7. Matts Follows the Trail

Matts huffed in frustration as the beta kept spouting his nonsense story.

"I'm not sure how this could have happened. I assure you, I submitted no such report," the man pleaded. "I don't even know how I would go about printing these files. I would have to go all the way to Central Office with a copy of the stock, and that is nearly impossible."

"Nearly impossible is not impossible," Matts pointed out. "I received this report directly from your supervisor. And now he insists he doesn't know anything either."

"My only conclusion is that someone must have played a prank on you," the beta insisted.

"Well, I'm going to take a look around anyway."

"I believe you need top-level authorization for that. Sir," he quickly added.

Matts watched the man cower. A few months ago Matts was ready to kiss him for being so attentive, and for finding a way around the security restrictions to highlight the missing inventory in his section. But now… now he could kick his ass up and down the warehouse. He was acting like it was all a prank, but Matts knew better. There were mind games at play here.

He took out his phone and showed his security clearance to the beta. The man's eyes popped open and his jaw dropped. Matts had the highest security level in the converted world; no one was above him except the High Court, and he took his orders directly from them.

Without a word, Matts made his way through the warehouse, leaving Henryk to deal with the man. It was a good test for his young protégé, to figure out what had happened to his memory.

With a copy of the inventory's discrepancies in hand, Matts made his way to the computer closest to the most restricted items: medical machine parts for the Tube's consoles. He logged in using special credentials, and checked the system to find who had been using the computer on the days the parts went missing. Then he checked the next computer, and another one after that. The same username popped up on every screen, on every missing inventory date.

Picking up his phone, Matts called a member of his team.

"Hey, Georgie, I need you to check a username and its clearance level for me. I also want to know where this person is right now."

"Sure thing, boss!" Georgie's cheery feminine voice, with a British accent, came from the other end of the call.

"Don't call me boss," he told her for the hundred time. He gave her the username, and waited a few moments while she researched.

"Matts? I've got the beta linked with that username, but…"

"But what?"

"He's not supposed to have access to your warehouse. He's up in warehouse B13, and he's only supposed to be in B10 to B14. Not sure how he got into A01 at all."

"Is he there now? B13?"

"Yes, he just logged onto a service computer and is checking out orders."

Matts turned off the call and raced to Henryk. "We need to go to B13 right now."

Leaving a confused beta behind, both men raced for the car.

"That man had his memory erased," Henryk said.

"Yeah, just like his supervisor," Matts confirmed.

Henryk drove them at breakneck speed to warehouse B13, but it still took them ten minutes to reach it. Matts hoped the thieving beta was still there, and unaware of what was coming. He checked his gun. This beta could just be a victim of someone else's plot, but there was no point in being careless.

"When we get there, I'll need you to check your gun as well."

"Yes, sir," Henryk replied, sounding uneasy.

His protégé had never fired a gun at someone before.

Henryk parked haphazardly next to the warehouse exit, and both men jumped out of the car. A big alpha rushed to them.

"Hey, you can't park here!"

Matts waved his clearance to the man, who took a step back and gulped. Unlike the previous warehouse, this one had its door wide open, and there were people loading trucks. Matts showed the picture of the beta they were looking for to Henryk, and gun in hand, they went in.

He showed the picture to a young beta woman scanning barcodes on the outgoing items.

"Seen this man?"

"Peter? He's down on aisle seven," she told him before returning to her job.

Matts signaled for Henryk to take the long way around, while Matts approached the man casually.

Eyes glued to the computer, the beta didn't notice either man approaching until Matts accidentally kicked a stray piece of metal on the floor. Looking up at Matts, the beta's eyes widened, and the man sprinted away. Spotting Henryk at the end of the aisle, the beta pushed packages out of his way to cross to aisle six, trying to run for the exit.

"Close all doors!" Matts commanded. The betas at the entrance acted on his orders, and closed the door.

Trapped, the beta raced towards an emergency exit, but with a quick command from Henryk, it was blocked by the other workers.

"Peter!" Matts called. "Stop!"

Matts watched, dumbfounded, as the beta ignored his command and went up some metal stairs. Matts followed close behind, and Henryk went up identical stairs on the other side of the warehouse.

The stairs led to a series of walkways near the roof of the warehouse, but had no exit of their own other than the stairs Matts and Henryk had used.

Trapped between both alphas, the beta took out his phone and called someone.

Matts and Henryk both pointed the gun at him.

"Peter, put the cell down. On your knees, and hands behind your head."

"I understand," the man said. He turned off the phone and tossed it to the floor below, where it shattered into pieces.

"Peter! Kneel!" Matts put all his strength into the command, but still the beta ignored him.

This should be impossible. The man was only a beta, and shouldn't be able to ignore any command, much less from someone as strong as him.

"No masters but ourselves," the man sneered at Matts.

Peter looked down at the floor, and then at Matts and Henryk. And then, to everyone's surprise, he jumped over the rail, landing on top of crates filled with metal rods. He was impaled by two of the rods. The alphas raced back downstairs, but when they reached the beta, he was already dead.