New Species 11 True (27 page)

“She’s already preparing the employee records for viewing
and will include everyone who works on the task force.”

“We’ll dress fast but I need a few minutes to let her know
what is going on. Ten minutes,” True repeated, closing and locking the door.

Jeanie sat on the bed with the sheet pulled up to cover her
breasts. The sight of her was tempting but her life was in danger. The need to
mount her would have to wait. He perched on the side of the bed and took her
hand.

“That was Jinx.” He hated to give her more reasons to be
fearful but she needed to know what was going on. He quickly gave her a rundown
of what he’d been told and waited for her to respond.

“Shit,” she whispered, clutching his fingers tightly.

“That was my response as well.”

“You work with them.” She appeared worried as she watched
him. “Maybe it’s not someone on the task force team.”

“It’s likely that it is. It makes sense with the access they’ve
had to accomplish all this.”

“I’m so sorry, True. You consider them friends and I don’t
want you hurt if one of them betrayed your trust.”

“The only one in danger of being hurt is the male or males
responsible.” It pissed him off that anyone had used Jeanie but it just made it
worse that it might be someone trusted by the NSO. “We need to dress and you
need to see those files.”

“You think they’ll make another attempt to grab me?”

“It’s possible. One of the males responsible for taking you
from our home is still at large and the human pretending to be an agent is
still unknown. They have proven their ability to gain access to Homeland. You’ll
be well guarded from now on, Jeanie. I won’t leave you alone again. I’m so
sorry about that.”

“You should be allowed to go for a run without fear of
something happening to me. Don’t apologize.”

“I should have been here.” He’d regret that for as long as
he lived. The humans could have just killed her. He wouldn’t mention that but
the heartbreaking thought wouldn’t leave his mind.

“Do we have time to shower?” Her smile looked forced. “I’m
still a little sweaty from that hot sex we shared.”

Her attempt at humor failed. He appreciated it but he was
too worried about the males out to cause her harm. “We don’t. I told Jinx we’d
be ready to go in ten minutes and we have about two of left.”

“Okay.” She let go of his hand. “Let’s do this.”

Jeanie kept close to True’s side and firmly gripped his hand
as they left the dorm. Three New Species guards surrounding them kept alert for
any signs of trouble. She noticed that Jinx kept his hand on his sidearm as his
gaze darted in every direction, looking for any sign of danger. She glanced up
at True, seeing the same wariness in him. They were worried.

Breeze sat in a Jeep outside the building with the engine
running. Jeanie smiled at the woman, happy to see her again. She’d been present
at Medical, cracking jokes to ease the tension after True returned from Fuller.

“I made some calls,” Breeze announced. “Some of our males
are stationed on rooftops with sniper rifles just in case we run into any
trouble on the way. They’ll keep an eye on us the entire trip.”

True growled and let go of her hand to put his arm around
her waist. He jerked her closer until she felt as though she’d become a part of
his side. It was dark outside, dawn still hours away, and a cold wind blew her
hair into her face. Her mate just lifted her when he reached the passenger
side, which had the door removed, and she ended up sitting on his lap. He
surrounded her with his arms, keeping her very close. The two other Species got
in the backseat.

“You think that’s necessary?” She really hoped not as she
leaned her head forward enough to peer at the driver.

“I do.” Breeze smiled. “I’m paranoid though. I really love
watching human movies and in one of them I saw a group of good guys get
attacked on their way to the police station while escorting a witness. I figure
the bad guys might watch the same ones as I do and steal that plot twist. Now
we have snipers in place to shoot the shit out of them if they try to set up a
roadblock.”

“Don’t frighten her,” True ordered.

Jeanie had the opposite reaction. She laughed, amused.

True reached up and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at
his grim expression. “This isn’t funny.”

“It isn’t,” she agreed and sighed. “It’s just that I really
like her.”

“I like you too,” Breeze cheerfully called out. “Hold on. It
might get rough. I’m not taking a route they’ll expect. I always wanted to do
this.”

Jeanie grabbed hold of the bar above their head. True
released her chin but his other arm tightened around her waist—him being her
seat belt. The Jeep took off fast and abruptly veered across the road and
jumped the curb. It almost tossed her off True’s lap but he kept hold of her
when the wheels landed on the grass.

“You’re driving through the park?” Jericho cursed.

“Yeah,” Breeze laughed. “Brilliant, huh? They’ll think we’ll
use the roads but we’re not. Our guys can see us from the rooftops so we’re
covered.”

“Do you want to turn on the headlights?” Jinx pushed his
head between the seats from the back. “So you don’t hit a tree. Do you see that
one directly in our path?”

Breeze jerked on the wheel, sending the Jeep to the right
before straightening it out. “I see it. I’m not blind, and no, I’m not using
headlights. Humans don’t have our night vision. The point is to get there
without them knowing where we are. Now shut up and sit tight. I’ll have us
there before—”

“The bushes!” Flame yelled.

