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“Ely’s kept us sane.” Lawe moved in behind Jonas, staring at the evidence on the table before staring back at Ria bitterly. “She’s not capable of this.”
“How secure are the labs?” she asked then.
Jonas grimaced. “No one in or out without clearance, retinal scan and fingerprint authorization. They then pass the security post. Even Breeds coming in for testing are escorted in by the enforcer on duty.”
“Do you trust the enforcers on duty?” Ria asked.
“Fuck, are we allowed to trust anyone now?” Callan growled. “They’re Breeds. They’re men and women who survived hell and know the consequences should we ever lose public approval. I can’t imagine anyone in Sanctuary capable of this.” His finger stabbed into the papers lying before him.
“Yet you know yourself that even your most trusted personnel can be compromised,” she pointed out gently. “Taber proved that.”
Mercury looked back to Callan. They all remembered that. When Callan’s brother Tanner had brought his mate to Sanctuary, she had also brought with her information that an attempted kidnapping of Callan’s son was in the works. Taber, a Lioness entrusted with David’s care, had been the one to attempt to kidnap the child, as well as Tanner’s mate, Scheme.
“Yeah, Taber proved that.” Callan wiped his hand over his face and glanced at the watch on his wrist. “My mate and my children are alone at Sanctuary, and we have a greater risk now than we did then.”
“I contacted Jackal, Callan,” Jonas told him quietly. “He informed Kane, to let the others know to be on guard with their mates and their children. They’re safe.”
But for how much longer? Mercury lifted his gaze to Lawe and Rule before turning to Jonas.
“We need Rule and Lawe back at Sanctuary. The main family is of prime importance and only God knows what could happen if someone actually decided to attempt a coup right now. We have the party tomorrow night, as well as visiting dignitaries arriving the night after. We can’t take any chances with David or the unborn child’s life. We all know just how badly both Council and non-Council scientists would love to get their hands on a mate or child born of those matings.”
“It’s too late to cancel the parties,” Jonas murmured.
“And you don’t want to cancel them,” Ria said. “Horace Engalls of Engalls Pharmaceuticals will be there if I remember the guest list correctly. As well as the CEO of Brandenmore Research. Let’s see what we can detect during these parties. They have no idea we’re onto them,” she stated. “Let’s play them right back.”
“How?” Mercury could feel her mind working; he could feel the confidence and certainty pouring out of her.
“Put Lawe on Horace Engalls. Rule on Phillip Brandenmore. Close quarters. Have Lionesses on their guests. Make certain there’s no way to transfer information while they’re here.”
“Whoever’s transferring information will know we’re onto them,” Mercury pointed out before Jonas or Callan could. But he was thinking, moving through the security that had been designed for both parties and working it out in his head. “They’ll have to use the transmissions,” he said then. “We’ll have the program installed and ready to use. If they can’t transfer information face-to-face, they’ll have to use the transmissions quickly.”
“Exactly. We pinpoint the computers these memos originated from. The Vanderale program can do that, and it can intercept and toss the emails, personal chat messages or memos back to Callan’s program with no one being the wiser. Callan, Kane, Dane and Rye can set a schedule to monitor it without causing suspicion.”
“True.” Dane spoke up then. “We were invited to the party after all.”
Mercury couldn’t halt the growl that came to his throat as Dane moved closer to Ria. Dane grinned at the sound and backed away once again.
“You’re going to have to let me get back in her good graces, Mercury,” he told him with a chuckle. “Otherwise, she’ll end up costing me a fortune in jewels.”
“That’s okay,” Ria murmured absently as she continued to spread the papers around the table. “Bling is always nice.”
She didn’t sound particularly concerned about letting Dane back into her good graces or allowing him to distract her from whatever she was putting together.
Mercury moved behind her, staring over her shoulder, watching as she moved the pages, studied them, then moved them again. When she was finished, the code laid out began to look more familiar.
“Do you see it?” she asked him, shifting a page before turning it upside down. Another right side up.
“It’s a Council code,” Mercury realized as he narrowed his eyes at it. “Son of a bitch.”
Jonas and Callan both moved in closer.
“What are you looking at?” Jonas bit out.
Mercury looked down at Ria as she turned her head and stared at him.
“This is why they wanted you out of the way,” she whispered.
“I don’t see a damned thing that looks familiar, Mercury,” Jonas snapped. “And I know Council code as well as you.”
