Tim Oberto met them just inside. “We’re using the conference room.” He pointed. “Justice’s office won’t accommodate everyone.” He glanced around at the Species. “My men will be here in about five minutes but I’ll have them wait outside.”
True glared at the human. “Good. I don’t trust them around my mate.” He realized he was being unreasonable—Jeanie had cleared all the members—but he wasn’t about let it go any time soon that she could have been murdered.
“Damn it,” Tim muttered but didn’t say more.
True kept Jeanie within the circle of his arm, alert to her emotions since over twenty Species males surrounded them by the time they entered the large room. Justice, Fury, Slade, Jaded and Bestial took seats on the tabletops instead of in the chairs. Luna had come as well and she hovered on Jeanie’s other side. He was grateful for the female’s presence. Breeze also joined them, covering Jeanie’s back. Pride filled his soul because he knew they were protective of his mate.
Justice grimly stared at him. “She identified Jerry Boris?”
“I did,” Jeanie spoke before True could. He glanced down at her, seeing the firm set of her chin. No fear showed on her delicate features. It made him proud. “That’s the same guy who pretended to be Agent Terry Brice.”
“Son of a bitch,” Tim snapped. “I should have seen it.”
“Explain,” Slade demanded.
“Jerry, Terry. Boris, Brice. He kept the names close enough so he’d always respond if anyone spoke his name. It’s standard operating undercover technique to keep the name close so there’s less confusion. The first names rhyme so it would grab his attention. He damn near got his hands on her.” Tim refused to take a seat. “That spineless bastard has more guts than I ever gave him credit for, to pull this off.”
Breeze snorted. “Damn near? His men did get their hands on her. He just didn’t get her to Fuller and kill her. If we hadn’t prevented her from being taken do you think she would have survived for long?”
“No.” Tim shook his head. “He probably wanted her alive to discover what she’d told us so far and for no other reason.” He shifted his position enough to stare at Jeanie. “I’m sorry, Ms. Shiver. I really am. You must think I’m the biggest ass**le in the world and I don’t blame you. You have to understand that Jerry Boris set you up in a way that left you looking guilty as hell. He was in a position to do it and nothing you said made a lick of sense. I’m sure he fed you everything to make it appear that way. I can’t apologize enough but please know I mean it.”
“She doesn’t accept your apology,” True snarled.
Jeanie glanced at him but must have read his anger. He didn’t feel she should accept an apology after all the suffering she’d experienced. He was grateful she didn’t argue with him when she remained silent. His mate was too tenderhearted but it would make his decision to stop working for the task force easy. He belonged at Homeland full-time and seeing Tim’s face would always stir bad memories and just plain piss him off.
Tiger walked in. “I got the information.” He glanced around, directing his gaze at Justice. “Warden Boris is indeed at a conference in Washington, DC. It was mandatory for all high-ranking human staff who have any dealings with the NSO. Senator Hills holds one every six months to make certain we’re getting full cooperation from them. Boris has been there for two days but we learned he changed his flight plans. His original return flight was booked for the day after tomorrow but he told them there was a family emergency.”
“He doesn’t have family that I am aware of,” Tim grumbled. “Lying bastard. He had a wife but she died a long time ago.”
“The first flight back here leaves at six a.m. his time. That’s three our time,” Tiger finished. “He’s booked on it. His new flight schedule allows him time to reach Fuller before the second-shift transfer.”
“I want him arrested right now. Do you know what hotel he’s at?” Tim yanked out his cell phone. “I’ll have him picked up there. Someone from Fuller might have called him to give him a heads-up. The jerk could attempt to run. I have some trusted friends in DC who will make the arrest. I’m not leaving this up to random cops.”
Jeanie tensed, drawing True’s attention. “You can’t do that,” she protested.
“Why?” True didn’t like that response. “You’ll be safer if they arrest him now instead of waiting until he reaches California.”
Her pretty brown eyes peered up at him and he could see her distress. “What if there are others out there like me?”
“What do you mean?” Justice didn’t sound any happier than he felt.
Jeanie pulled her gaze from his to stare at the feline male. “Mr. North, he lied to me and got me to work undercover. There could be other people who are in the same situation I was in.” She leaned against True. “Don’t you understand? He used me and he could be using other people.”
“We’ll have Darkness force him to tell us if he knows of any other locations.” True was certain the male could do it.
Jeanie chewed on her bottom lip.
“What is it, mate?” True knew she wanted to say more but didn’t. “Don’t hold back.”
