Chapter 576 Chapter 576
Griffin picked up the cup and then realized it was empty. Getting up, he went over to the coffee maker, only to find it empty too. Turning, he saw that there was no one in the room now. When had everyone left? Setting the cup down, he walked into the large living room area, to see bodies sprawled on the couch, chair, and even the floor.
“We left you to it when you started matching up faces to places and names.”
Calum spoke from the corner by the front door. Griffin hadn’t even seen him standing there. He didn’t know what kind of shifter he was, but he also wasn’t sure he wanted to see him in that form. His every move screamed predator and he was so silent for such a big man. “I’m done.”
He pushed away from the corner, “all of them?”
Griffin nodded, “I’ve gone through every face on the computer and made notes.”
Calum raised an eyebrow as he nonchalantly kicked Blair’s feet where he was slumped back on the couch.
“What?” Blair bolted up. “Oh.” He glared at Calum.
“He’s done.”
“Done?” Blair stood up and then blinked a few times. “All of them?”
Calum nodded and started to walk out of the room, “all two thousand.”
Griffin followed him.
“I’m surprised your eyes haven’t dried up and fallen out of your face,” Blair mumbled as he went over to the coffee maker and then groaned at it. Picking up the pot, he filled it, “do we call Devin now or wait until,” he looked at the clock and scowled, “it’s actual daylight morning time.”
Calum grinned, “oh, I think now is good.”
Blair poured the water into the machine and then waved the empty pot at Calum, “you know someday he’ll be king and you will be running all the awful errands for him.”
Calum grinned, “he can try.”
“What’s going on?” Blaise came out and then yawned.
Griffin stared at her, she looked disarmed when she was half asleep. The hard look that usually filled her eyes wasn’t there right now.
“Boy scout finished all the pictures,” Blair said and then turned back to the machine.
“All of them?” Blaise went over and looked at the notepad sitting on top of scattered pages of information. “So now what?” She looked at Calum.
“I’m calling Devin.” He pulled out his phone.
“At four in the morning?” She went over and took a cup out of the sink and gave it a quick rinse.
“Absolutely, he’s a prince. It’s his job to serve.”
“Serve you up on a platter with an apple in your mouth, maybe,” Blair said teasingly, pulling out his phone and looking at it.
Blaise looked at him, and Griffin waited to see if she was angry or just annoyed because it was usually one or the other, “I can’t believe you have checked every picture of every shifter in the Alliance or been found by the Alliance.”
“If we can take out the ones working with Aiden, then it’s just a matter of time before we get all those following him.” Griffin went over and flipped back a few pages, “there’s two here that are in and out of his office a dozen times a week, they coordinate for him.”
“Coordinate what?” Blaise glanced at Blair briefly before looking back at him.
“Transporting to camps, from camps to houses and outside buyers.”
“As in those being sold off across the map?” Blair leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yes.” Griffin straightened up because the ache in his arm registered. “Maybe when the people that are working on the sales records are done, we can connect them.”
Blair snorted, “to hell with connecting them, I say we shut them all down.”
Calum came back in, grinning, “Devin will be calling us shortly, he’s waking the others up.”
“You enjoyed waking him, didn’t you?” Blair checked the coffee maker’s progress.
“I did.”
“He never sleeps,” Shaelan came into the kitchen, went over to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Calum wrapped his arms around her, leaned down, and kissed her head. “If you’re working on something, you never sleep either.”
Griffin had never been around couples before, and it caused an ache beside him every time he witnessed something tender between them. He glanced at Blaise, who flicked just her eyes to him. Was she feeling it too? That empty ache that had never been present before being around all these mated couples.
With the coffee brewed, they lined up to fill their cups, leaving none left by the time Blair went to fill his. “We need to buy those industrial-size catering things for coffee.”
Kobie came out into the room and smiled at him, “I’ll get your coffee; go sit.”
“You are the most beautiful creature that ever lived.” He kissed her as she went to the sink to fill the pot again.
Griffin looked at Blaise again; her expression was basically telling him not to even go there. He lowered his head, so no one would see the smirk on his face, especially her. He sat down, and then realized how tired he was.
Someone’s phone rang. Calum set his on the table and tapped speaker, “Devin.”
