📎A/N. There is a new little M in the world.. Yipee!!! **hands out the cigars** I have a brand spanking new niece and one of her middle names is named after me!!!

I hope you enjoy the chapter :-)

Take care and thanks for your support.

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Murphy closed his eyes and raised his face to the morning sun. Kaitlyn's words echoed like a mantra and wrapped around him like a soft blanket.

June's soul will no longer suffer the torment of knowing the person who separated you lives.

He felt his cheeks tighten as a faint smile ghosted across his hardened face. Still with his eyes closed he sighed.

June my love, I pray that's true and hope you can move on knowing I kept my promise.

A light gust of wind rose. Its sudden appearance chilled the air, which began to vibrate with anticipation. The dust and dry leaves at his feet, torn from their resting place, swept around his legs in a flurry. The cool breeze danced and rushed up his body until it skimmed across his face with a gentle caress that could almost be mistaken for a kiss.

It's time. We must move on and face a future so very different from the one that we planned together.

The heavyweight Murphy had carried for decades fell and scattered to the four winds. The last remaining strand that tethered him to his past gave way and he let it go without hesitation. There was no thought to reach out and grab the last remaining connection he had to his dead mate.

Just know that there will be a part of my heart that will always carry you with me.

Murphy heard the mournful howl of his wolf as it too said its farewell. While his wolf had recovered from their mate's loss much sooner than he had, it none-the-less still felt the long lost ghost of their bond.

They had avenged their mate's death. They had kept their promise.

Murphy's inner demons rose to the fore and began to play on his ever-growing guilty mind. A sensation that had been festering for some time.

Why do I feel as though I've already moved on?

For decades, his only purpose for living was to bring about Elijah's death. So why was it when it was in his grasp, he gave the kill to Kaitlyn? What disturbed him the most was that he couldn't blame his wolf. They both made the decision together. There was no question, it felt right to gift her the closure she had been after since childhood.

Why was her need for closure so much more important than my own?

Kaitlyn expressive face swam to the forefront of his mind and he opened his eyes to discover she was now in the restrooms, cleaning up before going to the hospital to ensure her mother was okay.

Not wanting to over analyse the murky waters where his thoughts were wading towards, Murphy headed towards Tim's car to retrieve the extra clothing, as well as his personal belongings. Tim, already anticipating what Murphy was after, had placed most of the items on the grass verge.

"Get Kaitlyn to the hospital and get straight back here," he said as he approached the car. "We need to work out what happened and get Danny and Jose's bodies back. I'm not leaving them behind."

"Who the hell were they?" Tim asked as he handed Murphy his phone.

Murphy pocketed it and his mouth set into a grim line. "That's what we need to find out."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Tim said as Murphy picked up the clothing and turned to head back to the trees.

He headed towards the others, hidden further back in the dense bush. Tim's words did not sit well. "You and me both," he muttered more to himself than the concerned Werewolf.

From behind he heard Tim's car fire into life and tear out of the gravelled rest-stop and turn sound towards Boston

It didn't take Murphy long to return to the others who were waiting for his return.

After their sudden departure from the estate, and once they were sure they were no longer in danger, they had headed back to their extraction point with the six remaining mafia wolves and two humans in tow.

He had left his father and Joshua to keep an eye on their 'guests' and proceeded to the small rest area hidden from the main road where they had left their vehicles. They needed to be sure whoever had invaded the estate hadn't tracked them to the off road public area.

As he arrived back into the small clearing, all eyes turned to him expectantly.

"Tim's taking Kaitlyn to the hospital. Everyone is fine," he said as he threw the clothing down in front of Ambrose's wolf.

"Dad," Murphy called out, "you change back first. Joshua, you're next."

Liam's wolf grunted and headed towards the underbrush they had stashed their clothing earlier.

A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. "Garcia, I wouldn't try that if I were you," he warned when he noticed the police detective inching away from the others.

"You can't keep us prisoners," Tony spat, still holding on to his useless shoulder. He had been grazed by a tranquilizer dart during their escape and was still feeling the effects down his arm.

Joshua's wolf snapped his jaws at Tony and let out a menacing growl.

