“So, shewasafter me? For what I did in Germany? Why didn’t she attack when she was standing right next to me?” Lorelei said a little more sharply than intended. She was trembling.
“What did you do in Germany? We’re not judging!” Sigrid quickly added as she saw Lorelei begin to tense up. The tall blonde looked at the assassin’s picture and froze-one blue and one yellow eye.
“I was trying to find out about my birth parents in Germany, and this small man tried to attack me. When he discovered what I could do, he said he would kill me, and even if I stopped him, others in the Council would be sent. He left me no choice,” Lorelei said with trembling lips.
Roy, Cam, and Sigrid nodded to her, and she took strength from that.
Sigrid looked to Cam. “There’s something about her eyes. Cam, do you remember when Henry was telling us about the new neighborhood cat he was feeding?”
“Yes, he said it had beautiful eyes, one blue and one yellow,” the CEO replied.
Roy looked closely at the image again. “She’s a shapeshifter? With a cat and Human form?”
“Most likely a Bastet,” Mahati offered. “Supremely proficient hunters and assassins.”
Roy looked to Raymond. “I think we found the one who took out the team trying to kidnap Henry.”
Lorelei was looking from face to face trying to follow what was going. “Is she after me or not?”
Roy gave her a grim look. “If she was the one investigating the death of the Council agent in Germany, and it sounds like she was, then she’ll be the one hunting you. The fact that she was pulled from her mission in Germany and was stalking Henry meanshewas her target here, not you. She didn’t recognize you in the museum, so her investigation in Germany didn’t identify you. You covered your tracks well. That said, she won’t stop until she haspleted the mission or it’s called off. We’ll work on making sure the council rescinds the contract.” He went quiet.
They could see Roy’s mind was working out the possibilities, and he nced at them when he’d found his most likely scenario. Lorelei watched the others watching Roy and waiting, so she remained silent, too.
He looked to Cam. “As for Henry, he wasn’t one of the dead on the street, so she wasn’t here to kill him. Due to theplexities surrounding him, the Council needed to bring in their best to capture and tuck him away in a dark pit somewhere.” Voices cried out in dismay at hearing this, but he raised his palm. “They’ll take good care of him though he’s an unknown to them. They might try to keep him sedated.”
“SHIT!” Sigrid swore, and heads turned in her direction. She nced at those looking at her. “His mind leaves his body when he’s intoxicated or drugged. That’s highly dangerous for him and others, but mostly for him. The longer his mind is outside his body, the harder it is to get him back to it.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened. “Does he remember what happens while he’s out?”
Sigrid nodded.
“What do you mean, dangerous to others? He’s mentally projecting. How could that affect others?” Raymond asked.
“That, I can’t really exin without taking you down a rabbit hole,” Sigrid said reluctantly, and Raymond’s eyebrows rose.
“How far can he project?” Eleanor asked.
“What’s with the twenty questions?” Lorelei finally snapped in frustration. “Henry’s been grabbed by this tyrannical council. We have to get him back!”
Eleanor and Raymond both looked embarrassed by their behavior, so he addressed it. “Our apologies. We meant no harm or insult. We’ve lived for a long time and became excited by the unprecedented nature of these events. By all means, the emphasis should be on finding a means to extract your friend from his imprisonment.”
“I’ll speak to their Minister of Security tomorrow and let her know we’re aware of his captivity and how this is jeopardizing our rtions with several US Government Intelligence Agencies. That should add an ufortable amount of pressure,” Mahati asserted.
At the curious looks directed her way, she continued with a proud tone. “Henry wrote security software for them. They consider him an asset to be protected. They won’t ept that he justdisappeared.”This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
“Who were the six who tried to kidnap Henry?” Cam asked.
