Lance interrupted him. “You email this?”
“Normally, no. There’s a website where I sign in and drop off the reports.”
“Ok, sorry. I don’t know those details and I’ve never seen any of your reports. I apologize that our oversight process has apparently been off of the tracks so badly in the last year.” Lance was wondering just how many reports were sitting on some server somewhere waiting for someone to read them. “Do you have contact information for Ecaterina, specifically her email?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Please request the new location to drop off your report so that I can make sure I read it going forward. For this issue, I have another person I’m going to need to come fly out to deal with this as the technical details are over my head.”
Jeffrey nodded. “When do you think he’ll make it here?”
Lance looked at his watch. “Well, his meeting in New York should be done in the next few hours. Unless you think we need to solve this tonight, let’s let him decide where to sleep and we’ll get back together tomorrow at eleven and do a working lunch.”
“Ok. I’ll have my main programmer, Tom, join us for that meeting.”
“Sounds good. Why don’t you explain what you had wanted this program to do? Also, while I’m here and have your time, would you mind catching me up on what you guys have accomplished in the last, I don’t know, say ten years?”
That, Jeffrey considered, was a very politely phrased order. It was going to be a long afternoon. Jeffrey looked at his watch. He would need to cancel two project meetings or hell, he could just have the General sit in on them, it might help. “Ok, do you want to do lunch in or out today?”
“Oh, I think out works well today. You guys are pretty close to Four Kegs Sports Club and I’m dying for a Stromboli. I’ve got a bet with Scott he can’t eat two of them.”
“Oh, in Las Vegas much?”
“What? Oh, no. I love to watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and I had Ecaterina find it for me after I watched a rerun. Looks like my kind of place.”
This day hadn’t started anything like Jeffery was expecting and it looked like lunch was going to be just as unique.
5
New York City, New York - USA
Terry was in his car in the warehouse parking lot. He was concerned until he received the text from his friend Jason, inside. It said simply, ‘Jim not going to be here.’
A large weight was lifted from his shoulders. His Uncle Jim, Jack’s dad, wanted to know more about what the vampire was doing and wanted his nephew to get him the information. At first, he had been reluctant, he didn’t want to meet the vampire again and his uncle could tell him he owed Jack all he wanted, he wasn’t going to face her again.
After a particularly heated argument, Terry told his Uncle Jim that Jack shouldn’t have mouthed off in the first place and his uncle had verbally flayed him alive. They finally agreed he would go if Bethany Anne wasn’t going to be at the meeting.
He turned off his car, got out and pocketed his keys. The old light blue Camaro wasn’t great to look at, but it got him around town. The clutch was a bitch when stopping on hills. You had to release the clutch and press the gas quickly or risk running backwards into the car behind you. Actually, he hated this car.
In fact, he kinda hated his life right now. If it wasn’t for that cranky bitch vampire—his uncle’s words reverberating in his mind as he walked up to the warehouse steps to go in—things might be going well for him right now. He opened the door and walked inside. Carefully not registering Jason except to see him in his peripheral vision, he noticed a small group of his compatriots from the last meeting and walked over to them. All of them gave him the guy’s head nod in recognition. A lot of the other ones in the room who hadn’t been a part of Paul’s group, recognized him and didn’t give him a second glance.
Assholes.
The Alpha of New York, leader of the Pack Council, was talking to another couple of people over at a table thirty feet from the door. The building was large, really large. He wanted to sneeze from the dust. God, he hated dust. He hated dust, he hated his car and he really didn’t want to fucking be here. Where was Nathan Lowell?
The door opened and everyone looked over to see who else was joining them. It was Nathan Lowell and another guy dressed like the security from the previous meeting, except this one was a Were like them, and young. He had on black tactical pants with black boots that tied all the way up and looked like they had some sort of waterproofing. He carried a pistol in a shoulder holster and he had a patch on his shoulder. Terry looked closer when they turned to walk over to Gerry.
