“The Draig Shifter Hospital. Do you know it?”
“I know of it.” I nod. “It’s state-of-the-art, and they’ve saved many lives there.”
“It’s run by Dr. Keller. She trained on the Mainland and qualified at the top of her year, did eight years at a large exotic animal facility before she was recruited to us. She’s been here for three and a half years as head surgeon and was recently promoted to Head of Shifter Medicine. Although she is still the island’s top shifter surgeon, she also oversees everything to do with shifter medical care on Draig. She is also the central signatory for every pharmaceutical shipment that goes to the two outlying hospitals on the west and south. Controlled drugs, sedatives. Every box goes through her log. She has access to everything and everyone when it comes to the three hospitals and twenty-five clinics here on the island.”
“Let me guess; her name is on the list.”
“That’s right.”
“You want me to investigate the hospital’s top surgeon? Is that what you’re saying? I’m not qualified to work in a hospital, Councilor.”
“Here’s the thing: security at the hospital needs a review. It needs to be ramped up. We’re not sure where things are going. In light of the attack on the clinic, security has become paramount, particularly at the largest facility, where Dr. Keller happens to be based. You are going in to set up a proper detail. Review the entries, the cargo doors, the staff screening, and the emergency protocols. Then there is Dr. Keller herself. I want security surrounding our top surgeon to be tightened, even at her private residence. You will have a dual role.”
“Which will include investigating Dr. Keller?”
“Yes, you’re going to use every piece of access that your cover gives you to find out whether she is clean or whether she is selling us out. You have the run of the facility. You have a reason to pull records. You have a reason to ask questions.You have a reason to put eyes on her diary, her shipments, her communications, and her staff. You will need access to her home, her vehicle, her entire life. Use all of it. Get into her computer. Her security detail would need to cover every aspect of her life. I want her protected twenty-four seven. Dig deep, Ridge. I don’t care what you have to do, just do it and get me an answer stat.”
“I’m overqualified for that posting. Magma will see right through it. I run security for the entire island. I would never be tasked with setting up a guard rota at a shifter hospital.”
“It’s a huge concern. We’ve analyzed various points on the island that are of the most importance to survival and are also soft targets. That hospital is the only site on the island that treats our most vulnerable and has been left under-protected for too long, and you decide to take personal charge of the review because you don’t trust anyone under you to do it properly. That won’t be the only building or personnel we need you to tackle. It will be the first of several. It is a major undertaking. It needs to be done quickly, quietly, and with care.”
“I’m still not convinced it will fly.”
“Ridge.” She folds her arms. “The Council is going to convene later today. You will be ordered to handle this yourself because of the importance of it. The press release is already written and goes out tomorrow. The wheels are already turning. You have been selected. We’ll sell it. You’ll run with it.”
I dig my shoe into the dirt before looking up.
“I can have all the systems and staff in place within a few days…a week at most. Will that be enough time to investigate Dr. Keller?”
“It’ll have to be. I want an answer on Dr. Keller inside that window, if it is at all possible. I need solid evidence, or we will need to bring her in for questioning. That would be a last resort.”
“Magma will see right through it. He isn’t an idiot.”
“Magma will not go against the Council. He will be briefed this evening. Let us handle him. I want you to stay clear of him and talk to him as little as possible in the coming days.” She glances at her watch. “You will be reporting to me on this matter and not to him.”
“I don’t know.” I sound as skeptical as I feel.
“Councilor Vector will present your reassignment as a temporary measure to address the security gap. Magma will be told you are taking point on the hospital review and potentially on further reviews as well. He will not be told why. As I said, we will sell it to him.”
I roll my shoulders to work the tightness out of them.
“So while I’m at this hospital, someone else is going after Magma?”
“He will be investigated, yes.”
“Who is doing the investigating?”
“I’m not going to tell you that.” She shakes her head.
“Right.”
“You cannot speak to Magma about any of this. Not a word. That is a direct order from Head Councilor Vector, put to me and through me to you. If you break it, the charge is treason, not insubordination. You know what that carries.”
“I do, and I’m certain that it won’t be needed, because he didn’t do this.”
“Then he will be cleared soon enough. You need not worry.”
Yeah, right!
