It was easy to find the human task force leader. He stood on a chair in reception, barking out orders to more of the task force on scene. “Sit down, damn it, if you’re bleeding.” Tim pointed to Mark, one of his team. “Go grab bandages and wet rags. Clean some of them up so it’s easier for the medical staff to assess them.” He pointed to another member. “Cory, man the damn phones. That incessant ringing is giving me a headache.”
Shadow paused behind Tim and growled. The male turned his head and peered down at him. “Shadow. I’m glad you’re here. You look banged up, but good. Go to Security and give them a report. We have a second team arriving in ten minutes but we need to know what happened. We’re holding an emergency briefing as soon as the helicopter lands.”
“The human piece of shit who once held Beauty prisoner hired mercenaries to steal her.” He stepped around the chair to face the male. “Someone on the team gave them access to my emergency transmitter.”
Tim paled. “What?”
“They knew about my coin and that’s how they located the cabin.” He wanted to howl in rage. “They admitted it, before you ask how I’m certain. Bragged about it. Someone betrayed me.”
Tim stepped off the chair. “Shit.” He grabbed his cell phone, dialing. “Someone betrayed all of us but I’m on it. I’ll have the son of a bitch by his balls before he can say ‘fucked’.”
“I want his head,” Shadow demanded.
Tim nodded grimly. “Patch me through to Trey, private headset,” he ordered whomever he spoke to. He put his hand over the phone. “I’m on with one of the pilots of the helicopter. There’re only two possible suspects. I’m going to have Trey arrest them until we can narrow down which one of them it was. They are assigned to his team today.”
“How do you know you can trust Trey? I know he has the access codes.”
Tim snorted, some of his anger fading from his features. “That boy is the son I never had and he’s as loyal as they come. I once thought he’d be good married to my daughter so I checked him out. But then she met Brawn. It wasn’t Trey who sold you out. I’d bet my pension on it.”
Shadow wasn’t sure what a pension was but he did trust Tim. The male wasn’t likeable at all times but he had honor. He took pride in his work and his team. His daughter was also mated to a council member. He’d privately shown pictures to his Species team members of his grandson, Kismet. The love he felt for the child was always apparent. Tim would never betray his extended family—the Species.
“Trey!” Tim covered his other ear to hear better. “We have a situation. Glance around and signal all the men on your team to remove their headsets right now just in case the pilot forgot to make this a private conversation.” He paused. “They all down?” He paused again. “Good. Just listen to me. Shadow’s emergency tracker was activated and that’s how those bastards who attacked Reservation found the Gift. You understand what that means. It wasn’t me or you so we know who is left. Arrest them both the moment you land and haul their asses to Security. We’ll figure it out later but I’ll be damned if we’re screwed a second time.” He held Shadow’s gaze while he quietly listened to the response, nodded and hung up. “Trey is on it. He’s pissed.”
“So am I.”
Tim shoved his phone inside his pocket. “We’ll figure out which one of them it was.”
“I want to be there.”
Tim hesitated. “Let’s figure out who it is first and then I’ll personally leave you alone in the room with the son of a bitch.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Do you know how many times I wanted to tell the other guys on the team about my grandson but wasn’t allowed to? Thank God.” He clenched his teeth. “He could have sold that information as well. I thought the NSO was being paranoid by not allowing humans to know but they weren’t.” He shoved his fists on his hips. “Just leave enough of him intact for me to get a piece.”
Shadow wasn’t about to make promises he wasn’t sure he could keep. “I need to return to Beauty. This information couldn’t wait. I know you’ve got it under control right now.”
“You need to get to Security for debriefing. You were on scene.”
“The mercenaries were hired by the wealthy human who bought Beauty from Mercile. Find him to make sure he’s never able to attempt it again. She needs me.” He stomped away before Tim could respond.
Beauty and Destiny both turned when he entered the room. The male stood too close to her but he just held an ice pack to her injured cheek. He glanced around, sniffed, and knew no one else had entered the room while he’d been gone.
“Thank you for protecting her.” He nodded at the nurse. “How is she?”
“Nothing seems broken and she’s not exhibiting any symptoms of a concussion. I’ve ordered a scan to make certain though. She’s Gift. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Her bones aren’t as dense as our other females’. I was going to take her as soon as you returned. Is it all right to move your female now?”
Shadow inched around him and scooped Beauty into his arms. He liked that the male knew who she belonged to. “Lead the way.”
“I can walk,” she muttered.
