Alpha Pack 01 - Primal Law by J.D. Tyler (13)

Twelve

Jaxon went in search of his wayward woman, though he had little doubt where to find her.

When they weren’t testing the durability of his mattress and bed frame, she could be found in Block R working with Chup- Chup, as she’d named the mischievous little gremlin critter for the sound it made, socializing it and teaching it all kinds of stuff. First and foremost, to go outside to do his business and not to bite the hand that fed him. He had to admit, she’d already begun to make good progress. With the aid of a sturdy pair of gloves to protect her from nips and scratches.

“You’re in an awful big hurry. Guess I don’t have to ask why.”

He looked up to see Nick in his path, stopped and gave his boss a sheepish grin. “Guess not.”

“How’re things going with you two?”

“Fine. As long as we avoid the subject of mating,” he said with a grimace. “I was always the one who was downright against creating a forever kind of bond with any woman—even Beryl—and now that I’ve found my Bondmate she won’t even discuss it with me. She shies from the subject when I bring it up. Ironic, huh?”

“Give her time. She’ll come around.”

“Nicky, in spite of what I told Kira, I don’t have much time,” he confessed, then wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

“You hurting bad?”

He nearly lied. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he was A-okay, no problems. But holding the man’s gaze, he couldn’t do it. Besides, he knew he looked terrible and couldn’t fool his boss. “Yeah. Pretty fucking bad. You don’t know how much this sucks.”

“I have some idea.” Nick sighed. “Listen, you’re not going to want to hear this, but—”

“Then don’t say it. I’m not staying here tonight, especially when Kira’s going to be with you guys. In danger.”

“You’re in no shape to travel, much less fight if the need arises. I want you to stay here.”

“Is that an order?”

“Would you follow it?”

“Not if Kira’s going. Surely you can understand where I’m coming from.”

“You know I do.” The older man pushed a hand through his dark hair. “And you know damned well I’m forbidden to keep mates apart. Even if they haven’t made the union official.”

Actually, he hadn’t known because it wasn’t as if there were tons of mated pairs around, but the rule made sense. And as a born shifter, Nick would know more than the rest of them in some areas. “I’ll pull my weight, watch my back and theirs. No worries.”

“Why don’t I feel better?” he grumbled. “Be at the hangar in three hours.”

“With bells on.”

Nick left him to his own devices and Jax continued in the direction he’d been headed. Now he had an excuse to find Kira, not that he needed one. It was enough to long to see her sweet face, hear her laugh at something that stupid gremlin did, or chatter away with Sariel, Mac, or any number of the friends she seemed to have so easily made here. The sight of her settling in, happy, made his heart clench with joy and also fear that she’d never belong to him. God, he was such a sap.

Block R was quiet as he entered the corridor. Raven was mercifully asleep, curled up with his bushy black tail over his nose, the only time the poor bastard ever knew any peace. Belial, on the other hand, had chosen to be in human form today, and was dressed in simple jeans and a T-shirt, pacing his cell like the caged beast he was. Jax felt bad for the basilisk, but they couldn’t yet trust a lethal snake shifter loose in the compound. Even Kira’s honest charm was no match for the sneaky wiles of that one.

When he reached Chup-Chup’s cell, it was empty, the door standing open. Alarmed, he glanced in each cell again and then headed out of Block R. Where could they be? If that little shit had bitten her again, he’d tear its head off and eat it for a midnight snack. Growing more concerned with every step, he diverted his course to the clinic. Mac was leaning over the front desk talking to the receptionist when he stomped in.

“Where’s Kira and that little demon? I’m going to rip his teeth out if—”

“Hold on, Cujo.” Mac straightened, eyes sparkling with humor. “Last I saw them, she was taking Chup outside for some fresh air. They were getting along fine, so get your boxers out of a knot.”

“Fresh air? What if he runs off? Attacks a hiker or something? Jesus H., that woman is going to be the death of me!” With an effort, he willed himself to calm down. “Where’d they go, exactly?”

“I’m not telling if you’re going to approach them like this,” she informed him. “You’ll scare poor Chup to death and put Kira back at square one.”

Damn it. She was right. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman. Promise.” He smiled for effect, earning him the evil eye from the good-natured doc.

After a few seconds of debate, she relented. “They’re out on the lawn, on the side by the rec area.”

