KnightForce Deuces, page 13
Jasmine never fully understood how her sons were connected and wasn’t surprised Tyrese experienced Tyrone’s pain.
“Ryder got tangled in the cord and didn’t come down right. Matt worked really hard to save him. It was touchy for a little while,” she said, her heart heavy just thinking about it. Rose lost it and Danielle comforted her while Davian held onto Tyrone when he collapsed with a panic attack when the baby didn’t respond. According to Danielle, Matt focused solely on Ryder and when the baby finally released a cry, Rose and Danielle joined him.
“Dani tried to explain but kept crying, I knew it had been bad. I’m glad Matt was there,” Tyrese said.
Thinking of her argument with Silas over Matt’s arrival, she was happy she pushed. Otherwise things could have been drastically different.
“We got a break,” Angus said. “The full-bloods we captured still have that peculiar odor. They said they were given something to drink right before they shifted for the attack but didn’t know what was in the cup. Chase sent them to his lab for blood work; we should find out something soon. Hopefully we can copy it, using that in the field would help.”
“That’s good news, I’ll let Silas know,” Jasmine said.
“We got another lead. There’s another attack scheduled in a couple of days. One of the full-bloods was scheduled to go to meet a group in Boulder but was pulled for this operation at the last minute. Chase got a report of rebels in that area, we’re going to check it out.”
“You think it’s another group of bombers?”
“Maybe. But they’ll pay for the lives of those four pack members either way.”
Chapter 18
Silas’ eyes flew open. His heartbeat pounded. Taking a huge gulp of air, he lay still and filtered scents and sounds. Exhaling, he rolled over from the sweat-dampened sheets and stared at the ceiling. Had he been dreaming? Or did he and Jasmine actually stand in front of the Goddess discussing Wolf politics? Jasmine accused her former government of deliberate sabotage of the pack. She claimed they were secretly funding weapons that would harm or destroy both full-bloods and half-breeds. He shook his head. Standing before the Goddess in a long white Grecian-style dress, with gold braids framing her waist, she stated her position without fear and a level of confidence that still surprised him.
How had she figured out what he and Jacques suspected for decades? Not that he blamed them. If he were president of the United States and had been informed there were dual-natured individuals living in the country, he would have done exactly what Lincoln had done decades ago. Search for ways to survive against an enemy attack. With the addition of millions of half-breeds, the human government had been thrown a curve ball of gigantic proportions. Half-breeds were more human than wolf and not the animals Silas suspected the government had been comfortably calling his pack.
“Jasmine?”
“Yes?”
He scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. Rested, he followed the scent of food. His mate had the strangest habits. But if cooking a few meals eased her, he had no complaints. Entering the kitchen, he froze as a greeting died in his throat.
Jasmine stood in the middle of the kitchen, stirring something in a large, yellow ceramic bowl. Cakes, pies, cookies and assorted other foods covered the countertops. A few platters of delicacies lay atop the table.
“How long did I sleep?” He asked running his hand through his hair while staring at the overflowing counters.
“Hmm?” She looked up at him.
Silas waved at all the food. “How long was I out?”
“A few hours.” She said, pouring batter into a pan.
He nodded and picked up a glazed pastry. “I had a strange… dream?” After swallowing the sweet, he told her about the visit with the Goddess and the conversation.
Jasmine’s mouth dropped open and then she frowned. “Could that have happened without me being aware of it?”
“Not that I know of but you don’t seem that surprised about the conversation.” He leaned against the counter, watching her.
She waved her hand. “If you mean about the government, no, that doesn’t surprise me. When all the layers are peeled, you’ll find some super-secret government group underwriting the chemicals, bombs and all kinds of things against us.”
Pleased she firmly identified with his pack, he popped another pastry into his mouth. “I agree with you. Not sure about the flesh bombs, though.” Their most recent request to meet with him and Hawke came right after Froggy died. His spirits lagged, thinking of his old friend who had supported him 100 percent from day one.
She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “One question, how do you keep all the conversations straight that’re going on inside your head? So many calling out, asking for different things. After Angus, I shut it down.”
His brow rose, he never allowed his La Patron link to bleed into their personal one. He wouldn’t work to that point of exhaustion again. “What’s going on with him?”
Jasmine repeated the conversation she had with his litter-mate.
“I hope he shuts this case down without anyone else dying; Chase could use a break.”
“So could you.” She paused. “What was the Goddess’ answer to everything going on?”
“That’s what was so strange. She never answered any of my questions. Instead, we both listened to you.”
“Me?” Jasmine shook her head. “You don’t listen to me when it comes to stuff like this.”
“Why do you say that?”
She met his gaze and offered a half-smile. “Do I need to give an example of times I offered advice and you didn’t listen?”
Thoughts of their more recent arguments filled his mind, like the time he sent Tyrese to Lyrill and almost started a war. She had warned him something wasn’t right about the entire situation but he hadn’t taken her advice. Then the whole thing with Rose giving birth and needing a doctor; he hadn’t been thinking about the particulars.
