Endangered Species
Buffer Zone

“We’ve already searched and cleared this area,” Cole told the three humans in the lead Humvee. “It takes time; we clear vehicles and trees from the road, search the homes and businesses for anything useful, then raze everything to the ground.”

“You burn the buildings?”

“Yes. We cannot leave hiding places for anyone who might come our way. Our security plan envisions a five-mile uninhabited buffer zone to the base fence.”

Wow. “That encompasses a LOT of towns and homes!”

“It does. Poulsbo and Silverdale are weaknesses because the fastest way for the hordes escaping Seattle to get here is by water. By going scorched earth on the land, we convince the refugees to go elsewhere before they get close enough to threaten our base.” He looked at the women. “You don’t want to head towards Bremerton or Bainbridge Island. My scouts tell me hundreds of people land there every night.”

Oh my God! “Is it that bad in Seattle?”

“Worse than you can imagine,” Cole said. “Plenty of people survived in the underground areas but have no food, running water, sanitation, or the rule of law. Roving gangs rob, rape, and take whatever they want. Half the city has already burned. You have to be damn desperate to risk that trip across the Sound, but they are doing it on anything that floats. The hipsters aren’t happy when they get here and replace Starbucks is closed and they don’t have cell coverage. You’ll see.”

A few weeks ago, the Seattle area was thriving, with four million residents. Now? If there were forty thousand, that was still too many once the stored food ran out. “How many people are you replaceing out here?”

“Fewer every night,” he told us. “The dumb ones think we are vulnerable and attack us. They get killed and we take their stuff. The smart ones hunker down and let us pass. ”

“Does that work?”

He shook his head, no. “The wolf in the turret picks up their scents and remembers their hiding places. We’ll deal with them on the way back.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean, deal with them?”

“The ones that hide aren’t predators; they are survivors. We must do something because they are after the same resources and might attract others. Eventually, they might be a threat, so we can’t allow them to live in our dead zone. Until our deal, we would have captured the females and disposed of the rest. I have instructed the Pack to interrogate those we capture. Individuals and families with skills that can help the Pack will get a chance to join us.”

One of the women snorted. “And those who refuse?”

Cole shrugged his shoulders. “They can leave before we torch their hiding place and confiscate their supplies,” Cole replied. “We will not allow anyone close to our home. Warn those refugees coming our way to turn around, and they will live longer.”

Cole stiffened a moment later, and the convoy screeched to a halt a few hundred yards from a four-way stop. The flames showed a gas station on the left side was stripped bare by looters, while the businesses on the right were still burning. A small church remained on the far side, along with a few dozen houses behind it. I could see a small fire illuminating a home in the distance. Maybe a burn barrel? “What’s going on?”

“Ambush. There are humans along both sides of the road up ahead,” Cole replied. “Stay down. We’re sending warriors out to flank them.” He must have used the link to tell the other vehicles to shut off their lights, plunging us into darkness.

The other women with me weren’t armed or wearing body armor, but I was. I withdrew my pistol, checking the chamber. “What do you want me to do?”

“Take the wheel,” Cole replied as the driver unbuckled. I holstered my sidearm. “When I tell you, drive towards the intersection. The armor will give protection against small arms, but you ladies stay down. Pretend you’ve been disabled before you reach them. We’ll hit them with the fifty as they approach, then I’ll lead the warriors in the counterattack.”

“Couldn’t you bypass the ambush? They might be in prepared positions, with interlocking fields of fire and something to disable our vehicles. That’s how I’d do it.” I moved into the driver’s seat and buckled in.

“I could, but they likely don’t have anything big enough to destroy this car, and they won’t expect us to be armored and armed. We can’t let them live.” Cole opened the door, and he and the driver slipped out onto the road with their rifles. “It’s going to be fun, my mate. My men are the trap, and you’re the cheese.”

It made some sense. The dark and cloudy night meant our headlights were the only illumination. His warriors could see, while the attackers couldn’t. They would focus on my vehicle, and the lights would destroy their night vision. I made sure the girls were lying on the floor. “I’m ready.”

“Once the firing starts, keep your head down and protect the girls.” He closed the door without a sound. Twenty seconds later, he tapped on the glass twice.

I turned on the headlights and put the Humvee in gear.

The trucks stayed put as I approached the intersection at low speed. The dancing fires cast long shadows, and my headlights didn’t show anyone. They didn’t give away their positions until I was thirty yards away. Two rounds struck the windshield but didn’t penetrate. I stopped, ducking low in the seat. “TURN THE CAR OFF AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP,” someone yelled.

