Yay! I finally wrote it! And yay for it being a longer chapter than normal! Thanks to Kogasha, Alanna99, enchantednight84, incarnated-soul, I-Love-Moony, and Kalika Scott for their reviews on chapter 31. Sorry this took so long in coming! -Becca

Chapter 32

Doug didn't have his gun. He'd left it at his condo and by now it was probably swarming with Rollson's men. The only thing he had was the cell phone Rollson had given him. He realized a little belatedly that it had probably been bugged. The information gleaned from his one call to Grady and the news would be fairly incriminating evidence, but not enough to prove him guilty. Rollson must also have some spies in town.

Doug glanced at his watch impatiently. It was a little after noon and the he still couldn't detect Tross' car in the parking lot below. He leaned against the wall and tried to ignore the nervous butterflies in his stomach. He needed the detective to get here now—before anyone decided to check what he was up there. Because Doug had decided to go in alone, and he suspected that no one would be up for that idea. It was best not to let them know.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Yes?" Doug asked, waiting for a reply before opening the door.

"It's me," Jamie's soft reply came back to him through the wooden barrier.

Doug moved to the door and slid open the dead bolt and pulled the door back. Jamie stood there looking tall and thin and frail. He knew she was a lot stronger than she looked. Countless hours of fighting technique practice together proved it. But her looks were deceiving. And she would always be his baby sister.

He held out his arms and she moved into them, giving him a long hug.

"I missed you so much," she said. "And we haven't had any time to catch up. Everything's been so crazy."

"I missed you too," Doug replied a little wistfully. This was the first time he'd hugged her without being so painfully aware that she wasn't human anymore. It was too bad that this was probably the last time that he'd ever see his sister. The last time that he'd ever see any of them for that matter. He had a hard time pulling back from the embrace. Her sisterly affection was the one small comfort he still had. He only wished that he could find some way to say goodbye without tipping her off.

He let out a long breath.

Jamie pulled back then, looking concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, giving her a hesitant smile. "I was just thinking about how young you are."

Jamie snorted at this.

"Just keep yourself safe, okay?" Doug said. "You've got too much life ahead of you to waste it all now."

Jamie shrugged her fine-boned shoulders. "What choice do I have?" she asked him. "What choice do any of us have? Rollson's not giving us a choice, so we'll have to fight."

Jamie pulled her straight hair back from where it framed her face. "Have you got any plans?" Jamie asked. "I've been thinking about it and I'm drawing a blank. If only the other wolfs hadn't bailed out on us."

Doug knew that he had to put on a good show now. This was the part that mattered. Jamie had to think that he was still indecisive. He shrugged his shoulders and set his mouth in a grim line. "I'm working on it, Jamie. I'll think of something. And soon. We can't stay here like sitting ducks."

Jamie nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. We're way too conspicuous here."

"How about we plan a meeting for tonight?" Doug suggested, hoping she couldn't tell what he was up to. Jamie was good at reading people and knowing what they were up to. But Doug had years of practice in tricking her. It was necessary sometimes. And this was one of those times. "Bring everyone. I'll think of something by then. I'll make myself."

Jamie nodded. Doug almost let out a sigh of relief, but he held it in. He'd fooled her. Now he needed to go downstairs to see if the detective was there.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked Jamie.

She nodded tiredly. He suddenly realized how weary she was. He didn't blame her. She'd probably been the go-to girl, making sure that everyone was okay and feeling semi-secure. "What do you need?"

"I was wondering," Doug said with a wince, feeling bad for placing a pointless mission on her shoulders. But it was the only way he could think of sending her away without making her suspicious. "if you could check up on everyone. I want to know who's going to be an asset and who's going to be a problem and anything else we might need to know. And give them pep talks if you need to. I need them to be able to work together."

Jamie nodded. "I'm on it."

"Thanks," he said and they gave each other a quick final hug. "And Jamie?" Doug added. "Don't wear yourself out."

Jamie shrugged indifferently. Doug knew she was hiding most of what she was feeling. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You have more important things to worry about."