Pulling out a chair, he sat down at the table. An appetizing pastry with some kind of fruit filled a platter in front of him. He took one and pointed at her. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“What?”
After two bites, he finished and picked up another. “Talk to me. What do you think is going on and how can we stop it?”
Jasmine pulled out a chair and sat in front of him. “First off, you’ve gotta stop playing with the Feds. Just because you don’t think highly of humans doesn’t mean they aren’t sneaky. They’ll attack when you least suspect.” She held up her hand, stopping his response. “I know you have full-bloods and probably half-breeds in every branch of government but they’re being watched as well. Chances are they receive diluted information to pass on. Think about it, no one warned you about the poison or the Liege. But someone knew.”
Silas nodded. “You’re right. To a point.” He looked down at the empty plate with crumbs. “Those were good.”
Glancing at the crumbs on his mouth, she smiled. “I can tell.”
“Not only do I have full-bloods in every branch but they work in government labs creating all kinds of things. I think the government has something in place that allows them to differentiate between full-bloods and humans but that wasn’t always the case. Pack members infiltrated deep into the system and set-up all types of protocols that enable us access secure databases to this day.”
He stretched out his legs and placed both hands on his lap, as he met her gaze. “After spending a considerably long time living and working with humans, I am aware of their phobias and fondness for believing they are the most important beings on the planet. Their regard for life is laughably inconsistent. History tells the story of how humans try to annihilate any and every one different from them, even amongst humans.”
“That’s why you shouldn’t underestimate them.”
Silas chuckled. “Is that what you think? That I underestimate them? If I did that then I would make the same mistake with them that they make with me.” He waited for his words to settle.
“Silas…”
“Packs are governed as a theocracy, ruled by the Goddess alone. As her messenger, I carry out her mandates for her people. She has been very clear on some points and not as much on others. But I understand the underlying spirit of her rule and that cuts down on chaos.”
“How do you explain the rebels?”
“For the most part I don’t. They are her children and are given an opportunity to change directions. As long as they do not take lives or cause the loss of life, rebels are treated as the demented cousins everyone has but never talk about.”
“So you’re saying you take the humans as a serious threat?”
“No, I didn’t say that.”
Jasmine stared at him.
“In this country they outnumber us 10-to-1,” he said.
She waved down his comment. “That’s not a number of people who would respond immediately when called. You snap your finger and you could have all 33 million pack members run outside and attack their human neighbors. The government knows that and I’m sure at least one person in office has had nightmares in the past.”
Silas looked at his fingers and then snapped them. After a few seconds he looked at her. “You didn’t move over here.”
Jasmine laughed. “No. I guess I didn’t get the call.”
He extended his hand to her.
She took it and sat on his lap.
Holding her tight, he brushed a kiss against her forehead. “Our pack is organized and specifically trained to function both independently and dependently. Each territory is separated by borders and a specific Alpha. But we are all one. Granted, we are savage and brutal - our strength and cunning are constantly tested.” He tapped his chest. “But our beasts are survivors. If attacked, retaliation is a part of who we are. My goal is to lead our pack to live peaceably with prosperity. So far that’s been working.”
Her long sigh and slumped shoulders concerned him. “You don’t agree?”
“To a point. When you retaliate, you draw attention to us. Since the Goddess’ main rule is to live, what… invisibly, why do that?”
“Full-bloods follow the Goddess because we believe she guides and protects us better than anyone else. If another comes along to challenge her and wins, then she loses stature and possibly her pack to the winner. There are no elections or voting. Top wolf rules. That’s who we are.”
“I understand that but—”
“No, Jasmine, I don’t think you do. Here’s the thing - whenever the government does something against the pack, I retaliate on behalf of the Goddess. As long as the pack sees or understands that actions are being taken for their safety, they will remain loyal and follow pack rule. If I or any of my Alphas allow members of our pack to be targeted, harassed, mistreated or killed and do not respond with a swift and deadly hand, then why be in a pack?”
During his explanation, she’d met his gaze trying to understand. He wondered if she ever would.
“I understand that part, what I’m saying is you act as if this is the days of the Wild West and you have to meet in the middle of the street for a showdown. While you’re going after the person crazy enough to meet you in the road, your real enemies are watching from windows or along the street pretending to be on your side. That’s what bothers me. Do you know who your real enemies are?”
Silas placed his finger beneath her chin, lifted her face and kissed her softly at first. Her apprehension touched him. Her analogy of the street-fighter was a little close to home but the question she asked required additional thought. Deepening the kiss, he sent waves of love and affection through their link so that she knew how much he cherished her. Such a precious gift.
They broke apart on a soft gasp. She brushed her lips across his. Inhaling, he smelled her arousal and placed his hand on her thigh. She covered it before he could slide higher. “Do you understand my… concerns?”
