True: 11 (New Species) Read online

  “The first flight back here leaves at six a.m. his time. That’s three our time,” Tiger finished. “He’s booked on it. His new flight schedule allows him time to reach Fuller before the second-shift transfer.”

  “I want him arrested right now. Do you know what hotel he’s at?” Tim yanked out his cell phone. “I’ll have him picked up there. Someone from Fuller might have called him to give him a heads-up. The jerk could attempt to run. I have some trusted friends in DC who will make the arrest. I’m not leaving this up to random cops.”

  Jeanie tensed, drawing True’s attention. “You can’t do that,” she protested.

  “Why?” True didn’t like that response. “You’ll be safer if they arrest him now instead of waiting until he reaches California.”

  Her pretty brown eyes peered up at him and he could see her distress. “What if there are others out there like me?”

  “What do you mean?” Justice didn’t sound any happier than he felt.

  Jeanie pulled her gaze from his to stare at the feline male. “Mr. North, he lied to me and got me to work undercover. There could be other people who are in the same situation I was in.” She leaned against True. “Don’t you understand? He used me and he could be using other people.”

  “We’ll have Darkness force him to tell us if he knows of any other locations.” True was certain the male could do it.

  Jeanie chewed on her bottom lip.

  “What is it, mate?” True knew she wanted to say more but didn’t. “Don’t hold back.”

  She glanced up at him, then at Justice. “Do you really think he’s going to be honest about it if he’s using someone else the way he did me? Or admit to knowing where other New Species are being held?”

  “Darkness can be very persuasive,” Justice assured her.

  “Are you willing to make a deal with him that will allow him to go free? I know what Polanitis wanted. They were discussing it at Medical while I was there and I heard some of it. A million dollars and to be sent to a country without extradition. Who is to say Brice won’t demand the same? I really don’t want that bastard set free and he could do the whole ransom thing again if he doesn’t give up everything he knows.”

  Justice glanced at True, confused.

  “You were outside. That’s what he asked for. Darkness wasn’t pleased.”

  Justice nodded and gave Jeanie a soft look. “We don’t make deals. We break bones to make them talk.”

  “And the warden of Fuller Prison would know that’s how you operate, right?” Jeanie pushed away and True eased his hold to allow her to stand on her own since she seemed to want to.

  “He runs the prison he’s going to be living in. It’s…hell, right? He knows that better than anyone. I’ve spent time with Brice—Boris—whatever his name is, and trust me, he had me totally fooled. I don’t think he’ll tell you everything he knows. I think he’ll do anything to save his own ass and that means leaving people like me and those poor New Species in whatever hellish place they are in. Brice wanted to make sure I couldn’t testify against him. The last thing he’ll want is more people pointing the finger at him or more crimes added to the list if there are other locations he knows about. He might keep quiet just out of spite to get even for being locked up.” She looked up at True. “He’ll have nothing to lose since he knows it’s all over once he’s arrested. But he can get revenge by holding back what he knows.”

  “Darkness can be persuasive,” Fury stated. “I wouldn’t mind spending some time in interrogation with him as well.”

  Jeanie sighed. “He doesn’t know we know who he really he is, right? I’m not supposed to have viewed those files yet. What if we made him think I got sick from the drug or something to delay that? It would give you time to track where he’s been and hopefully learn more before he’s aware that he’s been identified. You can tap his phones. He’s got to be freaked out and he might try to cover his tracks.”

  “Jeanie,” True rasped. “He’s too dangerous to allow him to run free. He could flee the country.”

  She turned to face him. “What if he resists arrest or something? What if he’s shot and killed? This is a guy who doesn’t have a heart. He couldn’t to be able to do all the shitty things he’s done. He won’t feel an ounce of pity or regret for lives lost. What if there are others who are praying every day for someone to come in and rescue them?”

  “You want us to put him under surveillance?” Tim moved closer.

  Jeanie turned her head, focusing on him. “Yes.”

  “He needs to be taken into custody.” True scowled. “He’s a danger to you.”

  “Wait a minute,” Tim appeared to be considering the idea. “She might be onto something.” He tapped his cell phone against his other palm. “We could bug his house, his car, search it, too, without him being aware we were ever there. We could find out if he’s got burner phones stashed. We know he’s out of town.” He grew silent but the wheels of his mind were still spinning from the intense look of concentration on his face. “Yeah. I like this idea better.” He glanced at Jeanie. “I just decided I really like you.”

  “Tim, I don—”

  “It’s a great plan,” Tim said, cutting Fury off. “I agree that he’s a dickhead and vindictive. We can get inside his home and ghost any communication devices we find. Anything he does, we’ll know about. He wouldn’t have taken that shit with him to DC. The security there is outrageous and he’d have gone through scans at the airports. I know they only take carryon luggage. It’s standard procedure. He’d have left any burner phones at home because the security detail assigned to them is from Senator Hills’ office. He’d have worried about them noticing two phones on him and they do room checks often to make sure no one got in while they were at meetings. That includes checking his bags for tampering.”

  Jeanie beamed, happy. True wasn’t. He wanted the human locked up where he couldn’t do her any harm.

  Tim wasn’t done. “We can plant devices in his computers at work and at his house. I can call in a favor at the airport. The head of security over there was one of my boys from the service. I’m sure that bastard Boris has a laptop he took with him and it will be easy to tag with a ghost program. The airport scanner it has to run through could have an issue so it delays him long enough for one of my tech guys to grab his case and gain access to his computer. He’ll just think it’s stuck in the machine until they supposedly get it fixed. Anything he does on it will be transmitted to us. We can see every damn stroke he makes on the keyboard and see what he sees. We can gain access to any of his passwords and email accounts we don’t know about. It will also give us more time to look into what he’s been up to. The safer he feels, the more he’s likely to fuck up. Ms. Shiver has a point. He’s going to want to cover his tracks and probably set up new protocols to deal with anyone he’s working with currently, in case of his arrest. Otherwise he’ll fear they’ll contact the NSO directly if they don’t hear from him when they normally do.”

  “We aren’t even sure if there are other humans he’s deceived or other locations Species are being kept,” Flame stated. “We do know he is a direct threat to True’s mate.”

  “Exactly,” True agreed.

  “He’s gotten money from us twice by using her to verify where New Species are being held and my team is still searching for other transactions he could have been behind.” Tim frowned at True. “Her idea is better than just grabbing him. I have a lot of faith in Darkness but hell, this guy has nothing to lose. He doesn’t have family to use against him. We can keep her safe. I’d also like a chance at seeing where he stashes his cash so we can get it back. He’ll create an escape plan and that means accessing that money.”

  “She shouldn’t be in danger at all,” True growled, not liking the idea.

  “Please?” Jeanie turned in his arms and peered up at him.

  He looked down at her and knew he would give in. It was the sight of her unshed tears, something that affected him strongly. “I just want you sa