“I see them.” Breeze swerved to the left. “Isn’t this fun?”

“No,” True grumbled, “it’s not.”

“Spoilsport.” Breeze chuckled. “And yes, I see the lake.”
She turned the wheel. “We’re not going for a swim.”

Jeanie closed her eyes and turned into True, grateful she
couldn’t see anything out in the darkness. The speeding Jeep bumped and swayed
over the uneven terrain, the wind cold against her skin, but she felt safe
despite it all.

“Hang on. We’re leaving grass for road,” Breeze warned.

“Remind me to drive next time,” Jinx grumbled. “Slow down!”

“Did you lose your yarn balls, kitten?” Breeze laughed. “This
is fun!”

The sensation of being airborne only lasted a second or two
before the wheels landed on unforgiving pavement again. True cushioned her as
they were thrown up into the air a little before slamming back against the
seat. He snarled.

“Damn it, Breeze. My mate doesn’t need to be frightened even
more.”

“You’re not worried about being shot, are you, Jeanie?”

“Definitely not,” she agreed, more concerned they’d be
involved in a car accident.

“See?” Breeze laughed. “I knew this would distract her.
Okay, braking. Brace!”

True snarled again and his body tensed. The wheels squealed
in protest as the Jeep came to a too-sudden stop.

“Safe and sound.” Breeze turned off the engine.

Jeanie opened her eyes when she lifted her face away from
True’s chest and glanced around. They were in a well-lit area, parked near the
curb in front of a single-story building. Two New Species in uniform stood with
weapons drawn but holstered them and frowned.

“You’re a menace, Breeze,” one of them accused.

“Love you, too, toga boy.”

He snarled. “I told you to stop calling me that!”

“Be nice or I’m going to go say hello to your mate. I missed
Beauty while you guys were at Reservation. I’m sure I could find a flag
somewhere on the way and tell her how romantic it is to relive memorable
moments by reenacting them and how capturing it on camera is really awesome.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I’m not posing for pictures.”

Breeze climbed out of the vehicle and snorted. “You’ll do it
if your mate asks. Remember that, toga boy.”

True lifted Jeanie out of the Jeep and placed her on her
feet. She glanced up at him. “What are they talking about?”

“I don’t want to know and you don’t either,” he answered. He
clasped her hand. “Let’s go inside before they start fighting.”

She glanced at the tall Species woman facing off against the
taller Species man as True led her toward the building. “Maybe we should stick
around to make sure this doesn’t escalate into violence. He looks kind of mean.”

True chuckled. “They are like siblings. Besides, Breeze can
handle any male in a fight and it would be for play. Feel sympathy for Shadow.
She never makes threats unless she’s willing to follow through.”

Jeanie stared wide-eyed as another New Species used his card
to swipe a reader and punched in numbers to open a steel door. She was amazed
at the amount of security they used. The interior was a large room with a bunch
of computers. Three more New Species worked inside, one of them Luna. She stood
and grinned, waving them over to her station.

“I’m all ready for you to look at the records, Jeanie. These
are the employee files for Homeland and all have pictures. Have a seat.”

Jeanie released True and sat. Luna leaned over her and typed
in commands on the keyboard.

“Thank you.”

“I removed all female humans. Just click the arrow button to
go to the next record. I’m sorry but there are a lot of them. Homeland was
totally run by humans and built by them so there are quite a few males for you
to look at. It’s going to take some time.” Luna smiled encouragingly. “I’m
going to be right over there.” She pointed to another desk before indicating
that True should take a seat next to Jeanie. “That’s for you. I knew you’d want
to stay by her side.”

True sat and scooted closer. “I hope we find the bastards.”

“Me too.”

Jinx and the other New Species males who’d come with them
hovered near the back of the room. Jeanie turned her full attention to the
screen to stare at the first employee file. It had the person’s name, job
title, a photo, and a lot of other information with click-on options. She
studied the face and hit the arrow button. He wasn’t Agent Brice or the blond
man who’d come after her in True’s apartment. She had to remember that their
hair colors could have been changed and keep in mind that they might look
different in these photos. She carefully studied each face.

Jinx brought Jeanie a cup of coffee at some point. She gave
him a smile of thanks and sipped it. True quietly remained next to her. He
reached over from time to time to rub her back. She appreciated the fact that
he was there to give her moral support. The files were in the hundreds. Jeanie
was tired of looking at so many faces almost an hour into the process but she
kept going. The next file appeared when she hit the arrow and the face on the
screen made her gasp as she stared at it.

True leaned in. “What is it?”

“It’s him.” Jeanie stared at the photo and her gaze slid to
his name.
Jerry Boris.
“It’s him!” Her voice rose. “That’s Agent Brice!”