As soon as she had disappeared down the hall, Doug stepped from his room, shutting the door firmly behind him. With a quick glance he began to move toward the lobby. A tall figure with broad shoulder rounded into the hall just as Doug reached the corner. Doug moved to the right to avoid a collision but the guy moved with him. Their shoulders collided and Doug nearly spun around with the force of the movement.

Laughing dark eyes turned to stare him in the eye. "This isn't over. I saw what you did."

"Oh, yeah?" Doug folded his arms across his chest and responded in a slightly sharp tone. "And just what did I do, Alec? Maybe you should be thinking about what you did! I don't want any part of this. I never did."

"So do me a favor and don't bring me into this, okay?" He lifted his hands as if to ward off Alec. He gave him a hard look and turned to walk away.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have kissed my girlfriend!"

The sound of a door opening resounded in his ears. "He didn't kiss me," a new voice entered the conversation. "I kissed him. So if you have a beef, take it up with me."

Doug turned back to see Amber's head ducking out of a room to the right. A face was right behind hers with a lank of long black hair and a pair of midnight blue eyes staring out curiously. He hadn't realized that he and Alec had made that much of a racket. They probably hadn't. Wolf ears were notoriously sensitive to the slightest sound.

Alec only barked out discontentedly. "And that makes a difference?"

So Alec had known. He'd suspected as much. Alec just needed someone to get angry with, someone to work out his frustrations with. Doug shrugged and began to turn away. He didn't have to be part of this. He couldn't help but take a glance at Leigh as he was turning. This had to be news to her. It was puzzling to find she didn't show any surprise on her face. Instead, her cheeks were slightly read under his gaze.

Amber was opening her mouth to make some retort but Doug wasn't paying attention to her. He knew that he had been looking too long in Leigh's direction. He moved his head in a slight nod to make the situation less awkward.

Then he turned and left, hearing the sounds of Amber and Alec arguing behind him. He had no time for this. He had more important things to do. But he couldn't help the roiling feeling in his stomach, and he couldn't seem to push the picture of Leigh from his mind. He was leaving the situation untied. There was more that he needed to do, seeing as he would probably die within the next few hours. But he was too stubborn. He hated his pride just then for not allowing himself to turn back.

He nodded to the desk clerk as he passed and pushed through the front doors. The warm sun slanted over his skin and he heard the distant sound of cars driving in the background. Everything seemed so normal, so in place. It seemed so weird to think that things could be so wrong. That in a matter of a few short weeks, his life had been turned completely upside-down.

There was a conspicuous-looking police car sitting next to his truck with a man in the driver's seat. Tross sat there, chewing on something—probably his lunch. Doug moved over to the side window and it slowly rolled down at his approach.

Tross took another bite of his bagel.

"Do you have it?" Doug asked, his face impassive. He wasn't about to give Tross an opening. He couldn't let Tross see how muddled and confused he was inside.

"I got it all," the detective replied begrudgingly and eyed Doug with a scrutinizing gaze. "You'd better be happy with what I got you, because it was all I could afford to take. The boss will have my hide if he finds out. Only two bullet proof vests. And I could only get hold of two insulated rubber suits. I've got guns and plenty of ammunition and a bomb that would blow up this entire hotel. New technology…I'm surprised I was even able to get my hands on it. You sure as heck better be happy because I'm going to be skinned alive."

Doug nodded, ignoring the detective's sour tone. "Let's get this stuff in the back of my truck. We can put the tarp over top so no one can see it."

Tross placed his bagel on a napkin in the passenger's seat and got to his feet with a sigh. The two began to surreptitiously move the equipment from one car to the other. When they were finished, Doug knotted the tarp tightly over the equipment that he'd secured in place.

The dectective was eying him again with a penetrating look in his hawk eyes. His angled face held a suspicious look. "You're not planning on doing this—whatever you're doing—alone, are you?"

"No," Doug replied stiffly.

"Don't lie to me," the detective replied in sharp undertones. "I don't know exactly what you've got in mind, but I don't like it. It's dangerous. Let me come along."

