Thirty-Seven

Jacob did not give Sam the bite.

"It wouldn't have been worth it," Leah decided as she watched her husband's form from the other side of the glass window. He was still in a coma, but his status updated to stable. "The doctors said that he'd recover eventually. All we have to do is wait for him to wake up.

The topic was never brought up again.

Two weeks later, Leah found herself still loitering outside of Sam's room, a thing she did after work. She had never once gone inside unless requested by the nurse and doctor; she never knew what she would say to the man.

"Here."

Leah glanced to her right when her mother-in-law stood with two cups of hot tea. "Thanks for this," she told Allison before breathing in the wonderful steam flowing out of the paper cup in her hand.

"Looked like you needed it," Allison remarked with a smile smell. She took a sip of her own drink and glanced at her sleeping son. "I hope he wakes up soon. Preferably before the baby comes."

"Me, too," Leah replied into her cup. She then took one long sip and looked through the glass window. It was hard seeing Sam, a fellow cop, like this. "There's hope, though. The doctors said he's doing fine. His vitals are—

"He still loves you, you know."

"Allison."

The older woman was only speaking her mind. She didn't intend to pull maliciously on Leah's heartstrings; she was simply trying to keep the family together during this pressing time—Leah didn't blame her. Sam was Allison's son, but Leah didn't want to hear about Sam's so-called feelings towards her. She stopped wanting to hear so months ago.

"It's over between us," Leah said with such finality that there was no more room to suggest otherwise. She glanced at her mother-in-law, looking for a reaction.

Allison shoved her hands into her pants pocket and let out a sigh. "I understand," she said. "As I said before: I didn't think much of you when Sam told me the news. But now, after hearing the truth, I completely understand your decision… I truly wish it didn't have to come to this, though."

"Of course, she wants you to stay married," Aisha told Leah the following afternoon during a quick coffee-run. "She doesn't hate you, and her son is currently out of commission. A divorce is the last thing she wants to hear about—that and knowing she has an outside grandchild." She eyed her friend with suspicion. "Are you having second thoughts about your marriage?"

"I want to be done with everything by the end of the year," Leah said. "Just want it to be all over, but now, with everyone going on… Wouldn't aggressively pursuing a divorce while Sam's in a coma make me look like a complete and total bitch?"

"Honestly?" Aisha shrugged. "Not really. You'd be amazed at how many marriages end due to a serious accident or illness. It's the stress from those injuries that screws everything up. I'm sure no one would judge."

"I'm not divorcing him while he's under a coma," Leah decided. "I can wait."

Maria and two of her bodyguards were arrested early Wednesday morning.

"We may have to give this case to the feds, though," Martinez informed Leah, Jacob, Embry, and Aisha hours after the news of Maria's arrest hit the airwaves. "As much I don't like it, it looks like we don't have any other choice. It's a safety thing.

"I get it," Aisha said. "We don't have the facilities to hold two of the most dangerous vampires in the city. Imagine putting them in Cook County."

Everyone let out a dry laugh.

"Can we get them on arms-trafficking charges?" Leah wondered. "Paul was after them primarily for the UVs."

"Yeah, but like Aisha said: Illinois can't house vampires, not even for a short time," Martinez said. "They're going to have to get transferred to…"

"Alcatraz?" Jacob offered.

Martinez shook his head. "Word on the street is that there's another facility out west that goes beyond a supermax."

Everyone exchanged looks.

"How is that possible?" Leah asked. "Are talking about a federally-run prison?"

Martinez shrugged. "It's all rumors."

"Did Maria and her underlings give a reason why for Sam's shooting?" Aisha asked Martinez. "Did it have anything to do with the purge?"

"Unfortunately, no one's talking," Martinez said. "But there is one thing we can assure—Sam didn't fuck up. The cartel had no idea that they were trying to knock off a cop. They're not stupid; they know the terms of the Deal."

"The full moon's coming up," Leah announced to her partner one morning. She circled the important date on her desk calendar. "Next week." Her grin dropped at the sight of Jacob's worried expression, partially hidden by the computer monitor the man was slouching behind. "Oh, it's not going to be that bad. If Paul can handle it, so can I."

Jacob sat up in his seat. "You'll be fine."

"So, where does it happen? Do we go to our usual running-place?"

