military government more than willing to engage in large-scale violence. A genocide there hardly made the headlines. Here, he’d need to be far more careful if he wanted to gain the level of power and prestige he was accustomed to. This was going to require a more methodical, calculated, and subversive attack. One that the people of the country wouldn’t notice until it was too late.
“Now, that’s no way to talk about our hosts,” Hager said, lifting his glass. “To the Americans.”
“May they live long enough to make me rich and happy,” Skinman said and drained his wineglass.
Such a waste, Hager thought. Both of mind and body. He savored a small sip, let it glide along his tongue and all the taste buds courtesy of human DNA. An amazing sense, really.
“Unfortunately, not all of them are stupid,” Skinman said.
Hager lifted an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
Skinman pushed to his feet and started pacing the length of the wide underground tunnel, alternately blocking out the ceiling lights. His long black hair and goatee meshed with the black custom shirt, tailored pants and high-end shoes—all very expensive. But expensive clothes didn’t make a man. Power made a man.
Skinman finally stopped in front of Hager. “I got word that XCEL has a Shifter.”
Hager narrowed his eyes. “As an agent? Are you certain?”
Skinman nodded his head a few times. “He was spotted in an XCEL operation last night. He and a female partner took down a Shifter in short order.”
XCEL. The one feeble attempt of this country’s government to combat Shifters. They’d managed to pick off a few rogue Shifters but posed no real threat to his fledgling organization. Still, they were a nuisance. At some point, he’d need to address them. He’d hoped it would be later, when his all-Shifter army was at full strength. He may not have that long, after all.
“He could be a problem,” Skinman said. “He can see us.”
A problem, yes, but fascinating as well. Cooperating with the enemy. Hager couldn’t remember anything like that happening on Govan. Well, except for him of course.
“Name?”
“Max Dempsey.”
Hager didn’t recognize it. He didn’t expect to. Shifters adopted whatever names fit in with their current environment. “Address?”
“Not yet, but I can get it,” Skinman said. “You want him killed?”
Hager shook his head. “Unnecessary.”
Skinman sputtered. “But he can ID us. He’s working for an agency that hunts us down. Why not?”
Hager smiled. “XCEL is not a threat to us. But we wouldn’t want them to rally any additional troops, would we?”
Skinman’s disappointment was palpable. “You used to be more fun, Hager.”
Hager swirled his wine in thought. He found it hard to believe XCEL would approve of a Shifter working among them. He’d been here long enough to understand exactly what their reaction would be. “Do they realize there is a Shifter in their midst?”
Skinman shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t care. I just don’t want to run into him.”
“I told you I’d protect you.” Hager pushed out of his chair to shake the man’s hand. “Keep your head down. I do not want to have to find another Skinman.”
Skinman said, “Well, neither do I. Tell me when you are ready to roll. I wanna be there to see this city brought to its knees.”
“You’ll be the first to know. And remember, I need thirty orders by this Friday,” Hager said. “And send in Puck on your way out.”
Skinman left with a “Will do.”
Hager sat back down in the leather chair and pondered his next steps. The XCEL Shifter needed to be neutralized and perhaps even recruited. That would be quite a coup, having a former XCEL agent in his ranks. He needed a few more good recruits, Shifters who were serious about making this world their home.
He’d already filled the borough lord positions with allies he knew he could trust. They formed the inner circle of his organization and
“Now, that’s no way to talk about our hosts,” Hager said, lifting his glass. “To the Americans.”
“May they live long enough to make me rich and happy,” Skinman said and drained his wineglass.
Such a waste, Hager thought. Both of mind and body. He savored a small sip, let it glide along his tongue and all the taste buds courtesy of human DNA. An amazing sense, really.
“Unfortunately, not all of them are stupid,” Skinman said.
Hager lifted an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
Skinman pushed to his feet and started pacing the length of the wide underground tunnel, alternately blocking out the ceiling lights. His long black hair and goatee meshed with the black custom shirt, tailored pants and high-end shoes—all very expensive. But expensive clothes didn’t make a man. Power made a man.
Skinman finally stopped in front of Hager. “I got word that XCEL has a Shifter.”
Hager narrowed his eyes. “As an agent? Are you certain?”
Skinman nodded his head a few times. “He was spotted in an XCEL operation last night. He and a female partner took down a Shifter in short order.”
XCEL. The one feeble attempt of this country’s government to combat Shifters. They’d managed to pick off a few rogue Shifters but posed no real threat to his fledgling organization. Still, they were a nuisance. At some point, he’d need to address them. He’d hoped it would be later, when his all-Shifter army was at full strength. He may not have that long, after all.
“He could be a problem,” Skinman said. “He can see us.”
A problem, yes, but fascinating as well. Cooperating with the enemy. Hager couldn’t remember anything like that happening on Govan. Well, except for him of course.
“Name?”
“Max Dempsey.”
Hager didn’t recognize it. He didn’t expect to. Shifters adopted whatever names fit in with their current environment. “Address?”
“Not yet, but I can get it,” Skinman said. “You want him killed?”
Hager shook his head. “Unnecessary.”
Skinman sputtered. “But he can ID us. He’s working for an agency that hunts us down. Why not?”
Hager smiled. “XCEL is not a threat to us. But we wouldn’t want them to rally any additional troops, would we?”
Skinman’s disappointment was palpable. “You used to be more fun, Hager.”
Hager swirled his wine in thought. He found it hard to believe XCEL would approve of a Shifter working among them. He’d been here long enough to understand exactly what their reaction would be. “Do they realize there is a Shifter in their midst?”
Skinman shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t care. I just don’t want to run into him.”
“I told you I’d protect you.” Hager pushed out of his chair to shake the man’s hand. “Keep your head down. I do not want to have to find another Skinman.”
Skinman said, “Well, neither do I. Tell me when you are ready to roll. I wanna be there to see this city brought to its knees.”
“You’ll be the first to know. And remember, I need thirty orders by this Friday,” Hager said. “And send in Puck on your way out.”
Skinman left with a “Will do.”
Hager sat back down in the leather chair and pondered his next steps. The XCEL Shifter needed to be neutralized and perhaps even recruited. That would be quite a coup, having a former XCEL agent in his ranks. He needed a few more good recruits, Shifters who were serious about making this world their home.
He’d already filled the borough lord positions with allies he knew he could trust. They formed the inner circle of his organization and
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