Chapter 4

Where is Joe?

Carler was going crazy trying to find Joe Senior. Johnny, the new mob boss, had even contacted him and asked him if he had any idea where he was. Of course, only because the last time he had been seen was at the airport with a ticket to come to Draconis. Things were beginning to make sense. With everyone in the world after him, Joe had faked a trip here and then snuck out and disappeared. Everyone knew he would have to be crazy to come here. While everyone was looking for Joe, those here wanted him more than anyone.

If there was a way to take him out, Ranger would have done it before they had moved here. The problem was that the eyes of this world were upon them, and whatever action they took, they needed to be careful. On their own planet, Joe would have been long gone. Here, they were trying to be careful not to get any negative press. No one knew they were aliens or believed they were dragons. That was just the way that it needed to stay. This world was not ready for alien dragon shifters.

It was frustrating to him and his other people to have to be so careful. They were used to running things as they wanted, and while they were fair, in a case like Old Joe's, they would have taken him out long ago. Humans would find those actions objectionable. They like to play with their criminals and let them out so they can commit more crimes. Their justice system made no sense to him. What they wanted to do didn't matter anyway because they couldn't find him.

"It's getting late. We really should quit for the day," Viv suggested.

"You're right, I'll just walk you to your room."

He was concerned about her safety and wanted to push forward his claim and let her know she was his no matter what she thought. He was surprised that she didn't disagree. Maybe she wasn't feeling so safe either since they didn't know where Joe was, and it was possible somehow that he was there. One of the good things was that, as upper management, she was in an area where they needed a code for the elevator to go. Many places had keys that were too easy to misplace, so they decided on codes. Her level was one below his. When the elevator stopped, he exited and walked her to her door.

"I'm sure I'll be safe now," Viv protested.

"I'd rather be sure of that. Come on." Carler took her arm and led her to her room.

Before she had any idea of what he was doing, he turned her slightly, pressed her against the wall, and gave her a real kiss. This was not the friendly kisses he had given her before. This was the kiss of a lover or a would-be lover. He and his dragon were tired of waiting and wanted to ensure she knew that. It clearly affected her because she tried to find the keys in her other hand.

"We can't do this. It's just not going to work."

"It will work just fine if you let it. We were meant to be together. Soon, I believe you will also see that."

Carler turned to walk away with a big smile on his face. That had been one hell of a kiss. It would give Viv something to dream about–while he did the same thing.

Carler hummed as the elevator went up. When he stepped out, he almost ran into Ranger, who was heading down.

"Did you find Joe Senior?" Ranger asked.

"No, what makes you think we did?"

"You have a very satisfied look on your face. I thought perhaps things were progressing with the ex-mobster."

"I'm afraid that's not the case. I feel like I made a little bit of progress with Viv. She might not agree, but I am sure I did," Carler chuckled.

"I'm glad to see it. These human women can be tough on a dragon."

"That's for sure. It'll be even harder once she finds out what I am and where I'm from."

"Maybe not. Getting them to care about you is the hardest thing. Once they do, they are more accepting of the other facts," Ranger admitted.

Carler hoped he was right and wasn't looking back on his experience through rose-colored glasses. He couldn't remember when Ranger felt good about where the relationship was going until the very end. That was one of the reasons that even though Ranger had ended up claiming his mate, Carler had not asked him for any advice. Ranger was so busy with his mate that he didn't think he had even noticed that.

Carler decided to go to bed early so he could get up early. Humans had a saying the early bird caught the worm, but he really didn't understand who this early bird was. He was still willing to give it a try. He wished he could go for a flight in his dragon form, but he knew that wasn't possible. He would have to wait. Stripping off all his clothes, he fell into bed naked the way he usually liked to sleep, and it didn't take long before sleep found him.

He woke instantly as the building shook. His first thought was that someone had gotten a bomb through. Dressing quickly, Carler headed downstairs, avoiding the elevator in case it was no longer working. He was certain that everyone would be alerted that something bad had occurred. There was no way anyone could have missed the violent shake, but as far as he could tell, there was no damage anywhere except probably where the bomb had gone off.

"Anyone know what happened?" Carler asked the first security guard he ran into.

"No, Sir. It must have been somewhere outside of the area I patrol. It may even have been outside," the guard replied.

What in the hell could have happened that would have shaken the building and not left any damage or sign of what had occurred anywhere?

Carler looked around and saw Viv. It was clear she was also trying to find out what happened. She entered the camera room, where the guards watched the screens from all over. He decided that was a really good idea and followed her, and they began to check one screen after another.

"There!" She yelled as she pointed to a screen. It showed a trash can outside the building that was completely demolished. "That makes no sense unless they were trying to sneak something in and didn't get to it before it exploded on its own."

