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Using her high-powered binoculars, Commander Chawni Reed meticulously observed the cave entrance from beneath the timberline. Her lips were a thin line, revealing the frustration bubbling inside her. The lone human woman was a thorn in her side, always causing trouble. The clear bond between the two shifters and the woman further entangled the already complicated situation.

“You’re sure about them imprinting on her?” she demanded.

“Yes, Commander,” the barred owl quietly responded.

As the group of shifters exited the cave, her focus stayed fixed on them, intrigued by their movements. A group of at least twelve mercenaries were making their way out. The two wolf shifters her scout had spotted lay motionless on the ground surrounded by eight of the mercs.

This situation could get very messy, she grimly acknowledged to herself.

General Eric Singleton’s appearance only added to her growing sense of unease. The situation had reached a critical point where the risks involved were too high to ignore. She grappled with the dilemma of whether to expose their existence in order to protect a lone human and her shifter companions. Sacrificing them as collateral damage might be a more strategic approach.

“I don’t see the human among them,” Julius murmured.

She didn’t either, and that surprised her. Watching intently, she observed the group moving downwards. Five of the mercenaries had shifted and were in tracking mode. Just as she was about to lower the binoculars, a subtle movement above the cavern grabbed her attention. Zooming in, she was taken aback to see the human woman positioned above the group, causing her lips to part in surprise.

“Well, well, well,” she murmured.

“Ma’am?” Julius’ tone was questioning.

“Twelve o’clock.”

It took Julius two sweeps of the area before he spotted the woman. A low whistle escaped his lips, followed by a chuckle. A smile played on her lips at his reaction.

“Unexpected,” she commented.

“What are your instructions?” he asked.

After a moment of contemplation, she lowered her binoculars. It could be prudent to exercise patience at this juncture. It was clear that the woman possessed a great deal of resourcefulness.

“Keep an eye on her. Instruct the others not to engage unless they have a clear path to take the mercs out without being seen,” she instructed.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chawni remained where she was as Julius left to instruct the four members of the team she had brought. Her eyes shifted to the barred owl perched on a nearby stump. Its piercing gaze was fixed on the distant point of the cave.

“Axios,” she murmured.

“Yes, Commander.”

“Help her mates if you can,” she ordered.

Axios bobbed his head slightly before taking off into the air, his wings creating a soft whooshing sound. She lifted the binoculars to her eyes once more, this time taking extra care to focus on the distant object in the distance. The woman vanished from her hiding spot above the mercs. As she glanced back at the group of men, she silently prayed that the decision she was about to make was the correct one.

“Julius.”

“Yes, Commander,” Julius said, stepping closer.

“I need the satellite phone,” she murmured.

SBSI Headquarters

* * *

“Agent Southpaw, there’s a message for you.”

Darlene Southpaw casually lifted her hand in acknowledgement, the soft glow of the computer screen casting a soft light on her face as she picked up the phone. She was meticulously analyzing the evidence collected by the Bearclaw, Timberwolf, and Redfoot Security Agency, along with the mysterious disappearance of Lorne Timberwolf, to determine any possible connections to the shifter’s body found washed up in the Sound.

“Darlene Southpaw, how may I help you?” she greeted.