Jacob nodded. "Can't do it at your place. Then we'll be on the news for sure." He stopped, probably sensing the nerves rolling off Leah, and then added, "After the first time, it gets easier. I promise. Trust me on this."

"I usually do," Leah said, intending to add more, but her thoughts shifted gears when a particular unexpected scent of a person hit her nose. Jacob noticed, as well.

Leah turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of one of the most fearless people she had ever known make a beeline to Paul's office. Alone.

"Shouldn't there be some Marshals with her?" Leah asked, watching U.S. Attorney Carolina Barba greeted the captain and the other occupant of the room, Jenks. "I lost count of the number of hits on her head."

"Pretty sure she has, too," Jacob remarked. "Something big must've come up for her come all the way here. Hopefully, it's something promising.

Leah nodded. She would discover the reason for the surprise visit, too. She'd be able to overhear the conversation inside Paul's office. Yes, it would be considered eavesdropping (which, she actually didn't do very often), it wasn't her fault she was so curious. And anyway, if Paul hadn't wanted her to hear anything, she reasoned, he wouldn't have chosen to keep his office door open.

"I heard through the grapevine that you caused quite a stir, captain. You must be doing one hell of a job if the superintendent is shaking in his boots and not demanding your resignation."

"Nothing's official," Paul said to Carolina Barba, being surprisingly humble.

He was never humble.

"Well, considering you're still the captain of his secretive unit, and therefore, haven't been disciplined by voicing your opinion to your superiors in such a passionate manner… I think otherwise."

"Thanks, but—"

"I don't want to keep the compliment-spree short," Jenks interjected. "But why happened now?"

Carolina let out a light laugh. "Calm your nerves, Jenks. I actually wanted to give you both some good news.

"Define good," Paul said.

"Barring anything drastic, Sorio will be arrested later today on federal charges relating to public corruption," Carolina announced. "His arraignment is scheduled for the end of the week."

"Oh, Hell, Counselor. You finally did it."

"I cannot believe—" Jenks stopped. "Not to sound ungrateful, but why the wait for an arraignment? You've done it tomorrow if you wanted."

"I could, but I wan to give Sorio a few days to mull things over. Maybe by then, he'll be more willing to speak, and after that, we can think of a reasonable plea bargain," Carolina explained. "I highly doubt a decorated judge such as himself would like to serve a full sentence. He may think he's all big and bag, but once he realizes that he's facing life, he'll reconsider."

"Are you the prosecutor for his case?" Paul asked.

"No, for the time being, my focus is on organized crime. I'm sending Sorio's case to my colleagues in the Western District. The attorney out there isn't Sorio's biggest fan and believe it or not, also has jurisdiction over the judge's crimes. I'm sure he'll have no issue sticking it to Sorio."

"What if Sorio pleads not guilty?" Jenks asked.

"For his sake, he better not," Carolina sharply replied. "Oh, I can't believe I forget to mention this. More good news: there's a warrant out for Edward Masen's arrest for his role in the Sorio investigation. Carlisle is dead, so we cannot go after him, but Edward… I think we can get something done."

"I'm glad you're after the new leader," Jenks said quickly. "Not to pry, but how did you manage to—"

"I have my sources."

"You're not going to tell us who they are?" Jenks said.

"If I wanted to tell you, I wouldn't have referred to them as my sources," Carolina pointed out. "Don't worry, Jenks. None of them are criminals or dangers to national security. I don't harbor those kinds of people."

"What makes you think this Edward Masen will comply?" Paul asked. "Pardon my French, but he's been a major pain in the ass."

"Because he doesn't have a choice," Carolina said. "If an arrest warrant is issued, he will be arrested. No questions asked. Anyway, if he is as smart as I think he is, he will turn himself in. I can't nab him for any serious charges outside of bribery and possibly possession, so the sooner he turns himself in, the shorter his sentence will be."

Carolina scoffed. "Of course not, but if there is one thing I've learned from working in this business, it's that long-term rewards are always so much sweeter than the short-term ones."

"You want to destabilize the family..." Paul realized.

"I fully intend to retire with several big-time mob convictions under my belt. It's always easier to convict mobsters when their social system breaks down. That's when they become jaded and question the strength of their so-called family. Seeing their fortunes and reputation dwindle—that's when they start to weigh their options, wondering if maintaining their allegiance is worth the consequences. And we will be right here, waiting for them to come running straight into our open arms."