The patch was a bleeding vampire skull with red eyes and a woman’s hair. It had ‘Queen Bitch’ over the top and ‘Aeternitatem’ under the skull. The guy moved quietly, without so much as even acknowledging the other Werewolves. That pissed Terry off. Why was he any better than anyone else? Walking in here like it was beneath him. He was a Were just like the rest of them. He looked at his friends around him and said in a low voice, “Look at that prissy dick, thinking he’s all that.” The guys around him mumbled their agreement. Not too loud, in case they got Nathan’s attention.
Pete heard their comment, but he ignored them. He wasn’t here to make friends. He was here representing the Queen Bitch’s guards and John had told him the whole story of the last meeting. Darryl and Scott told him their versions of the ‘recruit and shoot.’ Why they shot the first two guys and then why they executed Paul Gleason for disparaging Bethany Anne.
The Pete who existed during that time frame wouldn’t have understood anything they were talking about. The Pete that went through the trial on the Polarus and lived with these guys for the last ten weeks understood very well.
Nathan and Gerry shook hands and caught up for a few minutes. Pete was listening intently to everyone around him. A Wechselbalg’s hearing was already superior to a human’s, but Pete's hearing was superior to almost all Wechselbalg he had ever met. He backed up to the wall and just kept alert.
There were a few guys who noticed that the young Werewolf with the patch on his arm seemed to radiate the same calm professional demeanor the team of humans had back in the tunnels. They decided to leave him alone.
Gerry looked over at the new guy behind Nathan and did a double take; that was Jonathan’s son, wasn’t it? He got Nathan’s attention and then used his eyes to look at Pete and shrugged his shoulders. Nathan nodded yes and Gerry was surprised. This was the kid that stupidly let some humans see him change? He wasn’t sure what had happened to him in the last couple of months, but Gerry would have kept him in sight as one of the most dangerous in the room. A far cry from the spoiled frat boy his father had talked about.
Damn, Bethany Anne’s group could make some changes.
Gerry jumped up on the table and the talking quieted down and a fair amount of the guys there started walking a little closer. “All right everyone, this isn’t a pack event, so I’m only here because you’re on my pack’s property. I’m not here as the Pack Council leader except to say that this talk is approved and whatever you ask here is not counted against you. If you choose to leave the American Pack—and trust me, if you sign up with Bethany Anne, you will be required to leave the pack—it will be without animosity on our part.”
A guy in a green jacket and yellow shirt with daisies on it asked the first question. “Can we get back in if we don’t like it?”
Not if you dress like that, Gerry thought. But he answered, “It depends on why. If Bethany Anne’s group agrees that you may leave without dishonor then we will have to ask another pack to take you in. If another pack agrees, you may move there. Once you leave your pack, you have repudiated them and they will not take you back. You’re leaving the pack life. You want out of the structure of having the Pack Council tell you what to do?” At this, Gerry could see most of their heads dip a little. “Then you have to realize that is a slap in our face. You think we don’t know this? My guess is some of you will be
too soft to make it with Bethany Anne and a pack will become what you really wanted the whole time. We’ll talk with Bethany Anne…”
“Why her?” That question was coming from Terry. Fucking great, thought Gerry.
Gerry replied, “Because you are going to join her group.” He tried to continue his discussion.
Again Terry asked, interrupting Gerry. “But why can’t we just go be by ourselves?”
Bethany Anne wasn’t going to have to deal with this ass in a moment. Gerry was getting pretty upset at his rudeness and Alphas had never been known for extreme patience. Gerry had been the most patient over the years and he took a few deep breaths to steady himself. Maybe he was just getting too old for this shit. Nathan jumped on the table with Gerry and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll answer this.” Gerry nodded his permission and turned to jump off the table. Gerry noticed that the kid had moved from the wall to a position on a large box twenty feet to the left that allowed him to see Terry better.
Nathan waited for Gerry to jump down and then answered the question. “The strictures are pretty specific that all Wechselbalg will have a pack structure and each pack will answer to a council for their nation or area in the world. Unless you want to join the Forsaken?” Nathan looked around.
Terry mumbled under his breath, “Like that bitch is any better.”
