EPILOGUE

 

Terrance Samuels stared at the vid-screens lining the wall of his den. On one channel, Barbury was being walked into Guard Head Quarters, escorted by a phalanx of Guards. The reporter’s voiceover was condemning him as a violent terrorist who’d used his association with Senator Johnson to order a military assault on a scientific research station that had just made the amazing discovery of a Shifter city. Senator Johnson’s press secretary gave an eloquent speech on the senator’s behalf condemning the actions of the senator’s aide, claiming, “Everything necessary will be done to make sure this type of thing never happens again.”

In other words, the senator was going to be more careful next time so nothing leaked to the press.

On another channel, the “exclusive” story of the discovery of the city was being reported. This was the same channel to break the news. They were taking advantage of their status, securing exclusive interviews with Dr. Ti’ann Jones, Dr. Krin Freemont, and a handful of the other people working the original site. Doctors Jones and Freemont were moderate in their retellings, sticking to a few facts and focusing on the fascination and thrill of the discovery instead of the more sensational events of the attack on the city.

Another channel devoted to gossip was announcing the impending wedding of Ti’ann Jones to Nathan Longfeather. “The couple who saved the Shifter city from destruction.”

Samuels snorted in disgust. He had no doubt the Shifters had something to do with saving their own city. He didn’t believe the story of a dragon for a minute. And if it was a dragon, it was a Shifter in dragon form. Which meant these new Shifters could kill. That was an interesting bit of information. He’d have to see how this could benefit him.

He still couldn’t believe he’d been standing on top of a Shifter city and hadn’t known. If he hadn’t thought the incursion premature, he would have gone in with the military team himself. Just to see the city. In hindsight, he was glad he’d thought better of it. And despite the blundering, the city was still there to see. One day maybe.

But what really bothered Samuels was the inside “source” who had given the senator the information about the city. Was it one of Ti’ann and Krin’s team? That seemed unlikely after the extensive interviews he’d done while posing as an inspector. None of them, even the Shifter-hating Micca—apparently killed during the military strike—had high enough connections to get the information to the senator so fast.

So who was it? He didn’t like when information was withheld from him. Whoever it was had managed something he couldn’t. He didn’t like that either.

Samuels lifted his snifter of Binnean brandy and watched the drama play out for the public. He’d have to find this inside source of the senator’s. It might prove a very useful bit of information.