"These aren't your normal criminals, Barba," Jenks said. "They aren't humans; they are vampires."

"Tell me, Counselor: what difference does that make?"

"I apologize for dropping off the face of the Earth for the past couple of weeks," Benjamin told Leah and Jacob as he entered the unmarked car. "Shit is seriously hitting the fan." He deeply exhaled. "Yo, I heard about what happened to Sam. Damn, that's messed up, but at least, he's still alive?"

"Yeah," Leah said.

"I also heard that Maria had something about it. If that's the truth, then she's a fool. She's under investigation for illegal arms, for goodness' sake. Why would she want to bring even more heat on herself and the cartel?"

"She got spooked," Jacob said. "I hear there's purge."

"Yeah, but…" Benjamin trailed off, shaking his head. "Hey, did she know about him being a cop?"

"Rumor has it, no."

"Good. How is he now?"

Leah glanced at the agent. "Stable."

"Well, Godspeed to him," Benjamin said. He then rubbed his hands together and continued, "So, the reason why I'm here: I have some intel that may be more beneficial to your investigation than mine." He pulled out a flash drive from his front jean pocket and handed it over. "Check it out."

"What is it?" Jacob asked, holding up the device.

"Let's just say you're not the only people running a tap on the Cullens," Benjamin replied. "Everything happened within the city lines, so you're covered. Oh, and this conversation didn't happen. I didn't give you anything. I wasn't in the back of your car… You know the drill."

"We understand," Leah said, eyeing the flash drive in her hands as if inside was the answer to all of her questions. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Benjamin said. He opened the passenger door. "Gotta go." With one foot out the door, he added with a smirk. "Don't forget to return the favor. My people need all the help we can get."

"Of course," Jacob said. "Stay alive, if you know what I mean."

Benjamin grinned. "Yeah, I do."

When they returned to the station, the trio listened to the recording saved on Benjamin's flash drive. The first couple of minutes didn't reveal much. It sounded like Esme was sitting inside her office, being assisted by a woman named, "Katrina", before being informed that Tanya wanted to speak to the matriarch.

Jacob clicked the pause button on the computer screen. He raised an eyebrow at his partner, "Katrina?"

"Esme's social secretary," Leah explained. She pulled out a folded photo-copy of the personal assistant profile and handed it over. "Originally from Houston, turned back in the '90s."

Jacob scoffed and handed the page to Embry. "Didn't expect her to be black," he remarked, restarting the audio. His comment wasn't a racial thing, but it was heavily implied that the members of the Olympic coven had to fit a particular profile. One that Katrina didn't fit. "Interesting."

Embry made an approving sound. "She's cute," and then asked Leah, "POI?"

Leah shook her head. "No, but she's been Esme's assistant for the past fifteen years." She opened a bag and pretzels and leaned back in her seat. "That lady has to know something."

"Like why Esme wants to be referred to by her middle name," Jacob said. "Not that it's a big deal. She's no longer married, but… maybe it's nothing."

"Or maybe she wants to leave Carlisle in the past?" Leah offered. "Not that I'd blame her—Sounds like this meeting is heating up."

"You, kurva!" Tanya snarled as she marched into the room, slamming the door in the process. "You, marha!"

"Is there you would like to discuss, Tanya?" Esme asked in a level voice, clearly demonstrating that she was dismissive of Tanya's ire.

"Edward ended our engagement!"

"My condolences," Esme replied, feigning sincerity, but she wasn't fooling anyone. Not Tanya, and not the cops listening to her recorded voice.

"I don't need your condolences," Tanya spat. "I need a goddamn explanation. Do you not care about the coven? How could you just tell Edward to end things between us like that? Everything was going according to plan."

"Tanya," Esme said with an exaggerated sigh. "Edward is a grown man, and he's the leader of the Cullen family for a reason.

He is perfectly capable of making his own decisions without my input. I'm sorry about your engagement, but your anger misdirected."

"Misdirected?" Tanya let out a maniacal laugh. "Edward told me that his decision was about Irina. You know, the traitor I just killed?" She snorted. "And don't give me that stupid look! You're the one who told me to kill her!"

