Page 49 of Stout Bear

Flint curled into a defensive ball, arms protecting his head. The confident businessman from town had vanished, replaced by acowering figure who finally understood the consequences of his actions. Max kept him pinned with one heavy paw on his leg.

Laney shifted back to human form. “Hold him. I'll go call for backup.”

Max nodded his large bear head, maintaining his animal form to keep Flint subdued. Her transformation happened smoothly now, her body shimmering between human and fox with ease. She darted away toward the cabin where they had left their clothes and phones.

Max knew she would return quickly with law enforcement. Long minutes passed as Max held Flint in place. The forest had grown eerily quiet, the only sounds being Flint's labored breathing and the occasional drip of chemicals from nearby barrels. As his initial terror subsided, Flint's defiance began to return.

“You think you've won something?” Flint said, his voice steadier now. “You don't understand what you're up against.”

Max growled, pressing his paw slightly firmer on Flint's leg as a warning to stay quiet. But Flint, perhaps realizing his fate was sealed, seemed determined to speak.

“BioClean isn't just some small operation I cooked up,” he continued, shifting under Max's restraint. “It's a front. There are people with real money, real power behind this. People who see Fate Mountain for what it could be.”

Max maintained his bear form, unable to respond with words, but his eyes never left Flint's face. Through their bond, he could sense Laney was still running toward the cabin, her determination sharp and focused.

“This land is wasted on shifters,” Flint spat, gaining confidence as he spoke. “Do you know how much this property is worth? The development potential? High-end resorts, vacation homes for the wealthy, golf courses with mountain views. Millions. Maybe billions.”

Max remained silent, but his mind raced. This wasn't just about sabotaging the brewery—it was about forcing the entire shifter community out of Fate Mountain.

“The plan was beautiful,” Flint continued, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. “Contaminate the water supply gradually. Not enough to cause immediate alarm, just enough to make businesses fail, make people sick over time. Property values would plummet. Then we'd swoop in, buy everything for pennies on the dollar.”

The bear within Max roared with rage, but he maintained his iron control. They needed this confession.

“The BioClean system was the real genius. Selling you the very thing that would accelerate your downfall. Those microbes were designed to multiply the effect of the engineered chemicals I was dumping upstream. Tonight was supposed to be my last dump,” Flint said with a bitter laugh. “My flight leaves tomorrow morning—well, would have left. I was this close to getting away with everything.”

The sound of vehicles approaching cut through the night air. Flashlights bobbed between trees as figures made their way toward them. Flint's expression shifted from resignation to panic.

“You can't prove anything,” he said quickly, contradicting his earlier boasting. “It's just your word against mine.”

Max snorted, gesturing with his massive bear head toward the barrels, the equipment, the evidence surrounding them. Flint fell silent, reality finally setting in. Laney emerged into the clearing first, now dressed and leading several officers with flashlights. Her face was flushed from running, but her expression was triumphant.

“Over here,” she called to the officers. “Just as I told you.”

Sirens echoed in the distance as more vehicles approached. Max stepped back from Flint, allowing two officers to move in and handcuff him. Only then did Max shift back to human form, accepting clothes that Laney had brought for him.

Officers inspected the barrels and photographed the scene. Flint stood nearby, hands bound, glaring with resentment. The woods around them filled with official activity, transforming the quiet dump site into an active crime scene.

The sheriff signaled to his deputies. “Get him out of here. We'll take his full statement at the station.”

As they led Flint away, he turned back toward Max and Laney. “This isn't over.”

Max inhaled slowly, trying to contain his rage. The air around them hung thick with chemical smells and tension. Every dollar spent on Flint's system had pushed the brewery closer to ruin, all while seeming to offer salvation.

“He poisoned the water from both ends, dumping outside and tampering inside,” Max whispered to Laney.

“I know. That’s what I was trying to tell everyone.”

Max admired Laney's courage more than ever. She had been dismissed and ridiculed for her theories, yet she stoodvindicated at last. Her confidence radiated from her, all traces of her former insecurity gone.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Laney steppedinto the Bright Institute's large auditorium. Staff bustled around her, arranging final details before the ceremony began. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. Rows of chairs faced a raised stage with a podium that gleamed under a spotlight.

“We've never gone this big for a researcher's recognition, but you absolutely earned it,” Ivy said.

“It feels surreal, honestly. Thank you,” Laney replied, taking in the space.

---