"Call her back in," Astrid said. "We should still talk to her."
"Tell me you have other suspects," I said.
"Not on the tip of my tongue, no. Every Therian at the Watchtower is here because I trust them to be discreet and to keep what happens here within these walls. I despise the idea of anyone I hired being a leak." Her copper eyes flashed with hurt and anger, and I believed her.
"The leak could be human," Tybalt said. "I couldn't guess as to a motive, but there are two species working here."
My brain jumped to Alejandro, the new kid who'd been brought into our compound today, but that didn't fit for two reasons. First, he wasn't even a blip on my radar when Vale attacked us on Lincoln Street. Second, the kid had been searched for all electronic or tracking devices, and he didn't have access to anyone's phone. He was new and twitchy, but that didn't make him a plant.
Tybalt went still, as if something had occurred to him. "What?" I asked.
"I thought of someone who might be able to give us a little information," he said. To Astrid, he said, "Castle."
The look she shared with him and Marcus told me that the name meant something to them. Not to the rest of us though. Even Kismet seemed confused. "Do you know where he is?" Astrid asked.
"No, but I can find him."
"Take Shelby with you."
"Will do."
Tybalt headed out. I kind of wished I was going with him, but for now, my place was here. Vale wanted me dead, which would make Tybalt a bigger target than he already was with me running around the city in his pocket. And Wyatt still needed me close. His mood was as volatile as the pups'.
"So what next?" I asked.
"I'll question Lynn when she returns," Astrid said. "Other than that, we wait for Vale to call about the ransom."
And if we really had a mole in the Watchtower, he'd know that Eulan was here with his cash pretty soon—if he didn't already.
I excused myself to the cafeteria. I desperately needed a caffeine boost, and the pups could probably use a snack. Their metabolisms were already high, and the stress of the beatings would only add to that. More people were milling around in the cafeteria than I expected, considering it was after two in the morning, but we all kept bizarre hours. I'd go crazy if I was ever shackled into a 9 to 5 kind of job.
I poured a mug of coffee for myself, added a few ice cubes, then gulped. Repeat. The hot liquid burned into my stomach, a pleasant heat that reminded me of how empty it was. I put half a dozen sandwiches on a plate, then turned to take the food back to the infirmary.
A skinny, dark-haired figure hunched alone at a table made me pause. Alejandro. As much as he wasn't a suspect, he also wasn't a member of the team. He was alone here, and he looked like he'd just seen his favorite pet creamed by a car. I carried my plate over and plopped down in a chair next to him.
He jerked, startled. "Oh, hi."
"Oh, hi," I parroted. "Making friends is easier if you talk to people."
"I'm not very good at that."
"Talking?"
"Making friends."
"Me either."
"Hard to believe."
I laughed at the sass. The kid had guts for sure. "Really, though, why the funk? I thought getting involved was what you wanted?"
"Is was. It is, I mean."
He stared at the table while I stared at him. I was too tired to guess, and I had better things to do than try to puzzle this out. Alejandro seemed like a nice kid, but he had serious trust issues and they weren't my issues to fix.
"Are you eating all those?" he asked, nodding at the sandwiches.
"Delivery for friends, and don't change the subject. You've got thirty seconds."
"It's just…I'm new."
"Duh."
"And I don't want to rock the boat, or get anyone into trouble because I don't really know what's going on."
Okay, he had my full attention now. I kept my pose casual while checking our surroundings. No one was close enough to listen in. "Alejandro, I need you trust me. I need you to trust that anyone you might have overheard, anything that seems off? You need to tell me right now."
He considered me a moment. "I do trust you."
"Then tell me what's going on? Did you hear something?"
"Yes."
"Okay, what was it?"
He took a moment to look around before lowering his voice to a bare whisper. "I heard someone on the phone. They didn't know I was there."
"Saying what?"
"Telling somebody that you were back here, along with Truman and two of the puppies?" He seemed unsure about the last bit. "Why would Truman bring puppies here?"
"Long story." I tried to keep myself from exploding with impatience, because it was quite possible Alejandro—bad-at-stalking, Boot Camp recruit, and generally jumpy teenager—had overheard our mole talking to Vale. "Who was it? Who did you hear on the phone?"
After securing Alejandro's promise to deliver the plate of sandwiches to the infirmary, I ran back to Ops. His admission was burning a hole in my brain, and I needed to discuss it with Astrid before the potential mole tried to flee the premises.
The earlier crowd had dispersed itself, but Astrid hadn't moved from her desk. She glanced up when I walked into Ops, and something in my demeanor alarmed her because she stood up. She'd taken one step in my direction when her cell phone rang.
"Vale," she said, waving me over. Marcus and Rufus appeared out of nowhere, and we four gathered around her phone as she accepted the call. Set it to speaker.
"Not even a hello?" Vale said after a pause.
"We have the money," Astrid said. "In cash like you asked."
"Excellent. You sound pensive, Astrid."
"Long day."
"I think perhaps you're waiting for me to change my demands, and you're correct. They've changed."
I stifled a groan. Of course they'd fucking changed.
"The cost of returning the potion and scroll hasn't changed," Vale went on. "The delivery system, however, requires a personal touch."
"Explain that."
"If you want the mongrel dog returned safe and sound, then Evangeline Stone will bring me the money. Alone. She's there, I take it? Not a pile of ash blowing in the breeze, as she should be?"
"I'm here," I said. No sense in denying it.
"Then your presence in exchange for the boy."
"No fucking way."
Three pairs of eyebrows went up, and I imagined Vale's did too. My heart thudded heavily, alarmed at my choice, but also confident in the decision.
"No?" Vale repeated.
"No. There's nothing to stop you from killing me and John, and then taking off with the money, the scroll, and the potion."
"I kept my word about releasing the Frosts."
"Yeah, well, you also had the Assembly screaming for your sorry striped hide. You had nothing to gain by killing them. You have nothing to lose by killing me. In fact, I think you'd take great joy in it."
"You're right on that count, Ms. Stone. You broke our bargain by not killing Elder Dane as requested."
"As demanded. We didn't have a bargain, we had blackmail. And considering you beat two kids while they were unconscious, I'm not inclined to believe a fucking thing oozing out of your mouth."
"Then we are, as they say, at an impasse."
"Not necessarily. You keep hiding behind other people, Vale. So come at me face to face. In front of witnesses. You get the money for the stuff you stole, and then we fight for John, one on one. You and me, pussycat."
Astrid and Marcus stared at me like I was insane, and I probably was. If Vale shifted, I'd never beat him in a fair fight—not even with my healing and my teleporting ability. Bengal tigers, especially Therian Bengals, were huge and had big teeth. But I'd do this for John. I'd do this for Wyatt.
"No," Vale said.
"Can't take me?"
He laughed. "I'm very certain I can, actually, and as much as I'd enjoy it, I'd rather expend the energy fighting someone I hate more than you."