"Well, damn," Leah remarked, nearly choking on the pretzels in her mouth. She hadn't expected that conversation between the two matriarchs.

Jacob pressed the pause button, "Holy shit," he breathed out, sliding back his chair. He shared a look with his equally stunned teammates.

"Gotta love the mob," Embry said. "Hey, and according to Google, kurva means bitch in Hungarian, and marha means… cow? Apparently, it's like son of a bitch."

"Thank you for the language lesson," Jacob said, deadpanned.

Embry shrugged.

"Both of you shut up—Irina's dead," Leah said. She cleared throat (and the pretzels), trying to digest all of the audio. "If the engagement between Edward and Tanya is off, then that has to mean… the Olympic coven's in trouble."

"The feds need to know about this," Embry said. "They'll have a field day. Caroline Barba practically has a slam dunk case."

"We're going to ask Paul for an arrest warrant. Two: one for Tanya for murder and other for Esme for conspiracy," Jacob said before pressing the play button. "Damn, Benjamin wasn't fucking around. No wonder he had to dip."

"No, I did not," Esme said. "You made that decision all by yourself, and thus, you have no one to blame but yourself. You should not have allowed yourself to be driven by anger—"

"I cannot believe this!"

"Quiet down," Esme softly implored. "You don't want Edward to come here, do you? I didn't think so. Now, let's have an intelligent, mature conversation with limited screaming. After all, it is five in the morning."

"Like anyone's sleeping," Tanya retorted.

Esme disregarded the other matriarch's comment. "Now, in response to your erroneous accusations: First off, I didn't kill anyone. You're the one who pulled the trigger. You killed Irina because of her liaison with a certain, now-deceased member of the Volturi. And chances are, you made the move without confiding in Edward… Yelling at me isn't going to solve a thing."

"You—"

Esme spoked over Tanya, "Second of all, you have no right to accuse me of not thinking of the coven. The coven is all I think about, and I can assure you that there is nothing in the world I want more than keeping the Denalis and the Cullens together."

"I can kill you for this," Tanya threatened through gritted teeth. "I should kill you for this."

"And jeopardize whatever is left of the alliance between your family and mine?" Esme let out a dramatic sigh. "Not even you would be so short-sighted. You would only be doing the same thing you've been accusing me of."

"I don't understand how you can act so arrogant. You don't have the power to influence any decisions regarding this alliance. You never have."

Esme scoffed. "If believing so makes you feel better... but as I mentioned previously, your anger is misdirected, and it's not going to get you anywhere. If you want to improve your position in the coven, then you would have to find a way to get back into Edward's good graces."

"And how do you expect me to do that, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Well, you can start by making decisions after having an in-depth deliberation with those on the board. I know you are upset about Irina and what she had done, but she is the last person you should have killed off," Esme told Tanya. "Who knows, if you had given you decisions a second thought, then Edward wouldn't have had a reason to end your engagement."

Tanya was speechless.

"I highly advise you not to take this personally," Esme said, following a tense moment of silence. "After all, it's just business."

"Well, that's certainly damning,"

Paul would remark hours later. He had been listening to the audio provided by a certain ATF agent with Leah, Jacob, Embry, and Jenks. "Who do you say, Counselor? Should we be dishing out arrest warrants like candy?"

"We should notify the feds," Jenks suggested, still staring at the laptop screen intently although the audio had stopped. Leah could practically hear the gears turning in his head, as cliché as it might be. The prosecutor eventually spoke up again, "What happened to Irina is their business. She was in the middle of a federal plea arrangement, remember?"

"And now, she's dead," Leah said.

"And now, she's dead," Jenks said. "Let the feds handle the Denalis."

Jenks' suggestion didn't sit well with Paul, who literally wanted everyone, no matter the species, involved in this mess tossed into Alcatraz by the end of the week. Jacob felt the same way, and it wasn't before long when the two men teamed up against Jenks, and an argument quickly commenced.

Embry stayed out of it. With her back against the chair and arms crossed, Leah did as well. She spent the time mulling over the facts in her mind: Benjamin had mentioned to the team that there was a shift in dynamics in the Olympic Coven. Did he mean Tanya… or did he mean Esme? No, it was definitely the latter. The audio had proved it. Tanya was losing her grip on power while Esme was solidifying it—

"I think someone was trying to dismantle the Denalis," Leah suggested over her captain's, her partner's and the prosecutor's squabbling. "Someone not named us. Or the feds, and I doubt it's an inside job."

