by Gale Stanley
Graham’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I want him, Simon, and I intend to use Noah for bait. In the meantime, the slave is safely tucked away at our new secure facility.”
Simon suppressed a frown. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep Noah here?”
“I’ll bring him back when we get a handle on the half-breed’s whereabouts. Until then, I want him in my behavioral modification program. And I want to question him myself.”
Graham has a taste for blonds. I should have known.
As if Graham heard him, he continued his explanation. “The slave has already been trained to serve a man’s needs. Why should his talents go to waste? I intended to fly out there immediately and take possession of him, but something came up. Thanks to your father.”
“My father, sir?” What has the congressman been up to now?
Graham nodded. “He’s a good man, and he’s done me a big favor. After you dealt with the media, your father intervened with the Governor of New York and got a pardon for my Were-agent Duke Baron. He was being held on murder charges by the Weres in Dogtown, that wolf ghetto that’s given us so many problems. I think we got him out before he broke and revealed any information that might discredit us. He’s being held in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison. I need to get him out, and I have to do it personally.” Graham paused. “He listens to me. I trained him myself, but it pains me to admit that he’s a lousy spy. I put a lot of time and money into that wolf-shifter, and now I’m afraid I’ll have to exterminate him.”
Simon handed back the photos, his mind already coming up with a solution for Graham’s latest problem. “Sir? If I might suggest an alternative…”
“Yes, Simon, go ahead.”
“There is a way to utilize Baron’s talents and still keep him out of trouble. Why not find him a job at the new installation?”
Graham leaned his head forward and rested his chin on his fingertips. “It’s a good idea,” he said finally. “I find myself depending on you more and more, Simon. You will go far in this organization.” Graham picked up the file decisively, as if he’d just made a decision. He shoved the photos inside and slid it over the desk to Simon. “I want you with me when I visit our new facility. Take this home and read it over carefully. You’ll be hearing from me in a few days. Make sure you’re available.”
Fuck! The last thing he wanted to do was see Noah again, but Simon picked up the folder and stood. “Of course.”
“Simon.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s important that we find this Were.”
“You can count on me, Mr. Graham. I’ll find your half-breed.”
Chapter Five
Simon had disappeared so quietly and quickly, he left Levi stunned—and furious. The shifter searched the alley frantically, tossing aside metal garbage bins and Dumpsters as if they were made of cardboard. Rats and cockroaches scattered as the larger predator let his anger out on whatever he happened to grab. Finally, Levi had to admit that the other man was gone.
He fumed as he tracked Simon’s tantalizing scent, now mixed with his own. The depth of Levi’s anger surprised him. Of course he’d just lost his only link to Noah, but there was more to it. Levi felt like a spurned lover. How stupid was that? What had he expected? This was no romance. Simon had said as much. This was all about a quick fuck in an alley, nothing more. Did he want more? Levi had to admit that he did. He’d just had one of the longest and hottest orgasms of his life. He liked giving up control, and he liked the way Simon made him—dominated and abjectly submissive.
Obviously, Simon had gotten what he wanted, and it didn’t include exchanging cell numbers. Fuck him! But isn’t that exactly what you want to do—again and again and again? Yes, but it wasn’t all about the sex. Simon was a link to Noah. His only link. He’d hoped after their close encounter, Simon would at least be willing to set up another meeting.
Still, Levi was not at a complete loss. Although he’d lost Simon’s scent again, he still had Simon’s name and his hacker friend, who could find the weaknesses in any computer or network and wiggle his way inside. The elusive programmer would expect repayment sometime in the future. Levi would owe him big time and he didn’t know how he’d repay the favor, but the hacker was a patient person who liked having people in his debt.
Levi gave the surrounding area one more cursory glance, put on his shirt and headed home to his third floor walkup in a converted brownstone on Pine Street. His one-bedroom apartment was sparsely furnished, but he didn’t need much. A black metal card table and four folding chairs with vinyl upholstered seats filled the small dining area. On the table, sat his laptop, a printer, and a stack of file folders where he kept information about where he’d searched for Noah.
Levi turned on the PC and went to a harmless-looking website called Techy Museum. It provided a trip down memory lane, the history of computing, going back to calculators and punch cards. The pictures alone were priceless. Levi had poured over them many times. This time he went right to a picture of an old IBM PC XT. The XT originally came with 128 kb of RAM, a floppy disk drive, and a 10 MB hard drive.
We’ve come a long way, baby!
Levi laughed as he clicked on the space bar of the keyboard in the photo. Another window opened up. This one had a dialogue box that required a password. Levi entered a long string of letters, numbers, and symbols that he had committed to memory. He was rewarded with a welcome screen and a blinking cursor. He started typing.
[Hello Hodag]
[Where U been Rolf?]
The man never slept. Thank God for that. Levi had no time to waste.
[I’ve been Busy]
[2 busy 4 an old friend?]