Tony scrambled back to the others. "Fine then, have it your way."

Murphy rolled his eyes. How had he not seen Garcia's true nature earlier? He turned back to the others who were in various states of impairment from the fight. They were huddled near each other and casting furtive glances at the large grey mafia wolf as if seeking direction.

"I take it you're Ambrose," Murphy said to the don and indicated the extra clothing. "You and the others are to change back into human form."

Murphy then proceeded to pick up a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and threw it towards one of the smaller wolves. "If you feel uncomfortable changing in front of us, you have two minutes to change behind that tree," he said, pointing to a large birch nearby.

None of the mafia wolves moved.

"I said NOW!" Murphy boomed.

The female wolf yipped in fright, and quickly picked up the offered clothing in her teeth and trotted behind the indicated tree, tail between her legs. The others followed suite, and within five minutes Murphy was face to face with the New England Mafia don. Liam and Joshua were standing by, watching for any of the others to make a break. So far, no one had said anything.

From their expressions, many of them were in a considerable amount of pain. A number were nursing limbs or other parts of their body.

"Before you try anything," Murphy said as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Ambrose, "Remember how many people you had at your disposal just a few short hours ago. Now look around you. You're left with eight. It would only take one of us to deal with all of you so I would make sure that you keep your people on a tight leash."

Murphy could see Ambrose tighten his jaw. The mafia don was not used to being spoken down to. The only woman in Ambrose's entourage stepped forward, reached out and pulled on her cousin's arm.

"We can't lose any more of our family," Briana pleaded.

A silence descended on the clearing. The fusion of the choir of birds as their music rang out across the forests was the only sound as they waited for Ambrose's decision.

Murphy noticed the subtle looks passing between Ambrose and Briana, as the lull continued.

He reached out to Liam and Joshua, Are you thinking what I'm thinking? he asked.

Liam was the first to answer. Afraid so.

Murphy groaned inwardly. This was another set of problems he didn't want to deal with right now. He stepped forward and continued to tower over the mafia don, his cold, unrelenting stare bore into Ambrose, letting him know he needed to comply or the consequence would not be pleasant.

He knew the moment Ambrose made his decision. The defiance that had been growing quickly evaporated and the don stood straighter as if trying to convey what he was about to do was for the sake of his family rather than weakness.

Briana, clearly intimidated by Murphy, took a step behind Ambrose as if it would provide some form of protection.

"You have my word," Ambrose said and held out his arm.

Murphy continued his unrelenting stare and shook the offered hand.

"What are you going to do with us now?"

"Me? Nothing," began Murphy. "But you will need to appear before the Alliance council. It'll be up to them to pass judgement."

Ambrose gulped. "I want to make sure that any punishment is mine and mine alone. I don't want my family to pay for any of my decisions."

Murphy glanced across at Liam and Joshua, who were listening intently to the conversation. They couldn't help but be impressed at the impassioned plea from the hardened criminal. "You will get a chance to state your case," he said, "The fact that you were turned without your permission will factor into their decision. And the fact that, for the most part, you kept under the radar will also be taken into consideration."

"Thank you."

"However, the fact that you kidnapped an innocent human and tortured her will need to be dealt with," Murphy continued.

"Taking her was a mistake but we didn't touch her," Briana broke in. "It was that psycho bastard, Elijah! It was Ambrose who managed to stop him from killing her. You don't understand what it was like with him stalking us every waking moment." She shuddered. "And that knife of his will haunt me to my grave."

"Did Elijah know?" Murphy asked quietly.

Ambrose frowned and his forehead puckered. "Know what?"

"That you could communicate telepathically with your pack?"

Ambrose looked visibly shocked. "How did you know?" he stammered as he glanced back at Briana. Her expression was the mirror of her cousins.

"It only started when you attacked us this evening," Ambrose admitted. "Until then, we thought it was our imagination."

"We can deal with all that later. Right now we need to work out who attacked and why?"

"I, we," he clarified glancing to the rest of his pack, "had just assumed that it was your friends at the FBI. In case you'd forgotten, we are not exactly on their Christmas card list. You managed to track us down, so it's a foregone conclusion that your cohorts wouldn't be far behind."

