BirthDate (La Patron, the Alpha's Alpha)

by Addae, Sydney

  He chuckled. “I am, but I did not develop the technology. Pity, I must take her apart to discover why she responds so well to the implants in her body. We have searched for others so that we can duplicate her, but have not been successful. Until we do, we will take her off the market.”

  Doors swooshed open and they walked out into another cool area that smelled like bleach.

  “Push her over here.” The cart moved slowly and then stopped.

  “What is going on?” Jasmine asked.

  “They are talking,” she said and repeated what she heard.

  “Just so you know, Asia, I cannot allow that to happen. I am assuming you have a plan. You are the expert and I am along for the ride, but if you don’t want me to lose it, you better kill that bastard before he touches you.”

  “Alpha Samuel is nearby but not at your location,” Silas said in a calming voice. “We landed to refuel and will be returning to Pennsylvania shortly. I am coming to pick you up, not carry a body home. If you allow it, Jasmine can combine her energy with yours to fight your way out of there. Do not try and fight this alone.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. Yes, Sir.” She paused as everything about the whole set up ran through her mind. She cataloged information and cross verified data until she came to an interesting conclusion. One that made her heart race and her fingers itch for a weapon. “I think he is one of the Liege Lords. They never surface. Perhaps I can find out more about the organization or where the rest of them are. It would help bring this war to an end and stop the abuse against our pack.” She added the last for her Mistress. La Patron understood the thrill of the hunt and why she would go after the big game.

  No one said anything.

  “Mistress?” She had to get her Mistress on board or La Patron might side with his mate and forbid her to do anything other than flee. Her wolf would be hard pressed to obey that order.

  “I am mate to La Patron and his concerns are my concerns, but… right now I don’t care about anything except you walking out of that damn place alive.”

  “But Mistress this is who I am,” she said softly, searching for the right words to explain. “I have pledged to assist in this fight, and this is an opportunity to slap her enemies and gain information. I believe I need to do this.”

  “What if they pin you down again, like in the lab and you cannot stop them?” Jasmine asked.

  “When I died or rebooted, all of my systems returned online, even things that had been turned off in my previous form. When they caught me in the lab, I was still regenerating. I am at full capacity now and I don’t think they can hold me unless I allow it…but just in case, I have you to assist me.” She did not want to offend her Mistress, but this opportunity to strike a blow to their enemies was important.

  “Okay, I will be here and remain silent unless your body goes into distress or you seek my help. That is the best I can do,” Jasmine said.

  “Thank you Ma’am, Sir. They are sitting at a desk talking now. The woman is the same from the lab, but I do not know her. Perhaps Leon’s mate can give us some information on her. She is a breed with enhancements, but not much.”

  “I will talk to Brix,” Silas said. She heard relief and excitement in his voice.

  “Sit here,” the man said to the woman. “I’m going to take her inside and prep her. There are pack wolves outside, which means the state Alpha and La Patron knows she is here. I’m not sure how that happened. I scanned her before she entered the van and when she exited. She has no implants or devices. The van is clean as well.”

  “Is it possible La Patron can locate her as her Alpha?” the woman said.

  “If that was the case you wouldn’t have left the lab alive. And he wouldn’t use her as bait, too valuable.” He tapped his finger against his chin. “Something is off about that.”

  The woman took a seat, pulled out a weapon and placed it on the desk.

  “Put that away,” the man snapped. “If you use anything like that in this building it would destroy everything. There is a button beneath the desk…do you feel it?”

  “I apologize, Sir.”

  “If there is an emergency, flick open the tab and press the button and then leave. Don’t try to find me, I will know what’s happening and leave another way.”

  “Leave here? How?” she asked.

  He moved to another section of the wall. “Come here.”

  The woman met him. Asia strained to see what they were doing but could not. A door opened.

  “Go down these stairs, don’t stop. Go all the way to the bottom; take one of the cars and drive. Someone will contact you later. If this door opens, leave immediately. It will be my warning to you something has happened.” She nodded.

  “I see your collar, good. If La Patron comes I do not want him to take control of you.”

  “You think he is on his way here? I thought he left for Minnesota.” The woman returned to the desk.

  “If the pack knows the Alpha knows, which means Silas Knight knows. We have at least four to six hours before they arrive and attempt to storm the building. I will make sure they are welcomed appropriately.” He chortled as he grabbed the gurney and pulled it into another room.

  The door locked behind him and he pulled her down a long well lit corridor. They stopped and she heard the familiar beeps signifying he had punched in another code. The lights came on overhead.

  “Got to get you strapped in so I can show off my prize,” he murmured. “They didn’t want me to do this, did not think it would pan out, they say I am old-fashioned and work too hard. Nothing wrong with working with your hands. Them gadgets do not have all the answers, sometimes you gotta use your mind and your hands.”