[It’s complicated]
[Explain]
[I need information]
Several years ago, a lover who shared a mutual interest in computers had introduced Levi to the online hacker he knew only as Hodag. The lover had long since disappeared, but the connection with Hodag remained a valuable contact. At first Levi thought the hacker must live in Wisconsin because hodags are part of the lumberjack folklore of that state. But then, he discovered that hodags are also well known to cave explorers across the country, and so the man could be anywhere. If indeed Hodag was a man. For all Levi knew, he could be communicating with a female. They had never met, and it was likely they never would. Hodag was a computer wizard, much smarter than Levi, but for some reason, they had built up a trust between them. Levi typed out his request for information on Simon Black, and Hodag told him he would get back to him.
Levi checked in throughout the rest of the night, but didn’t get a response until morning. What he read didn’t make him happy. Simon Black was an agent with the Division of Shifter Affairs, and not just any agent, but a man who was connected. Black’s father was a congressman. Levi wasn’t stupid. He could put two and two together as well as any man and come up with four.
It couldn’t be an accident that Black had gone after him and Noah on the same night. The DSA must have discovered the connection between Levi and the slave. Of course there was always the outside chance that it was a coincidence. That the government wanted Noah because they were cracking down on slavers, or maybe Noah was involved in some other bullshit, like drugs. And it was quite possible that Simon just wanted to fuck Levi because…well, just because. There was no doubt that Simon had enjoyed the sex as much as Levi.
Then why doesn’t he want more?
Levi thought about all the men he’d dumped after one night. Black could be a loner, just like him, and probably for a lot of the same reasons—work, trust issues, etc., etc., etc. Still, being rejected sucked. Levi cast it off. One-nighters were a fact of life in his world. Hooking up with someone for a quick fuck with no strings attached happened all the time. And most men did not exchange personal information. No one wanted to be stalked later on.
So, the question remained. Was Simon Black a random fuck? Or did he know about the connection between Levi and Noah? Rig
ht this minute, Black could be getting a backup team together in preparation to take Levi down.
Do I play a waiting game or make the first move?
Undecided, Levi weighed his options. If Simon came after him, it would put him a weak position. The agent would have the power of the DSA behind him. They could kill him and make it look like an accident. Worse, Levi could be overpowered, drugged, and kidnapped. He could end up tortured or sold on the auction block like Noah. If he turned tail and ran, he’d never see Noah again. His only option was to make the first move on Black.
Hodag had supplied an address in New York for Simon Black. Philadelphia was only an hour and a half from New York, but he’d never been there. He’d heard the Big Apple was an exciting town. Levi smiled to himself. He wondered if it was too early to rent a car. He threw a few things in a duffle bag and added his stainless steel SIG Sauer P226.
* * * *
Levi had driven straight to Simon’s condo and parked across the street. So far, no one had gone in or come out. He was considering breaking in. If Simon was in there, Levi would have the element of surprise on his side. But the building looked like it had tight security and Levi’s skills in that area were rusty. In the end he decided to wait. He sat so long that he started to fall asleep at the wheel.
The noise of street traffic woke him, and his head jerked up. Just in time. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw Simon Black walking down the street. Levi’s first thought was to get out of the car and accost him, but then he might scare the man off. Better to wait until Simon got to his front door.
* * * *
Levi, how the fuck did you find me? Simon had to give the half-breed credit for tracking him down. He must want to find Noah badly, but he was going about this rescue mission all wrong. Levi probably thought he had the element of surprise on his side, but Simon was prepared for anything and Levi was making this way too easy for him.
Simon always kept a close eye on the street, and he’d spotted the half-breed immediately. Even if Levi had no idea that Simon was a Federal Agent who could pick out a tail a mile away, he shouldn’t have stationed himself so close to the building. Simon had intended to fulfill his obligation to Graham before going after Levi. There was no rush to bring in the half-breed. Levi wasn’t going anywhere without Noah and Simon wanted the extra time to come up with a plan. Levi’s capture was a foregone conclusion, but Simon preferred that the half-breed not know that Simon was behind it. It was stupid and sentimental and totally unlike Simon. But for some reason he didn’t want Levi to think he’d fucked him as part of a plan to bring him in. Now Levi left him no choice. Simon would have to take him down before he left New York.
Simon grew tired of waiting for Levi to make his move. He would have to bring things to a head himself. He left his building by a back entrance and circled around to the front. Levi made a lousy spy. He was asleep in his car. Luckily something woke him and he lifted his head, or Simon might have been forced to circle the block again. Instead he walked to the front entrance and made a great show of searching his pockets for his keys.
Hurry up, asshole.
Aware of Levi sneaking up behind him, Simon took his time picking out the right key.
“Don’t turn around. Don’t try anything stupid. Unlock the door and walk inside.” The voice at Simon’s ear was a low rumble.
The gun at Simon’s back was not unexpected, but he made a show of being surprised. Levi would expect some kind of reaction. He twisted his head and felt a hard shove from the gun.
“Don’t make me use this.”
Simon smiled to himself. Wouldn’t think of it. He inserted the key and opened the door. There was a panic button inside next to the doorframe that would summon security, but Simon didn’t use it. Thankfully the small lobby was empty. Simon walked calmly to the elevator and pushed the up arrow. The metal doors slid open, and Levi followed him inside. Simon pushed number twelve and the doors slid shut.
