"The only acreage we have listed that's owned by the Carolina Club is the five hundred housing their headquarters." Reid asked Britt, "Didn't Donovan tell us they owned thirty-five hundred, statewide?"

Britt sat forward. "Sounds right."

"Where are the other three thousand acres?"

"I'm on it," Jonah grumbled. "Would you like me to order you a damned pizza while I'm at it?"

"And miss Mom's fried chicken and homemade gravy?" Reid asked. "Not a chance."

"Look for sizable, contiguous acreage," Britt said. "This particular hunt will require privacy."

"What about their headquarters?" Grif asked.

"My gut tells me this auction is the work of a small faction within the club. If I'm right, they won't risk the other members finding out about their illegal hunt."

"I hope Jun Ito's one of them," Reid said. "He and I need to finish getting acquainted."

"If he is," Britt said, "you're not going to get within a hundred feet of him."

"That dictate's going to be hard to follow while I'm stomping his ass."

"Reid, he could undo months of healing."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro."

"Who's Jun Ito?" Grif asked. "Besides the obvious."

"One of Norwood's cronies who likes to attack from behind," Reid said.

"Then I agree with Britt. Stay away from him."

"Just once, I'd like for one of you to take my side in an argument."

"When you start using your head instead of your pride, I'll have your back," Britt said.

Jonah snatched a sheet of paper from the printer. "Here's a list of parcels owned by the Carolina Club. All of them are over one hundred acres." He grabbed another printed sheet. "This map shows where those parcels are located in relation to Steele Conservation Area."

"Looks like we can rule out three of the seven," Britt said. "Too far away."

"That leaves us with four properties and thirteen hundred acres to scour in"-Reid checked the monitor displaying the live feed of Calypso and a countdown clock-"twelve hours and eleven minutes."

"Maybe we're going about this all wrong." Grif stared out the window, overlooking the backyard.

"What do you mean?" Reid asked. "We're looking at this from every angle possible."

"Every legal way."

A thread of excitement wove around Britt's chest. "What do you have cooking upstairs?"

"We're burning a great deal of energy searching for the secret location of the wolf."

"Are we now?" Jonah tossed in. No one paid him any mind.

"What if we set aside the wolf's location for now and concentrate on the players."

"I'm listening," Britt said.

"Who do you think masterminded this auction?"

"It's gotta be Richard Norwood," Britt said. "The guy taunted us about the wolves. He wanted us to believe they weren't safe anymore."

"Then we'll hit his bank account," Grif said.

For the first time in over an hour, Jonah stopped typing. Reid's jaw fell open, and Britt's lungs collapsed.

"When you say 'hit,'" Britt said, "what do you mean, exactly?"

"Look for entries in his account that hints at a secret he wants kept or something he doesn't want destroyed."

Grif said the words in such a matter-of-fact tone that you'd think he suggested ruining someone's life on a daily basis.

"Like an affair or a secret baby?" Reid asked. "Or funding a terrorist group?"

"Something like that. I hadn't really thought it through yet."

"Finding it-whatever it is-could take more time than we have," Britt said.

"There's another way," Jonah said.

"How?" Grif asked.

"Relieve his personal account of funds. Much faster."

"No fucking way." Britt pointed a finger at Jonah. "Get that shit right out of your head. Hacking into a bank account is a lot different than an auction site. You'd violate a thousand different federal laws. We're not going there."

"For every fifteen minutes the wolf is missing from her pack," Jonah continued, "we extract ten thousand dollars from his account."

"Damn, Jonah," Reid said. "Remind me never to piss you off again."

"If you get caught," Britt said, "you'll break Mom's heart."

"Then I'll be sure not to get caught."

Britt looked to Grif, who stood silent by the window. "Will you talk some sense into him?"

"Not a single byte left behind to mark your path, Jonah."

"Got it."

"Grif, you can't be serious!"

"I've done it before," Jonah said. "When I was fourteen and Reid wouldn't pay back a hundred-dollar bet."

"You thieving shit."

"It's not thieving when you owe the money."

"What kind of twisted genius logic is that?"

Britt dropped his head in his hands, his pulse raced off the charts. As much as he wanted to save Calypso, he couldn't do it at the expense of his family. He wouldn't take the chance of losing another family member.

He lifted his head, his gaze locking with Grif's, then Reid's. "We can't risk it."

They both nodded.

"Too late," Jonah said. "Hacking already in progress."

"Jonah, no!"

His brother stopped typing. "I'm already in and need to concentrate." He met Britt's gaze. "Let me do this."

For you.

Even though his little brother didn't say the words, Britt read them in his eyes. For Jonah to risk so much for something important to Britt made his nose sting and his throat close. Damn stupid genius was going to give him a heart attack.

Britt gave Jonah a hard nod, and his brother's fingers took off like rockets.

"If you get caught, I'm joining you." Britt rose, no longer able to sit still. "I'd rather face prison than Mom's disappointment." He picked up a beanbag ball off Jonah's desk and began tossing it from one hand to the other. "What if we're wrong and Norwood's not the mastermind behind the auction?"

"Then Jonah can put the money back," Reid said.

"I'm pretty sure it won't be that easy," Grif said, "but we can go with that approach for now."

"Does anyone want to know what I think, since I'm the one committing the crime?"

"No," all three brothers said in unison.

"What's our plan?" Britt asked.

"After Jonah siphons off the first ten thousand dollars of Norwood's fortune, you call him and explain our proposal," Grif said.

"Me?"

Grif rubbed a finger over his bottom lip. "You have the most emotional investment in seeing the wolf's safe return. Norwood won't question your motivation. When he sees ten thousand dollars slip away from his account, he won't doubt your resolve-or your resources."

"What are we demanding in exchange?" Reid asked. "The wolf? Or the wolf's coordinates?"

"Wolf," Grif said. "Norwood could send us in circles long enough for the bidding to close."

"If they release Calypso, we might never find her," Britt said. "Or find her too late."

"Let's say our plan's successful," Reid said. "We will have made a powerful, dangerous enemy."

"As will he," Jonah said.

Britt lifted a brow. Reid grinned.

Grif said, "Spoken like a true hacker."

"Jonah, let us know when you're ready," Reid said.

"Ready."

"You've already hacked into Norwood's account?" Grif asked.

"Bank accounts are easier to pick than Reid's high school locker."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Reid asked. "Is nothing of mine off-limits?"

"Haven't come across anything yet."

"What's taking so long with the auction website?" Britt asked.

"I'm dealing with a pro on that site."

"Now that's comforting," Reid said.

Jonah frowned. "I'm close."

Britt retrieved his phone from his front pocket. "Got a number for me?"

Jonah rattled off Norwood's private number.

The line rang three times before a clipped voice answered. "Norwood."

"You took something that doesn't belong to you."

"Who is this?" Norwood demanded. "How did you get this number?"

"Before today's over, you'll be surprised at the information I can get my hands on with a few clicks of a mouse."

"Steele," Norwood spat.

"Here's how this is going to play out." Britt moved to stand behind Jonah. His brother pointed to the opposite screen. "For every fifteen minutes the female wolf isn't safely within her own territory, your bank account ending in 4325 will make a sizable donation to the Red Wolf Alliance Fund." Britt squeezed his brother's shoulder, and Jonah smiled and his index finger depressed the enter button.

"You wouldn't dare."

"To show you my sincerity, I have made your first charitable contribution of ten thousand dollars. Please check your account."