"I believe they got to it if the blood and remains scattered around the area are anything to go by."

"I didn't see that. Your eyesight is amazing. That looks like more than one person scattered around. I hope they were bad people and not some innocent kids who were talked into doing this."

"We'll have someone run the DNA and try to identify them. If we are lucky, maybe it's Joe Senior, and we won't have to worry about him anymore," Carler offered.

"I doubt if getting rid of Joe will be that easy. Judging by the lid, I believe it was closed when the bomb went off. Maybe they purposely put someone in there to kill them."

"That's a construction dumpster. It's large enough to hold a lot."

"You're still using the extra-large dumpsters?" Viv asked.

"Even with our recycling efforts, we have enough trash to fill them. Much of that seems to be trash people are packing in with them."

"Where does the trash go?"

"It goes to a factory to be sorted. Anything burnable is burned, and the energy is stored. Anything else goes into the recycling piles. Glass and metal are reduced and reused. It's a sophisticated process. In the end, nothing is left unused," Carler explained.

"I wish we would use some of those kinds of processes. It seems for every step forward; we take a step back."

"The bomb squad is checking to make sure there are no explosives left. Once they are sure, the lab guys will take samples to see where the biological material came from and try to identify it. Our bomb squad will also be going through the hotel level by level to ensure there are no more bombs anywhere," Carler observed.

This whole situation was driving him crazy. Not only could they not find Joe, but they couldn't stop the people he sent from wreaking havoc. Had they been back on their own planet, he felt like none of this would have happened. Now he had more to worry about, he thought as he looked at Viv. Several of his people had their mates, and some even had their children nearby. This cannot be allowed to continue.

All these new and crazy rules that these people from this planet went by made it harder for him to do his job. It wasn't any easier knowing that Viv was watching and possibly judging him by her own standards, which were kinder than his. He was a dragon warrior who followed military rules that would have allowed him to kill Joe on sight. Viv was more concerned with justice and bringing him to be judged and arrested.

That kind of treatment would never stop Joe. If he was in a prison run by humans, he would escape. Why he had left his son in prison was hard to say, but he was probably punishing him for being so stupid. Carler could understand that because the boy had been stupid. He was too stupid to be a criminal, and it was because of him that his father had been brought down as well.

Davy was the one that Joe really wanted, but she was far out of his reach, and he didn't understand that. Yes, he believed they were dragons, but he didn't realize they were from outer space. That was where Davy was safe and protected by her mate. She had brought down her enemy, but her enemy wasn't through with them yet. Carler wondered why the spaceship could not track Joe Senior. He understood, in part, that there were so many people on the planet that looking without a target was difficult for them. They also did not have his DNA, but they could get that from young Joe. As far as he was concerned, whoever was running the ship wasn't trying hard enough. Maybe he needed to give it a go and see what he could do. No ship was in orbit, but ships ran regularly, and there would be one back soon.

Large groups of people were going to their planet, but the Emperor thought it wouldn't be a good idea for the country to be connected to the planet. The planet had been given a different moniker, and the real name was not given out until those leaving Earth were too far away to identify it. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the word got out, but until then, the secrecy would stay intact. None of those going to the planet had any idea that the people who lived there were dragon shifters. That was something else they found out en route to the planet. After carefully considering things, he was happy that he was not the Emperor and did not have to make those decisions.

Most dragons were not power-hungry. They were happy with their earned positions and willing to support their Emperor. Humans were not like that. At least there was a large group that was not like that. They wanted power and money to be in charge of everyone and everything. That was the problem with Joe Senior. He had wanted more power by any means necessary. So, his plan backfired, and he lost everything he had. Now, they needed to take charge and deal with him in a way that would stop him from causing problems.

The bomb team notified him that everything was clear. Now, he would wait for the lab team to tell him who or what had been killed. Security was on high alert, and everyone coming in and going out was being checked. It was surprising to him that many people had not even bothered to come out of their rooms to see what was happening. Maybe they lived in areas where earthquakes were prevalent. It was not good when the building you were in shook, and you didn't even bother to wake up.

Viv sat at her desk and was working on her computer. He wasn't sure what she was doing or what information she might be getting because she wasn't sharing it. At this point, he hadn't been sharing anything either.

"The bomb squad cleared the building and the area. The lab guys are getting samples to test them," Carler admitted.

"One of the guards said that he saw lizard parts around the dumpster."

Have they blown up a dragon? As far as he knew, none were missing. Had Joe done this, or had the Renegades done this? That was the problem with too many enemies. You never knew who was causing the current issues. They had taken a bite out of the rogues. All the parks were open, and there were very few issues.

Carler still didn't feel comfortable about the rogues and was sure they would start attacking again at some point. In the meantime, the steps they took were keeping things in control.

