Patrick stood there, wings spread behind him. “We need to go,” he urged. His hostile gaze swept over Heather’s exposed curves before focusing on Gabriel again. “Levi found the entrance to the tunnels.”
Gabriel wiped away her juices with the back of his hand, then crawled off the side of the bed. Everyone knew the wolves used a series of abandoned tunnels to sneak from village to village. The cats had found an entrance not far from their village, but Gabriel hadn’t realized that the tunnels extended this far.
“Where’s the opening?” He gathered his clothing from beside the bed and quickly dressed.
“Inside our walls. It was mostly luck that Levi found it.”
Gabriel looked at Heather and sighed. She lowered the shirt and pulled the blanket up to cover her legs. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty, but she watched them silently. “What do you intend to do with her?”
“She’s fine right where she is.” Patrick glanced at her as he said, “There’s food in the kitchen. Help yourself. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
No human could get off the mountaintop without assistance. The cliffs also protected her from wolves and cats, but Gabriel would have been more comfortable if she were inside the walls of Eagle Village. Gabriel looked at Patrick and sighed. Raw emotions pulsed off the other male as he stared at their captive/mate. Gabriel needed to choose his battles, and this was not one worth fighting.
“Stay inside,” he ordered Heather.
Her only response was a subtle glare.
CHAPTER 4
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC, the Consolidated Americas
Earth
Natalie Morgan paused outside the meeting room, a step back from the automated door. This wasn’t the first time she’d appeared before members of Congress, and it was unlikely that it would be the last. This group of senators, however, was known to be arrogant and argumentative, and the situation she needed to explain was complicated. She took a deep breath, smoothed back her long brown hair, and straightened her jacket. Taking a purposeful step forward, she triggered the door.
The senators, twelve in all, were already seated on their C-shaped dais. Natalie looked at each in turn as she took her place behind the presenter’s table. The room wasn’t large, but the stately paneling on the walls and elegantly coffered ceiling created the necessary gravitas.
Natalie sat down, opened her attaché, and pulled out a datasheet. She unfolded the paper-thin computer, activated the holographic controls, and looked at Hector Sanderson. He was the chairperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee, so he would bring the meeting to order.
“Welcome, Ms. Morgan,” Senator Sanderson greeted. “Your presentation is the only item on our agenda today, so please begin.”
“Thank you, Senator.” She pushed her fingers into the holo-grid and launched the first image. “This is an aerial view of Rydaria. The three villages are all located within a twenty-mile area. Each village has its own leader or group of leaders, but all three have similar power structures. Unsurprisingly, they are all dictatorships.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” A female on Natalie’s left drew her attention. “Could you please summarize the project up to this point? I don’t even know your name. I was not given a meeting brief, though I requested one repeatedly. I apologize for the distraction caused by the oversight. I’m sure it was unintentional.” She glared at Sanderson, indicating that he was the cause of her frustration.
Natalie tensed, but the chairperson triggered her annoyance, not the newly elected senator. Natalie knew what it was like to be sabotaged at every turn. People with power were notoriously stingy and years of interaction with Sanderson made the newbie’s complaint easily believable. Her short blonde hair had been highlighted with streaks of pale pink. With delicate features and dramatic dark eyes, the young woman would draw attention wherever she went. And that was without anyone knowing she was a member of Congress. No wonder Sanderson resented her.
A rebellious impulse made Natalie demonstrate solidarity with the young senator. Natalie stood and walked over to her. She shook the other woman’s hand as she said, “I’m Natalie Morgan, director of the Rydaria Project. I also manage Research and Development for F-BOP.”
“Federal Bureau of Prisons?” When Natalie nodded, the senator added, “Then you’re part of the Department of Justice.”
“Correct. F-BOP provides government oversight for the companies running the prisons. The entire prison system was privatized back in twenty eighty-four, but we keep a close eye on all the vendors.” When the young senator simply nodded, Natalie prompted, “And you are?”
“Senator Avery Collins of the South-Central Coalition.”
Natalie was impressed. The South-Central Coalition had been formed sixty-some years ago when Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma merged into the first mega-state. By consolidating their resources, the four-state union was able to protect their citizens and further their ideals as never before. The merger worked so well that other states followed. There were now six mega-states and eleven dual state partnerships. All the alliances had been inspired by a much larger merger, of course. North, Central, and South America became the Consolidated Americas back in twenty seventy-two, and the undisputed power of the entire continent acting as one had reshaped the entire world.
“It’s nice to meet you, Senator Collins,” Natalie concluded as she returned to her seat.
Avery’s features relaxed, but her dark eyes remained wary. Clearly, she was used to being attacked.
“Did you follow any of the Nuevo Biotech coverage?” Natalie asked.
“I did,” Avery assured. “The hybrids were sent to another planet to protect the public from their aggression. They were provided with essentials, but there has been no interference in how the settlements progress.”
“There has been no interference,” Natalie agreed. “However, there has been continual surveillance.” Using the holo-grid, she opened a projected image of her spy bots. “We call these hummingbirds and crickets. The hummingbird drones are motion activated and blend perfectly with the indigenous avians. We deployed several hundred of each so very little transpires in any of the villages without us knowing about it. The cricket drones have light-refracting shields and can record sounds that are over a mile away.”