Movement in her peripheral vision caused her to tear her
gaze from the monitor. Every New Species in the room converged on her location.
True reached over and gripped her thigh, squeezing it.

“That’s Director Jerry Boris. He was in charge of Homeland
when it opened,” one of the New Species growled.

“Oh man,” Jinx said, “are you sure, Flame?”

The redheaded New Species grimly nodded while pulling his
cell phone from a pocket of his uniform. “I’m calling Justice and the Council.
They wanted to be informed if the male was found.” Flame stared at Jeanie. “You’re
absolutely sure he is the one?”

“Positive. I’m one-hundred-percent certain. That is the man
who told me his name was Agent Terry Brice. He’s been meeting with me every
other week since the beginning. There’s no doubt.”

Flame cursed and spun away as he dialed. He walked into a
room off the main office and kicked the door closed. Jeanie stared at the
employee file on the screen and soaked in the information. It had him flagged
as a current employee. She frowned.

“What is it?” True pressed against her side to get a better
look at the screen.

“He still works for you guys.” She pointed to his current
status.

Luna bent forward from the other side of Jeanie and grabbed
hold of the mouse. She clicked on a link and it popped open another window.
They all read the information.

“He is the warden at Fuller,” True snarled. “Damn it. No
wonder they sent a team to kidnap you. That is how they got the paperwork and
access to pull this off.”

Jeanie leaned back in the chair, feeling overwhelmed and
baffled. “I don’t understand. If he runs Fuller, wouldn’t he be worried that I’d
see him if they had succeeded in getting me there, that I’d recognize him?”

“I think that was the point,” True harshly ground out. “Humans
die sometimes at Fuller.”

Jericho rumbled. “That is why they tried to get her to
Fuller. The male must have been terrified she’d identify him when he heard she
was going to look at all the files of the human employees. I remember him. He
wasn’t a nice human. She’s the only witness who can link him to the crimes he’s
committed.” His strange brown eyes with red hues fixed on her. “You are lucky
their attempt failed.”

“He’d know all the security codes and he’d have been able to
access our system when she contacted the NSO to report Drackwood,” Luna
snarled. “The task force always gives Fuller a heads-up before we raid any
facility in case we capture prisoners. They require prior notification in order
to make certain they have extra staff on hand to process incoming prisoners.”

“Can you lock him out of our computer systems?” Jinx looked
pissed.

Luna nodded. “It’s already been done. I locked down the
system when we suspected it might be a task force member behind this. Right now
you can only gain direct access to the computers from inside Control here at
Homeland and from inside Control at Reservation. The codes have been restricted
to New Species only.”

Flame opened the door and looked grim as he stepped back
into the large room. His gaze sought True.

“Justice wants you both in his office in twenty minutes. He’s
getting dressed. Your mate is in serious danger. Justice wants a larger
security detail immediately assigned to her. I have SUVs coming to take us
there. Warden Boris has already made one attempt at getting your mate, True.
Justice is contacting Tim immediately to let the task force know what is going
on and for backup support.” His focus slid to Luna. “Show her all current task
force team members right now before we leave. We have to make sure the
remaining male who tried to grab her isn’t one of Tim’s males.”

The control room door opened and Fury rushed in. He looked
pissed. He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt and his hair was pulled back in a
ponytail. “I was jogging and got the phone call.” His attention zeroed in on
Jeanie. “You’re sure the male who claimed to be the agent you were working for
is Jerry Boris?”

She nodded. “It’s him, without a doubt.”

Fury threw back his head and let out a howl.

Jeanie jerked in her seat, startled. The New Species seemed
to be having a meltdown. The earsplitting sound died and his chin lowered. His
face had transformed into one scary sight. True leapt to his feet, knocking
over his chair in the process.

“Don’t scare my mate!”

Fury blinked a few times and actually flinched. “Sorry.” He
looked at her. “My rage isn’t directed at you. I know this asshole. He made
trouble for my mate and me when he ran Homeland after it opened. He fired my
Ellie and sent her away from me out of spite for not following his orders. She
was almost kidnapped by an enemy of the NSO. Then he tried to have her removed
from my home as payback for not helping him delay Species’ taking control of
Homeland. They removed him from his position and later gave him the prison to
run. I didn’t mind because he wasn’t here any longer and I thought it fitting
that our enemies who would have to deal with him.” He took a ragged breath. “I
want to tear his head off.”

“Get in line,” True ground out. “I’m sure he wanted my mate
taken to Fuller so he could murder her to keep her from identifying him.”

Flame cleared his throat. “Okay. We all agree Jerry Boris is
a male who should die a painful death and he’s done evil things to both Species
and mates. Justice wants to see us in about fifteen minutes and Jeanie still
needs to view the faces of the task force team before we allow them to come
help protect her. We have to make certain one of them isn’t going to betray our
trust.” He paused. “Luna, get on it. Time is ticking.”