“Thanks, Mac.”

“Don’t mention it,” she called to his departing back.

All the way across the building, he couldn’t help but worry. As he crossed the rec room, Aric glanced up from the war game he and Zan were playing on the Wii.

“Better get out there before the furball steals your girl,” he said, going back to the game.

Not bothering to answer, he ducked down the hallway on the other side of the room, made a turn, and pushed out the side door leading to the area where their pool, tennis court, and covered barbecue/outdoor kitchen area was located. There, just beyond the covered patio, lying flat on her back on a quilt in the sunshine, was his woman.

And sprawled on her stomach, tiny, furry legs hanging on each side of her like a cat sunning on a branch, was Chup-Chup. Unnoticed by either of them, he stopped and stared. Her little friend was making a sort of whirring, hiccupy noise nobody could mistake as anything but sheer bliss. His round body, which almost resembled a baby koala bear’s, rose and fell with each breath as he dozed. The pair was so fucking cute, he couldn’t really form the words to describe what the sight did to him. All he knew was it tightened his chest with an emotion he wasn’t ready to name. To see this creature, formerly scared and snapping at everyone, lying there so trusting and content, was a measure of her goodness. The bright light that no one was able to resist. Including himself.

Turning her head, she spotted him standing on the porch and waved him over. “You can come closer. Just don’t make any sudden moves.”

That seemed to be true of the woman as well as Chup. Wisely, he didn’t say so. “Okay. Walking slowly.” He made his way over to where they lay and crouched. The creature hadn’t moved. “Now what?”

“Nothing. He’ll notice you soon enough and we’ll see what happens.”

“That’s reassuring.” He eyed Chup warily.

“Don’t tell me the big bad werewolf is afraid of this little guy,” she teased.

“Shifter, not werewolf. A werewolf is that half- man thing from a B horror movie. And that ‘little guy’ can chew my face off. Have you seen those teeth?”

“Pardon me, shifter. And he won’t bite unless you startle him.” She looked entirely too amused by his trepidation.

“Then I’ll have to be sure not to startle him again, won’t I? Remember, he got me once before.” He frowned at her hands, which bore red scratches and a few bite marks. “You aren’t wearing your gloves.”

“I don’t need them anymore.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Trust me.”

Oddly, he did. After Beryl, he thought he’d never willingly trust anything out of a woman’s mouth again, but Kira was not Beryl. The two women couldn’t be more different. “I do trust you.”

That made her smile, and his groin tightened. Damn, he couldn’t get enough of her.

“When do we leave?” she asked, interrupting his lustful thoughts.

“Three hours. We’re supposed to meet the team at the hangar.” That awful, strange emotion rose up again to nearly strangle him. He wanted to order her to stay here, but knew how well that would go over. “I wish you weren’t going tonight, baby. Please reconsider.”

“And miss the chance to give my old boss the finger?” When he didn’t laugh, she sobered. “Seriously, if there’s the slightest possibility that I might be able to help, I have to go. But I promise to try and stay out of the action.”

“I don’t like it, but I guess I have no choice,” he said, taking her hand. The odd feeling in his chest persisted. Was this love? He’d never been in love before, only thought he had been. Whatever he was feeling, he now understood that what he’d known was a pale imitation of the real deal. For some reason, he wanted to tell her all of it. The whole sordid truth about his relationship with Beryl and what it had cost him. What it had cost the entire team.

Just then, a low growl of warning stalled his confession. Chup was awake, eyeing their linked hands and leaning out to sniff him in suspicion. Recalling his last tango with the imp a few days before Kira came to the compound, he kept still and let the creature check him out.

Sitting up carefully, Kira took the gremlin and set him on the grass between them. “Chup-Chup, Jax is a friend. He won’t hurt you.” Gently, she stroked the fur between his batlike ears. “See? Friend.”

Chup wasn’t convinced. On his hind legs, he toddled closer to Jax, nose working, still not getting too close. The growling stopped, but neither did he make the content chupping noise Jax wanted to hear. Letting go of Kira’s hand, Jax held his out to the creature, hoping he didn’t lose a chunk of flesh for his trouble.

“Good boy,” he crooned. “Aren’t you cute? Remember me? I’m not so scary, honest. I only eat bad little gremlins who bite, and only when I’m really hungry. Friends?”

