Page 11 of Rescued by Four Alphas (Claimed by the Four Alphas #2)

I pace the length of the interrogation room we've set up in the basement, my footsteps echoing against concrete walls.

Matthews sits handcuffed to a metal chair in the center, his face already sporting a purple bruise where Onyx hit him last night.

His security uniform is rumpled, and dried blood crusts the corner of his mouth.

"Let's try this again," I say, keeping my voice calm. "Why were you taking pictures of my private documents?"

Matthews' eyes dart nervously around the room, never quite meeting mine. "I told you already. I was ordered to."

"By whom?" I slam my palm on the table beside him, making him flinch.

"I don't know!" His voice cracks. "I swear to God, I don't know their names."

I circle behind him, placing my hands on his shoulders. I feel him tense beneath my grip. "You expect me to believe that you betrayed your employer, risked your career, and possibly your life for someone whose name you don't even know?"

"It wasn't by choice," he whispers.

"Explain."

Matthews swallows hard. "Three days ago, my daughter didn't come home from school."

I freeze, my fingers tightening involuntarily on his shoulders.

"She's sixteen," he continues. "When she didn't answer her phone, we called the police. They said teenagers run away all the time, that we should wait twenty-four hours."

"Go on," I prompt, moving back around to face him.

"That night, I received a text message with a photo of my daughter. She was blindfolded and tied to a chair." His voice breaks. "The next message said if I wanted to see her alive again, I needed to follow their instructions precisely."

"What were those instructions?"

"To provide information about your security systems. Floor plans of the house. Your daily schedules." He looks up at me, his eyes red-rimmed. "And to throw that brick through your window last night."

My jaw tightens. "You threw the brick?"

He nods miserably. "They said it was a warning. That if I didn't do exactly as they said, they'd send my daughter back to me in pieces."

"And you believed them?"

"They sent me her student ID card. With blood on it." His shoulders slump. "What was I supposed to do?"

The door opens, and Onyx steps in, his massive frame filling the doorway. His eyes are cold as he looks at Matthews.

"Is he talking?" Onyx asks me.

"He claims his daughter was kidnapped," I reply. "And he was blackmailed into providing information."

Onyx snorts. "Convenient excuse."

"It's the truth!" Matthews insists. "Check the police report. My daughter was missing for three days!"

"Even if that's true," I say, "you still betrayed us. You put Dahlia and our unborn children at risk."

"I had no choice," he repeats desperately. "They would have killed my daughter."

"And now your actions might get my family killed," I snap, my control slipping. "Who sent you? I want names."

"I don't know! They only communicated through burner phones and encrypted messages. I never saw their faces."

Onyx steps forward, looming over Matthews. "You expect us to believe that?"

"It's the truth! The only thing I know is they left a symbol on the note with my daughter's picture. A circle with a line through it."

I exchange a glance with Onyx, whose expression darkens.

"The Natural Order," Onyx growls.

Matthews looks between us, confused. "What's that?"

"An anti-shifter extremist group," I explain. "Did they tell you anything about their plans? What information were they specifically looking for?"

"No, just that they wanted to know about your security and..." he hesitates.

"And what?" I demand.

"And about Dr. Baldwin's pregnancy. How far along she is. When she has appointments. That kind of thing."

Rage boils in my veins. I grip the edge of the table to keep from striking him. "You gave them information about Dahlia's pregnancy?"

"They already knew she was pregnant! I just confirmed what they already had."

Onyx moves with blinding speed. His fist connects with Matthews' jaw, snapping his head back. Blood sprays from his split lip.

"You worthless piece of shit," Onyx snarls, grabbing Matthews by the throat. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Onyx," I say sharply. "We need him conscious."

Onyx releases Matthews with reluctance. The security guard slumps in his chair, coughing and spitting blood.

"What else did they want to know?" I press.

"The babies," Matthews gasps, working his jaw gingerly. "They were obsessed with details about the babies. How many there are, and if they're healthy."

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I check the screen, and it's Oliver, my executive assistant. I step away from Matthews, nodding for Onyx to continue the interrogation.

"Oliver, what is it?" I answer.

"Sir, I think I found something that might be useful regarding our current situation," Oliver says. "There was a closed-door meeting at the Department of Shifter Affairs two days ago."

"How does that help us?"

