“No, I wanted you to see it first.”
When Dylon finished, he said, “You constantly amaze me, well done.”
“This has to go to Logan and Groose, pronto,” said Cody.
“What about the third man? Nothing at all?” asked Jackson.
“So far, nothing. He might not be a mercenary like those two are but I’m still checking. If nothing turns up with the database I’m using, I’ll try a different one.”
“What’s the difference?” asked Cody.
“One deals with criminals, the other also includes non-criminals. I picked the one I’m using because they were caught in a criminal act so it seemed logical I use that one first,” Zane answered.
Jackson was flipping through the file again, then said in a low voice, “Fionn was very lucky last night. Those guys meant business and I do believe they would have tortured him if that was what they’d been paid to do.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Dylon. “They’re a nasty piece of work and the High Council would love to get their hands on them for questioning about a number of unsolved murders.”
“Do you want me to forward it to Logan?” asked Zane.
“Yes,” Jackson said. “I’m going to call Logan shortly so send it off right away. See if you can find who the third guy is because I think he’s key to finding the other two.”
“If there’s a picture of him out there somewhere, my program will find it,” Zane said.
Dylon stared intently at the photo of the third man before asking, “Does your program search for non-shifter photos too?”
“You think he isn’t a shifter?” Cody asked his mate.
“I’m just saying it’s a possibility,” replied Dylon. “If he is human, does he know his partners are shifters and if so, how did he find out about them?”
“Interesting point. What about it, Zane. Does your program search for non-shifter photos, too?” asked Jackson.
“It does. When I wrote it, I thought some shifters might have been arrested by non-shifter police so I made sure to include everything,” Zane replied.
“Should Zane send this to Slate also?” asked Cody, worried.
“Sure, it can’t hurt but Logan will share it once they land,” Jackson said.
“Will do. Now, if y’all are finished, I’m going to take the rest of my nap,” Zane said, adding, “I need my beauty sleep since I was up all last night working on the missing Silver Point enforcers problem. Now out.”
Chapter 33
Dylon stopped Jackson in the hall outside Zane’s computer room. “I have the information you asked for about your cousins,” he said, “and I’m free now if you are.”
“Sure, let me get Steel and I’ll meet you in my study in five,” Jackson said.
“See you then,” Dylon said, as he and Cody walked down the hallway on their way to see the twins.
After he sent Steel a text asking him to meet him, Jackson walked slowly to his study, his mind once more on his cousins. While still wary about their motives, Jackson hoped Dylon’s research had turned up nothing bad because after thinking it over, he came to the conclusion Steel was right—his cousins were family—and it might help them all to know they had relatives who weren’t trying to kill them.
Jackson’s curiosity about his long-lost cousins had continued to grow.How was my aunt? What happened after they moved away? What were all of them doing now?Sitting down at his desk, he’d soon know the answers to most of his questions but probably not why, after all these years, they decided to reach out now. Jackson looked up as Steel walked in, carrying Daniel, followed by Cody and Dylon with the twins in their arms. “Let me guess, Daniel refused to leave the twins,” said Jackson, smiling.
“Or the twins protested him leaving,” snickered Cody, setting Jessica down alongside Daniel and Jake in the large playpen, a recent addition to Jackson’s study.
“Steel thinks Daniel is forming his own pack,” Jackson said.
“Puppy pack,” Cody said, laughing.
“I think Steel is on to something. There already seems to be a hierarchy when they’re together because the twins always defer to Daniel,” said Dylon.