Chup looked back at Kira as though seeking reassurance, so she made encouraging noises, urging him forward without pushing too much. Emboldened, the small critter turned his attention back to Jax and closed the remaining distance, sniffing all over his hand. The stubby whiskers tickled but he didn’t dare jerk away.

Then, to his amazement, Chup began to rub his head against Jax’s fingers like a cat wanting a good scratch. He complied, lavishing attention on both ears, the broad face, under the chin. And there it was—the noise of happy contentment. Chup crawled right up into his lap and closed his big brown eyes in obvious ecstasy as Jax continued to scratch.

“Well! Looks like you’ve got a new friend,” Kira declared with a grin. “He won’t let you out of his sight now.”

“That might make it hard to leave for the op. Think I can use ‘I have to babysit the gremlin’ as an excuse not to go?” he joked.

“Hmm, somehow I doubt Nick will accept that.” Reaching out, she stroked Chup’s fur. “I’ll have to ask Mac if she’ll watch him while we’re gone. I hate the thought of putting him back in that cell.”

“Me, too. It could undermine the trust you’ve worked to gain, especially since he hates being locked in there.” He paused. “What about Belial? Have you made any headway with him?”

“I’m not sure,” she said thoughtfully. “He’s really hard to read, so full of bullshit I don’t know if even he is capable of separating the truth from the lies. It just seems to be his nature to deflect questions and kindness with blatant attempts at seduction, but things aren’t always what they appear.”

“True. So what’s your gut feeling as an Empath —can he be trusted? Will he be able to fit in here?”

She bit her lip, uncertainty clouding her blue eyes. “Eventually, yes, I believe he’ll get there. I sense a basic goodness in him that’s well hidden underneath the layers of self-hatred and anger, and I don’t buy his ‘Look at me—I’m such a manwhore’ act for a second.”

He nodded. “Okay. I trust your judgment. But whether it’s an act or not, I don’t pretend not to hate the hell out of knowing he puts the moves on you every time you get close. It makes me want to rip his heart out. Just so you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Eyes twinkling again, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “You’re so sexy when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous! Well, I am, but you’ll have to admit I’m handling it. I’m here, for example, rather than busting down the snake’s cell door and chopping off his smarmy head.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Good thing, or you’d never even make it to first base with me, buddy. I don’t do homicidal lovers.”

“Duly noted.” He couldn’t resist the opening. “What kinds of lovers have you had in the past?”

“None who were violent! I did date one guy who was really pushy. Wanted me to do as he said, monitored how much time I spent with friends as opposed to him, had to comment on everything I bought for myself. Always found something wrong with what I cooked for dinner. Stuff like that.”

Jax snorted. “I’ll bet he didn’t last long.”

“Just about a New York minute. Honestly, I haven’t had too many boyfriends, or even second dates for that matter.” She had no idea how happy that made him as she studied him curiously. “What about you? I can’t imagine you’ve had too many dry spells in the female department.”

“You’d be surprised,” he murmured. “I don’t let people in easily, and the one time I did before you ended in disaster.”

There. Now he was committed. If she hated him afterward, so be it.

“What happened?”

“The ambush I told you about, the one six months ago?” She nodded and somehow he found the courage to reveal the truth. “It was my fault. I’d fallen head over heels for Beryl, or thought I had. Looking back I can see that I was blinded by lust, pretty much thinking only with my cock.”

Kira let the comment pass, expression serious, and guessed, “She betrayed you.”

“In the worst way possible.” God, he didn’t want to talk about this. “We’d been seeing each other a few weeks when she revealed that she knew what I was. She had some special abilities of her own, which is how she claimed to have figured me out. I didn’t question it. I was just relieved not to have to lie about myself.”

“Had she known about you all along, before you met?”

“Yes. I didn’t know she was a plant, and that her job was specifically to ensnare me, gain my trust.”

“What was her ability? Who was she working for?”

“She was a witch practicing the dark arts. As to her contact, we’ve never been able to find out who was behind the ambush. All we know is Beryl’s goal was to integrate herself here, gaining our trust and learning our secrets, like the fact that silver can kill us. She and her contact planted false information about a family being held by vampires, so we scheduled a rescue op. I trusted her. That night, the ugly bastard down in Block T and his murderous comrades were waiting for us. Taking us out was like shooting fish in a barrel,” he said hoarsely.