All of the men glanced at each other and then turned their attention to Leah.

"No, it couldn't have been an inside job," Leah carried on. "Because someone would have mentioned the photos already. Don't you find the timing of this revelation interesting? Right when Irina was in the process of accepting a plea… and now, she's gone."

"That could be motive for an inside job," Jenks argued. "Irina was going to talk, and someone wanted her silence."

"But they didn't need the photos to do that," Jacob pointed out. "Being a rat is justification for execution. Maybe, Leah's onto something. Whoever did this was trying to do more damage than letting Irina get killed."

"Just like what they did to Carlisle," Embry said. "I mean, people were starting to question his authority after the Jessica-debacle. No one likes working for a boss who makes very questionable decisions. Maybe the decision to kill Irina for that may result in people losing their trust in Tanya."

"Esme seems to be offering no help," Leah added.

"You think she knew about the photos?" Paul asked.

Leah shrugged.

"She knows more than she lets on," Jacob said. "But I highly doubt she had those photos in her possession, at least based on the evidence. We found out about the photos from Alistair, the man who never contacts us, and—"

"We need to speak to this Alistair," Jenks told Paul. "Preferably before the day ends."

"If we find out that Tanya murdered on Chicago's soil, the case is ours," Paul told the prosecutor. "With all due respect to our federal law enforcement partners, I'd like to have come convictions be the result of the Chicago Police Department's hard work."

Jenks gave the captain a look. "We'll see how it goes."

Later, Jenks gave the trio the green-light to launch another wire. Apparently, Sorio's replacement wanted to do everything in his power not to attract the attention of federal agents. So, if the task force wanted to eavesdrop on the Cullens conversation? Just as long as it was within the city of Chicago's borders, he was fine with it.

Their objective was to gather more information on Tanya's involvement in Irina's death and the potential shift of power in the Cullen-Denali clan. They weren't planning on arresting anyone yet, but when they did, they wanted to make sure they had enough damning evidence. Enough for the perps to start talking.

"Alcatraz isn't a federal prison, right?" Leah asked. "So, anyone we arrest can be sent there, right?"

"It's complicated," Jacob said, handing both Leah and Embry their headsets. They were parked about a mile from the Cullen residence. "It's officially federal, but due to certain circumstances, we can send those convicted of state crimes over there."

"So, then why do we have to give Maria to the feds?" Embry asked.

"Because her crimes go beyond the city of Chicago," Jacob said. "Plus, I don't think Alcatraz can handle her. It's a max security prison for the supernatural; she needs more than that. I think Alcatraz is more suitable for newborns, honestly."

"Now, what about Tanya?" Embry asked.

"If everything works out, Tanya's ours," Jacob said, adding a smirk. "As far as we know, most of her operations are within Chicago. Irina's death, from the sound of it, happened in Chicago."

"First major break."

"Second," Leah corrected as she increased the volume on the recording device. The wire was about to start. "Remember, Mike's still in Cook County with a murder conviction."

"Thank you both for being here," Edward started, trying to sound like his usual self, but he only came off as downright exhausted.

"Of course," Jasper said.

"It's not a problem," Rosalie said with some hesitance before taking a loud sip of something, most likely blood. "Really."

"I know you're busy, Rosalie, but I wouldn't have called you in on such short notice if it wasn't an emergency," Edward said. "We have a major Denali problem."

Before Rosalie responded, Jacob added, "Irina's dead."

Rosalie choked on the blood. She stuttered out thanks after Jacob slapped her back. After placing the glass down and taking a series of deep, controlled breaths, she asked, "What?"

"Tanya killed her," Edward stated. "She killed her over allegations that Irina had betrayed her and ultimately, the coven."

"You got that?"

Leah nodded as she noted the time displayed on the small laptop screen in front of her. This was big. Tanya could be arrested for murder. It was crazy, but not surprising. It had always been implied that she wouldn't take Irina's betrayal well.

"I thought she'd wait it out," Embry said. "Until the dust clears. There's too much heat on the family right now."

