His team was in place, and the streets were cleared out to allow the dark SUV to make its way down the street. The leader of the bank robbers had kept his promise and let a few of the hostages go. They were still in the dark on exactly who the robbers were, and Izek did not like it.

He would prefer to know who they were dealing with. Usually, they would have everything on the criminals—who they hung out with, parents’ names, and even what type of toilet tissue they preferred.

Glen, one of the wolf shifters of the unit, was posted on top of the building across the street. He was their sniper, and he was a crack shot. His keen sight as a shifter helped immensely.

“Glen, you got eyes on the door?” Izek asked, speaking into his communicator. Izek, Javri, and Vernon were armed and posted a few doors down from the bank’s entrance. If anything jumped off, they would be ready to infiltrate the bank.

“Yes, sir,” Glen’s steady, low voice came across the airways.

Lou, Oliver, and Eric were covering the back of the bank. They didn’t want to chance any of the robbers sneaking out the back entrance. They would infiltrate the bank from their side, and Izek and his men would enter through the front.

“Lou, come in,” Izek commanded.

“Lou, here.”

“Anything from your angle?”

“Quiet as a church mouse back here,” the bear shifter answered.

“Their vehicle is in position,” Walter announced.

“Tair?” Izek called out for the negotiator.

“Phone is ringing,” Tair confirmed before the air went dead. Seconds slowly ticked by before the glass door of the bank opened. “He’s going to send out a few more hostages.”

Stacia glared at the robbers as they paced the lobby of the bank. She sat with her back against the teller’s counter, fuming. They had let some of the customers go, but it was only her and the employees of the bank left.

She wondered if Izek was one of the cops working this case. She knew that he was a SWAT officer for the local police department. If he was, then they would be rescued. He and his team were the local heroes.

Whatever the robbers were trying to steal from the vault room was not there. An argument had broken out amongst the three criminals when it was discovered that the safety deposit box they were after was empty.

“He lied to us, man,” the shortest robber said to the leader. “We’re going to go to fucking jail and rot, while he continues living the high life.”

“Shut up!” the leader yelled, stepping in front of the other guy. “Let me think for just a goddamn second. He betrayed us, and he will pay for it. We’re going to get out of this.”

The phone to the bank began to ring. Stacia said a little prayer that the cops had done what the robbers had asked. The sooner the robbers left, the sooner this whole ordeal would be over. She was just glad that no one had been hurt.

“Is it here?” the leader barked into the telephone. “Good, just like we agreed. My men and I will get into the truck and drive off, and no one gets hurt. If I feel the slightest hint of betrayal from you, I will put a bullet into one of these people.”

Stacia glanced around the room, finding Carla looking shell-shocked, sitting beside the disheveled bank manager and the other three employees. Stacia could see that the robbers had roughed the manager up a little, as a faint bruise could be seen forming by his right temple.

“Let’s go, people. You’re going to be our tickets out of here,” the leader yelled out.

“Get up!” the third robber instructed, waving his gun around. Stacia stood, her body stiff from sitting in the same spot for so long.

“You! Come here,” the leader called out, making his way over to Stacia. “You’re one of those shifters, aren’t you? I can tell by the color of your eyes.”

“Get off me,” she yelled, pulling her arm away from the leader.

“Baines,” he snapped.

She watched in horror as the other robber pulled his revolver and placed it against Carla’s temple. Her bear snarled, but she drew her back, knowing that one wrong move could end the bank teller’s life.

“Now, you’re going to come with us,” he sneered. “One wrong move and you’ll have this innocent woman’s death on your hands. Are you going to cooperate?”

Stacia’s head jerked in a quick nod as she watched tears trail down Carla’s face.

“Whatever you want,” she whispered in a low voice. Her bear was not happy that she couldn’t maul these men to death. Soon, girl, she told her bear. Now is not the time. Her bear seemed to settle down with the promise of blood later.

“Good girl.” The leader grabbed ahold of her arm and led her to the door. He glanced out the glass before motioning for the other robbers to bring the bank employees.

Stacia looked around the leader and saw a black SUV pulled up on the curb and parked on the sidewalk. She swallowed hard, knowing that if they dragged her into the waiting vehicle, there was no telling where she would end up. She certainly couldn’t shift in a vehicle.

The sound of the door cracking open broke into her thoughts.

“Stay back!” the leader shouted out the door. “One person at a time, and no funny business. I will shoot you,” he threatened. Both his goons had their guns trained on the employees as they made their way out in a single file line.

“Boss?” Baines’ voice spoke up from behind her. There was one bit of information she now had about the robbers, a name.

“He just opened the door to the truck,” he snapped as the last employee rushed out of the bank. “Let’s go!”

Stacia gasped as the man grabbed her from behind and used her as a shield. The sun’s glare temporarily blinded her as she was dragged towards the vehicle.

“Let me go!” she shouted. “You don’t need me!”

“Shut up, bitch!” he growled in her ear.

Time seemed to slow as he pulled her towards the truck. She frantically looked around, her eyes adjusting to the bright light, searching for someone, anyone, who could help her, and her eyes met a set of familiar brown eyes. The face of the first SWAT officer was covered by a black ski mask, but a set of murderous eyes were narrowed on her and her kidnappers.

Izek!

Even in his full army fatigues, black bulletproof vest with GFPD etched across the front, and a deadly assault rifle aimed their way, she would recognize him anywhere.

“Help me!” she screamed as they tried to stuff her inside the vehicle. Her foot caught the outside of the truck as she kicked and screamed. “Izek!” she screamed out one more time before a burst of pain at the base of her skull caused her world to go dark.