“He is the warden at Fuller,” True snarled. “Damn it. No wonder they sent a team to kidnap you. That is how they got the paperwork and access to pull this off.”
Jeanie leaned back in the chair, feeling overwhelmed and baffled. “I don’t understand. If he runs Fuller, wouldn’t he be worried that I’d see him if they had succeeded in getting me there, that I’d recognize him?”
“I think that was the point,” True harshly ground out. “Humans die sometimes at Fuller.”
Jericho rumbled. “That is why they tried to get her to Fuller. The male must have been terrified she’d identify him when he heard she was going to look at all the files of the human employees. I remember him. He wasn’t a nice human. She’s the only witness who can link him to the crimes he’s committed.” His strange brown eyes with red hues fixed on her. “You are lucky their attempt failed.”
“He’d know all the security codes and he’d have been able to access our system when she contacted the NSO to report Drackwood,” Luna snarled. “The task force always gives Fuller a heads-up before we raid any facility in case we capture prisoners. They require prior notification in order to make certain they have extra staff on hand to process incoming prisoners.”
“Can you lock him out of our computer systems?” Jinx looked pissed.
Luna nodded. “It’s already been done. I locked down the system when we suspected it might be a task force member behind this. Right now you can only gain direct access to the computers from inside Control here at Homeland and from inside Control at Reservation. The codes have been restricted to New Species only.”
Flame opened the door and looked grim as he stepped back into the large room. His gaze sought True.
“Justice wants you both in his office in twenty minutes. He’s getting dressed. Your mate is in serious danger. Justice wants a larger security detail immediately assigned to her. I have SUVs coming to take us there. Warden Boris has already made one attempt at getting your mate, True. Justice is contacting Tim immediately to let the task force know what is going on and for backup support.” His focus slid to Luna. “Show her all current task force team members right now before we leave. We have to make sure the remaining male who tried to grab her isn’t one of Tim’s males.”
The control room door opened and Fury rushed in. He looked pissed. He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “I was jogging and got the phone call.” His attention zeroed in on Jeanie. “You’re sure the male who claimed to be the agent you were working for is Jerry Boris?”
She nodded. “It’s him, without a doubt.”
Fury threw back his head and let out a howl.
Jeanie jerked in her seat, startled. The New Species seemed to be having a meltdown. The earsplitting sound died and his chin lowered. His face had transformed into one scary sight. True leapt to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.
“Don’t scare my mate!”
Fury blinked a few times and actually flinched. “Sorry.” He looked at her. “My rage isn’t directed at you. I know this ass**le. He made trouble for my mate and me when he ran Homeland after it opened. He fired my Ellie and sent her away from me out of spite for not following his orders. She was almost kidnapped by an enemy of the NSO. Then he tried to have her removed from my home as payback for not helping him delay Species’ taking control of Homeland. They removed him from his position and later gave him the prison to run. I didn’t mind because he wasn’t here any longer and I thought it fitting that our enemies who would have to deal with him.” He took a ragged breath. “I want to tear his head off.”
“Get in line,” True ground out. “I’m sure he wanted my mate taken to Fuller so he could murder her to keep her from identifying him.”
Flame cleared his throat. “Okay. We all agree Jerry Boris is a male who should die a painful death and he’s done evil things to both Species and mates. Justice wants to see us in about fifteen minutes and Jeanie still needs to view the faces of the task force team before we allow them to come help protect her. We have to make certain one of them isn’t going to betray our trust.” He paused. “Luna, get on it. Time is ticking.”
“I’m on it.” She bent over, tapping in commands into the computer.
Jeanie turned in her seat and reached back, rubbing True’s leg where he stood behind her. One glance assured her that he wasn’t in the mood to sit back down. In less than a minute Luna had opened up a page of thumbnail photos of the task force members.
“Sorry but these are newer ones with an upgraded system. Just click on each one and it will pull it up. Hit the escape key and they will close. Go line by line so you don’t miss any faces.”
Jeanie went to work. There were only a few dozen files and she was happy to report that the jerk who’d drugged her wasn’t among the task force team members. True and the other New Species seemed relieved at the news. She was too since she knew True was friends with some of them. She figured she’d caused him enough hardship without adding the loss of a friend.
True stayed at her side when they left the control center. More New Species had gathered outside and she felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer force of them protecting her as they used SUVs to drive a short distance to another building. It was lit up inside, as if every room was being used.