  It was his comment regarding showing her off that stopped her from killing him then. She suspected he would contact others who were high up in the organization. If she could not open her eyes to see them, hearing their voices would be just as effective. She never forgot faces or sounds, both were her signature calling cards.

  When she lay limp in his arms, he snorted. “How much drugs did she give you?” He hefted her across his shoulder. He wasn’t that tall, not like Tyrese or La Patron, but he had a wide barrel shaped chest and thick, strong arms. They walked a few feet and he laid her on something padded. The next moment, cold metal secured her ankles and then her wrist.

  He patted her shoulder as if they were old friends. “I’ve got to check in with me boys and then we will know what direction we are going in.”

  She wondered what he meant by that, but not before the import of what he said hit. He was going to contact the group now. “Mistress, can you hear what I hear?”

  “No. Yes, sometimes, it comes and goes. I don’t have full control of this yet. What’s going on?”

  “He is about to contact the other members so they can see me. It would be easier if you and La Patron could hear it firsthand.”

  “Damn it. I don’t hear anything.”

  “It is usually a gift between mates and in some cases siblings. If we were linked I could hear as well, I do not understand why Jasmine cannot hear through your link,” La Patron said.

  “He is greeting someone on the monitor, telling them I am secure and knocked out on drugs.” Listening intently, she knew when the men on the other end of the call picked up.

  “Hola comrades.”

  “Griffith, it is good to see you. I hear you were successful in your endeavor. Well done. Where is the bitch?”

  “She is here, Gordon, strapped to the table in titanium cuffs…” There was some sort of shuffling noise. “Can you see her now?”

  “Yes. Why is that knife in her chest?”

  “Verification.”

  “Ah, simple and effective.”

  “A scan would have been just as effective and less messy. I am sure you left a trail of blood.”

  “Perhaps, Boris,” Griffith said in a low grumbling voice.

  “Where is Mélange?” Gordon asked into the silence.

  Griffith chuckled
. “She is on guard duty above.”

  “Everything is in place?” Boris asked, his tone speculative.

  “Yes, in twenty minutes I will signal her to leave. When she reaches the ground floor, she will take one of the cars and drive off. There is only one car with keys. She has instructions to just drive until someone contacts her.”

  “Good, I will monitor her vehicle, there can be no screw ups on this job. You sure she can handle it?” Gordon asked.

  “What is there to handle? She does not know about the bodies in the trunk. If she is stopped her fingerprints alone are on everything,” Griffith said.

  “So they were able to lift her prints from the pod?” Gordon asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Good... Your hit today cost us a good, loyal man. Orsis will be missed,” Boris said.

  Asia wondered if Orsis was Leon’s mate.

  “Yes,” Griffith said, sounding aggravated. “Sometimes there are casualties. It is a part of this business. However, I have recovered Asia so that we can begin our experiments again.”

  “We will discuss that in a few moments, it is important to tell you we believe Angus has found La Patron,” Gordon said in a somber tone.

  “What? How did he escape?” Griffith asked. “Is that the black wolf who killed Orsis?”

  “Could be. There was a black wolf at the lab?” Gordon asked.

  “Mélange saw a black wolf running toward Orsis, that is the last time she saw him alive.”

  “Damn it. Angus complicates matters,” Boris said with feeling.

  “Yes, he does. What kind of damage did he do when he escaped?” Griffith asked in a low voice.

  “Body count? He wiped out ten or twelve, a whole wing of staff, damaged some of the equipment beyond repair. We had to order new parts for others. That lab is shut down for a couple of months; everything is being shifted to the other ones. Which brings me back to Asia,” Gordon said.

  She tensed.

  “Lock her down for now; we don’t have space or security in any of the labs to hold her. Now was not the best time to reacquire the bitch. We are short doctors and test subjects. You released the last test wolves to La Patron and they are now dead. In some areas we are starting over, in others we need to fill the orders we have. The last shipment from the lab has been lost as well?”

  “Yes,” Griffith said tightly. “La Patron arrived before my men could secure it.”

  “So this venture of yours was more costly than we thought. How long before we can replace those collars?” Boris asked.

  “A week, no more than that with staff working overtime,” Griffith said.

  “You convened a meeting with us to show us your expensive prize, Griffith. We urged you to wait and allow La Patron to take the lab. He would’ve used his resources to close a facility no longer of value to us. Yet you went ahead and cost us a high level operative, our test stock, our inventory and now we must pay thousands of dollars in overtime to fill orders for our customers. And all you show us is Asia who has been with us for decades,” Boris said.

  “We wanted her off the streets,” Griffith said defensively.

  “Yes, but she is her own enemy and would have eventually resurfaced. One of the bounty hunters would have ultimately caught her and brought her in with no loss of our resources. We need to think more twenty-first century if we are going to survive my brother,” Gordon said.

