"Thanks for taking the time to meet with me again, Sky," I decided to take a direct approach. "I need to ask you some questions that might be a little hard to answer. Is that okay?"
Sky's posture stayed relaxed as he nodded.
"Great." I flipped open my battered notebook and clicked my pen open. "Does the name Alexi Gartroli mean anything to you?"
A cloud seemed to pass over Sky's face, but he nodded. "He's one of the Alphas being held at the facility." My surprise must have shown on my face because he cocked his head. "Who did you think he was?"
"It's a long story," I said slowly, "but his name came up as a suspect in a kidnapping case last month."
"On a dating site?"
My eyes narrowed but I nodded.
"That was one of the ways that Cal looked for Omegas," Sky explained. "He never used his real name, he'd cruise those 'alpha seeking omega' sites. Since most of them run background checks now, he had to set them up using the registration information for a real Alpha, so he used the ones he had in his cages."
"I see." I scribbled as fast as I could, grateful that Sky had paused. "How many is he holding?"
"Just two that I knew of when I was thrown out. Alexi and another one whose name I don't know." Sky bit his lower lip and exhaled sharply. "If they've figured out that I'm missing, Alexi is in danger."
"Why?" Colt asked, laying his hand over Sky's.
"Remember when I told you that they caught me on the computer?"
Colt and I both nodded.
"I was trying to find a way to delete that damned dating profile so they'd have to start over."
Not sure where he was headed, I waited silently.
"Alexi and I have been friends for a while," Sky began to explain, stopping suddenly when Colt growled. "Down boy," he teased, pressing a kiss to the werewolf's hand. "Just friends, I promise." He looked back to me. "Anyway, we came up with a plan to try and escape. If the dating profile crashed, they'd have to re-apply, and that would mean allowing Alexi to prepare a video message to add to the profile. We were going to try and sneak a subliminal message into it."
My pen slipped and I had to fumble to keep from dropping it. I considered just how desperate they had to be to hatch such a crazy plot.
Reading my face, he shrugged. "It was the only thing we could think of."
Colt glared at me, his mouth set in a grim line. "What's the status out there?"
I set my notepad and pen down. "Alrick and Seb are in a holding pattern. They managed to plant a few wireless cameras that haven't been discovered yet and we've been monitoring the situation." I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think it's about time for us to make a move."
Up to that point, Clint had stood so silently by the door that I'd actually forgotten he was there. "Colby?"
"He's been working on a plan of attack," I admitted. "I'm not sure if he's up to the travel." I laughed in spite of myself. "And since our usual last-minute babysitter is currently on paternity leave with his husband, I suspect one of us will have to stay home."
That made Clint and Colt both smile broadly.
"Sweet Vlad," Clint said affectionately. "I'm a little jealous that Blood Valley got him instead of us."
I couldn't hold back a laugh, but there was nothing mocking about it. "He is amazing. Seriously, Clint, baby Opal is going to be the most obnoxiously spoiled dragonlet the world has ever seen. I'm not sure that he has even set her down since Jackal brought her home."
"Trevor said he and Colby were planning a full-scale baby shower for them after our first attempt was interrupted the other day."
I nodded. "Yeah, it may have to wait until after this clusterfuck of a case, though."
The two Alpha werewolves nodded their agreement and Colt tilted his chin at me. "Just one more reason you should get your ass in gear, now, isn't it?"
I rolled my eyes and rubbed the side of my nose with my middle finger, discretely giving him the finger.
Sky nearly choked trying not to laugh and I winked at him before turning back to Colt. "Then get your shit packed, mutt. Justice awaits!"