“What are you doing here, Levi?” Simon eyed the Sig Sauer in Levi’s hand. “If you intend to rob me, I’m telling you now, I don’t keep a lot of cash in my condo.”
“Shut up.”
Simon sighed. The elevator doors slid open, and Levi motioned him to go ahead. Simon walked to his door silently. He didn’t want to provoke Levi into an attack. Not yet anyway.
Levi kept the gun pointed at Simon while he looked around. Simon made good money, and his home reflected it. The condo had a lot of open space and floor-to-ceiling windows with incredible views of Central Park.
“Sit down.” Levi barked at him, and Simon sat on the leather couch. He kept his mouth shut, but his mind was going a mile a minute, planning attack and counter attack strategies.
“I know who you are Simon. You’re DSA and your little game is up, but before I kill you, I want to know where Noah is.”
“You’re not a killer, Levi—”
The half-breed was on him in a second. Levi backhanded him across the face then hauled him up by the lapels of his jacket. Levi’s red, angry face was only inches from Simon’s. “You don’t know anything about me,” Levi rasped in a harsh voice. Spittle flew from his mouth. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be telling me your life story.” He shoved Simon back against the seat cushions. “I’ll ask you again. Where is Noah?”
Simon felt a grudging admiration for the Werewolf. The man had balls. “In a place where you can’t get to him.”
“I’ll decide that. Just give me an address.”
“I can do better than that. I can take you to him.”
Levi stared. “You must think I’m an idiot.”
Simon almost laughed in his face. Levi looked at him as if he were the monster here. “Not at all. I respect a man who remains loyal to his friends. And I want you to know that yesterday had nothing to do with your friend or the DSA. I fucked you because I wanted you. Period. End of story.” Simon watched confusion flicker across Levi’s face. It was gone so fast, he might have imagined it, but he didn’t think so. Getting Levi off-balance was exactly what he wanted. “I can work this out so no one gets hurt.”
“I’m listening.”
“Can we have a drink first? There’s a bottle in that sideboard.”
“Get yourself one. I’m not drinking.”
“Suit yourself.” Simon walked over to the credenza and reached inside for a bottle of Scotch. At the same time he slipped a dart up his sleeve. The tiny hypodermic held enough tranquilizing liquid to subdue a large animal. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use it, but it was insurance.
Keeping an eye on Levi, Simon walked back and set the bottle and a glass on the coffee table. He felt safer on his feet, but he looked over at Levi for permission to pour. The half-breed nodded, and Simon filled the tumbler. The amber liquid burned a path down to his gut. It calmed him. He really wished Levi would change his mind and have a drink with him. They could talk this out. Despite what the fugitive must be thinking, Simon didn’t want to hurt him. Any man who could give up control and submit so beautifully to a dominant lover was no out-of-control beast. Maybe full-blooded shifters were coldblooded monsters, but Levi had human blood in his veins. He wasn’t like the others. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me, Levi. I would feel the same in your position, but I can assure you the agency doesn’t want you or Noah dead.”
Levi shook his head. “No, just confined and tortured. Where do you get off treating people like that?”
“You’re mistaken. It was your people who tortured Noah and turned him into a whore—”
“Fuck you!” Levi jumped up, on the attack again.
This time Simon was ready. He threw his drink in Levi’s face and got ready to leap on the half-breed before he could recover. Only Levi was faster.
Simon blinked, shook his head, blinked again.
In the space of two blinks, Levi had shifted. Two enormous black paws rammed into Simon’s chest, knocking him flat on his back. The dart flew out of his sleeve. Yellow wolf eyes followed its path across
the room. The wolf turned back to Simon. Its muzzle loomed over him, black lips pulled back over white teeth as the animal snarled.
Maybe I underestimated his animal side.
Simon didn’t scare easy, but the saliva-dripping fangs in that open maw terrified him. He only had one card to play—Noah.
“Take it easy, big boy. I can help you and your friend.”
The wolf gave no sign that it had understood him.
Simon tried again. “I wasn’t lying. Well, not entirely. I know where Noah is being held. In fact, I’m flying there in a few days.”
I hope.
“Kill me and you lose any hope of finding Noah.” Simon pressed on. “Work with me, Levi. Shift and let’s talk man-to-man.”
What else could he say? Simon waited with bated breath to see what would happen next. Finally, the wolf lifted its paws from Simon’s chest and sat back on its haunches. Black fur receded and the animal’s body seemed to shrink into itself. In a few seconds, a naked Levi was sitting next to him.
“I think I’ll have that drink now.”
Simon let out a relieved breath. “Make mine a double.”
Chapter Six
The two men eyed each other warily, neither one anxious to talk first. Simon could see that Levi didn’t trust him—and why should he? The deck was stacked in Simon’s favor. For all Levi knew, the apartment could be bugged and DSA agents might come storming in at any moment. And if Levi killed Simon or even incapacitated him, he would never see Noah again. Even so, Simon still harbored a little fear of Levi’s wolf. He’d never been that up close and personal with a savage canine before. Finally Simon emptied his glass and spoke. “Why did you come here, Levi? You must have known it was futile.”