Pete noticed five guys in front of Terry turn around at his comment and two of the guys try to hide their smiles. He calmly palmed his .45 and then shot Terry’s left knee out. The shot was deafening. Everyone jumped back from Terry as he screamed in pain and hit the floor, his hands barely catching him before his head slammed into the concrete. Everyone stepped away from Pete as he calmly walked towards Terry.
Gerry was surprised. Nathan just stayed up on the table and crossed his arms waiting for this to play out.
“What the fuck, dude!” Terry turned on his side and used his hands to pull his knee up to look at the mangled mess the bullet had made of it. God it hurt!
Pete calmly came up to him. “Your name?”
“Terry, you fucking prick!”
“Well, Terry You Fucking Prick, The Queen Bitch’s Guard is very touchy regarding the respect Bethany Anne receives. Your comment…”
“I only called her a bitch, it’s her fucking name!”
“No, you suggested she is no better than a Forsaken. That first bullet was lead.” Pete then looked around at everyone watching him. “Every other bullet I have on me is silver. I’ll brook no disrespect of Bethany Anne, is that understood?” Pete got some mumbling. He raised his voice. “I said, is that understood you wanking ass-grinders? If I don’t get some louder ‘I understands,’ I’ll start shooting and continue shooting until I get some. Kneecaps are particularly painful, just ask Paul Gleason. Oh, wait, you can’t because my teammates shot his fucking head off. Anyone besides this shit bag have any comments?” At this, he heard plenty of ‘I understands.’
No one else had any comments. Pete put the gun back in his holster reached down and grabbed Terry by the back of this jacket. “Come with me, ass-muncher.”
Terry tried and failed to reach behind him and grab Pete’s hands, his knee wasn’t healed and he could only push with one leg. The pain was causing him problems. Everyone moved aside and opened a path for Pete as he pulled Terry to the door. “What the fuck, dude? I still want to know what’s going on!”
Pete stopped and looked back at everyone staring at him. “Didn’t anyone tell you? You can’t get into the Queen Bitch’s Guards if just one of them says no. This patch on my shoulder?” He used his left hand to point at the skull, “Says I get a vote.” Pete looked back down at Terry. “And your ass isn’t getting in so you can leave now, or later in a body bag. I really don’t give a fuck.” He finished pulling Terry over to the door and opened it up. “Which is it going to be?”
Terry decided to pull himself up by the doorknob and tried to exhibit a little dignity as he hopped out of the door and Pete closed it behind him. Everyone heard Pete say, “Good choice,” as he walked back over to the box and hopped on top.
Everyone looked back at Nathan as he said, “Well, I guess I should have started out with introducing Pete of the Queen’s Guard.”
The rest of the meeting was very civil.
6
Las Vegas, Nevada - USA
Lance was meeting Nathan at the Omelet House near downtown Las Vegas. The restaurant had good food and huge portions, exactly what you needed for Wechselbalg. After Nathan and Pete ordered Lance realized they were attacking the food as aggressively as the other two. It seemed Nathan and Pete were trying to outdo Darryl and Scott on who could eat the most.
Lance just drank his coffee and had toast. He had eaten so much the day before at the Four Kegs that he skipped dinner and decided that skipping breakfast was going to be a good idea if he wanted to continue wearing the same size pants. How Scott had finished two of the Stromboli and was putting away this large of a breakfast amazed Lance. He needed to wake up his metabolism and he didn’t want coffee on an empty stomach.
Nathan and Pete had flown in yesterday and grabbed a room last night. “How did the meeting go?”
Nathan reached over to grab his cup and drank a bit of coffee himself before replying, “Pretty good. Once Pete got rid of the main rabble-rouser, it settled down. We have about six guys that are ready to apply right now so I need to get Ecaterina to set up travel for them and a place in Miami for the time being. Most of the rest are going to stay with the pack and have a much better attitude about it. There are a couple who are going to talk with their friends who couldn’t be there.”
Darryl pointed his fork over at Pete. “Rabble-rouser?”
