you have a chance of getting to any of it without me? And before you start thinking of some return bargaining, we don’t want a civil war on our hands, do we?’
The rhetorical question rebounded around the room like an explosion of glass.
‘No,’ Kane cut in, ‘we don’t . And I don’t appreciate the threat.’
‘I’m not threatening you, Kane,’ Caleb declared, that gaze unrelentingly steady. ‘I’m not threatening either of you. I’m simply making it clear what will happen if Jask here decides his pack is better off morphing or dying than taking the logical option of accepting my offer.’
‘And does it mean nothing to you that you might be on the cusp of inciting exactly what Throme wants?’
Caleb offered a small shrug. ‘According to Parish.’
‘What?’
‘I’m assuming Throme didn’t come to see you personally? So my guess is that it was Agent Parish who paid you a visit to pass on the news. The agent who works under Throme.’
Kane heard Jask shift in his seat.
‘Because I sure as hell know what I’d do if I was Throme,’ Caleb added. ‘If he really wants you, why come in here all guns blazing when he can slip in the back door? Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Isn’t that right, Jask? It must have crossed your mind too – considering it’s your pack that’s on the line. Considering Kane here already did you over once for Caitlin.’
Kane knotted his hands out of sight behind his back, the only way he could flex his fingers before fisting them into balls without Caleb seeing. ‘You’re out of order, Caleb.’
‘Am I?’ Caleb asked, meeting his gaze before reverting his attention to Jask. ‘Have you ever seen a serryn in action, Jask? Have you ever seen the venom leaking from their eyes? Have you ever seen a grown male cry for mercy at the hands of one? A three-year-old tortured and gutted alive just for the sheer pleasure of it? You fell for the wrong girl, but I know you’ll make the right choice for the sake of your pack. I know you’ll persuade Kane here to get me what I need. After all, from what I hear, he does owe you.’ He reached for his pack of cigarettes and tucked them in his shirt pocket as he stood. ‘Midday tomorrow at the latest. Information in exchange for the next batch. I can’t be fairer than that.’
Silence descended.
A silence that lingered even after Caleb’s exit.
Kane let out a steady exhale as he forced himself not to pursue.
Jask wasn’t quite as willing to remain tempered. He stood, and then kicked the nearest chair across the room so that it buckled against the wall.
‘How long has Caitlin been hunting him?’ he asked, turning to face Kane again.
‘Since she returned to the VCU.’
‘And you didn’t tell me? You didn’t tell me that the vampire who is hunting Phia is being hunted by the TSCD? If Caitlin gets even a sniff of my situation and the LCU find out …’
‘She hasn’t and she won’t.’
‘So you say. But like Caleb said, this is my pack on the line.’
Kane could see it in Jask’s eyes: there was more to his agitation.
‘Tell me you didn’t know he was coming here,’ Jask demanded.
‘ What ?’
Jask’s rested his fists on the table and looked Kane square in the eyes. ‘It’s a simple question: did you know?’
‘Like fuck I did. Why would I?’
Jask rested his hands low on his hips as he stepped away again.
‘Jask?’
‘Then there’s something I need to show you,’ Jask declared. ‘That’s why I called you earlier. There’s something you’re going to want, going to need to see before you decide what to do next.’
5
T he raucous laughter descended the corridor towards Caitlin. That was uncommon enough, but more so was the female laughter amidst it.
Caitlin frowned in curiosity as she stared up into the open-plan office.
There was more laughter. There were smiles.
The woman stood amongst her colleagues at her old desk. They were smiling at her – more to the point,
The rhetorical question rebounded around the room like an explosion of glass.
‘No,’ Kane cut in, ‘we don’t . And I don’t appreciate the threat.’
‘I’m not threatening you, Kane,’ Caleb declared, that gaze unrelentingly steady. ‘I’m not threatening either of you. I’m simply making it clear what will happen if Jask here decides his pack is better off morphing or dying than taking the logical option of accepting my offer.’
‘And does it mean nothing to you that you might be on the cusp of inciting exactly what Throme wants?’
Caleb offered a small shrug. ‘According to Parish.’
‘What?’
‘I’m assuming Throme didn’t come to see you personally? So my guess is that it was Agent Parish who paid you a visit to pass on the news. The agent who works under Throme.’
Kane heard Jask shift in his seat.
‘Because I sure as hell know what I’d do if I was Throme,’ Caleb added. ‘If he really wants you, why come in here all guns blazing when he can slip in the back door? Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Isn’t that right, Jask? It must have crossed your mind too – considering it’s your pack that’s on the line. Considering Kane here already did you over once for Caitlin.’
Kane knotted his hands out of sight behind his back, the only way he could flex his fingers before fisting them into balls without Caleb seeing. ‘You’re out of order, Caleb.’
‘Am I?’ Caleb asked, meeting his gaze before reverting his attention to Jask. ‘Have you ever seen a serryn in action, Jask? Have you ever seen the venom leaking from their eyes? Have you ever seen a grown male cry for mercy at the hands of one? A three-year-old tortured and gutted alive just for the sheer pleasure of it? You fell for the wrong girl, but I know you’ll make the right choice for the sake of your pack. I know you’ll persuade Kane here to get me what I need. After all, from what I hear, he does owe you.’ He reached for his pack of cigarettes and tucked them in his shirt pocket as he stood. ‘Midday tomorrow at the latest. Information in exchange for the next batch. I can’t be fairer than that.’
Silence descended.
A silence that lingered even after Caleb’s exit.
Kane let out a steady exhale as he forced himself not to pursue.
Jask wasn’t quite as willing to remain tempered. He stood, and then kicked the nearest chair across the room so that it buckled against the wall.
‘How long has Caitlin been hunting him?’ he asked, turning to face Kane again.
‘Since she returned to the VCU.’
‘And you didn’t tell me? You didn’t tell me that the vampire who is hunting Phia is being hunted by the TSCD? If Caitlin gets even a sniff of my situation and the LCU find out …’
‘She hasn’t and she won’t.’
‘So you say. But like Caleb said, this is my pack on the line.’
Kane could see it in Jask’s eyes: there was more to his agitation.
‘Tell me you didn’t know he was coming here,’ Jask demanded.
‘ What ?’
Jask’s rested his fists on the table and looked Kane square in the eyes. ‘It’s a simple question: did you know?’
‘Like fuck I did. Why would I?’
Jask rested his hands low on his hips as he stepped away again.
‘Jask?’
‘Then there’s something I need to show you,’ Jask declared. ‘That’s why I called you earlier. There’s something you’re going to want, going to need to see before you decide what to do next.’
5
T he raucous laughter descended the corridor towards Caitlin. That was uncommon enough, but more so was the female laughter amidst it.
Caitlin frowned in curiosity as she stared up into the open-plan office.
There was more laughter. There were smiles.
The woman stood amongst her colleagues at her old desk. They were smiling at her – more to the point,
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