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Monica, Andy, and Craig made their way through the woods like Monica and Andy had done before, keeping out of sight of the cabin's windows.

Once they reached the back of the house, Andy said, “What about if I go in as a bear? You have a gun and can join me, Monica. If Helen tries to shoot me, you shoot her.”

“Let’s do it.”

“What do you want me to do?” Craig asked.

“Just wait here. If it sounds like we’re in trouble, come help us in any way you can.”

Which meant shifting into his bear if he had to, since he didn’t have a weapon to protect himself.

The back door had remained open since they left the cabin earlier. All three of them waited at the back door, listening for any sign of anyone in the house moving about. Creaking on the floor in the bedroom revealed that Helen was still up there, probably with the door locked.

They all went inside, and Andy stripped off his clothes.

He was so far away from the open front door that no one could see him.

Even if Helen came to the balcony at the top of the stairs, she couldn’t see him either.

Then he shifted into his bear. He sprinted through the living room, still far enough back that Roger couldn’t see that a bear was in the cabin.

Andy navigated the stairs, and of course, they had to creak, announcing he was on his way to the bedroom. Monica placed herself behind the couch, which gave her the perfect shot should Helen try to leave the bedroom and shoot at Andy.

He finally reached the landing. He didn’t need to unlock the door, though his lockpick was with his clothes.

All he had to do was break the door, having a more satisfying effect.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t get shot at right after he did it because she could shoot at him from the bedroom, and Monica wouldn’t be able to get a shot off at her.

The stairs creaked behind him, and he turned. Monica was coming up the stairs with her gun readied. He did not want her to get shot. She nodded, indicating that he should go ahead and break down the door.

As soon as he moved toward the door, she followed him, and he realized she would shoot Helen if she had to. He ran to the door, bashed it in, and then backed away. He would have liked to have gone in and knocked her out, but he couldn’t risk getting shot.

Monica rushed forward but was out of view of the inside of the room.

“Helen, come out with your hands up. Drop your weapon.”

Helen didn’t comply.

Andy sat on his rump. He wanted just to go in and scare the hell out of Helen, but he was afraid she would start shooting. Certainly, he wouldn’t blame her if she shot at a polar bear that looked ferocious and wanted to rip her to shreds.

Monica was poised, ready to end this. “Helen, I’m not waiting all day for you to comply. We’ve taken everyone to jail. You might as well give up before you get hurt. We’re not leaving until you’re in custody.”

They still needed to arrest Pierre, though.

“Everyone’s saying you were the mastermind. You should at least have a chance to defend yourself against these allegations,” Monica said.

Silence.

Monica stuck her phone beyond the door frame to see where Helen was, and Helen fired her weapon. Monica yanked her phone back and then checked the recorded video. It worked better and safer when she attached it to a tire iron, Andy was thinking!

Monica began crouching like she would rush into the room and take Helen down. Andy couldn’t allow it. He growled at Craig. Monica looked at the two of them, and as if she suddenly had a better idea, she quickly pulled out her phone and texted Andy.

Craig found his phone in his pants pocket on the floor where he’d ditched his clothes. He pulled out Andy’s phone and texted Monica back.

Andy wondered what they had in mind.

Craig began looking through closets, finally pulled out a ladder, and headed out the back door.

After a few minutes, with his sensitive hearing, Andy heard the ladder lightly clank against the metal railing of the bedroom balcony out back. Anxious, Andy prayed Helen wouldn't shoot his brother. But he figured Craig would cause a distraction so Andy and Monica could take down Helen.

Andy listened carefully but didn't hear anything more until something slammed into the glass, maybe the bedroom glass door with access to the balcony or one of the windows looking out on the scenery.

Immediately, Monica and Andy rushed into the room as Helen fired at Craig.

Anticipating the barrage of bullets, Craig had quickly moved down the ladder out of her line of fire.

Andy lunged forward without waiting for Monica to order Helen to drop her weapon.

They'd already given Helen enough chances to give up.

Fearing Helen would turn and shoot him because he looked so menacing, he charged into Helen.

Her eyes were huge, and her mouth gaped wide as if she was about to have a heart attack.

He could smell her fear and panic as he struck her with his paw, trying not to hurt her too much, though deep down, he was angry that she had wanted to kill them.

Someone was heading up the stairs, and Monica glanced out the door. "It's your brother. He's bringing your clothes, which is good because I hear your cousin and Roger coming to the front door."

