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Mo nodded, still completely stunned. “I won’t—”

“We know,” Victor almost growled, and in the middle of everything, to be trusted with such a huge secret meant an awful lot.

Daniel leaned forward. “This is what we think. We don’t know but we suspect that Rigor Elkin—Khloe’s boyfriend—found out about shifters through your dad. Rigor doesn’t have the brains or the money to take this any further. The kids have to be being held somewhere. Judging from the state of the bodies and the puncture wounds on the ones we found, human law enforcement is discounting the victims as junkies, even though they are often children. Only we know any different.”

Daniel took a breath. “We know recreational drugs don’t work on shifters so there has to be another reason.”

Mo’s head shot up. “But I was told Khloe was a drug addict.”

Daniel shook his head. “If she has shifter genes, that’s impossible. Who told you that?”

“Detective Pauley,” Mo whispered.

Daniel nodded. “I’ve already pulled his records, and I think he’s taking bribes from Rigor,”

Mo sat back in stunned shock, but for the first time hope swelled in him.

“What do you think is the other reason?” Victor asked.

Daniel shrugged. “Our best guess is that they aren’t trying to create new shifters, they’re trying to control the ones they already have. Either someone with insight or someone that has access to confidential information knows that the NATO member nations are discussing a joint shifter peacekeeping force. I’m sure you can imagine there are a lot of governments that don’t want that to happen, or if it does, need to find a way to neutralize it. We think the deaths have been caused by overdoses as they are trying to perfect the drug to control shifters.”

He felt rather than saw Victor’s reaction, as the wolf gave nothing away. Still, the slight straightening of his body was telling, at least to Mo.

“How are they identifying shifters?” Alex asked.

“We looked into the ones that we know about. “They were all athletes, some football players. So physically strong. One guy even carried three classmates to safety when one of the labs exploded.” Daniel sighed. “Simultaneously.”

Mo nearly smiled at the reaction from the others. They all had disapproval down pat.

“Do you know who the spotter is?” Alex asked.

“Spotter?” Zack asked.

“A spotter is someone who is trained to look for something,” Mo explained before Daniel could. “In a high school, I’m guessing ancillary staff, someone not quite as much in the public eye. Someone on the custodian’s staff maybe, or the athletic team, according to the reports you mentioned.”

“He or she would need access to students,” Alex said, “so there during the day, not after hours like the cleaning crew.”

Daniel sent Mo an admiring look. “If you ever get sick of teaching.” Mo graced him with a smile, and Daniel turned to Alex. “You finish school first.” Alex grinned like it was an old argument.

“So, what’s the plan?” Zack asked.

“We’re getting an agent that looks young enough to be a student,” Daniel said.

“No.” Alex stood, almost defiantly. “I’m already there. Established.” Mo watched in fascination as every other adult around the table objected, but Alex didn’t react. He regarded Daniel. “I’m alreadythere,” he repeated. “I have a ton of friends at school. I live here, so no one is going to think it weird when I interact with Daniel if they’re watching, which we assume they are.”

“I want in,” Victor said immediately. “Find me a job coaching whatever Alex does.”

Alex smirked. “Soccer. Think you can keep up with me?”

Victor nodded once, and Riley groaned. “Why couldn’t you have been a beta?”

Alex just shrugged. “Maybe I wouldn’t have needed you as much if I had been.” The silence, Mo thought, was telling, especially when Riley stood and enveloped Alex in a hug.

“And I can come in to teach self-defense,” Zack insisted. He shrugged. “I can do computers as well.”

Riley snickered, letting go of Alex. “You should be able to after all these years.”

Mo glanced at Daniel, who to Zack looked, resigned. Were they really gonna do this? Mo swallowed then spoke, “None of you need to do this. It’s—”