Megans Mark (Breeds 6)

"I thought he was a friend," she said again, her voice hoarse as betrayal filled her. "But he wasn't. He killed those Breeds and now he wants to kill me, because he suspected their deaths could trigger the memory of seeing him with them. And he's my father's best friend, Braden. It's Senator Cooley. Senator Mac Cooley. "

Bingo.

Chapter Twenty

Senator Mac Cooley. It all made sense now. He had been one of the strongest opponents of Breed Law, the new legal mandates that gave Breeds autonomy and had declared them human despite their DNA. He was also the reason why two military advisors were now required to be at the Bureau of Breed Affairs in Washington as well as two to oversee all security and interrogation at Sanctuary. Not that it wasn't easy to fool the bureaucratic twits, but the thought of a spy in the house made Braden's ass itch.

The spy was most likely the reason why the attacks at Sanctuary were always so precise and why their weaknesses were exploited so easily.

"Show me your weapons. " They were moving down the stairs as Braden glanced toward the shadecovered windows.

Night was falling quickly.

"Hall closet. " They made the turn and moved to the door. Megan threw it open, pushed boxes to the side and ripped coats from their hangers, tossing them to the comers of the closet to reveal a heavy metal safe door.

"I rarely keep it locked. " It clanged open to reveal an impressive display of weapons and ammunition. Nothing on par with what he could have found at Sanctuary, but impressive all the same.

Until she threw open the back. Braden lifted his brows at what lay in there.

"Do you have night vision?" She jerked a pair of the most advanced military field goggles from their protective

pouch and strapped them to her head before pushing them to her forehead. Held by secure elastic straps, the small eye socket-sized goggles were the most technologically advanced in the field. They eliminated the need for unwieldy larger models, and had several little fringe benefits thrown in as extras in the lenses. They literally saw through the dark. Instead of the confusing green illumination, the wearer saw in shades of gray, with pretty little neon colors to pick up anything with a heartbeat.

"Not as good as yours. " He snorted. "How the hell did you get those?

Even the SEAL teams haven't been blessed yet. " "I have friends. " Her comment wasn't satisfactory, but

he let it go for the moment. He was more concerned with

the other toys she was pulling out. Knives that belonged in sci-fi flicks and a laser-guided pistol that hadn't even hit the military yet.

"Shit, Megan, I think your friends are a bad influence on you. " He watched as she strapped the knives along various points of her body-her

forearm, her lower legs-and tucked the gun behind her back.

"Us psychic freaks tend to stick together," she informed him breathlessly as she finished, then slammed the inner door closed again before giving him a glare. "And Lance really doesn't need to know about that other door. "

"Hell, I don't think I needed to know. "

He jerked the cell phone from its holster and hit the command button.

"Tarek. " The other man was on the line as Megan passed the ear-held comm links they had stored there the day before.

"Activate field link. " He gave the order quickly. "Prepare for early extraction and removal. "

"Link active," Tarek reported through the link, which would now be received by the six Breeds outside.

"Secure. Set Field Beta Three. " Beta Three was the only code the advisors at Sanctuary did not have.

"What the fuck is up, Braden?'Tarek's tone was hard, concerned. Secure Field Beta Three was also the channel set for use only if top command

was considered compromised. And Tarek's wife was in the same compound as top command.

"We have a rat at headquarters," Braden confirmed. "Preparing for removal now. Pull in. I repeat, all teams pull in. "

The closest point to contact Pride Command securely was the sheriff's office. Braden knew the risk: Cooley had connections within the military who could make the drive to town a fatal one. There was no doubt the roads were being watched, just as the canyon had been watched the day before.

Next, he keyed in Lance's number, waited for the first ring.