"Maybe you should go back to bed and get some rest?" Carler suggested.

She shot him an evil glare. "Why don't you go back to bed and get some rest, and I will take over?"

He cannot deny that his female had some spunk. She had spirit, which was a good thing, not something he wanted to change. He did some work since they were waiting for the results in the office. Viv seemed to be doing some work as well. It was two hours later before the results finally came. What had been blown up in the dumpster with some kind of lizard, it seemed that whoever had done this was trying to make a point but not willing to kill anyone. The cameras were all over the outside of the casino and had been shot out except for one they missed. It got a fairly good picture of several people involved in this.

They would be tracking down those that they had identified. That was something Viv was good at. He would turn that over to her. Maybe that would make her happy because she hadn't felt included enough in what was going on. While dragons did not need much sleep, they did need some, and he could see that his mate kept falling asleep. It was time for both of them to quit for the night. Maybe he would give her the information she needed to track down those people who were involved, and while she slept, the computer could work on it,

"You found something?" Viv observed,

"I just sent you the information needed to track down five of the eight people involved. I thought maybe that you could start tracking them on the computer and then get some rest. That's what I intend to do because I work better when I get some rest,"

"You're right. I work better when I'm rested as well. I will put this information in, and we will see what the computer has come up with in the morning. It looks like all of these people are young. I've found information on one of them, and they have a record. Their pictures have been sent to airport security. If they are not already gone, we can get them there."

"Good job. We'll see what happens in the morning," Carler observed. "Let me escort you to your room."

They shut down their computers, and Viv allowed him to lead her to the elevator. He could see she was tired and happy that she didn't fight him every step of the way. Once he took her to her room, he pushed her up against the wall again and gave her a scorching kiss. The only bad thing about the kisses he gave her was that they made him want to do more. After all, an adult dragon shifter's needs increased when he was around his fated mate.

It made him feel good to be close to his mate, even briefly. Carler practically floated to the elevator, but he had to admit he was tired, too. It wasn't just that he wasn't getting any sleep, but he was also dealing with all the trouble. He was sure that was why they were causing so much trouble. It dumped a great deal of stress on everyone in supervision. It had to be dealt with soon.

He would put out a notice to the customers and guests that it had been a big joke. He would explain that children had managed to put together explosive chemicals they learned about in science. It was believable, and he explained that the children had been dealt with and would not be doing something like that again. It would soothe most of their guests, and those it wouldn't reassure would not be made to feel better by anything he could say. One couple left, and there was nothing they could do.

Carler tried to relax as he got to his room. He was about to open the door when he realized it was not completely closed. Someone was waiting for him on the other side.

Inhaling deeply, he smelled the intruder. They were human and female, but the scent was unfamiliar. He didn't know who they were or why they were there. It figured something else had happened just when he hoped to get some rest.

He slowly eased the door open and switched on the light. Since he could move very quickly, if it wasn't an assassin, he intended to move out of the way. While he didn't have a gun, he could partly shift and wouldn't need one. The woman didn't appear to be armed, and she was dressed in a sexy way,

"Who are you?" Carler asked.

"I'm the entertainment, honey. One of your friends paid me to come up here and stay for the night."

"I didn't know we had anyone here that did that kind of work."

"I don't know if you do because they brought me from outside the property. Tell me what you want, and I will do my best to make your dreams come true."

"That is not going to happen. Can you tell me who sent you here?"

"He said his name was Joe. I'm paid either way, so I can take or leave you. He did say that you would pay my way out of here," she observed.

"The work that you do is illegal here. I can see you have a place to stay, but a plane is not leaving until morning." Carler got on his radio and immediately made arrangements, and a security guard came up to escort her to a place where she could stay for the night.

They would watch her and ensure she was not hitting on any of the guests. This was a premium hotel, and those transactions were not allowed here. What was Joe trying to prove by doing this? Was he trying to cause managers trouble with the business? Or was he trying to cause personal issues in the manager's lives? He didn't think this would work, so he decided to shower and then relax so that he could sleep and get some rest.

His radio buzzed. "Carler."

"This is Joff. The female has been given a room and taken care of. She is being watched closely and will leave on the plane at six A.M."

"Thank you," Carler said.

He'd been lucky when he had gotten Joff as his assistant. When several colonies were started, there was a lot of upward advancement. This was a good thing for the average dragon, but sometimes, those who advanced were not suited for the positions they ended up in. His assistant, Joff, had been amazing, and Carler was grateful for all the help he received. He knew that his assistant eventually hoped to be higher in the military rather than an office assistant.