Pete seemed a little shy. He had done what he thought was the right thing at the time, but the ‘good job’ comments and back slapping after the meeting from both Nathan Lowell and Gerry made him proud of his actions, and ashamed of just what a prick he had been before he joined this group. Hell, he could have been Terry with the wrong prodding himself. “Yes. We had one guy that was mouthing off, saying Bethany Anne was no different than a Forsaken. If he hadn’t been heard by seven people around him, I might have let it go. But since others heard…”
Scott finished for him. “Then he signed his own punishment papers. What did you do?”
Nathan took the story up. “He calmly shot him in the knee.”
Darryl asked, “Lead or silver?”
Pete answered, “Lead.” Darryl and Scott grinned at each other. Lead for the warning, silver for the rest.
Nathan grunted, “If you would let me continue?” All the guys just smiled with mirth in their eyes and continued eating. “As I was saying, he shot him in the knee, walked over to him while everyone gave him a wide berth. Pete asked him his name and he says, ‘Terry, you fucking prick!’ So, Pete calmly says, ‘Well, Terry You Fucking Prick, the Guard is very touchy about respecting Bethany Anne.’” Scott laughed out loud. “Then Pete drags this prick to the door, tells everyone that they can’t become a member if just one guard votes them out. He points to his arm and says that the patch means he gets a vote and that Terry isn’t going to get in. He allows Terry to hop out after telling him he could leave right then, or in a body bag later, Pete really didn’t care.” At this point, Darryl put down his fork and started laughing as well. Darryl and Scott fist bumped. “Terry leaves, Pete goes back to the box he was watching from and resumes watching. At this point, I tell the group ‘I guess I should have introduced Pete first.’” Now, Nathan had the General laughing at the story while Scott was wiping the tears from his eyes. Pete’s face was completely red. “To top it off? That guy was the one that one of you gut shot back at our first meeting.”
Darryl leaned across the table and high-fived Pete. “We shot the same guy!” Even Pete started laughing at this.
It took a moment for the laughing to stop and eating resume. Scott jumped into the lull. “How come you guys don’t get sued for randomly shooting people? Is it becaus
e you’re in this pack situation or something?”
Nathan had just finished his plate and pushed it back, “No... Well, possibly. But Pete shot him with lead. By the time Terry could get to a hospital his knee would be significantly better and by the next morning you wouldn’t be able to tell he had been shot at all. So, what crime would he complain about?”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Nathan turned to Lance. “So, what is this you’re telling me about Patriarch Research? They have a possible strong AI?”
“That’s about it, yes. We’ve war-gamed the scenario a bunch of times in the military. Well, we war-gamed a malevolent AI, so I know the gist of the concerns. It seems your effort to check out the company almost caused them to turn the software back on as it’s some sort of internet defense program.”
“Really? That’s very interesting. I’m going to love this meeting. I wonder if they…” Nathan started muttering techno-babble, as near as Lance could tell. Good lord, Lance thought, he was going to be bored today if this is what they were going to be talking about all afternoon. Or, he could try to learn it. He put a hand up to stop Nathan. “I don’t suppose you would translate that for me?”
Nathan smiled. He had warmed up to the General more than he expected. “Basically, I’m wondering how they transverse the IP addresses and do deep packet inspection testing. That is the first place to look. Then, you have to see what the commands are and…. I just lost you again, didn’t I?” Lance nodded his head. “Well, how do you want to play the meeting later this morning?”
Lance thought about that. It was beyond obvious he wasn’t going to pick up the technical details and frankly it wasn’t the best use of his time. “How about Jeffrey and I go golfing while you and his lead programmer, Tom Billings, talk?” After Lance had spent the afternoon sitting in on the meetings, he was pretty impressed with what the Patriarch team had built and researched over the years. They had a few patents out generating income, but facing a dead end and without the usual directions from their parent company to refocus their efforts, for the last year they had been floundering. All of Jeffrey’s team seemed smart. He would let Nathan confirm that.
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set One: Books 1-7, Death Becomes Her, Queen Bitch, Love Lost, Bite This, Never Forsaken, Under My Heel, Kneel or Die (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets) Page 66