“How did she know about the existence of Alpha Pack in the first place?”

“That’s a question we’ve all asked. If one of us had been a traitor, then Beryl wouldn’t have needed to pass along information and set us up. So that theory is out.”

“But one of you might have let it slip by accident,” she speculated.

“Yeah, that’s possible.”

“I’m so sorry.” Laying a hand over his, she stared intently into his eyes. “Is there any chance at all she wasn’t involved? Do you know for sure she’s the one who sold you guys out?”

“Oh, there’s no question. She was there, in the aftermath, laughing as five of us lay dead—Terry, Micah, Jonas, Ari, and Nix. I can’t describe the horror of knowing what I’d done to my team.” The agony was almost unbearable. “The building was on fire and I used the last of my strength to throw her into the flames. I can still hear her screaming.”

His lover swallowed hard. “She’s dead?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d say good, except it might have been useful to keep her alive and force her to give up who was calling the shots.”

“Another idiot move,” he admitted. “I should’ve used my gift as a Timebender to go back and warn my team of the ambush. A few minutes were all we needed. But I was in shock, running on nothing but rage, and I reacted, using up what little strength I had left. Now we may never know.”

Unless they try again. Shoving away the overwhelming guilt, he looked down at his lap, where Chup had curled up and fallen asleep. Sucking his thumb. There was proof that sometimes all a seemingly vicious creature needed was a little TLC. Too bad that wasn’t always the solution.

“So you can really bend time, go back and live something over again?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” She thought about that. “Can you go back to when you were ten and beat up the school bully who kept tormenting you? Stuff like that?”

He laughed at the idea. “Wouldn’t that be nice? But no, I can’t jump around. I’m not a human time machine. I can bend it enough to gain back the previous few minutes, and that’s all.”

“Huh. Well, that’s still pretty cool. Sort of like that movie where the prince guy uses his knife filled with magic sand to go back in time. Only you don’t need anything but yourself.”

“Right.” But the one instance where it would’ve done the most good, when he could’ve saved his team, he’d screwed up his chance. “I can’t use the gift, though, except in the direst of circumstances.”

“Why not?”

“For the same reason Nick rarely tells anyone what he sees happening in the future. Because every little thing a person does to interfere with that future affects those around us, and those we haven’t even met, in ways we can’t possibly know until it’s too late.”

“That makes sense,” she said. “It just seems like a waste.”

“It’s not a waste that one time you really need it.” Except if you fuck up and don’t use it.

“True.”

They fell silent for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s company. Or at least he enjoyed hers as much as he could, knowing he didn’t deserve to be happy.

“Why don’t we hand off Chup to Sariel to babysit while we’re gone, instead of Mac?” Kira suggested. “I just realized Mac might be with us tonight.”

“Good idea. Taking care of the little guy will give Sariel something positive to do.”

“It’s settled, then. Now the question is what to do with him while we’re all eating dinner.”

“The cook would throw a fit if she saw a gremlin in the dining room.” The idea made him grin mischievously. “We’ll just have to promise to teach him not to beg at the table.”

“If she spots him, you’re on your own,” she said with a wink. “I had nothing to do with your plan.”

“Traitor.”

“Survivalist.”

With a quiet laugh, he gathered the furball and stood, then offered her a hand up. “Come on, let’s go see who we can rile.”

“As long as it’s not Chup, we’re good.”

“Agreed.”

As they walked inside hand in hand, Jax felt lighter than he had in months. He still believed the massacre was partly his fault, but it had been nice to trust her with the truth as he saw it. Now he just had to fool her and his team long enough to make it through tonight. They absolutely could not find out that he was in so much pain that he could barely keep moving. The reason was simple. He wanted Kira more than he wanted his next breath. But he’d die before forcing her into a decision she wasn’t ready to make.

Jaxon gripped the leather armrest as the van neared their destination. His throat burned and his skin was hot. Tight and dry. His muscles cramped, as though they were being slowly twisted and torn apart. But that wasn’t the worst. No, the worst was sitting near Kira, her sweet scent driving him mad, and not being able to touch her. Because if he did, he’d finally lose control. Throw her to the floor of the van and give everyone a lesson in mating they’d rather not witness. His cock was hard enough to hit a home run and he was too damned miserable to be embarrassed about it, though he vaguely hoped his cammos were loose enough to hide the problem.