Murphy shook his head, "Not FBI," he said. "It didn't strike you as strange they didn't identify themselves or have any distinguishing identification on their uniforms?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because they were using tranquilizer darts and not bullets," Murphy responded. "They knew exactly who and what they were after."

The shock at Murphy's revelation was immediate.

Ambrose turned to Tony, who was still nursing his arm. "And none of your contacts had any inkling of this?"

"None, I swear," Tony insisted.

"So what now?"

"Now we need to go back and see what's happening at your little house. If, by a small miracle, they're gone, the dead need to be returned to their families or buried, and the mess needs to be cleaned up. Then we need to work out who these people are."

"What if they're still there? Won't they have lookouts posted in case we return?"

"We will just have to be extra vigilant," Murphy said, "we don't have a choice, we need to find out what's going on."

"I might have a way we can get close without being caught," Ambrose said thoughtfully.

Murphy and the others waited for him to continue.

Ambrose scratched the back of his balding head and looked up at Murphy. "What are you like with heights?"

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Murphy had to give the Mafia don credit. The man was a strategic thinker and had exit plans already in place if they were hit by a rival family. Within three hours, they were seconded in a refurbished Warehouse in the Waterfront district. The building was near the channel for a quick water exit.

"So what did he say?" Liam asked as he came up to stand beside Murphy.

Murphy sighed as he continued looking out on the pier across the road. "Daniel's on his way," he replied, referring to the Alliance's Alpha Commander. "But he agrees‑ we can't wait to go back and find out what's going on. I'll need to head out with Ambrose straight away."

"What aren't you telling me?" Liam asked.

"Daniel thinks it's the people that took our reporter friend. The same ones who turned up at Middlemarch after we tracked Sandulf to it."

"And that's a problem because?"

"It looks like they might have found something we missed, and there is now a part of the government who's on to us."

"Ifreann na Fola!" Liam growled.

Murphy raised an eyebrow. "That's putting it mildly. The Alliance council are in session as we speak, trying to work out a plan of attack." He placed his hands into his pockets. "Have you heard from mom?"

"She's on her way. The police have already questioned your mother and Madeline and are none the wiser. She thinks it's going to be put straight in the unsolved pile." Liam paused and turned to Murphy. "Do you think Kaitlyn or her mother is in any danger?"

Murphy held himself in check. This was the first thought that had run through his head while speaking to Daniel. The realisation that Kaitlyn may be in danger chilled him to the bone and he had to physically restrain himself from racing out the door. "I don't think so," he said with more confidence than he felt. "They seem to be only after Werewolves, and they were targeting Ambrose and his mob. Just in case, I'm sending Joshua to watch them."

They were interrupted when Ambrose called out, "It's ready, we need to go."

"Did you managed to get what I asked for?" Murphy asked.

Ambrose handed him a half-opened Cannon XA20 camcorder box. "It's the best I could get at short notice, the batteries are charged and there are extras in case you need it."

Murphy looked inside then glanced up. "It'll have to do."

"What's that for?" Liam asked, frowning.

Murphy reached for a small backpack and began transferring the contents of the box into it. "Parker Johnson wants us to video what we see. If they're still there, she thinks it might be possible to identify them through facial recognition."

They all froze when a high-pitched buzz emitted from one of the speakers near the door. One of Ambrose's men sauntered across to the door pulling a gun, tucked in his waistband, as he walked. He glanced at the video monitor that provided a view of the entrance to the building.

"It's Max," he called out.

"That's our ride," Ambrose proclaimed as he began walking towards the exit.

Just as Murphy began to follow the mafia don, Liam broke into his thoughts. Do you think you can trust him?

I don't trust anybody. At the moment, he's a means to an end.

#

The return trip to New Hampshire was accomplished in less than thirty minutes. A vast difference to the hour by road.

Murphy took in the surroundings on the ground below as the Bell 412EP helicopter began to move to a lower altitude, allowing for better visibility. "So you just happened to have one of these lying around?" he quipped.