“Yes. But there’s not an easy answer. I’ve lived a long time, witnessed the birth and growth of this country as well as the Wolf Nation. Enemies come and go but they are constant, which will always be the case. Someone will always fear our numbers, our strength, and our ability to heal and age slowly. Others are jealous of our wealth, our lands, even the superior quality of our schools. Still others fear our innate ability to fight with targeted focus and want to control what they consider my army. See? Lots of people pulling strings trying to unravel us.”
“I see.” She paused. “With all that going on, the question should become who’s your top enemy at the moment?”
Silas smiled, pleased she understood. “Yes, right now it’s whoever dusted boxes with poison which survived the recycling process. That may be the government or a cell group or some new faction looking for the fountain of youth. We’ve fought all kinds over the years.”
“Times have changed, people are using more sophisticated methods and weapons. What are you doing about that?”
He tapped the tip of her nose and then moved a little so that she felt his hard erection, hoping this would be her last question.
“Have you seen my lab? Or my forensics team? Our people invented or had a hand in a lot of the new technology. Remember at the mating ceremony, the gift from the college students?” Her blank stare said she didn’t have a clue what he referred to.
“We have five full-blood universities across the country which are free to pack members. Each specializes in a specific discipline. Knight Tech rivals MIT with innovation and testing. The main difference though is at Knight Tech, the instructors and students patent everything beneath the name of the pack, so that we all benefit.”
Jasmine pushed his chest and stood. “My worries are for my children and grandchildren and after mom has her babies, them as well. It seems we’re always under attack for some reason and now I understand that is the way life will be from now on.” She inhaled, released it slowly and looked at him. “I love you.”
His chest expanded to near bursting.
“This is not the life I would’ve chosen but it’s the life I have. Hands down, you’re the best man for the job, these voices… they’re giving me a headache. Here you go.” She exhaled.
Requests for conversations, advice and updates flooded his link. The sudden onslaught jolted him. “I thought you released them when I woke up,” he said filtering and cataloging information to manageable levels.
“No, I wanted to talk first and just listening to everyone reaching out to you gave me a better understanding of your job. But Hawke’s contacted you twice, says it’s urgent, so you need to take it from here.” Leaning forward, she placed a kiss on his lips and walked out of the kitchen.
Chapter 19
Hawke and Silas stepped out the vehicle in an underground parking area beneath the Federal building in Elkins, West Virginia. Three men in dark suits materialized with hand-held scanners and waved them back and forth.
“Interesting custom when inviting someone for a chat,” Hawke said.
“What’s interesting is that they are aware of the deaths in my compound. Do you think we have a leak?” Silas asked, following the men to an elevator.
“No more than secure information from their computers leak. When it comes to technology, privacy is limited to in-house systems which makes it hard when you need to research poisons. The flag was raised when we went looking,” Hawke replied as the elevator plunged downward.
Agreeing with Hawke’s assessment on the leaks, Silas asked, “How’s Asia? I meant to ask before but with everything going on to set up this meeting, it slipped my mind.”
“Better. Thanks for allowing her to stand guard on the floor with the pups. It bothered her being so far away.”
The elevator finally stopped. Silas stepped out first and then Hawke. Two similarly dressed men met them.
“This way, please,” one of the men said.
Silas and Hawke walked down a long corridor and stopped in front of a wooden double door. Inside three men sat at a long polished table. One had a laptop opened in front of him and the others sat in front of small stacks of files.
“I’m Silas Knight, you have information for me?” He remained near the door, prepared to leave if they didn’t have what he wanted. Holding information hostage as a bargaining chip to learn more about the bombs had been an underhanded maneuver. But he couldn’t discount their success; he had left the compound to make the exchange since he refused to allow them on his grounds. Jasmine had been adamant that he meet with these men if there was a chance to stop the poison from killing any more pack members. She didn’t hesitate to remind him of how well she handled things in his absence the last time.
“Yes. Let me introduce everyone and we’ll get started. I’m Melch,” said the slender Caucasian male, with dark eyes, receding hairline and sharp jaw. He then pointed to the dark-complexioned man to his right. “This is Kalid.” Silas glanced at the Indian and nodded.
“And this is Hickle,” Melch said, pointing to the pale male with thinning brown hair seated on his left.
“Dr. Hickle,” Hickle corrected. “I’ve been tasked with exploring the information on the bombs, fascinating work.” He smiled at Silas.
Silas rubbed his nose as he stared at the man. “I would tell the creator but she died a while back.” Assuming Melch to be in charge, Silas looked at him. “This is Hawke, you asked for him specifically, why?”
Melch held Silas’ gaze. “Because we heard he is the best in the field.”
Silas crossed his arms. “Really? Who told you that?”
Melch didn’t flinch beneath Silas’ hard glare. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
Silas walked to the table, placed his palms on the cool wood surface and leaned forward. “As long as you’re at liberty to answer all my questions about the poison we’ll call it even. This is a one-time consult. All charges against me are to be dropped tomorrow as agreed.”
“Yes, I’m familiar with the terms of this agreement,” Melch said. “Can we start? As you said before accepting our invitation, the clock is running.”