Hammer guided the van onto a dark side street a block over from the NewLife building, and Nick, sitting next to him in the front, gestured to a good spot to park both vehicles. Also riding in the van with them were Kalen and Mac, who’d been eyeing each other the entire first leg of the road trip. The SUV carrying Ryon, Aric, Zan, and Melina pulled up behind them. Hopefully they wouldn’t need the docs, but better to be prepared.

“Um, guys,” Kira began, glancing between him and Nick. “This isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but I need to go in with you.”

“No fucking way,” Jax snapped. “You’re not getting within a hundred yards of that place. Are you forgetting how you barely escaped a few days ago?”

“I remember very well,” she replied evenly. “But I’ll have the team with me, not to mention A.J., and—”

“Your friend is putting himself at plenty of risk without adding you to the mix.”

“But he doesn’t know the labs like I do,” she argued. “I think we need more samples, as well as photos of every document we can lay our hands on, and I’m the only one of us who knows exactly where to find them.”

Hammer shut off the ignition and Jax seethed while they waited in silence for Nick’s decision. Finally he nodded.

“Kira has a good point. We’re going to need the items she mentioned, and I don’t foresee any immediate danger in allowing her to help lead us through the building.”

“I still don’t like it.”

In the end, she and Nick were right, so he could snarl all he wanted and it wouldn’t make a difference. He chose to save his energy. He had a suspicion he’d need it. The docs remained with the vehicles, but everyone else climbed out and got a few quick reminders from their leader.

“Remember, the goal here is to search, locate any possible evidence that NewLife is involved in experimentation on humans and shifters, and then get the hell out. A. J. Stone will be coming with us when we’re done here. He has no other option—if he stays, he’s a dead man.”

A ripple of surprise went through the group, but Nick’s men trusted his judgment. They were, however, visibly curious. But the questions would have to wait.

“Ready?” Everyone was. “Let’s get this done and get home.”

The street was dimly lit, and the adjoining alley almost completely dark, which helped hide their progress as they approached the edge of NewLife’s property. The problem getting in and out would be crossing the vast parking lot, which was mostly empty this time of night. They’d be completely exposed both entering and leaving. Targets for the ramped-up security Orson Chappell had no doubt ordered in the wake of Kira’s theft and escape.

Nick ordered Kalen and Hammer to remain at the mouth of the alley and keep watch over the back of the building. Cover them if necessary. The rest of them would enter through the big bay area of the garage, where A.J. would be waiting. If nothing had happened to him.

As they left the alley and made their way to the high chain-link fence topped with razor wire that surrounded the parking lot, Jax had to force himself to concentrate on the op. Not on the curve of Kira’s delectable little rear hugged by her camouflage pants. The way she moved, lithe and graceful. How cute she looked with a black knit cap pulled down on her head to hide her shiny blond hair. Like some sort of tiny ninja assassin among a bunch of Neanderthals. Breathe, Jaxon, old boy. Patience, and she’ll be yours. Maybe.

Wielding a pair of bolt cutters, Zan opened a hole in the fence wide enough to allow them to squeeze through. Leaving the pair of cutters on the ground near the fence, he came through last and pulled the snipped ends of the wires together so the gap wouldn’t be so noticeable. They’d need this route when they left. They crossed the parking lot without being spotted and entered the bay through the side door A.J. had told Kira to use. Nick went inside first, then motioned for the others to follow. The garage was a cavernous space, dimly lit by a couple of wall fixtures. One was situated next to a service elevator they’d take into the basement.

“Where is he?” Ryon whispered, glancing around, body tense. “I don’t like this.”

Kira’s reply was barely audible. “He’ll be here. He won’t let us down.”

Jax hoped like hell she was right. If they’d trusted the wrong person—or if the guy had been found out—they were all dead. When a slim figure emerged from the shadows, it became apparent that neither was the case. The security guard stopped before their group, hand resting on the butt of his gun in a deceptively casual pose. He was taller than Jax, maybe six-four, sandy brown hair framing one of those good-looking, all-American faces people liked right off the bat. Pale blue eyes regarded them warily, but brightened when he saw Kira.

