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“I think you know what we are here for,” Mason said, getting straight to the point.
“Oh?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Ash snarled. “Just because your kids are here doesn’t mean we aren’t going to go hard on you.”
He stood, holding his mug between him and his alpha. His eyes darted between them, and he swallowed hard.
“What do you mean …”
“Andrew, we know you have been working for someone who is orchestrating my demise. We already know the facts, so let’s cut the bullshit. You tell us who they are, and you will suffer far fewer consequences than if you keep us in the dark. I promise you that.”
Mason began to grit his teeth. The sounds of the children playing continued.
Andrew had gone pale.
“I swear, Mason, we have no idea who he is. He offered us help. Money, I mean. For information. That is it, though, I swear to you.”
He stood from the kitchen table, took the mug of tea from Andrew’s hand, and then placed it on the counter. He laid a hand on his pack member’s chest, lightly pressing as he spoke in a low, intimidating timbre.
“Do you swear on your children? Your children’s lives? I would hate for them to be without a father.”
“I swear, Mason! He is just a voice on the phone. I have no idea who it is.”
“Tell me the number it came from, and we will leave."
Andrew pulled up his phone history screen, scribbled down the number, and gave it to Mason. He and Ash left, but not until Mason gave him a final warning.
“If I find out you were lying, there will be hell rained down on you.”
Andrew solemnly swore there was nothing else he was hiding. Mason did believe him but felt it was beneficial to drop in a threat here and there.
The next name was Adrien Randal. Both he and Florence Hanson lived closer to the edge of the community, but it was a calm, cool night. Ash and Mason decided to walk, and not just on account of the pleasant weather. Mason needed to let off steam in between each interrogation.
“I don’t think Andrew was lying,” Ash said.
“Me either,” Mason replied. “He has so much to lose. He would be an idiot to continue lying.”
“What are you going to do to them once this is over?”
Mason was caught off guard by her question. He cocked an eyebrow, looking at Ash as they rounded the corner to Adrien’s home. He hadn’t even considered it.
“Nothing terrible. They will get warnings, but I know that everyone has their reasons. I think whoever is doing this is the true villain taking advantage of the good members of this pack.”
Ash seemed satisfied with that. They sauntered up the driveway to Adrien’s small, cabin-like home. He was a young bachelor who was known for his escapades with the younger females within the community.
He answered the door shirtless, his nearly white-blonde hair tightly cropped.
“What’s going on, Mason?” he said excitedly.
The interaction went very similarly to Andrew’s, except Adrien didn’t quiver and provided more solid information. He said that whoever he was speaking to used a voice-concealing device that distorted the tone, sending him tasks in exchange for money. He apologized profusely.
“I’m sorry,” he said, still shirtless in his bachelor pad living room. “I don’t wanna fuck anything up for you. What, with your lady and everything here, you have everything working out for you.”
Ash laughed. “Well, his lady is here to figure out if you are telling the truth or not. If you aren’t, just know we will be back for you.”
He gave them the number from where he was getting the call, and it lined up with what Andrew had provided.
Next was Florence, a young woman in her thirties who was taking care of her declining mother. They had health insurance,but it was barely enough to pay for her medication. Mason didn’t soften completely, but he realized that whoever the Puppeteer was, they knew what they were doing. They were finding desperate people to do their bidding.
