BirthMark by Sydney Addae

he doubted it.
    “ Yes, Sir.”
    When he entered the room, six men and three women stood at attention. Silas looked at Hank and the man nodded, each of these people had been scanned for devices and deceit. Silas stepped to each individual, shook their hand and did a more in-depth search, rifling through their minds for deeply rooted deception. By the time he shook the last hand, he was pleased with the level of loyalty and commitment of each person. They were eager to begin the research.
    “This way.” Silas led them to the room where Siseria lay in an induced coma. The team looked at her through a large window as Tyrese spoke of Boggs and gave them folders with pictures from the aftermath of the explosion and some before. They looked at the x-rays of Siseria and all agreed there was something inside her that shouldn’t be there.
    “I am borrowing some equipment from the hospital,” Silas said. “It should be here within the hour. It’s a robotic x-ray machine. It will be operated from outside the room so you can get a better idea of the shape and size of the object. I believe you have her blood work and preliminary lab work. Any questions?”
    “Yes, Sir. What is our primary task?” Passen, one of the lead doctors asked.
    “It’s two-fold. Find a way we can detect this device without a scanner. And find a way to neutralize it before it’s triggered.”
    “That can take months, years,” another tech said.
    “You don’t have months, let alone years. We are all prisoners here until you unravel this mystery. I have an Alpha challenge to preside over in a month. You have until then. If you need help, bring them in. Understand, anyone who enters this area must be personally cleared by me.” He looked at the shocked faces of the people in the room. “As Patron, I have chosen you because I am certain you can do this, was I wrong?”
    “No, Sir, we…we will get started right away. We must outline our strategy, where is the blood work?” Passen asked, taking the papers and walking toward the monitors.
    Silas nodded and left the room, waving at Tyrese to follow him. When they stepped into the hall, Hank joined them. Silas pointed at Hank. “You’re lead on this project and security detail. I want it tight. No leaks, no mistakes. Everything goes through you to me. Make sure you introduce yourself to Passen and everyone in that room.”
    Hank nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
    “Where is Brad?” Silas asked, looking around; the man should be fully healed by now.
    “We rotated out at lunch,” Hank answered.
    Silas nodded. “When he comes down, work out a schedule with him, I want eyes and ears on this crew around the clock. Use Jaree at night when he’s not guarding my mate if you need to. Any other guards you use must be personally vetted by me. Your job is to make sure they have everything they need to find a solution to this problem. I want it done quietly and efficiently, but quickly. They need to make a schedule and give it to you so we know where everyone is at all times. Two connecting rooms have been outfitted with twin beds, trunks and a few desks for their use. The cams are active there and in the bathroom as well. No outgoing calls. I’ve disabled their mental links, nothing in without a security check, got it?”
    “Yes, Sir,” Hank said. He nodded and returned to the lab with the techs. Silas and Tyrese walked down the corridor in silence. Security guards stood in the halls to insure no one left or entered the area without Silas’ permission. They rode the elevator in silence.
    Silas shuffled his priorities and by the time they entered his office he had called Tyrone in to join them. The twins each took a seat in front of his desk and waited for him to give instructions. It dawned on Silas he had never had this level of assistance before. He'd always had his Alphas and they’d do jobs for him as needed, but they’d be away from their primary responsibilities of handling their state matters. Jacques