Ambrose shrugged. "I'm a businessman and sometimes it's not convenient to fly commercial."

"And you don't think a thirteen seat helicopter is a bit extravagant for a businessman to get around in?" Murphy remarked.

"I have a big family."

Murphy snorted. "You and I both know who and what that family are involved in, so don't try and play the simple businessman card with me."

Ambrose opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it and snapped it shut again. "How did you discover who Briana was?" he eventually asked after they had been flying for a while.

At first, Murphy wasn't going to answer. "Tony," he replied after changing his mind.

"That stupid idiot," Ambrose growled. "He assured me that no one was on to him."

"We already knew who you were and how you all linked together, it was only a matter of time," Murphy shrugged.

"We're coming up on it shortly," Max, their helicopter pilot called out.

Murphy nodded and pulled out the video camera from the backpack he had stowed on the floor in front of him. As he opened the sliding door, the sound from the propellers amplified and both Ambrose and Murphy winced as they adjusted to the volume.

As they flew across the lake that would take them on a direct path to the property, Murphy clicked a carabiner to the back of his harness. He was now securely attached to the helicopter by a long cord.

He sat in the doorway, his long limbs resting on the top run of the landing skids and leant forward to peer at the property they had abandoned that morning. The afternoon sun was hidden behind an ominous set of clouds. As they drew closer, he tensed. They would not be retrieving Danny and Jose's body anytime soon.

From their vantage point, they could see a dozen dark unmarked SUV's as well as two refrigerated trucks.

"They're still there," he called out to Ambrose as he began filming.

Ambrose made his way to the co-pilot's seat and peered through the front window. "What the hell are they still doing there?"

"Clean up," Murphy said as he scanned the area. "My guess is the bodies will be in the trucks," he paused when he noticed a hive of activity near the vehicles. "I hope you didn't have anything incriminating in the house."

"Why?"

Murphy pointed towards the SUV's where boxes were being loaded into the back.

Ambrose's fist made contact with the side door. "Motherfuckers!"

"They won't find anything," Ambrose said once he had calmed down.

"You sure about that," Murphy remarked as he watched a line of people exit the house with computers.

By now they were close enough for the invading force below to realise they were being watched. One of the soldier's rushed back into the house. He existed a moment later with a man in a dark suit in tow. The man pointed towards the helicopter as he shouted orders to the others. A moment later a small horde of soldiers rushed from the house, weapons at the ready.

"Get us above two thousand feet!" Ambrose shouted with urgency at the pilot and then called back to Murphy. "Get back inside now!"

The helicopter lurched violently as it turned and attempted a rapid ascent.

Murphy wasn't quick enough. Before he could scramble to safety, a bullet slammed into his leg at two thousand feet per second and lodged before it could come out the other side.

"Bollocks!"

The ping of bullets as they hit the helicopters canopy and tall boom felt too close for comfort.

"Close the goddamn door before one gets inside and hits us!" Ambrose screamed.

Securing the camera, Murphy pulled the door closed just in time for another volley against the side. He grabbed the camera and continued to video the scene below, hoping the zoom through the window wouldn't distort the image too much.

"Get us higher before they hit the rotor mast and we're fucked!" This time, Ambrose's panic was directed at their pilot.

Faster than Murphy thought possible, they were out of the reach of the gunfire.

"You okay?" Ambrose called back.

"Yeah I'll be fine!"

Ambrose made his way to the back. "Well I guess that answer's that question," he said as he took the seat beside Murphy.

"Which question in particular?"

"It's definitely a government outfit that's destroying my house."

Murphy glanced at Ambrose. "How do you know?"

"That bullet," Ambrose said pointing to Murphy's bleeding leg, "is from a Colt M4A1 Carbine. Those were specially commissioned for the US armed forces."

Ambrose peered at the wound. "Shouldn't you do something about that?"

"It'll be okay. Are you sure?"

Ambrose chuckled. "You seem to forget my family business."

"I didn't recognise anyone down there," Murphy said. "What about you?"

"Nada."

Ambrose rose and poked his head into the cockpit. "Max, set us down in a secluded area for a minute when we get closer to Boston."