* * * * *
Jeanie leaned back in the chair, feeling overwhelmed and baffled. “I don’t understand. If he runs Fuller, wouldn’t he be worried that I’d see him if they had succeeded in getting me there, that I’d recognize him?”
“I think that was the point,” True harshly ground out. “Humans die sometimes at Fuller.”
Jericho rumbled. “That is why they tried to get her to Fuller. The male must have been terrified she’d identify him when he heard she was going to look at all the files of the human employees. I remember him. He wasn’t a nice human. She’s the only witness who can link him to the crimes he’s committed.” His strange brown eyes with red hues fixed on her. “You are lucky their attempt failed.”
“He’d know all the security codes and he’d have been able to access our system when she contacted the NSO to report Drackwood,” Luna snarled. “The task force always gives Fuller a heads-up before we raid any facility in case we capture prisoners. They require prior notification in order to make certain they have extra staff on hand to process incoming prisoners.”
“Can you lock him out of our computer systems?” Jinx looked pissed.
Luna nodded. “It’s already been done. I locked down the system when we suspected it might be a task force member behind this. Right now you can only gain direct access to the computers from inside Control here at Homeland and from inside Control at Reservation. The codes have been restricted to New Species only.”
Flame opened the door and looked grim as he stepped back into the large room. His gaze sought True.
“Justice wants you both in his office in twenty minutes. He’s getting dressed. Your mate is in serious danger. Justice wants a larger security detail immediately assigned to her. I have SUVs coming to take us there. Warden Boris has already made one attempt at getting your mate, True. Justice is contacting Tim immediately to let the task force know what is going on and for backup support.” His focus slid to Luna. “Show her all current task force team members right now before we leave. We have to make sure the remaining male who tried to grab her isn’t one of Tim’s males.”
The control room door opened and Fury rushed in. He looked pissed. He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “I was jogging and got the phone call.” His attention zeroed in on Jeanie. “You’re sure the male who claimed to be the agent you were working for is Jerry Boris?”
She nodded. “It’s him, without a doubt.”
Fury threw back his head and let out a howl.
Jeanie jerked in her seat, startled. The New Species seemed to be having a meltdown. The earsplitting sound died and his chin lowered. His face had transformed into one scary sight. True leapt to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.
“Don’t scare my mate!”
Fury blinked a few times and actually flinched. “Sorry.” He looked at her. “My rage isn’t directed at you. I know this ass**le. He made trouble for my mate and me when he ran Homeland after it opened. He fired my Ellie and sent her away from me out of spite for not following his orders. She was almost kidnapped by an enemy of the NSO. Then he tried to have her removed from my home as payback for not helping him delay Species’ taking control of Homeland. They removed him from his position and later gave him the prison to run. I didn’t mind because he wasn’t here any longer and I thought it fitting that our enemies who would have to deal with him.” He took a ragged breath. “I want to tear his head off.”
“Get in line,” True ground out. “I’m sure he wanted my mate taken to Fuller so he could murder her to keep her from identifying him.”
Flame cleared his throat. “Okay. We all agree Jerry Boris is a male who should die a painful death and he’s done evil things to both Species and mates. Justice wants to see us in about fifteen minutes and Jeanie still needs to view the faces of the task force team before we allow them to come help protect her. We have to make certain one of them isn’t going to betray our trust.” He paused. “Luna, get on it. Time is ticking.”
“I’m on it.” She bent over, tapping in commands into the computer.
Jeanie turned in her seat and reached back, rubbing True’s leg where he stood behind her. One glance assured her that he wasn’t in the mood to sit back down. In less than a minute Luna had opened up a page of thumbnail photos of the task force members.
“Sorry but these are newer ones with an upgraded system. Just click on each one and it will pull it up. Hit the escape key and they will close. Go line by line so you don’t miss any faces.”
Jeanie went to work. There were only a few dozen files and she was happy to report that the jerk who’d drugged her wasn’t among the task force team members. True and the other New Species seemed relieved at the news. She was too since she knew True was friends with some of them. She figured she’d caused him enough hardship without adding the loss of a friend.
True stayed at her side when they left the control center. More New Species had gathered outside and she felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer force of them protecting her as they used SUVs to drive a short distance to another building. It was lit up inside, as if every room was being used.
* * * * *
