Wolf Untamed (SWAT - Special Wolf Alpha Team #11) - Paige Tyler Page 0,8

another. So, STAT had backed off and was letting the SWAT team deal with the problem. Yeah, the feds were helpful like that.

“It doesn’t matter if this is another one of those cases,” Diego finally said. “That guy walked right into a crowded diner and shot two cops, then took the rest of the customers hostage. We don’t need to understand why he did it. We just need to get him out.”

Beside him, Trey’s blue gaze strayed to the front of the diner, his usually serious face even more solemn. “I agree, but I’d feel a lot better about this if we could see through those windows.”

“Agreed,” Connor said. “I’ll be on the roof across the street with my sniper rifle, but with the blinds pulled down like they are, there’s not a whole lot I can do.”

“I’m not sure I can do anything about the blinds, but I’ll try,” Diego told him. “Be ready to come in when I give the signal.”

Diego wouldn’t be wearing a radio, but with their enhanced hearing, his pack mates would be able to hear him give the code phrase if things went sideways.

“We’ll be there,” Hale promised before he and Trey walked over to stand by the cluster of patrol cars forming a semicircle in front of the diner.

“Be careful,” Connor said, then turned to jog across the street.

Mike came out of the team’s operations RV a moment later, giving Diego a nod as he moved over to join Hale and Trey.

Taking a deep breath, Diego slowly walked toward the front door of the diner, trying to appear confident without looking threatening. That was difficult to do when you were as broad and muscular as he was, not to mention wearing a dark-blue tactical uniform and combat boots. He did it anyway, just in case the bad guy was looking out the window.

Which he obviously was since the door opened before Diego even had a chance to knock.

A man peeked out the crack, regarding him suspiciously before his eyes darted around wildly like he was looking for something or someone behind Diego. “What do you want?”

“I’m Officer Martinez. We spoke on the phone earlier.”

“I’m done talking to you. Go away!”

Fear and anger rolled off the man in equal measures, his gaze once more going this way and that. Like he was strung out on something. Diego inhaled, trying to figure out what drug it was. If the guy was using something like heroin, fentanyl, or PCP, Diego should be able to smell it, but he couldn’t pick up anything. Maybe the guy was on something completely new.

“I would, but the camera crew you asked for is here,” Diego said. “Before we can let them go in there, I need to make sure it’s safe. The department’s lawyers won’t let civilians in if I can’t assure their well-being.”

He knew it was a long shot, but the one demand the guy had made before he hung up on Diego was that he wanted a news crew with a camera so he could tell everyone about the monsters. It might simply be the rantings of a madman, but the first rule of negotiating was to figure out what the suspect wanted and make them believe you could give it to them. If lying to the guy about the news crew was what it took to get inside, Diego was damn well going to do it.

The guy stared at him, eyes glassy and heart pounding like he’d run a marathon—or was scared to death.

“I’m not armed,” Diego volunteered when the man didn’t say anything. Lifting his hands, he slowly turned in a complete circle. “I just need to come in and make sure everyone is okay. Then we can go from there. How does that sound?”

The man continued to look suspicious, but after a few seconds, he nodded. “Okay. But you’re the only one who can come in. No other cops.”

Without waiting for an answer, the guy pushed away the rolling rack of dishes he’d put in front of the door. Unlocking it, he opened it wider, then stepped back, gun in his hands trained on Diego.

“Hurry up and get in here!” he ordered.

Diego stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind him.

“Lock it,” the man said, motioning with the gun. “Then move the rack back in front.”

Diego turned to lock the door, only to freeze when a scent completely out of left field hit him like a baseball bat. There was a young, newly turned male beta