The smug look on Ambrose's face when he sat down opposite Murphy had him curious. "Why the pit-stop?"

"We need to remove the registration number."

Not wanting to play fifty questions Murphy remained expressionless and turned to look out the window.

It didn't take long for Ambrose to realise Murphy wasn't going to bite. "The first thing they would have done was take down the crafts registration numbers," he explained, "They're going to get a shock when the look it up."

Ambrose chuckled again and his eyes filled with mirth. "One of the reasons that I acquired this particular make and model was that it is an exact replica of one owned by homeland security. And it so happens I know its registration numbers."

"And you wonder why the government is after you," Murphy said dryly.

Ambrose shrugged. "Occupational hazard."

It took them less than thirty seconds to remove the fake numbers and take off again. Ten minutes later, they had set down at the helipad on the outskirts of the city.

"I don't suppose you have a doctor in that large and diverse 'family' of yours?" Murphy questioned once they were headed back to the warehouse district.

"Yes, why?"

"I've got a bullet lodged in my leg and I'd like to get it out before it begins to heal."

By the time Murphy and Ambrose returned to the Warehouse it was early evening. Murphy spotted Joshua the moment he walked in. "Aren't you supposed to be shadowing Kaitlyn?" he accused after Ambrose went to check on the others.

"I was," Joshua responded with a tinge of sadness.

An uneasy feeling began to well from within Murphy. Before he could question Joshua further, Liam and Molly appeared down the set of internal staircase that led to the floor above.

"How did it go?" Liam asked as they approached.

Molly noticing the ripped jeans rushed the short distance to her son. "What happened?"

"Nothing, don't fuss mom," he grumbled and turned back to Joshua. "I want to know why you're not keeping tabs on Kaitlyn."

"I was," said Joshua, "I managed to get to the hospital just as they were leaving. I followed them back to Kaitlyn's apartment. They were there long enough to get cleaned and changed. Then they went for a drive." At this point, Joshua halted and a pained expression crossed his face.

Murphy's heart leapt to his throat and he forgot to breathe. "Please tell me she's okay," he choked.

Molly patted Murphy's arm. "She's fine dear," she reassured him as her eyes darted towards Joshua, who remained visibly upset. "They went to St Joseph's," she added quietly.

Murphy's closed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry," he breathed after he had opened them.

In all that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, he had forgotten Joshua's pain and loss. Going to the cemetery in which his son was buried couldn't have been easy.

"So where are they now?" Murphy asked looking to his parents for the answers.

Joshua cleared his throat and focused on the floor to halt the tears that were threatening to spill. "Then Kaitlyn took her mother home."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," Murphy said frowning.

"Madeline's home," Joshua said, as he looked up and met Murphy's gaze.

Murphy felt as though he had been physically beaten within an inch of his life. How could she have left without letting him know?

Joshua sighed and continued. "It wasn't until they both went through the gates that I realised Kaitlyn was going too. By then it was too late to get onboard. I contacted Alpha Abraham and he's going to have some of his men keeping an eye on them while she's there."

"If you think about it, they're safer in Florida than they are here at the moment," Liam added.

With reluctance, Murphy had to agree. Their discovery added a new set of complications that was about to change their landscape. The sooner Daniel arrived, the better. They needed to regroup and work out what danger if any, this new threat posed.

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📎A/N. Ambrose seems to have quite a few tricks up his sleeve.  I wonder what's going to happen when he has to answer to the Alliance council??

... and how sad for Joshua.. we do forget that Ryan, Kaitlyn's father, was also Joshua's son.  It must have been upsetting for him watching Madeline and Kailtyn grieve over his son's grave, comforting each other and he was watching from the sidelines, alone and just as grief stricken :-(

... is anyone else a little worried the government is onto them??

Only one more chapter to go and our journey will be over .. for now.

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletters at http://www.mnjgreenhill.com (the link is also added to this chapter as an external link). There will be a few surprises only available to subscribers coming in the next few weeks. You don't want to miss out.

Take care, final chapter should be out in the next few days.

❤ ℳ

PS. Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the chapter.