Chapter 51 Allies And Enemies
Elara showed the text to Kai the next morning and watched his face darken as he read it.
"It's probably a trap," he said.
"Or it's someone who wants Darius's money but prefers getting paid to actually complete the job," Elara said.
"You want to hire an assassin to protect you from other assassins," Kai said flatly.
"I want to explore every option," Elara corrected. "We have ten days until the regional council meeting and forty people trying to kill me, conventional security hasn't worked."
"So you trust a mercenary who admits they're only in it for money," Kai said.
"I trust self-interest more than loyalty," Elara said. "Loyalty can be manipulated, self-interest is predictable."
Kai was quiet for a moment. "If we do this, I'm vetting whoever it is thoroughly."
"Fine," Elara said and typed a response: "Meet in person first. Public location. Come alone."
The response came immediately: "Neutral Grounds Cafe, noon today. I'll be wearing blue."
Neutral Grounds was a pack-run establishment that served as meeting space for inter-pack negotiations, with strict no-violence policies enforced by hired security.
"I'll come with you," Kai said.
"The message said come alone," Elara pointed out.
"I don't care what the message said," Kai replied. "You're not meeting a potential assassin without backup."
They compromised—Kai would be at a nearby table within earshot but not obviously together with her.
At noon Elara entered Neutral Grounds and found it moderately crowded with various pack members conducting business over coffee.
A woman in a blue jacket sat in the corner booth alone, and when Elara approached she gestured to the opposite seat.
"You came," the woman said. "Smart."
"Who are you?" Elara asked.
"Call me Reese," the woman said. "Former military, current independent contractor specializing in personal security."
"You mean mercenary," Elara said.
"I mean I provide services to people who need protection from threats conventional security can't handle," Reese corrected. "Like forty assassins with active contracts."
"How do you know about that?" Elara asked.
"Because I was offered the contract yesterday," Reese said. "Fifty thousand to confirm your death, another fifty if I deliver proof within a week."
"And you're telling me this why?" Elara asked.
"Because a hundred thousand isn't worth burning bridges with Silvercrest pack," Reese said. "But two hundred thousand to keep you alive is worth making new ones."
"You want double Darius's offer," Elara said.
"I want triple," Reese corrected. "One hundred for initial protection, another hundred when the regional council meeting ends safely, and a final hundred when the assassination contracts are verified cancelled."
"That's three hundred thousand dollars," Elara said.
"That's a life," Reese said. "Yours, your son's, and anyone else caught in crossfire, seems like a bargain."
"We don't have that kind of money," Elara said.
"But Silvercrest pack does," Reese said. "Emergency funds, Alpha discretionary accounts, liquidate some assets if you have to."
"Kai is already stretched thin financially," Elara said.
"Then you're probably going to die," Reese said bluntly. "Because conventional security won't stop professionals, and forty professionals motivated by money are extremely persistent."
"What makes you different?" Elara asked.
"I specialize in counter-assassination operations," Reese said. "I identify threats before they materialize, I neutralize contractors before they reach their targets, and I have resources Silvercrest security doesn't."
"Like what?" Elara asked.
"Contacts in every major pack across three states," Reese said. "Intelligence networks that track contract killings, and relationships with people who take these jobs for money rather than ideology."
"You're saying you can talk assassins out of killing me," Elara said.
"I'm saying I can offer them better deals to not kill you," Reese corrected. "Everyone has a price, I just need to find it."
Kai appeared at their table despite Reese's condition about meeting alone. "This conversation is over."
"Alpha Silvercrest," Reese said without surprise. "I wondered how long you'd stay hidden."
"You know who I am," Kai said.
"Everyone knows who you are," Reese said. "The question is whether you're smart enough to accept help when it's offered."
"Help that costs three hundred thousand dollars," Kai said.
"Help that keeps your mate and son alive," Reese corrected. "But if you'd rather gamble with conventional security, that's your choice."
She stood to leave and Elara grabbed her arm. "Wait."
"Elara, no," Kai said.
"We don't have other options," Elara said to him. "You said yourself that security is compromised and we can't trust anyone."
"So you trust her?" Kai demanded.
"I trust that she wants to get paid," Elara said. "Which means keeping me alive is in her best interest."
Reese smiled slightly. "Smart woman."
"How do we know you're actually capable of what you're promising?" Kai asked.
"Because I'm still alive after twenty years in this business," Reese said. "And because three of the people on Darius's list are already mine—I control whether they take the contract or decline, and for the right price I'll make sure they decline."
"You're blackmailing us," Kai said.
"I'm offering insurance," Reese corrected. "Insurance that your enemies don't get the satisfaction of collecting Darius's bounty."
"Give us twenty-four hours to consider," Elara said.
"You have twelve," Reese said. "After that my rates double because the risk increases."
She left and Kai sat heavily in the booth. "This is insane."
"This is survival," Elara said. "We're surrounded by people trying to kill us and we're trusting guards who might be bribed, Reese is right that conventional security won't work."
"She could be working with Darius," Kai said. "Setting us up to get close."
"Then we watch her closely," Elara said. "But right now she's offering something we desperately need."
They returned to the estate where Maya and Liam were reviewing documents for the regional council presentation.
"We need three hundred thousand dollars," Kai announced.
Maya looked up. "For what?"
"Private security contractor who claims she can stop the assassination attempts," Kai said.
"You met with a mercenary?" Liam asked.
"We didn't have a choice," Elara said and explained about Reese's offer.
"That's a lot of money for an unverified service," Maya said.
"That's a small price for surviving the next ten days," Elara countered.
"Where would we even get that kind of cash?" Liam asked. "Silvercrest's liquid assets are mostly tied up in legal fees for Darius's defense and the territorial challenge preparation."
"Sell my car collection," Kai said. "It's worth at least four hundred thousand, we can liquidate it within forty-eight hours."
"That'll leave you with no personal assets," Maya pointed out.
"Better broke than dead," Kai said.
They debated for another hour before Kai made the decision to hire Reese, and by evening she was installing additional security equipment and reviewing staff backgrounds.
"Your head of security is compromised," Reese announced after two hours of investigation. "He's been taking payments from Derek Blackwood for six months."
"That's impossible," Kai said. "I've known him for years."
"Then you've been blind for years," Reese said and showed him bank records. "Thirty thousand in payments disguised as consulting fees."
Kai fired the security chief immediately and Reese replaced him with someone from her own network.
"Anyone else?" Kai asked.
"Three guards and your personal assistant," Reese said.
"Margaret?" Elara asked in shock.
"Not Margaret," Reese said. "Your assistant, the one who schedules your appointments."
Kai looked pale. "She has access to my calendar, my communications, everything."
"Had access," Reese corrected. "I already locked her out of all systems and she's being detained for questioning."
The purge continued through the evening until Reese had identified seven staff members with financial connections to either Darius or Derek.
"Your security was swiss cheese," Reese told Kai. "It's a miracle you're still alive."
"How do we know your people aren't compromised?" Kai asked.
"Because I pay them better than anyone else and I kill people who betray me," Reese said simply. "Loyalty through fear and profit, it's surprisingly effective."
That night Elara finally allowed herself to feel a small measure of relief knowing they had someone competent protecting them.
But the relief lasted less than an hour before her phone rang with news that made her blood run cold.
"Adrian's been taken," Maya's voice said. "He was in the playroom with Betty and now he's gone, we've searched everywhere."
Elara dropped the phone and ran.