Chapter 70

Charles' car was snaking through the streets toward the office, having taken me first home and then waited for me to throw on some fresh clothes before heading out. Here and there, crowds were moving in packs down the sidewalk toward city hall, protest signs tucked under their arms. It had been five days, and still the crowds were growing.

Charles was on his phone with other Alphas from different cities and I was talking quietly to Cathy, trying not to disturb his conversation.

"But are you okay?" I asked softly.

"Yes, totally fine," she said, but I could hear something in her voice.

"Be honest, Cath," I said. "Something's up."

There was a pause on the line. "I just got a little spooked is all. I think someone was following me too."

I sat upright, and then tried to relax as Charles looked at me in concern. "Are you serious? Should I come over?"

"No, don't be silly! I got this."

"Cathy, this is serious. If anything happened to you..."

"I'm not alone," Cathy cut me off. "Okay? I have someone here with me, just in case."

I paused, trying to think who it could be. "Your Aunt Mabel?" I asked, thinking she was the only family I knew Cathy had in the city limits.

"No," Cathy laughed. "It's not a big deal. Just know that I'm fine."

"Wait," I said, realization dawning on me. "Is it a man? Do you have a new boyfriend or something?"

The silence on the other end made me smile and I laughed into the phone. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a bad friend! All this time I was so focused on me and you were busy hooking up with someone without telling me!"

"You know who he is," Cathy said, laughter in her voice. "You gave me his number."

I paused, thinking.

The music guy from the orphanage!

"No way!" I said. "Is it the music guy from the orphanage?"

"Todd," Cathy says, laughing. "Yes, that's him."

"Cathy! I'm so happy to hear this, and I'm sorry I've been such a bad friend not to have known!"

Cathy giggled. "It just kind of happened all of a sudden."

"Well, you're going to have to give me details soon."

"Absolutely."

"Wait, isn't Todd some kind of computer guy?"

"Yes."

"Does he work with audio? I mean, he is a music guy, too, right?"

"I can ask. Why?"

On my right I saw that Charles had ended his call and was looking at me with interest.

"There's a video on the internet that has damaged audio, but if we could hear it, might really be of use to us in trying to get to the bottom of all this."

"Let me check." There was a pause, and when Cathy came back she said, "Maybe. It all depends on what's going on with it."

I whispered to Charles her answer and he gestured for the phone.

"Cathy," he said, his voice a more friendly version of his usual commanding presence. "Do you think you and your new beau can join me for lunch in my office?"

He nodded and smiled. "Is Thai food okay? Great. See you at noon."

He hung up and shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

Full of Pad Thai noodles, Todd was more than willing to give the video a shot. Charles gave up his own desk while Cathy and I cleaned up the meal and Charles took a meeting Amy in the conference room.

Amy was naturally upset, and Charles wanted her to take some days off, but she was insisting she stay and help find who was responsible.

"He's cute," I said in a low tone, watching Todd frown at Charles' computer, looking diminutive compared to the way Charles usually filled the space, but still cute with an open, amiable face.

"Isn't he?" Cathy said, pausing to smile and sighing. "He's so kind, Elena. And the sex is good too."

"Okay, as important as that is, you don't have to tell me all about it when he's sitting right there."

"And I can hear you," he said across the room, not taking his eyes off the screen but grinning at it like a schoolboy.

"Sorry, babe," Cathy said, blushing.

There was a scrabble of sound and Todd pumped a victorious fist into the air. "Got it!"

I messaged Charles who came in momentarily with a teary Amy. Together we crowded around Charles' screen as Todd hit play on the downloaded version he'd been working on.

"The cities have become too powerful, and the werewolves are throwing off the balance we've worked so hard to maintain," came the voice of one of the people in the frame. "The weakened infrastructure will make the cities vulnerable and the politics of the various Alphas will turn them against each other. That's when we will come in with either money or force, and we will be able to take over."

Todd was leaning in, his face white. He paused the video and asked, his face directed at the screen, "That one talking, he's not a werewolf, is he?"

"No," said Charles. "But I don't know what he is with this footage. His scent would have helped. A berserker, maybe? Maybe a human?"

There were gasps around the desk.

Cathy grabbed my hand. Todd hit play. Two of the other men nodded and one began to speak.

"We want guarantees," he said. "Our families come out on top. Even if we are the puppets of your state, we are the top puppets. Got it?"

The other unidentified male nodded. "Naturally. You and your colleagues will be greatly rewarded. You've already been rewarded."

There was an awkward look around the table, and then the video clicked off.

A shocked silence filled the room. Charles was the first to break it, lifting his desk phone.

"I know who this one is. He's a representative in our state legislature. This one I think I know but I'm not sure. Sal," he said into the receiver. "Can you come up here a moment? Thanks."

A moment later, my editor Sally walked into the room. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she said, holding a hand out to Amy and then patting Charles on the arm. "Jessica will be missed."

She gave me a faint smile and then looked at the screen we were all still staring at.

"I need you to listen to something," Charles said. "This is what Jessica was giving to us when she was murdered."

He hit play and Sally leaned forward, concentrating, her eyes flickering between the males and quickly igniting in outrage. When the video stopped, she stood up, looking as if she'd like to spit fire.

"That traitorous asshole!" she roared, making Cathy jump and my eyes widen in surprise. "I knew it. You don't raise a psychopath son like he did without there being a screw loose at home. But making a deal to weaken werewolf cities so outsiders can take over? This is beyond!"

"What do you mean?" I asked her, though I could see Charles was already nodding, having figured it out. Todd, Cathy, Amy and I however, were totally in the dark.

"That male there," she jabbed a finger at the screen. "That's the city counselman whose son I put in jail for multiple murders! The one who tried to have me put away, too."

I gasped. Something was clicking into place in my brain as Sally spoke.

"Charles," I said, and he looked at me with concerned eyes. "Is his son still in jail?"

Charles' eyes widened as he looked at me, and I knew he understood what I was thinking.