“Any hope of linking him with terrorists in light of recent activities?”
“No. I was able to access his personal email, although I doubt he’d be stupid enough to put anything in writing that could come back to haunt him, even in code.”
Lucas grinned. “Should I ask how you managed to get into his office?”
Gavin grinned back, showing perfectly normal white teeth, his fangs recessed. “I’ll admit I used mesmerization. I didn’t have time to seduce the secretary.”
The ability to hold a mortal in trance would come in handy, Lucas thought, but it wasn’t a trait of a shifter. “I take it the lady was compliant then?”
“Quite. I only took a wee sip from a very lovely, slender throat. And I managed to look over her shoulder at the phone calls she’d logged in for him, too.”
“I’m impressed that you remained focused. Anything there?”
Gavin shrugged. “A few calls from embassies…Jordan, Palestine, Iran. Just the usual suspects.”
Lucas sighed and waited until the waitress set down his drink before he casually asked, “Anything on Michael McCain?”
A shift came over the vampire’s face and, for a moment, Lucas thought he saw the fangs begin to protrude, but Gavin quickly masked them.
“He’s a warlock,” he said.
Lucas set his drink down so quickly the Scotch sloshed over the edge of the glass. “He’s a warlock? Black Arts?” By the gods, had Balor implanted a spy? And he had entrusted Sara’s life into Michael’s hands!
“Calm down. You’re starting to Change,” Gavin hissed.
Lucas felt the wolf about to emerge and gritted his teeth, willing the beast to settle. “Black Arts?” he asked again.
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t have a criminal record and a few years ago was credited with saving the life of a young woman who was accosted while jogging in some park in Ft. Worth, according to the paper’s archives.”
Great. So the guy was a hero. Okay, Ramsey. Look at the good side. He can protect Sara.He noticed that Gavin had hesitated. “Is there more?”
“Strange story. According to the girl’s statement, a panther sprang out from behind some bushes and chased the men off first.”
“A panther? In Ft. Worth?”
“I guess it could have escaped from a zoo,” Gavin said, “but just moments later, Michael McCain comes strolling from the direction that the cat went.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in and then his hackles rose and he understood the reason for Gavin’s barely concealed fangs. “Shapeshifter?”
“Maybe.”
Which made him dangerous, since there was no way of knowing what shape he’d take. And if he had magical protection as well, and Balor managed to scent it…
“I wonder if Sara knows,” he mumbled.
“Aha! I thought there was a girl involved in this,” Gavin said with a smile.
“I’m just trying to protect her from Balor,” Lucas said quickly.
‘Oh.” Gavin attempted a straight face.
“She has a copy of the manuscript. She knows what we’re searching for. That makes her Balor’s prey.”
“True. Well, I don’t know if she has any clue about the shapeshifting, or if that’s even true, but she must know he’s a warlock.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because she’s a witch.”
