard Ryker’s voice encouraging him. He’d just freed the stretcher from the corner when he heard a distinct rumbling. “Pull,” he yelled, and the stretcher yanked free. He was a second behind it and felt his hand grasped and pulled as the tunnel collapsed behind him in a shower of rocks and dust.

Then he was hoisted into strong arms, and Ryker simply jumped off the ledge. Emmett had a moment to experience the feeling of weightlessness before Ryker hit the ground with a thud and he was crushed protectively to his chest. Not that he minded.

“Emmett!” He lifted his head at the sound of Calvin’s voice and saw Chrissy trying to hold him back. Emmett lowered his arms from Ryker and opened them as Calvin barreled into him. Calvin hugged him tight, and Ryker simply held both of them. His dad wasn’t far behind and joined the hug. After a moment, when Ryker passed Emmett some water, he turned to Calvin, seeing him glugging his own. There were two SUVs ready to take the kids to the pack house. Marco was seeing to Sarah, but Calvin stuck to Emmett like glue. He glanced up at Ryker.

“Can Calvin ride back with us? I promised all of them Dinah’s pancakes.”

Ryker huffed. “You can all have whatever the hell you like. Marco is setting up a triage at the pack house, so let’s get them all home.”

“Emmett?”

Emmett turned to his dad.

His dad looked between Ryker and Emmett. He half smiled. “You were amazing, but I guess this means you’re not moving in?”

Emmett shook his head but stretched out his hand.

His dad pulled him into a hug and whispered, “It wasn’t what I was expecting, but he’s a good man. I’ll arrange for your things to be sent here.”

Emmett sighed in relief. Causing problems between them was the absolute last thing he wanted. “Are you coming up to the pack house? I think we’re going to need everyone.”

“Try stopping me,” his dad said fervently and rushed to help the shifters settle the kids into their seats.

Emmett felt a small hand slide into his and glanced down at Calvin’s dirty but smiling face.

“You ready to go get pancakes?”