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All three men rose. Van opened and closed his mouth before he sighed and looked at Peterson with an expression of resignation. Peterson gave him a crooked smile and looked back at her.

“We’ll take you up,” Peterson offered.

She shook her head. “No, I would… I would like to talk to Doctor Ben… in private.”

Ben cleared his throat and nodded. “I’d be happy to escort you back upstairs. I’ll keep you two posted on what’s going on.”

Jayden gripped her tray and turned away. She could feel the eyes of Van and Peterson burning a hole through her back. She bit her lip and kept her eyes focused on the door.

“They only want to protect you,” Ben murmured.

With a mix of curiosity and apprehension, Jayden stole a glance over her shoulder, the feeling of being watched lingering in the air. Both men were sitting at the table, their eyes still glued on her. Van’s gesture made her blush, and Peterson’s charming smile only added to the complex feelings swirling inside her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she averted her eyes.

“I don’t need their protection. I can take care of myself,” she retorted.

Chapter 5

Port of Port Angeles

Cargo ship Nova Principia

* * *

General Eric Singleton flipped through the report in front of him. Dozens of satellite images from Olympic National Park covering the past three months were spread out across his desk. The written reports held little useful information. The images were far more interesting.

He leaned forward and picked up two of the black and white images. The first was a line of individuals moving up the mountain along the ridge in a single line. There were at least twenty-five individuals that he could make out, possibly more.

These were the humans that Hyder Furman had told him about. He placed the satellite image down and studied the second photo. At first, he had disregarded it. The image had been taken outside of the zone and several days before the one he had just looked at.

Sitting back, he reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled out a round optical lens. He placed it over the satellite image, moving it slowly over each section as he studied the grainy details. He paused over the image of someone lying on the riverbank. There were four other distinctive figures standing over the person. Even without the outline of their weapons, he would recognize their stance as military. That wasn’t what had sparked his curiosity. No, what had drawn his attention to this specific image was the shadow being cast behind them and the fact that he was seeing a reflection of the sky instead of the ground.

Frustration burned through him at not having a better image. He leaned back in his chair and stared out of the porthole. Tapping his fingers on his desk, he contemplated his next move. His eyes flickered to the prone figure. Gathering the photos, he pushed back and stood.

Minutes later, he had descended into the bowels of the converted cargo ship. A water buffalo shifter and an ape shifter rose and stood at attention as he approached. He motioned with his hand for them to open the thick, steel door.

The ape shifter twirled the lock and pulled it open. Eric stepped through the opening and paused. The room smelled of piss and blood. The shifter on the bunk rolled over and blinked up at him with bloodshot eyes.

“Finally come to finish me off?” Hyder mumbled through cracked lips.

Eric studied Hyder as the shifter rolled into a sitting position with a pain-filled groan. It was obvious the man had mouthed off to his two guards. Thankfully, all they had done was beat the shit out of him. It would have been unfortunate for them if they had killed Hyder without his permission.

“Tell me more about the cougar shifter that disappeared,” he ordered.

Hyder frowned. “Lucien? Don’t know much about him except that he’s a mean son-of-a-bitch. Bishop brought him in.”

“That’s a shame. I guess you aren’t needed anymore,” he replied.

“Wait! Wait! I know he’s ex-military. He was following the Bearclaw woman and the two men that work with her… Redfoot, Peterson Redfoot, and Van Timberwolf. Isabella has something on Timberwolf’s younger brother. I assigned one man you sent to take out Lorne Timberwolf,” Hyder rapidly blurted.

Eric studied Hyder’s desperate expression. The hyena was telling him the truth. He didn’t inform Hyder that the man who went after Lorne Timberwolf was dead.

“What is Bishop’s last name and where can I find him?” he demanded.

Hyder lifted a trembling hand to his bruised cheek. “Foxworthy. His name is Bishop Foxworthy. I don’t have an address for him, just a number.”

Eric memorized the phone number when Hyder rattled it off.

“What does Isabella have on Timberwolf?” he asked.