With no wars going on, the only way to move upward was through the administrative section or as a second to a military leader. While he was considered a military leader, most of his work now was administrative. Carler didn't like office work any better than his assistant did. Even though Joff didn't care for office administration, he was damn good at it. It helped that there were secretaries who did a lot of the day-to-day work. All the intrigue and investigations also helped because that was more like the military work his assistant had previously done since he had come out of the investigation department. That was one of the reasons he'd been selected for the position he currently held.

With the work on getting the country on its feet and his personal concerns with his mate, he needed the best help he could get, and he believed that he had it. The sad thing was that in about a year, his assistant would be in a position for a promotion, and then he would have to take another. Carler wasn't stupid. He already had an assistant for his assistant who was being trained to eventually take his position so Joff could move up without leaving a hole with no one to fill it.

It was hard to start a country, and this one was harder than the average one. That was because everything was against them. Old Joe could stir up more trouble than you could shake a stick at. While he had assistance and other helpers, the big decisions were ones that he had to make. The parks they had started were still running, but they were constant targets. Their casino was also a constant target that could be attacked in many ways. Construction was progressing with buildings the community needed–schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. They were also targets.

Those things needed to be secured to prevent the damage these people were trying to cause. Amid all these issues, he was trying to court his fated mate. He'd always thought he was a lucky guy until now. These days, luck seems to run the other way.

"Sir, this is security. I wanted to alert you that we have seen signs of people slipping in the back door. They've not stayed, so it's hard to say why they're doing it. Judging by the primitive methods that they're using, I'd say they're beginners."

"Thank you for letting me know and keep an eye on things." By the gods, what was going on now? It seemed there was no end to the attacks being sent their way.

All the excitement was making it hard for him to relax so that he could go to sleep. Eventually, all the excitement and the lack of rest worked its magic, and he went to sleep. He knew he had dreams because his bed was a mess when he woke. His pillows were on the floor, sheets were twisted, and his blanket was knotted. How the hell had that even happened?

The new day stretched ahead of him, and he knew that he needed to get a lot done, or he would end up getting behind. He should have made a date with Viv for breakfast, but he hadn't. Carler called her phone anyway to see if she was in the office,

"Viv here."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" He asked.

"I was just about to go."

"Where are you going? I'll meet you."

"I was just going to the cafeteria."

The cafeteria was mainly for employees and was not one of the fancy restaurants available to guests. He knew that Viv often ate there or grabbed something and took it to her office. The food was all right. It just wasn't gourmet or anything fancy. Employees could eat there for free without using up their food allowance. Carler didn't think that was why she went there. She probably went there to eat quickly and return to work. Viv was what they called a workaholic. That things weren't going well had nothing to do with her not putting 100% effort into it. Even his people, with all their skills and technology, had not done well either.

Carler hurried to meet her. He was sure she had intended to take the food tray to the office, but he thought she needed a more relaxed meal. The cafeteria had a nice atmosphere and was generally full of employees. There were many choices of food, most of which were self-service. Sometimes, they ran an omelet station or cooked other foods, like steak, at least once a week. They believed happy employees would do a good job and be loyal.

He headed to the cafeteria, and when he entered, he immediately saw her waiting for him. Carler was pleased she was there and had waited to get her food until he joined her. That way, they could go through the line together and pick whatever items they chose. It pleased him that they had the omelet station today because that was one of his favorite items. A double omelet was available for most management staff with large appetites. When omelets were available, that was what he always got to feed his dragon-sized appetite. Some humans also got double omelets because they had a big appetite, but that was usually all they got.

Carler ordered his meat eater double omelet and got a drink and other food items to fill his tray. Viv got a meat eater regular omelet and only added toast and OJ. She ate far less than half of what he did, but he was sure that once her dragon came alive, her appetite would as well. All he wanted was to mate and change her so she would have a dragon that could fly with him. Was that too much to ask? It seemed that it was, for now, at any rate. Once their trays were full, they moved to a table in the corner and sat down.

They didn't talk much at first because they were paying attention to their food. After they had eaten a bit and taken the edge off their appetite, they started to talk.

"I've received a report that people have been sneaking in the back door. No one seems to know what they are doing, but I want you to be careful. An alert is going out to the employees to watch for these people. We're not sure how they're getting in, but it's probably an inside job," he explained.

"Do you think Joe is behind this?"

"That's a very real possibility. Another group is causing damage, but they wouldn't just sneak in and do nothing."

"If I see anything, I will report it to you." Viv offered.

It made him feel better that she had agreed to do that. This whole thing still worried him because someone coming in meant they were planning something and trying to get the information they needed to carry it out. The problem was that he couldn't imagine what they would be planning, and he was fairly certain it would be difficult for them to get access to the floors management was on. Did they want to cause trouble with the guests? He hoped not because that was something they just didn't need