Kahn nodded. Grasping the arms of the chair, he paused for a moment, gathering up the strength to tell his mother. Then, rising, he looked around his studio, mentally saying goodbye to that life. He promised himself it would be the last time he mourned his loss. From now on, his focus had to be on protecting his mother and sisters.
~/~/~/~/~
When his office door opened unexpectedly, Frank looked up from his computer screen. Smiling at his secretary, he asked, “Kat, did I miss a meeting again?”
“No sir, there’s someone here asking to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment but is very insistent that she must see you.”
He frowned slightly at the nervousness he detected in his secretary’s voice and, curious as to who put it there, asked, “And who is she?”
“Oracle,” Katrina said in a hushed tone. “I know you gave me instructions not to be disturbed this afternoon...”
“That’s okay, Kat…show her in.” Closing the report on his computer, he rose, wondering what warranted her unexpected visit at his High Council office since they usually met at his home.
“Please, go on in,” Katrina murmured, holding the door open.
“Thank you, dear,” Oracle said, her soothing voice smoothing the rough edges left from her assertive request.
Stepping around his desk, Frank waved Oracle over to the couch while saying, “Thank you Kat. I’ll take it from here.”
After the door clicked shut, Oracle sat down before looking up at Frank. When he didn’t join her, she said, “Please sit down…we have much to talk about.”
Quickly taking a seat, Frank observed her intently, noting the tenseness in her expression. That alone raised the hairs on the back of his neck because for their entire relationship, serene was the word that always described her regardless of any crisis that might be occurring. But not now. “I hope you aren’t here about the Blackwood Pack.”
“Not directly, but…”
Holding up his hand to stop her from continuing on, Frank said, “Oracle, please don’t go further. I’m no longer involved in any matter concerning them because it’s a conflict of interest. Jackson knows this.”
“My request does not directly involve the Blackwood Pack although it may...it depends on the prisoner.”
Raising an eyebrow, Frank said, “Okay…you have my attention…just proceed carefully.”
“Are you acquainted with prisoner 56130-422?”
“No…but I assume he’s currently under control of the High Council.”
“Yes, he is accused of shifter trafficking. He was captured trying to purchase shifters at an illegal auction.”
“That sounds familiar,” Frank murmured, walking over to his computer, then clicked to open a program. “What’s his number again?”
“56130-422.”
Entering the numbers into the program, Frank opened the prisoner’s file, scanning it quickly before looking back to Oracle. “You know him?”
“Never met him.”
“But your son has.”
“If you mean when he restrained him before turning the man over to the High Council? Then, yes…Slate met him.”
“And so did my son, Dylon, and Cody, too.”
“Yes, they were there also.”
Resuming his seat, Frank asked, “Why him? Why this particular prisoner?”
“The Fates chose him.”
“Chose him for what?”