She glanced up at him, then at Justice. “Do you really think he’s going to be honest about it if he’s using someone else the way he did me? Or admit to knowing where other New Species are being held?”
True glared at the human. “Good. I don’t trust them around my mate.” He realized he was being unreasonable—Jeanie had cleared all the members—but he wasn’t about let it go any time soon that she could have been murdered.
“Damn it,” Tim muttered but didn’t say more.
True kept Jeanie within the circle of his arm, alert to her emotions since over twenty Species males surrounded them by the time they entered the large room. Justice, Fury, Slade, Jaded and Bestial took seats on the tabletops instead of in the chairs. Luna had come as well and she hovered on Jeanie’s other side. He was grateful for the female’s presence. Breeze also joined them, covering Jeanie’s back. Pride filled his soul because he knew they were protective of his mate.
Justice grimly stared at him. “She identified Jerry Boris?”
“I did,” Jeanie spoke before True could. He glanced down at her, seeing the firm set of her chin. No fear showed on her delicate features. It made him proud. “That’s the same guy who pretended to be Agent Terry Brice.”
“Son of a bitch,” Tim snapped. “I should have seen it.”
“Explain,” Slade demanded.
“Jerry, Terry. Boris, Brice. He kept the names close enough so he’d always respond if anyone spoke his name. It’s standard operating undercover technique to keep the name close so there’s less confusion. The first names rhyme so it would grab his attention. He damn near got his hands on her.” Tim refused to take a seat. “That spineless bastard has more guts than I ever gave him credit for, to pull this off.”
Breeze snorted. “Damn near? His men did get their hands on her. He just didn’t get her to Fuller and kill her. If we hadn’t prevented her from being taken do you think she would have survived for long?”
“No.” Tim shook his head. “He probably wanted her alive to discover what she’d told us so far and for no other reason.” He shifted his position enough to stare at Jeanie. “I’m sorry, Ms. Shiver. I really am. You must think I’m the biggest ass**le in the world and I don’t blame you. You have to understand that Jerry Boris set you up in a way that left you looking guilty as hell. He was in a position to do it and nothing you said made a lick of sense. I’m sure he fed you everything to make it appear that way. I can’t apologize enough but please know I mean it.”
“She doesn’t accept your apology,” True snarled.
Jeanie glanced at him but must have read his anger. He didn’t feel she should accept an apology after all the suffering she’d experienced. He was grateful she didn’t argue with him when she remained silent. His mate was too tenderhearted but it would make his decision to stop working for the task force easy. He belonged at Homeland full-time and seeing Tim’s face would always stir bad memories and just plain piss him off.
Tiger walked in. “I got the information.” He glanced around, directing his gaze at Justice. “Warden Boris is indeed at a conference in Washington, DC. It was mandatory for all high-ranking human staff who have any dealings with the NSO. Senator Hills holds one every six months to make certain we’re getting full cooperation from them. Boris has been there for two days but we learned he changed his flight plans. His original return flight was booked for the day after tomorrow but he told them there was a family emergency.”
“He doesn’t have family that I am aware of,” Tim grumbled. “Lying bastard. He had a wife but she died a long time ago.”
“The first flight back here leaves at six a.m. his time. That’s three our time,” Tiger finished. “He’s booked on it. His new flight schedule allows him time to reach Fuller before the second-shift transfer.”
“I want him arrested right now. Do you know what hotel he’s at?” Tim yanked out his cell phone. “I’ll have him picked up there. Someone from Fuller might have called him to give him a heads-up. The jerk could attempt to run. I have some trusted friends in DC who will make the arrest. I’m not leaving this up to random cops.”
Jeanie tensed, drawing True’s attention. “You can’t do that,” she protested.
“Why?” True didn’t like that response. “You’ll be safer if they arrest him now instead of waiting until he reaches California.”
Her pretty brown eyes peered up at him and he could see her distress. “What if there are others out there like me?”
“What do you mean?” Justice didn’t sound any happier than he felt.
Jeanie pulled her gaze from his to stare at the feline male. “Mr. North, he lied to me and got me to work undercover. There could be other people who are in the same situation I was in.” She leaned against True. “Don’t you understand? He used me and he could be using other people.”
“We’ll have Darkness force him to tell us if he knows of any other locations.” True was certain the male could do it.
Jeanie chewed on her bottom lip.
“What is it, mate?” True knew she wanted to say more but didn’t. “Don’t hold back.”
She glanced up at him, then at Justice. “Do you really think he’s going to be honest about it if he’s using someone else the way he did me? Or admit to knowing where other New Species are being held?”
