Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Wheeler sat at the conference table in the Savannah PSI branch staring down at the mound of paperwork before him. The head of the branch, Col Alden, sat across from him, handing him more forms.

"And you'll need to fill this one out and list your beneficiary in the event of your death," said Col.

Wheeler cleared his throat. "Why is there so much paperwork for an organization that can't have records of its existence?"

Col gave him a look that screamed he didn't know the half of the bullshit the man had to deal with. He then handed him another form. "Oh, and initial here and here. This says I told you about everything we've discussed today. Finally, welcome to PSI."

Wheeler glanced over at Garth ,who was leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head, a smug look on his face. "I changed my mind. I just want to stay an Outcast."

Garth snorted. "No can do, Summerbee. You're official now. Finish your forms. We've all had to do them."

"Were yours chiseled in stone?" asked Wheeler. The reference was to Garth's age.

He waggled his brows. "No. Cave drawings."

"Seriously?" asked Wheeler.

Col laughed. "No."

Wheeler glanced at the glass wall of the conference room, out toward the bullpen area, wondering what was taking so long with the additional testing Auberi and the doctors of the branch had requested for Sammy.

He'd been a married man all of forty-eight hours and all he wanted to do was get going with the honeymoon. Not fill out mission reports and new-hire paperwork.

"You'll be working with the Shadow Agents side of things," said Col, and Wheeler realized the man had said more but he'd missed it. "I'd like to see you fill in as a handler. Your years working the Outcast Network will make that a perfect fit for you. I've got a list of agents who will check in with you on a regular basis. Travel out of the country will be limited in that capacity, but sometimes it's necessary. We do try to pull from our unmated males first. Though, often the mates of the men who are married come in requesting we send their husbands far away for a week. Apparently, they need a break."

Wheeler grinned, wondering if Sammy would ever request that he be shipped off for a bit.

Garth chuckled. "Nicolette has already tried to have me sent off."

"Uh, you've only been married a couple of weeks," said Wheeler.

Garth nodded. "I know."

Col's phone beeped and he pulled it from his back pocket. Whatever he was reading made him arch a brow. He then handed the phone across the table to Wheeler, who took it and began looking over the email Auberi had sent.

Wheeler's mind raced with everything the email revealed. His gaze snapped to Col. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"What?" asked Garth.

Wheeler handed him the phone.

Garth read over the email and exhaled loudly. "So the doctors confirmed your mate is from the testing The Corporation did on children, but that she's not from any of the known tests?"

Col closed his eyes a moment, looking as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "That means we've only scratched the surface of just how far their testing has gone. It was already a lot. More people than we'll probably ever be able to track down, but this means…"

Garth slid Col's phone back to him across the table. "We're going to be very busy."

Wheeler's jaw set as he thought about various reports that he'd read regarding the Asia Project Testing that The Corporation had been behind. The children involved in that had not been spared. They'd been glorified lab rats, just like the Outcasts had been, but in some cases even worse. "These fuckers need stopped."

"I know," said Col.

"They're everywhere," said Garth, his voice a whisper as if the severity of it all was sinking in.

"We knew as much," returned Col, looking at his phone once more as if he needed to reconfirm what he'd read.

Wheeler had to struggle to keep his vampire and gargoyle sides from losing their cool any more than they already had. "I think we knew but now we have more proof."

There was a ruckus from the outer bullpen area and everyone's attention went to the glass wall.

Mac and Car were wrestling on the floor, thankfully wearing jeans, taking turns putting one another in headlocks. They'd spent the greater part of the day getting their asses chewed out by Col and Landros for their decision to ship Wheeler the way they had. The twins took it in stride. As usual. They then pointed out that because of their choice, Wheeler met his mate.

It was hard to argue with that logic.

Col pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, his ink-black shoulder-length hair moving freely as he did. "They're going to manage to bring the walls down around them here."

"You can always send them back out to the Denver branch," said Garth coolly.

"I tried," admitted Col. "But the higher-ups are worried about everything happening in the area. They think this is a hot spot for activity right now. Can't say I disagree, especially after the number of incidents we had cropping up two nights ago."