“Hey, girl, it’s good to see you,” he said, moving forward to envelop her in a big hug. The low, ominous growl escaped Jax’s throat before he could stop it. His canines lengthened and fingernails became claws as sharp as daggers.

The man released Kira and stepped back, gazing at Jax without a trace of fear. “Is there a problem?”

“Not as long as you keep your hands off her.” He returned the newcomer’s stare without flinching.

“Kira?” he asked, the question obvious.

She shot Jax a look before answering. “Please pardon Jax. His animal side gets a bit testy when other guys so much as breathe in my direction.”

“Yeah, well. No harm done.” He dismissed the incident. Good thing, because Jax offered no explanation or apology. There wasn’t time for the first, and his wolf said screw the second. Kira was his. Period.

Introductions were brief, Nick getting right to the point. They were in and out, and A.J. was coming with them. The man’s lack of resistance made Jax think the guard and their boss had discussed this beforehand, and he suspected A.J. had been briefed on what the Alpha Project was all about.

In fact, there was something about the way he held himself, the ease of his movements, that told Jax this man was more than a run-of-the-mill security guard. A.J. kept an eye on the position of each man, and was also very aware of his surroundings, keeping his ears open.

Oh, his scent was human, but Jax would bet his life savings the man had a military background, or was a former cop. And if so, how had he wound up working here? It would be a definite career step down. There wasn’t time to speculate further, because A.J. took the lead, pointing to a corner.

“See that camera? When it points toward the bay doors, we haul ass to the elevator. Get ready . . .Go!”

Kira right behind him, they jogged for the elevator. A.J. punched the down button and the doors slid open, and they hurried inside. Before the camera completed its circuit, they were on their way to the basement.

“How many other guards are on duty tonight?” Nick asked.

“Two, as far as the regular uniformed ones like me. But Kira’s disappearance coupled with some items we heard were missing from the lab have the big guys really nervous. There are some suits hanging around, and they’re armed.”

The guard’s choice of words caught Jax’s attention. “You heard about some items reported missing? There wasn’t an official notice or memo to the company’s employees about the theft?”

A.J.’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course not. Wouldn’t that be like a serial killer publicly complaining that someone had swiped his victim from under his nose?”

No one found fault with that logic.

“That’s one more nail in Chappell’s coffin,” Nick said as they exited the elevator. “Assuming he’s the apex of the power structure.”

“But you don’t think so,” Jax observed.

“No, I don’t. That’s too easy, and if I’ve learned anything in my existence it’s that no move in the game of world domination is ever simple.”

Too true. His boss’s quiet words made him shudder, and wonder where all of these threads would lead. Even a powerful PreCog like Nick couldn’t know everything. But if the white wolf could keep them one step ahead of death and destruction, it would be more than any of their former leaders—human or not—had been able to accomplish.

The group trekked down a long brightly lit corridor, everyone strung tight, waiting for discovery. The sound of a raised alarm. But the building was eerily silent as they went, footsteps shuffling on the concrete and echoing off the stark walls. Close to the end, Kira gestured to a closed door, no different in appearance from the others lining the passage.

“This is the lab where I got the samples,” she told them, keeping her voice low. “I didn’t get a chance to do a very thorough search, but the corresponding paperwork to whatever tests they’re conducting should be here unless they’ve moved it.”

“Let’s give it a try,” Nick said. “Even though they brought in extra muscle, I doubt they banked on the cavalry showing up so soon.”

Inside, they found pretty much what Jax expected. There weren’t any grisly body parts hanging from the ceiling or spread on the counter for dissection, à la Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The space was clean and orderly, so sterile one could eat off the counter. Not that anyone would.

Kira removed a Ziploc bag from one of the large pockets of her camos. “I’m going to grab a few more samples from the cabinets. The records will be on the computer, through there,” she said, pointing toward an office. “They might also have hard copies in the filing cabinet we can copy, but if one of you can hack in, it’ll be much easier to download all the info onto a thumb drive.”

Zan held up the small device in question and headed for the office. “I’ll give it a shot. How will I know what I’m looking for?”

Nick answered. “Just download everything and we’ll sort through it later.”

“Gotcha.” Ryon and Nick followed him, while Aric and A.J. stood near the door, listening for any sign of unwelcome company.

Jax accompanied Kira across the room and watched as she fished an old key from her pocket. She tried to use it to unlock the cabinet, but it wouldn’t fit.