Now more than one security-camera view was visible at a time. Her alarms had worked, and outside the building Dexter was in Laney’s arms, just barely visible across the street in a gathering of familiar faces.
There was no sign of Evan.
Amy took the time to trigger a program she’d written ages ago during her revenge-planning days. The one that would set off alarms at random intervals. She added in the power grid, which would set up the lights to fail in a random series. She hit start, then headed back to the door ready for the next stage of the adventure.
Down one more set of stairs, around the corner, she slipped into Evan’s office and stood motionless against the side wall, waiting for her heart rate to slow before she risked opening the mainframe.
Mike was only a dozen steps on the other side of the door from her.
She checked Evan’s phone again, but it only confirmed what she had suspected. While Mike seemed in no rush to burn things as he’d threatened, Toby was no longer in the mechanical room. Instead, he and Lance were both on their way back to the bar.
She bet anything they were hoping Evan would show up.
Which meant she couldn’t wait any longer. She tiptoed across the floor and opened the computer in the corner. Evan had crashed all the Moonshine Inn laptops at one time or another, and Amy had slipped remote access codes into all of them.
But the big old mainframe was the jackpot for taking control of the final touches.
She opened the master control and stared for a moment at the flashing command box. All of the doors in the inn had an electronic safety lock. When given the order, the doors would automatically swing open to allow visitors to exit in a rush during an emergency.
If she reversed the command codes, the opposite would be true. None of the doors would open without her specifically setting them to release. She only needed the password, and the change would be complete.
So. What would Evan pick for a master password? She was sure he would have chosen it, even if Caroline used the controls one hundred percent of the time.
No hesitation. There was only one thing Evan would have selected before anything else. The one thing always on his mind, at least when he would have set up the code.
She typed in “whitehorseforever”.
The screen she needed popped open. She did a happy dance silently in her chair as her fingers flew to input commands.
One set of commands locked the doors.
The next set primed the service entrance with the access code “united”.
The third shut down all programming access again.
Amy turned away from the computer and rushed to the main door of Evan’s office. She hesitated briefly, but it had to be done. The wolves on the other side of the door had made some big mistakes in staging a rebellion, but they didn’t know they were trapped. They didn’t know the game had changed, and unless they were told, they couldn’t change their mind and give up.
She stepped through the door and into the immediate attention of the rebel wolves.
Evan thrust Dexter into his mom’s arms, spinning on the spot to head back to the building.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Shaun was at his side, sprinting forward and matching his pace.
“Amy is still in there. I’m going to get her.” Evan attempted to jerk the door open, but it was firmly locked. “Shit, that’s right. The code.”
“Takhini has the place surrounded,” Shaun reported as Evan opened up the control panel and entered the password. “And those geeky computer dudes from Canyon who work for Amy did something they said would override any calls from inside the inn to the fire department or police department until we give the word. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope so too.” Evan tried the door again, but it still didn’t budge. “I need you to stay out here and keep things under control. If anything explodes, call the fire department. I’m going in and getting Amy.”
Shaun rested his hand on Evan shoulder. “She’s a smart woman, your mate. She’ll get it done, and then we can kick some butt and get those rebels to smarten up.”
Evan tapped in united again, hit enter and sighed with relief as the door swung open before he even touched it. “She is smart, and I have no idea why she’s willing to put up with me. But I’m so glad she is.”
He stepped through the door and pulled it shut behind him.
It was déjà vu. So much like a few weeks earlier when he’d walked into the darkness, only this time he knew somewhere ahead of him, his mate was waiting. He’d found her, and damn if he’d let anyone take her away.
She’d been in the hall recently. He followed her trail all the way to his office, getting in without any trouble. That’s when he realized what she’d done.
The door on the bar side of the room was open a crack, and laughter poured through. Nasty, mean laughter, followed by the sound of skin smacking skin, and the faint cry of pain from his mate’s lips.
Fury enveloped him. At that moment he had no desire whatsoever for the authorities to come and pick up the bastards. He wanted to tear them apart one piece at a time for daring to touch her.
He slung open the door and stepped through like an avenging angel, infuriated by the sight of Amy held tight between two wolves. Toby stood before her, his fist raised for the next blow.
“Touch her again and you die,” Evan promised. His words soft, but deadly.
“The guest of honour has arrived.” Another wolf rose to his feet, throwing the drink in his hand to the floor where glass and liquid splashed up over his flunkies. “We can do this so many ways, but the old ways are sometimes best. I challenge you for this territory. You’re not worthy to be in charge.”
“Let her go, and you and I can dance.” Evan stepped closer to Amy, keeping an eye on the wolf he assumed was Mike.
For some reason, Toby didn’t get out of the way. He opened his mouth to say something, but Evan had zero tolerance left by this point. He simply raised both fists, catching Toby under the chin with his rock solid hands, sending the wolf crashing into the others.
Evan turned a cold eye on the pack members who’d betrayed him and were now holding Amy’s arms. “Are you deaf? I said, let her go.”
He wasn’t sure who they were more afraid of, him or Mike. They glanced in both directions before opening their hands and stepping back.
Who they should have been afraid of was Amy. The instant she was no longer restrained she swung, one fist flying in an uppercut that crushed a jaw even as she followed through the opposite direction with a kick. The second wolf’s head snapped back as his feet lifted off the ground, and he flew backwards a good three feet.
Evan smiled at his mate. “Nicely done.”
Amy gingerly touched the swollen corner of her mouth, wiping away the blood. “Toby’s swings were getting a little boring. I’m glad you could join us.”
“Why, this is all so lovey-dovey and friendly-like.” Mike picked up the chair next to him and threw it across the room. He roared before setting himself squarely to face Evan and Amy, big fists rising to the ready. “Enough. Take the challenge, or get on your belly and crawl.”
“Hold that thought. Even though it was a touch too melodramatic.” Evan faced Amy. “Your choice.”
She looked confused, watching Mike out of the corner of her eye. “What are you talking about?”
“Do I fight him? Or do we let the authorities take care of him for everything he’s done? I’m pretty sure we can get him locked up for quite a while.”
In spite of the bruises on her face, he’d never seen her look more beautiful. “You would do that for me?”