“I know you can.” He just didn’t want her to. She still appeared a little pale and she’d been through a lot. “Let me care for you.” As if he’d give her a choice but it was polite to at least allow her to think she had one.
Shadow paused behind Tim and growled. The male turned his head and peered down at him. “Shadow. I’m glad you’re here. You look banged up, but good. Go to Security and give them a report. We have a second team arriving in ten minutes but we need to know what happened. We’re holding an emergency briefing as soon as the helicopter lands.”
“The human piece of shit who once held Beauty prisoner hired mercenaries to steal her.” He stepped around the chair to face the male. “Someone on the team gave them access to my emergency transmitter.”
Tim paled. “What?”
“They knew about my coin and that’s how they located the cabin.” He wanted to howl in rage. “They admitted it, before you ask how I’m certain. Bragged about it. Someone betrayed me.”
Tim stepped off the chair. “Shit.” He grabbed his cell phone, dialing. “Someone betrayed all of us but I’m on it. I’ll have the son of a bitch by his balls before he can say ‘fucked’.”
“I want his head,” Shadow demanded.
Tim nodded grimly. “Patch me through to Trey, private headset,” he ordered whomever he spoke to. He put his hand over the phone. “I’m on with one of the pilots of the helicopter. There’re only two possible suspects. I’m going to have Trey arrest them until we can narrow down which one of them it was. They are assigned to his team today.”
“How do you know you can trust Trey? I know he has the access codes.”
Tim snorted, some of his anger fading from his features. “That boy is the son I never had and he’s as loyal as they come. I once thought he’d be good married to my daughter so I checked him out. But then she met Brawn. It wasn’t Trey who sold you out. I’d bet my pension on it.”
Shadow wasn’t sure what a pension was but he did trust Tim. The male wasn’t likeable at all times but he had honor. He took pride in his work and his team. His daughter was also mated to a council member. He’d privately shown pictures to his Species team members of his grandson, Kismet. The love he felt for the child was always apparent. Tim would never betray his extended family—the Species.
“Trey!” Tim covered his other ear to hear better. “We have a situation. Glance around and signal all the men on your team to remove their headsets right now just in case the pilot forgot to make this a private conversation.” He paused. “They all down?” He paused again. “Good. Just listen to me. Shadow’s emergency tracker was activated and that’s how those bastards who attacked Reservation found the Gift. You understand what that means. It wasn’t me or you so we know who is left. Arrest them both the moment you land and haul their asses to Security. We’ll figure it out later but I’ll be damned if we’re screwed a second time.” He held Shadow’s gaze while he quietly listened to the response, nodded and hung up. “Trey is on it. He’s pissed.”
“So am I.”
Tim shoved his phone inside his pocket. “We’ll figure out which one of them it was.”
“I want to be there.”
Tim hesitated. “Let’s figure out who it is first and then I’ll personally leave you alone in the room with the son of a bitch.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Do you know how many times I wanted to tell the other guys on the team about my grandson but wasn’t allowed to? Thank God.” He clenched his teeth. “He could have sold that information as well. I thought the NSO was being paranoid by not allowing humans to know but they weren’t.” He shoved his fists on his hips. “Just leave enough of him intact for me to get a piece.”
Shadow wasn’t about to make promises he wasn’t sure he could keep. “I need to return to Beauty. This information couldn’t wait. I know you’ve got it under control right now.”
“You need to get to Security for debriefing. You were on scene.”
“The mercenaries were hired by the wealthy human who bought Beauty from Mercile. Find him to make sure he’s never able to attempt it again. She needs me.” He stomped away before Tim could respond.
Beauty and Destiny both turned when he entered the room. The male stood too close to her but he just held an ice pack to her injured cheek. He glanced around, sniffed, and knew no one else had entered the room while he’d been gone.
“Thank you for protecting her.” He nodded at the nurse. “How is she?”
“Nothing seems broken and she’s not exhibiting any symptoms of a concussion. I’ve ordered a scan to make certain though. She’s Gift. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Her bones aren’t as dense as our other females’. I was going to take her as soon as you returned. Is it all right to move your female now?”
Shadow inched around him and scooped Beauty into his arms. He liked that the male knew who she belonged to. “Lead the way.”
“I can walk,” she muttered.
“I know you can.” He just didn’t want her to. She still appeared a little pale and she’d been through a lot. “Let me care for you.” As if he’d give her a choice but it was polite to at least allow her to think she had one.