Andy shifted, and once Craig handed him his clothes, he dressed.

Monica checked on Helen. "She's alive."

"Good."

Then she handcuffed Helen. "We need to get her to Roger’s patrol car.”

"Is this the last of them?" Craig asked.

"No. We still need to apprehend Pierre." Monica holstered her gun.

Andy and Craig carried Helen out of the bedroom and down the stairs, where Roger and Rob were waiting.

"What happened to her?" Roger asked.

"I knocked her out before she could shoot Monica and Craig." Andy told Roger how Craig had created the distraction to give them time to apprehend Helen.

"That's good. I'm glad she didn't shoot anyone. Put her in my car, and we'll take her back to White Bear and have her checked out.”

They carried her to the patrol car when Helen began to stir and tried to get free.

Roger glanced at her. "She looks all right to me." He sounded relieved. "But we'll still have her checked out."

"Ohmigod, where's the polar bear?" Helen asked in a panic, glancing around wildly, looking for any sign of the menacing bear.

"There are no polar bears around here," Roger said, but then he paused as they put her on her feet so she could walk the rest of the way to the car.

"Yeah, that's what knocked me out!" Helen looked at Monica. "You saw it! It broke down the bedroom door. You were right there when he broke it."

Monica shrugged. "I didn't see any bear. I certainly would have been talking all about it. If I did see one, I'm sure he would have hurt me."

Roger shook his head. "Absolutely." As if that decided that.

Helen said, "You can't be serious! The bear nearly gave me a heart attack. I would have shot it but was so shocked that I forgot to. And then he hit me. I don't remember anything after that."

"Have you been drinking?" Monica asked as they reached the patrol car.

"No, I haven't been drinking."

"Using drugs?"

"No. And you can't deny he was there. He broke the damn door down!" Helen repeated.

"That door was flimsy, and I kicked it in," Andy said. "And Craig broke through the back door that led out to the balcony after climbing a ladder. You don't think he was a bear, too, do you?"

"Of course not!"

Smiling, Roger opened the car door for her, but as soon as he and Andy tried to get her into the car, she was kicking and trying to bite them, totally resisting arrest.

Andy liked her better when she was knocked out. Roger went to the other side of the car and opened the door, then reached in and grabbed her from his side while Andy pushed her in from his side. They finally got her into the back seat and seat-belted her in.

Andy shook Roger’s hand. “Thanks for coming to our aid again.”

“Just another day in the service of our citizens. I’m heading in with Helen.”

“We’ll interview her in a little bit,” Andy said.

“Sounds good. When I have days off though, I’m taking them,” Roger said.

Andy laughed.

Then Roger took off in his car and headed down the road.

Andy hugged his brother and cousin. “Thanks, Craig and Rob, for helping us with this.”

"Our pleasure. We didn't want you and Monica out here alone, getting yourself into more trouble."

Andy smiled. “You just wanted in on the action.” But he knew his brother and cousin had been worried about them.

For the next couple of days, they were both “grounded” regarding Craig's inability to fly on missions, though the sky was clearing, and he should be able to soon.

Rob's tour group business was paused during the worst winter weather until it straightened out. So what was the next best thing to do? Track Andy and Monica’s movements?

“Did you put a tracker on my vehicle?” Andy asked, amused.

“Yeah. Dad told us to do it,” Craig said. “Just to keep track of you. Mom and Dad want you all to join us at the tavern to have lunch with the family. They’re bringing in extra staff to do the lunch service.”

“That sounds great,” Monica said.

They got into their respective cars and followed Roger’s patrol car down the road.

“I take it this is a celebration for us, um, getting together?” Monica asked.

“Yeah. But our next issue is resolving where we live, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking.”

“I am. Okay, so I own a home in Anchorage, and you own one in White Bear. It’s about three hours to drive from White Bear to Anchorage.

You work a week on and a week off. Initially, I thought you could stay with me when you’re off, and I'll stay with you during the weekends when I’m off.

But we wouldn’t be able to see each other for the week you’re working. ”

“It’s a commute, but what if we bought a home or built a place halfway in between? That way, we would at least be together nights when I’m off.”

“Well, I had a more radical idea than that. Once I saw Alicia and the cubs out back and how you have all that acreage between you as a family, and how lovely it is to be with a big family like yours, I began revising my thoughts. What about your nephews and niece sitting? If I took you away from them, I would be the ultimate villain.”