“There’s not enough evidence to prosecute the pharmaceutical company or the research and development arm that’s conducting the experiments,” Del-Rey stated. “No evidence that they’ve used Breeds in that research, either willingly or involuntarily.”
Wolfe ran his hand wearily over his face as he pulled the file back to him and reopened it. Del-Rey knew what he would find there. In the past four weeks the Feline Breed scientist Elyiana Morrey had nearly died from the drugs that had been used to attempt to force her to destroy a Lion Breed known to have an anomaly in his blood suspected to induce a primal strength and rage known as feral fever.
Mercury Warrant had developed feral fever in the labs where he had been created and trained. At the time of his rescue the scientists there had developed a drug therapy which, in essence, controlled him, locked the animalistic power inside him and forced him to obey the commands given to him by his trainers and creators.
A variation of that drug had been used on the scientist. The lack of the feral hormone for the drug to attach to in her blood had created far greater, nearly fatal results. It had almost destroyed her mind. Now there was evidence that Breeds unknown to the Breed community were being captured or somehow convinced to participate in the experiments with this drug.
Three Breeds had been found just within the past week, their brains fragmented by the pressure that had built within them. One had nearly killed a human, and keeping that one covered up hadn’t been easy.
“This drug could become our personal nightmare,” Del-Rey told them. “It doesn’t just have the power to steal our will; it also has the power to make us killers and nothing more. The Bureau is working to get more information but their contact within the companies has disappeared. They suspect that person won’t show up alive.”
“They’ve found a way to create the killers they always wanted.” Hope’s horrified whisper filled the room.
“Not entirely,” Del-Rey stated. “There are symptoms when the drugs are being slipped into the victim. Our concern is the rumor that the research company has managed to find volunteers. Breeds who were led to believe that this would recess their Breed genetics.” He leaned forward slowly. “The Breed that nearly killed the police officer was younger, unknown and unlisted with the Bureau of Breed Affairs. We know there are still facilities holding many Breeds captive, moving them often. He could be one of those, or a volunteer. Whichever, we have a problem on our hands.”
Faith spoke up. “Dr. Morrey was given the drug by Breed assistants in her lab. Breeds that showed no signs of being under the drug themselves. Greed.”
“Greed,” Del-Rey agreed. “The past eight months that I and my team have been chasing down rumors and leads on this, the company managed to actually get the drug into Sanctuary. We need to stop this now.”
“And stopping it would require . . . ?” Wolfe asked.
“One of the teams need to be granted full sanction,” Del-Rey stated, staring back at them coolly. “Leashing your enforcers and forcing them to hold back in this investigation won’t get the answers you need.”
Dash sat back in his chair and regarded him silently.
“Full sanction?” he asked. “Very few of our teams are allowed that status, Pack Leader Delgado, and none are available now.”
“Then you better make one available,” Del-Rey stated coldly. “Do you think keeping a leash on your enforcers is going to work in this situation?”
“Your team has been investigating this since the first,” Wolfe said then. “You should still have time to finish it.”
His jaw bunched. “I’ve brought you enough to put a sanctioned team on it,” he told them as he rose from his chair. “Go over the file. I should also point out something you’ve obviously overlooked.”
Wolfe frowned back at him. “And that is?”
“One of the first trials of this drug was on a human in Haven, eight months ago. The drug was slipped into her food and drink during visits to her parents in the neighboring town. It was considered a failure because she didn’t follow her final order.”
They were all sitting forward now, expressions dark, savage.
“Jessica,” Wolfe growled.
The young military communications officer was still in confinement, nearly a year after she had betrayed the pack. She was alive only because the Wolf Breed suspected to be her mate refused to allow her to be turned over to Breed Law.
That left confinement until the full cabinet could make a decision on whether or not her actions warranted death. The matter hadn’t been brought before the cabinet because the Wolf Breed Cabinet had yet to decide if that was the action they would take.
“She was tested for drugs,” Faith protested. “None were found.”
“The drug has a masking agent.” Dash’s voice was savage now. “It’s not easy to detect.”
“I’ll be returning to my pack,” Del-Rey informed them. “There are issues I need to take care of there. I’ll no longer be handling the conclusion of this assignment.”
He turned and moved for the door.
“Del-Rey, you promised your mate a year.” Faith spoke up then. “Its only been eight months.”
He stopped, looked over his shoulder slowly, his eyes narrowed on the woman as his lip curled. “You must have neglected to put that provision in the agreement I signed. There’s no time stated there, and I have duties to my packs, just as the rest of you do. You can inform my coya I’m back. I may have neglected to do that as well.”
He stepped from the meeting room and nodded to his men before making his way from the secured underground rooms. He kept at bay the hard smile that would have curled his lips.
Over the months, he had taken the time to learn about mating heat. He’d made certain he received all Dr. Armani’s reports on his mate and he’d studied them carefully. He hadn’t hesitated to ask questions.
Getting reports on Base or personal details from Sharone wasn’t hard, simply because she was always eager to talk about her coya. Hell, every damned man and woman on base thought the sun rose and set on their coya’s ass.
It was the details he had begun to learn that Sharone was leaving out that made his decision for him. Particularly the month before when Anya, coya of the Coyote packs, had convinced her security detail to take her to a bar, in the small town of Advert, nearly an hour from the Haven base. Once there they had proceded to become involved in a barroom brawl that cost his base nearly a thousand dollars in damages.