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“No pressure,” Riley said.
Ferguson pointed to the cabin. “There is an office inside. I was hoping you would look into the clinic for me. I am not used to the human way of using computers.”
She approached the stairs. “Is that your way of saying you want me to do an internet search?”
Ferguson nodded. “Yes. The internet. Darren takes care of such things in the wolf clan. None of the reapers are proficient with this resource yet.”
Her jaw dropped. “How can you find anything without the web? That’s inconceivable.”
Ferguson’s face hardened. “The previous reaper leaders, would never utilize human means. They believed them inferior to the shadow clans.”
Riley ascended the stairs. “Even though many of them were born human?”
“Yes,” Ferguson said.
Colton opened the door to the cabin, allowing her to enter first before the men followed her. They hadn’t been in the cabin office, but knew where it was located. She glanced at the wildlife pictures on the walls in the hallway as she made her way to the last room.
The interior of the office seemed out of place with the log walls. The rustic exterior at odds with the large oak computer desk with electrical cords running off the edge. The metal wastebasket was empty and the black leather rolling desk chair looked like it had never been used. While the desk was outfitted with the usual supplies, stapler, scissors, a holder full of pens and highlighters, the empty notepad and lack of personal pictures alerted her to the staged nature of the office.
She made a mental note to add some knickknacks and a coffee mug to the office for appearance’s sake. Maybe a few bunched-up pieces of paper in the trash. Even the binders in the holder above the file cabinet appeared unused. She sat down in the chair and rolled closer to the keyboard, before powering up the computer.
She waited for the search engine to load on her screen before she typed in the clinic name. “The clinic has mostly five-star reviews. Any care facility subsidizing patients is going to be favorable in the public eye.”
Ferguson leaned over her shoulder while Colton took a seat in a chair opposite Riley’s. “I’m not looking for information on the clinic’s services. Look up attacks in the area. Missing persons. Specifically, women between the age of sixteen and thirty-five.”
Riley turned to him. “Sixteen?”
“The demons are looking for breeders. Their only requirement is simply that the female be mature enough to reproduce.”
“That’s despicable.” She typed in search parameters on the computer. “I think news reports for this will be our best bet. How far back do you want me to look?”
“Let’s check the last four months.”
Riley’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “You’re right. There have been dozens of abductions between the shelter and the mall. The clinic is in the middle.”
“Is there any way to discern if the abducted women were patients of the clinic?” Ferguson asked.
“You would need to hack the patient files. I’m good with the computer, but I’m not a hacker.”
“Do you know anybody who could accomplish this... hack?”
“Yes, but you’re not going to like it,” she said.
Ferguson’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Colton rubbed his chin. “Riley and I visited Leah’s sister. Her twin sister. She didn’t take her sister’s or brother’s death well. We’ve been checking up on her, and she is investigating the deaths in this area.”
“She was told her siblings died as part of a lone gunman who opened fire on the winery. Why would she be investigating? She was told the gunman was apprehended, was she not?” Ferguson asked.
Riley grabbed a pen from the holder. “She was, but obviously she didn’t believe the story. We’ve watched her from the shadows. She is an accomplished hacker, and she’s already investigating the incidents in Graydon. There’s a good chance she already has the information on the clinic. I’m just not sure about asking her for it.”
Ferguson glanced at the picture of the clinic on the computer screen. “We need that information. You contacted her about Leah. You should have a conversation with her in person. Take Raine with you. He can wipe her memory of the interaction. I will ask him to alter her perception of the attack. I’m sure he can persuade her to drop this investigation.”
“He can try,” she said, though she was unconvinced.
Ferguson moved his fingers in the air and black script formed for a few seconds before disappearing. “I have asked Raine to join us.”
Colton sat forward in his seat. “You’re a receiver? I thought your talents were related to speed. I have never seen anyone traverse the pathway as quickly as you.”