“Raymond managed to convince one of the ambnce drivers to let me take a look at one of the bodies. I didn’t recognize the man, but I could smell Carl de Bellisle on him. They were from his pack. Carl must have ordered them to bring Henry to him. Either Carl knows about his nature, or he was trying to get to me through the boy. But he didn’t get Henry, and he lost a crew. He’s not going to be rational the next time he contacts us. I’m going to have to deal with him. That means I need to start reaching out to the other pack leaders to prepare them.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Raymond asked.
Roy shook his head, then paused. “Do you have a contact within the Council who might know the location of their containment center?”
Raymond frowned. “I’ll contact the guy I know, but I may have closed off that avenue getting the information on the assassin.”
Roy nodded, then looked to Eleanor. “If you can, stay close. It could get messy, and having a surgeon avable would be an asset,” he said, then frowned. “I wish Dayshia was here as well. She’s proven her surgical skills under emergency conditions. Having x-ray vision doesn’t hurt either.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise, and she traded an excited nce with her husband, then noticed Lorelei watching her with a troubled look.
Roy drew the Naiad’s attention. “Until we get the Council to rescind the contract on you, I’d like to set you up in a safe house.”
“She can stay with me,” Cam suggested.
Lorelei looked like she might argue, but she saw thepassionate smile on the woman’s face, and that eased her concerns. “If it wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.”
Cam shook her head with a grin. “I’d be honored. Bring your art supplies in case inspiration strikes. There’s lovely light in my condo.”
Lorelei felt a little thrill at the idea of not being alone. She nodded with a grateful smile.
“I’ll assign a team to help you collect your items, and they’ll take you to Cam’s,” Roy said with a grateful nod to the CEO.
He continued. “The n is to make a two-pronged attack. First, Mahati will spearhead the effort to convince the Council that it’s in their best interest to release Henry. While that’s happening, we’ll work on finding the containment center.” He paused and looked to Sigrid. “If he’s on a mental walkabout and has developed… new skills, he might try to contact us.” He looked around at the gathered people. “Don’t dismiss the possibility that Henry might be able to contact you. If you see any evidence of this, make a note of it and let us know.”
A thrill ran through the group, and hopeful smiles appeared.
“Second, I’ll deal with Carl. He’s a threat to everyone. It’s time to take him out, but I have to make preparations first.” He nodded to the group and saw they were ready. “Make sure everyone shares their contact details.”
The meeting was over, and everyone moved to trade numbers and gathered into smaller groups to discuss their next steps.
“You’re an excellent leader Roy. They needed a calm decisive mind in a time of crisis,” Mary said with a smile.
He snorted and leaned closer to her to speak quietly. “Aye, it’s a good thing they can’t see how much I want to rip my way through that Minister of Security and feel her blood on my ws for hurting Henry.”
“Yeah, you’ll have to settle with Carl’s,” Mary agreed with a grin.
Roy’s answering grin was no less bloodthirsty.
-=-
The world’srgest wolfpack leader stared at the shivering survivor of the team he sent after one young man.
“What do you mean they’re all dead?” he growled in frustration.
“They were ambushed by an assassin. Marley was s-s-s-shot through the throat from a b-b-block away!” the Were stammered.
“But did he get it?” Carl snapped, not giving a shit about excuses.
The terrified driver stared at Carl then handed him the thick syringe he’d taken from the hand of his dead partner.
“Good! Leave,” Carl grunted, alreadypletely focused on the prize in his hand.
He heard the door close, so he looked up to ensure he was alone. He felt incredibly foolish to put so much hope into something that felt like a childhood story, but he wanted so desperately to defeat Roy, to see him broken at his feet.
Carl walked over to open his door and looked out at his secretary. “I’m not to be disturbed.” She nodded to him with wide eyes. Giving her one more stern look, he closed and locked his door, returning to sit behind his desk. He pulled a whisky tumbler from his drawer and emptied the antique syringe into the ss. He was surprised by how much the needle had contained.
Setting the ss on the desk surface before him, he took a breath and dipped a finger in the blood. He then sucked it from his finger.