Garth exhaled long and loud. "Do you need my team to stay on down here? We can. The doctors say Rurik shouldn't be moved until he's had more time to heal, so it would keep us closer to him too."

Wheeler and the rest of the men had spent most of the day prior waiting as Rurik underwent an incredibly long surgery. Auberi had been good about checking in on it periodically and reporting back on the progress.

Whatever had happened to Rurik had left his spine partially severed, multiple organs lacerated, and numerous bones broken. While he'd not regained consciousness just yet, his projected outcome was very good. The doctors didn't think there would be any lasting damage because of Rurik's healing abilities as a shifter male, but they'd done all they could for him medically. The rest was up to him.

All Wheeler knew was, when the man finally woke up, he was going to be pissed and out for blood.

"We ever figure out how the enemy managed to lure Rurik out of the clinic?" asked Wheeler.

Rurik was a competent warrior and a trained soldier. He didn't fall for things easily.

Garth shook his head. "No. And the surveillance cameras malfunctioned."

Col groaned. "They had help, I'm sure. Speaking of footage," said Col, glancing at Wheeler. "Information reached me early this morning about a tape with your mate on it. Guess it takes place in an elevator. Shows her electrocuting some asshole who was trying to get fresh with her."

Wheeler nearly lost it then and there. "What? When? Where is he? I'll kill him."

Col simply stared at him. "No need. He's already dead."

Garth snorted. "Nice. Score one for karma."

"From what I read this morning, it looks as if The Corporation was behind his death. And the footage was on one of their servers. If I had to guess, I'd say they more than knew what Samantha was capable of when they sent that strike team to the gallery and another to the clinic."

"Are we thinking they wanted to take her alive to test on more?" asked Garth, stealing Wheeler's question.

"My gut says they wanted to test their weapon out, if that makes sense. See what one of their test subjects was really capable of," said Col. "And we already know they've somehow found a way to figure out who our mates are before we do. I don't know how they're doing it, but I get the feeling we think we're making headway when all we're doing is playing into their hands."

"The long game," said Garth with a nod. "Makes sense. They've been around since before PSI even. They're fine with letting things play out slowly and setting up events years, if not decades before hand."

"I really fucking hate them," said Wheeler.

"Ditto," added Col.

Garth nodded. "Same."

Col nodded in Garth's direction. "If you don't mind hanging out in Savannah a while longer, I'd welcome the assistance. I'm pulling in more Crimson Ops as well as Shadow Agents for the time being, just until we get a better idea of what's happening here. Then there is the other matter."

He fell silent.

Wheeler glanced at Garth and then back at Col. "The fact that there are still traitors in PSI and some of them are here, in this branch."

"Yes," said Col, his voice deepening. "I thought I had the bad elements weeded out. I know now I was wrong. I could use more men I trust here while I sort it all out."

Col had taken over the Savannah branch five years back and inherited a mess. Wheeler had heard all about it through the grapevine. He'd also heard about the amount of effort Col had put in to cut the rot from within PSI. He'd even brought in a number of men he trusted from around the world to help. That, combined with Landros's assistance, had left everyone believing the branch had turned a corner.

The Corporation's reach ran deep.

"Kiss my arse!" yelled Mac, coming up and off the floor, dragging Car by his shirt with him.

Car punched his brother in the face and then stepped back. "Kiss mine, arsehole!"

Sammy appeared from around the corner with Auberi by her side. She stopped and stared at the twins long and hard until they both stood at attention and stopped fighting.

Mac pointed to Car. "He started it."

Car gave Mac the finger.

Sammy cleared her throat.

"Sorry," the twins said in unison.

Col looked at Wheeler. "Does your mate hire out as a babysitter?"

Wheeler smiled wide as his gaze locked with Sammy's. Whatever faults The Corporation had, in the end, they'd been responsible for the creation of his mate. The woman he loved with everything he had. While he'd never wish away her being alive, he would hope for the downfall of the evil empire and he'd do everything in his power to make sure they never touched her again.

"I love you," he mouthed.

She winked. "Love you too."

He grinned. "Love you more, Buffy."

THE END