Wrecker leaned back in his chair and regarded the rest of us with calculating eyes. “We got nothin’ right now,” he said, his deep, commanding voice cutting through the din of activity. “I’ve gone through every fucking file the DOD and CIA have. The only fucking way we evenknewhe’d landed in Central America was through tapping into the vampire mafia network. Koslov manages to have his lifeless fingers in everybody’s pie.
My head snapped up. “What the fuck, Wrecker? You didn’t think it was important to mention who your contact was?” My voice was little more than a growl, thinking that we were on a wild goose chase and had wasted our time here.
The tension in the room ratcheted up about 10 notches. Wrecker stood his ground. Every man in this room was an alpha in his own right. They all chose to bow the knee to me out of loyalty. But when it got like this, it was difficult to breathe.
“Kozlov’s daughter is a friend of Juliet’s no?” Wrecker asked. Looking me straight in the eyes.
Took me a minute to regain my composure enough to think straight. “Yeah. That’s where Juliet got her fake papers. Why they were so legit looking.”
“Kazimir is aware that Lucia takes her relationship with Juliet very seriously. He wants Harrison dead. His intel is good. He gave me all he had.”
That information was good enough for me. It still didn’t sit right with me, and I let him know it.
“Wrecker. Youeverspeak to another Supernatural Supreme Leader, especially if it’s a king, without my knowledge, we’re gonna have a problem. Understood?”
He pounded his fist over his heart. “Yes, Alpha.”
I knew he had gotten themessage.
“Okay, continue.”
“I’ve found no trace of any offshore holdings. At least none connected to Hastings Labs. This fucker is a ghost.”
Menace muttered a string of curses that put even my choice of words to shame.
“How in the hell does he have that kind of power?” I asked. “And how’s he keeping a base of operations the size of a lab so hidden?”
Doc didn’t look up from his screen as he answered, the deliberate weight of his words silencing everyone else in the room. “Money,” he said. “And probably some damn expert help. This part of the world? You can keep mouths shut with enough cash.”
“He shouldn’t be able to just ghost like this.” My voice came out tight and sharp. “We’re missing something.”
“Maybe your little lady scarred him more than we figured,” Menace said, a knowing edge to his words.
“She’s not my little fuckin’ lady,” I said, trying to keep my frustration in check. “She’s your fuckin’ Luna.”
A low rumble of laughter rolled through the group, and I couldn’t help but crack a small, reluctant smile at their refusal to let me brood.
I picked up the list of countries we’d been considering; the paper worn and marked with pen and frustration. Harrison could have a lab in any of a half dozen Central American countries, and Juliet’s mother, Renda—was as gone as he was. I tossed the sheet back onto the table and swore under my breath as it floated down like a taunt.
“Arsenal?” I asked.
He straightened and gave me a precise, clipped nod. “Our perimeter is clear. We’re ready to roll on your word, Prez.”
My chest squeezed at his use of the title, and I resisted the urge to check my phone again. Instead, I caught sight of the photo I’d taped next to my monitor. Juliet’s wildfire eyes stared back atme like they were daring me to finish the mission and haul my ass home. I forced my attention back to the team.
“Should we give up on Guatemala?” I asked, my voice rough with reluctance.
“Negative,” Doc said, leaning back in his chair and tilting it onto two legs. “It’s a solid lead, Bronc. We have to check it out.”
“I want to be damn sure we don’t lose another week for nothing,” I said.
“Look,” Arsenal said. “We hit El Salvador. It could already be abandoned by the time we hit boots down. Same with Belize.”
“Juliet is good at home,” Papa said, cutting straight to my concerns with an unsettling clarity. “You’re gonna be no good to her if you don’t see this through.”
I nodded once, acknowledging his truth, though it pained me more than I wanted to admit. We had to be meticulous.
“Fuck,” I said finally, dragging my hand through my hair. “Alright, fine. We hit Guatemala. Doc, Arsenal, I want both of you ready to mobilize the second Wrecker gets a lock.”