I turned off the ignition and the lights. I could see figures approaching with guns, so I drew my pistol and waited. There was no way I was opening the door! They got within ten yards before Hell opened up.

The big turret-mounted fifty cal machine gun opened up on the gas station, blasting through walls and glass. Rifles opened up from the sides, quickly eliminating the humans on open ground. The battle was short, bloody, and one-sided. The wolves could see their enemy, while the humans could only see muzzle flashes when they fired. Less than a minute later, the guns went silent. “Move forward slowly,” the machine gunner yelled down.

I started the Humvee and put it in gear. Warriors were removing the steel beams meant to stop cars from driving through, and I could see half a dozen dead humans in front of the buildings. Cole motioned for me to stop by the gas station, and he and the driver got in. He pulled me into his lap, sniffing me and ensuring I was unharmed. “I’m fine,” I said as I tried to free myself. “The bullets didn’t go through. Any casualties?”

“One man took a round through his upper arm, but it missed the bone and will heal,” Cole replied. “Ten of their men dead.” I could see the lights of the trucks as they approached. “We’ll load up their arms and ammo, then do a quick drive-through to verify there aren’t others in these houses. We’ll search for useful things on the way back.”

I moved to the back seats, comforting the woman still shaking from being in a firefight. It’s not easy to forget the sound of gunfire pinging against the outside of your vehicle. “They would have killed us,” she whispered.

“Without the werewolves here? We’d have stumbled right into their trap. I’m sure they would have killed us. Eventually.” That realization made her shivering worse. Whispered conversations took place as we drove, centered around how helpless they were.

We cleared that housing tract and a few others before Cole said we’d gone as far as we could tonight. “Decision time, ladies,” he told them as they gathered in the bright headlights of a truck. “If you want to return and join the Pack, get back on the truck. If you want to leave, south is that way, and Bremerton is that glow over there.”

I’d brought six women with me. All hated the werewolves and couldn’t wait to get the fuck out of Dodge, which is why they went first. Two women changed their minds, tossing their bags back in the truck and climbing on board. The other four thanked me, then walked off.

We started working our way back. I stayed with Cole and the driver as we searched through a row of rural homes for anything useful. “If you can carry it, put it in the bag. If it’s too big, let me know.” We’d talked about our target list for tonight. Canned goods, toilet paper, batteries, drugs, and medical supplies from the houses. In the garages and sheds? We wanted older cars, trucks, or motorcycles with carburetors still in good operating condition. Gasoline was plentiful, but running vehicles were few.

The bad part of clearing houses? The smell. Bodies remained inside; they had another week of decay from the last homes I’d checked. I opened the windows in the kitchen just in time to hear gunfire in the distance. Four shots in rapid succession, then one. “What’s that?”

Cole linked with someone. “Trash pandas. They probably survived with an underground burrow, but raccoons spread disease.”

I nodded and went back to work. We found some good stuff, and the trucks bulged with loot as we drove back to the base. Cole was right; we had to replace and secure this stuff before fires or roaming mobs did.

He offered his hand on the ride home, and I took it. There were no recruits tonight. We talked about many things during our drive. He was more educated than I thought, and his love for his Pack showed through.

I let him stay in human form that night in bed, both of us in shorts and T-shirts. I threatened to castrate him if he tried anything, so he settled for cuddles. I tucked into his chest and slept well.

Unknown POV

I stayed far enough back they couldn’t hear or see me. It was easy; the group stayed so focused on what appeared in their flashlight beams that they never checked behind them. I waited to approach until I couldn’t hear the trucks anymore.

I stopped when I was only ten yards behind them. The four women were clueless, letting me do this quickly and efficiently. The tritium night-sights on my Glock lined up on the back of the woman on the left. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! It was like shooting plates in practice as I moved from one head to the next. The last woman turned and dove for the side of the road. I adjusted, but my shot hit her shoulder and spun her to the ground. I took two steps forward, aiming and putting my next round through her forehead as she tried to bring a pistol to bear.

I picked up the Glock pistol and stuck it in my cargo pocket. “Targets eliminated, Alpha,” I sent to him.

“Well done. Return to the truck and help with the search.”

“On my way.” It was a waste, but we couldn’t allow anyone with knowledge of our Pack and our defenses to walk away.