"Because Dr. Reid was heading the meeting."

"Reid? Hammond's former research partner?"

"The very same."

"When was Reid released?" I demand. "He was supposed to be under federal surveillance."

"According to my sources, he's been free for close to eight months now."

"Eight months?" I run a hand through my hair. "That's not good. Find out everything you can about that meeting. Who attended, what was discussed, any action items."

"Already working on it, sir."

"Good. Call me the moment you have more information."

I end the call and turn back to Onyx, who has Matthews by the collar.

"We need to talk," I tell him, gesturing toward the door. "Now."

Onyx gives Matthews one last threatening look before following me out. I close the door behind us, making sure Matthews can't overhear.

"What is it?" Onyx asks.

"Dr. Reid is involved."

Onyx frowns. "Who the hell is Reid?"

"Hammond's former research partner," I explain.

"So, he's another mad scientist?"

"He's worse. Reid is a calculating son of a bitch. While Hammond was impulsive, Reid is brilliant, methodical, and completely amoral. He conducted unauthorized human experimentation and unethical gene-editing trials. Instead of being prosecuted, Reid was quietly removed from field research and reassigned to a monitoring role under strict oversight. He was classified as a 'Tier 3 Risk to National Security.’”

Onyx's expression darkens. "If he has no care for humans, he'll be exceedingly worse for shifters."

"Exactly." I pace the narrow hallway. "We've been underestimating the threat level significantly. If Reid is involved, there are three things he wants: experimentation, and possibly extinction."

"What do we do now?"

"Keep an eye on Matthews and see if you can get anything else out of him. I need to make some calls."

Onyx nods grimly. "I'll handle him."

I make my way to my office. If Reid is orchestrating this, we're facing a coordinated, government-backed threat. There's no winning when the government is involved.

Once inside my office, I lock the door and dial Senator Morrison's private number. He answers on the second ring.

"Blackthorn," his voice is guarded. "This isn't a good time."

"I don't give a damn what time it is," I reply. "Why didn't you tell me Reid was free?"

A pause. "How did you find out about that?"

"I have my sources. Why wasn't I informed about the meeting at DSA two days ago?"

Morrison sighs heavily. "I was shocked to see him there myself. He's been operating behind the scenes for months and building support for his theories."

"What theories?"

"He's convinced the Joint Chiefs that shifter reproduction rates pose an existential threat to humanity. That within three generations, shifters could outnumber humans."

"That's ridiculous," I scoff. "Shifter fertility rates are notoriously low."

"Not for Omegas," Morrison counters. "And that's where Dr. Baldwin comes in. Reid has been tracking her research since before the Crimson Plague. He believes her pregnancy proves his theory about accelerated reproduction."

My blood runs cold. "What are they planning?"

"Nothing's been approved yet," Morrison says carefully, "but there's talk of a 'wellness check' for Dr. Baldwin."

"A wellness check?" I repeat incredulously. "You mean a raid to capture her."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." I grip the phone tighter. "On what grounds could they possibly justify this?"

"Reid has been granted extraordinary authority under secret anti-terrorism provisions. He's convinced the right people that Omega reproduction represents a national security threat."

"This is insane," I mutter. "What are you doing to stop it?"

"What can I do? Reid has the ear of the Joint Chiefs and the President's National Security Advisor. My influence only goes so far."

"So, you're telling me to run."

A long pause. "If Dr. Baldwin were my mate, I'd get her somewhere safe. Immediately."

"I thought we were past this, Jack. I thought after Hammond was locked up, we could live our lives in peace."

"Hammond was just the beginning," Morrison says grimly. "Reid is the real architect. He’s always been."

I swear and bury my head in my free hand. "How much time do we have?"

"Not much. Days, maybe less."

"I'll be in touch," I say, ending the call.

I sit at my desk, staring at nothing. We need to leave, but where can we go? Switzerland seemed like the obvious choice, but if Reid has government connections, nowhere is truly safe.

My phone rings again. It's Oliver.

"Sir, I have some troubling news," he says without preamble. "International authorities have seized your property in Switzerland."

"What? On what grounds?"

"We don't have the details yet, but the Swiss Federal Police took control of the estate this morning."

"That's impossible! We haven't even been there in months!"

"It appears someone provided falsified evidence. The seizure order mentions 'credible intelligence from U.S. authorities.'"