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JACQUES CALLED SILAS. “It’s happening.” After all their hard work, everything was finally coming together to solidify their defense. One area and step at a time.

Satisfaction rolled through Silas. “Have everyone meet in the conference room, let’s watch it play out.” He walked into the kitchen where Jasmine had just cleared away everything from their meal. “Jacques says it’s happening.”

She smiled. “Good, give me a second.” She rushed to the bedroom and came out wearing maroon sweats and a tee shirt. They headed toward the conference room. Aware that so many things could go wrong, Silas tamped down his excitement while hoping they were successful.

Silas and Jasmine entered the conference room and took their seats. Hawke, Angus, Jacques and Asia sat around the table facing a wall monitor broadcasting the news.

“Breaking news, Admiral James Bents was arrested for the death of Major General Robert Lee.” The camera showed Bents being led from his home with his hands behind his back.

Silas grinned.

“Admiral Bents is a member of the Joint Chiefs and has served the Military over 40 years. Major Lee had been court-martialed but pardoned by the President. We’re looking into more information on this breaking news.”

Jacques flicked the channel. Another anchor showed Bents handcuffed and placed into the back of a car. Every channel covered the news.

Angus howled.

Silas, Hawke, Asia, and Jacques joined in. Bents had been a nasty thorn in the Nation’s side for decades. He’d worked with the Liege and McNeill’s inhumane breeding program. He authorized testing on the Knights, the man was worse than scum.

Finding Humphrey’s information filled in several blanks which allowed a reckoning against those who defiled and harmed the pack for decades.

“So they found Lee’s body. What took so long?” Jasmine asked.

Silas shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. As long as the body died at the same time Bents met with Mélange that’s what’s important, he has no alibi.”

“Jayden found the same letter opener Mélange saw on Bents desk and had Bents fingerprints placed on it as the murder weapon. Good thinking to have the janitors remove bottles and drinking glasses Bents handled,” Hawke said. “I think they found a couple strands of his hair and saliva?” he looked at Silas.

“Yeah, pack in cleaning services provided more than enough DNA, and fingerprints to Jayden,” Silas said, proud of how everyone worked together to make the mission succeed.

“What about Bents assistant?” Angus asked. “She’s his alibi.”

“Not anymore. She’s missing,” Silas said and left it at that. Mélange had packed the assistant in the trunk of the assistant’s car and drove to the spot Jayden prepared. The assistant’s car had been dismantled and sent to a junkyard. Assignment completed, Mélange retrieved her car and was on her way home to Renee.

“Who discovered the body? Did we set that up?” Jacques asked.

“No, that wasn’t us. The agents in the house not far from the cabin discovered the body and called it in.” Silas looked at the clock. Mélange left a transmitter on their car which allowed Hawke to get a handle on when they left the house and the directions they took. It was a small matter to place the body in their path.

“Speaking of Mélange, she did a great job,” Jasmine said grinning and watching Silas.

Considering Mélanges’ past with the Liege and other unsavory elements, when Bents started searching for her, Silas contacted her for this assignment. She’d accepted immediately, took time off from her Campus Security job and went to work with few questions. He believed she enjoyed getting back into the action if only for a few days and would keep her in mind for other work.

“Yes she did,” Asia said. “Bents won’t have any alibis. Hawke destroyed the footage from the cabin that Bents and his assistant watched and removed Mélange from the office footage.”

“She left his fingerprints all over that cabin,” Silas said. “No one will believe he had never been there.”

“She’s good. All that wall tapping, knowing they were watching, she set him up and got paid for it,” Angus said.

“Will they be able to follow the money?” Asia asked Hawke.

“Yeah. But not the first transaction that went to Mélange. She earned it. The second was rerouted to Bents assistant. We want them to find that one,” Hawke said.

“I have one question,” Jasmine looked at Silas. “Can Bents get out of this? He’s a high-ranking officer with friends in high places, can he be pardoned?”

A sinking feeling filled Silas’ gut. After all they’d done, Bents could still get off. Bents could go after Mélange. Or Miller. Or crawl into some hole to continue working to destroy the pack.

“Yes, the President can pardon anyone,” Jacques said watching Silas. The atmosphere dropped from elated to deflated.

“Shit,” Angus said. “Didn’t Miller say Bents was the one who got the President to pardon Lee?”

Silas nodded slowly while thinking of their next action.

“Is there a way to stop that from happening?” Jasmine asked. “The pardon, I mean.”

“This sucks,” Angus said.  “After having Bent’s car at the scene, making sure it showed up on traffic cameras and having it back an hour before the man left the office... can’t believe he’ll get off.”

“Even if he’s convicted? Aren’t his fingerprints on the murder weapon and the victim and the place the victim was last seen? Why would anyone pardon a murderer?” Asia asked looking around the table.

“Maybe he won’t,” Jacques said. “But he could, no matter how much evidence is stacked against the guy.”

The news became background noise as they all dealt with the possibility of losing this round that had so many moving parts. Everyone executed their contributions with excellence. Anger bubbled beneath Silas’ skin that Bents could walk.

“We always have options,” Angus said. “He could have an unfortunate accident.”

Silas shook his head. “He’d become a martyr. No, this has to go to trial. I want the evidence to hang around his corrupt head. Every time he cries I’m innocent, the evidence will say differently.” He looked at Angus. “Plus, I want him and all the Chiefs to lose a little faith in their research. Even if Bents is pardoned, he’ll know and live with the stigma of being branded for something he didn’t do. That’ll mess with his mind.”

“Deep,” Angus said. “The idea that he could walk still pisses me off, though.”

“What if justice is delayed?” Asia said looking around the table. “If he gets pardoned, he receives justice.”

“That’s a possibility,” Silas said slowly. “But what I’d prefer is for him to remain locked away for the rest of his life. To be subjected to being a prisoner, to know what it feels to be caged.” He glanced at Asia. “To lose the privilege to come and go as you please. His hand has been in so many experiments on my people, a quick death is too good for him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

Everyone nodded.

Jasmine covered his hand. “How do we make that a reality?” She looked up at him.

He exhaled. “I guess we’re going to dinner at the White House.”