  “We have survived just fine and will continue to do so. But I will use my hands as well as my mind. I am not given to trust equipment one hundred percent. My gut told me it was important to remove her from La Patron. Just as your gut told you to capture Angus,” Griffith said.

  “Angus is a problem to be solved. Asia is not. We already know what she is capable of. Angus and this whole black wolf element is a new threat. His uncanny ability to hear thoughts and mimic human attributes is unusual. And that makes him a wild card,” Boris shot back.

  “Should I leave her here for La Patron?” Griffith asked in a snide tone.

  “Hmmm, that is something to consider. That is one of the smaller satellite locations…easily replaced. If you did that, we could leave the bodies there as well,” Boris said.

  “What of Mélange?”

  “What of her?” Boris asked.

  “She has served as well as Orsis. Loyal and obedient,” Griffith said.

  “She is a woman,” Boris said dismissively.

  “Ay,” Griffith said.

  “Women are not to be trusted in positions of power, you know that Griffith,” Gordon said.

  “It was you who said we needed to operate in the twenty-first century. I am agreeing with you.”

  “That is something to be discussed later. As for Asia, transport her to your private lair and imprison her until later. Mélange has indeed served us well and if she lives through this assignment, we can consider using her in some other capacity. Women are not equal to men and she will never be allowed to rise to the same level Orsis would have, do not forget that, my brother. For now, we will continue to monitor ongoing experiments and provide our clients with a top quality product. The others are busy in other areas; we do not want to mess this part of the operation up. Research will start up again in three months. Any questions?” Gordon said with a snap of authority.

  “No,” Boris said.

  “No,” Griffith said.

  “Good, we come together at our regular time, unless another emergency meeting is called,” Gordon said.

  Chapter 17

  For a few moments there was silence in the room and then the sound of something smashing against the wall filled the room.

  “Condescending bastard, always got something to say.” Another object splattered against the wall. “I would gut the swiggling fop if he ever stepped outside that damn castle of his. I am not the only one either. Gutterswipe always smarting off at the mouth.” Another thud against the wall and then he roared. “Mutherfucking bastard.” He heaved in air and then sat in the chair next to the table with the computer.

  “Wonder what he would say if I gift wrapped you and set you on his door, I wonder how he would respond to that?” He mumbled and sat quietly for a few moments.

  Asia wished he would. But for that to happen, he would need to live to see the sunrise and she could not allow that.

  “Mistress the meeting did not go as well as he hoped and he is enraged, be prepared for anything.”

  “What happened?”

  “I will tell you later, now I must be on alert. He is a wild card at the moment.”

  Asia watched as he slumped forward with his head in his hands, breathing hard. Moving slightly, she tested the metal around her wrists. It gave a bit. Waiting in the silence of the room with a knife protruding from her chest was one of the more difficult things she had done in a long time.

  The smell of his anger stung her nostrils. The sound of his heavy breathing sent adrenaline crashing through her system. Her wolf stirred sensing prey. He sat in the chair another ten minutes until his breathing calmed.

  “Fuck it,” he said, standing and glancing in her direction. “I’ll do my own experiments; don’t need their lab to handle that.” He walked toward a door and entered it.

  Asia exhaled.

  “Gordon, Boris and Griffith, those are the names of the three men. Griffith is the one with me and he is upset,” Asia said and then told Jasmine about the conversation.

  “Angus didn’t mention he had been a guest of the Liege, he is full of secrets and surprises. Did they say when he escaped?” La Patron asked surprising her. She had forgotten he was on as well.

  “No, Sir, but I got the feeling it was recent. They know he is with you. But did not know he was the wolf who attacked Orsis, sorry I mean Brix or at the lab. Is there a way to verify the wolf who is with you is Angus?” Her gaze slid to the door Griffith entered as she heard the commode flush.

  “What’s your plan when he comes out the bathroom?” Jasmine asked.

  “I plan to terminate him and leave
this place.”

  “Sounds solid, like a good plan,” Jasmine said.

  Asia moved her ankle and lifted slightly, feeling the metal move. Low humming noises reached her ears as she opened her eyes and looked around the large room. Immediately in front of her was a sitting area with three large leather chairs and a long polished mahogany coffee table. A portable computer desk with a large monitor and keyboard sat on top. Further ahead was a long glass and marble conference table with a multitude of chairs. A roll of cable lay nearby on the floor and a large screen filled the wall. To the right of her there was the door Griffin entered and a row of wood cabinets. The left side mirrored the right with the exception of a couple of blank spaces.

  His humming stopped. Next she heard water turn on. Was he taking a shower? Seriously? She glanced down at the protruding knife and then looked toward the bathroom. She looked hard. He stood in the middle of the bathroom gazing upward, no doubt watching her through a monitor.

  Determined to give him a show, she tugged on her cuffs as if she were trying to escape. After pulling and jerking for a while she collapsed backward as if out of breath.

  “Stupid bitch,” he muttered.