“Yeah. Illias will have Raymond and Dad on the line in a minute.” There was mumbling in the background. “Rayne won’t be joining us until she has coffee.”
Calum grinned, “understandable.”
“Okay, Illias messaged, the call will reconnect with Dad and Raymond.” The line clicked.
“Good morning, everyone.”
Griffin looked at the phone; the King didn’t sound like he was just woken up.
“Dad, Griffin has finished going through the pictures and information.”
“Nate called about a half hour ago and says they have also finished the list.”
“So we’ll be going out soon?” Blair asked, sounding more awake now.
“How many were identified?” Griffin recognized Raymond Hardy’s voice.
Calum moved over and picked up the notebook. He flipped through the pages, “a lot.” He leaned down and tapped the laptop, so the screen saver went off, opened the photo file, and clicked on one. Griffin watched him click on a few more. “Several are faces we look at all the time.”
“I’m going to need that list,” Raymond said.
“I uh,” Griffin cleared his throat, “I listed them by the photo number.”
“I don’t care how they’re listed, just as long as they are.”
“How are we doing with the locations under surveillance?” The King inquired.
“Uri says there hasn’t been any movement. We thought it was because of the storm, everyone was staying close to home, but now we’re not sure what’s happening. We haven’t been able to confirm much.”
Blair and Calum exchanged a look.
“And Mister Tomas, what has he been up to?”
“Not much movement there either, sir, we’re not sure what’s happening.”
“He’s regrouping.” Griffin glanced around as the others looked at him, “he’ll hole up in his office and get in touch with all of his contacts and work on finding new holding houses,” he shrugged, “with all the raids or whatever you’re calling them that has happened in the last few weeks, he’s going to be coming up with a new plan.”
“There has to be a way to get him moving again. We can’t breach locations if they’re all on lockdown.” Devin sounded annoyed, and Griffin felt that he wanted them to succeed.
“I presume Aiden’s office building is being watched.” Griffin stood up, “right now.”
“Of course, it is,” Raymond answered.
He rubbed his hand over his hair, “how bad do you want him to jump into action?”
“We need to confirm numbers and see what we’re up against, we can’t go in anywhere if we don’t know this.”
Griffin nodded to what Raymond said. “Let me call him.”
Everyone in the room looked at him. Blaise glared at him for a second, then came over, grabbed his good arm, and pulled him over by the door.
“Are you insane? He’ll just send more out to look for you.”
“I just want to help.”
She shook her head, “so write down more information.”
Griffin heaved out a breath, “I don’t have anymore. I could write names but don’t know the details that go with them. I’ve given every location I know.” He looked over at Blair, “they need to panic and move,” he shrugged, “well after he’s done screaming and smashing things, he’ll panic and move.”
“He’s right.” Rayne was on the call now. “Aiden will scream at his men, and then everyone will scramble to please him.”
Calum looked across the room at Blaise, “if we can isolate even a few of his top gophers, it’s a big win for us. Taking out those that make things happen is the only to slow things down,” he turned and glanced at Blair, “until we get networks set up overseas and at more borders to stop them.”
Blaise put her hands on her hips, “it’s ridiculous; it’s like painting a neon target on his back saying ‘come and get me’.”
“I’m good at my job,” Illias drawled, “they won’t know where he is.”
“You don’t think you can protect him?” The King asked.
Blaise scowled at the phone, “I didn’t say that, but if he does call, we can’t stay here after the call; there are too many in this area.”
“We can arrange for you to stay on the move, Blaise. Griffin will be safe.” The King stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “Jesse had to do that for a while to make sure he couldn’t be tracked with Leah. We have many locations not on any public record or in any name that could trace back to anyone connected with the Alliance.”
“We’re going to need him to be mobile anyway,” Devin interrupted, “to be nearby when we go in places. If he can see who we’re bringing out, we have a better shot at not putting any more moles into the Alliance.”
Everyone turned and looked at Blaise, himself included. Griffin didn’t know what was going to be involved in staying on the move, but if this is what needed to be done to get things moving and shut Aiden down, he wanted to do it.
Blaise blew out a breath, “okay, give him a secure phone, and I’m going to need supplies.”