"No," Doug repeated stubbornly.

The police man turned him around roughly with a hard look. "Don't tell me you're this stupid. It's a suicide mission! Even I can see that—and I have no idea what you're going to do."

Doug shrugged and looked up at the hotel. "At least they'll be safe," he said stubbornly. "I can do this. And if I don't come out alive? Well, that's life."

"Doug," Tross growled. "There are two suits."

"And I'm going to take the other one with me," Doug replied, folding his arms across his chest, "just so that you don't get any bright ideas."

The detective gave him a sullen look and hopped jerkily back into his car. "Fine!" he snapped. "Your funeral!"

He slammed the door to the car. With one final furious glance, he squealed out of the parking lot.

The detective was right. It was his funeral. But at least he had had a goodbye moment with Jamie. Leigh was the only untied ribbon in his life. With a sigh he started around the truck to the driver's side.

"Doug!"

He knew that voice. His heart beat quickened as he looked up. Leigh was charging through one of the doors. It took her less than an instant to recognize him across the parking lot. She hurried toward him.

Without even thinking, Doug moved back around the truck to meet her. She stopped short a foot from him, looking flustered. She took a deep, gulping breath. "Doug…I—I um…"

Doug swallowed hard, pitying her flustered state. But he didn't know how to help her. He didn't know what to say.

"Amber told me yesterday—I'm so sorry! I never—I shouldn't have said those things. I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. How could I have said those things?"

She was rambling off, on the verge of hysteria.

Her eyes were so pleading that he couldn't hold onto his pride. He felt the rest of it drain away. He reached out a hand to brush a stray strand of hair that was falling across her face. "It's okay," he whispered.

He pulled her to him and then they were kissing. A long hard kiss. And for a moment, neither of them could resist. They just kissed over and over again. He could feel her heart beating hard against his chest. He only wished that he could get closer. She tasted so sweet. He was rolling on a wave of sensations.

Slowly he pulled back. He had to leave before he lost his resolve.

"I have to go," he said, their faces so close that their breaths mingled. He gave her one last kiss before moving away.

"But—" Leigh began.

"No, we'll talk later," he told her gently. "I have to go." He added as an afterthought. "I love you."

Her eyes widened for a moment to show that she had heard him and then her nose sent her mind in another direction. She sniffed the air surreptitiously. Doug felt his heart pounding in his chest. He hoped she couldn't smell it.

"You have explosives," she said suspiciously. "Or a bomb. I can smell it."

Doug felt his heart fall into his stomach. He shrugged. "Yeah. We're going to need them soon enough—once we've got a plan figured out."

"Doug?" Leigh frowned, chewing her lip. "Where are you going?"

"To pick up some more equipment," he lied.

She took hold of his arm and turned him back just as he began to turn away. She sent him a hard look. "Don't lie to me," she whispered. "You forgot to block your mind."

Doug's stomach flopped. "Believe me, Leigh, this is for the best."

"Oh no you don't," she replied. "You are not doing this alone. I won't let you."

With that, she brushed past him and hopped into the passenger seat of his car. The door was swinging shut when Doug caught it. He wrenched it back open again. "Get out of the truck, Leigh."

"No," she refused stoutly.

Doug warned, advancing on her. "If I have to manhandle you I will. I will pull you out of there."

Leigh raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "Why don't you go ahead and try?" She said, bracing herself. "I'm not leaving this truck and you can't make me. I'm just as strong as you are, so don't forget it."

Doug let out a frustrated moan. "Don't you see I'm doing this for you?"

"Well, I love you too," Leigh snapped. "So stop being so stubborn and let me help you! You're not going to win this argument."

Doug let out a weary sigh and leaned his head against the open door. "Leigh, please," he said weakly.

Her only response was to pull on the seatbelt and lock it into place.

Doug let out another defeated sigh and shut the door. He moved around the side of the car and hopped in. He turned on the engine with a manic flourish. Nothing was going as he had planned.