"Betrayal is a bitch," Leah remarked.

"Irina? Betrayed?" Rosalie questioned, sounding genuinely surprised by the news. "Holy shit."

"My sentiments exactly," Edward said, exasperated. "The issue isn't just that Irina was the subject of a federal investigation—it is a problem, but it's not as big as the potential of the Olympic alliance splitting…"

"Why would it split?"

"I ended my engagement with Tanya."

"You did what? Wait—Why?"

"Tanya has been... acting erratically of late," Jasper told Rosalie. "The boss can't afford to marry her. Not now. Not anytime soon."

"How did she react to the news?" Rosalie asked.

"She told me to go fuck myself."

"Sounds about right," Rosalie said. "Perhaps, you should have cut her some slack, Edward. She's been through hell."

"I did," Edward argued. "That's why I only ended our relationship. I'm not going to ostracize her or anything. I'm not going to ruin the relationship between the Cullens and the Denalis."

"Edward, if you're no longer going to marry Tanya, then how do you intend to solidify the alliance between the Cullens and the Denalis? That's what the marriage was for."

"That's why you're here, Rosalie."

"I'm not—"

"I just need advice."

Rosalie snorted. "You shouldn't have broken up with her… How's your relationship with Carmen?"

"Decent," Edward replied, then added, "Enough."

"Okay, and I assume Tanya isn't going to off her anytime soon?"

"I sure hope not."

"Well, so, if you're not marrying Tanya and you still want to keep the families together... you're going to have to form a merger."

"Tanya is not going to agree to that."

Edward let out a deep breath. "Jasper's right. Tanya loves her coven more than anything; she isn't going to give it up."

"Well, make her," Rosalie suggested. "You have leverage. I can't imagine the Denali's can continue to operate with Irina gone. I love Carmen, but she's not Irina. Convince her to talk Tanya into accepting the merger."

"What if Carmen can't?"

"Then use Irina's death against Tanya," Jasper suggested.

"Tanya killed the subject of a federal investigation," Rosalie reminded everyone. "I can't imagine Barba being too thrilled about that. Two suspects in two of her biggest organized crime cases are now dead. How do you think she's going to react if she discovers that Tanya killed her?"

"She'll go after Tanya," Jasper said. "If that happens, the Denali family is as good as gone. Rosalie's right. Carmen isn't Irina; she's not going to lead the family if Tanya's gone—that's your leverage, boss."

"Tell Tanya that she either agrees to your terms or gets arrested for murder," Rosalie said. "Knowing Barba, she'll definitely pursue a first-degree murder conviction against Tanya. If Tanya cooperates with you, promise her that you will brush her involvement in Irina's death under the rug. No law enforcement agency will have to know."

"So, about that arrest warrant," Jacob said to Paul later that night. Sure, the case could technically be handled by the feds, but the murder happened on Chicago's soil. They could and should arrest Tanya for Irina's demise. "We have reasonable suspicion."

"More than that," Embry added.

Leah remained silent. Requesting an arrest warrant for Tanya made perfect sense, but there was something that wasn't sitting right with her. Something was telling her that arresting Tanya at this time would do more harm than good—and the only justification she had was her gut. She still tried, though.

"We should wait," Leah suggested. "If we take her in now, then everyone will know that we've been listening to them."

Embry was confused. "So?"

"So," Leah sat up in her seat. She looked between Jacob and Paul; they didn't seem as dismissive as Embry. "We should wait. We should hear those words coming from Tanya—"

"She accused Esme of suggesting Tanya's murder," Embry contended.

"But that doesn't mean shit," Jacob argued, seemingly realizing where his partner was coming from. "Yeah, it's damning. We don't know the context of that statement; heck, Esme even denied it. Captain, what do you think?"

"We'll arrest her," Paul decided. "But not on suspicion of murder. If Rosalie doesn't want us to know about the murder, then we won't know. It should be a surprise, and I love surprises because that makes everyone lose their minds and fuck shit up."

The next morning, Leah found out that Benjamin would no longer be officially known as "Benjamin al-Fadhil" this week.

The ATF was pulling him (sort of) for the same reason why Paul had wanted to pull Sam. Tensions were running high between the gangs, and the purge didn't look like it was going away anytime soon. It was the right decision.

Leah ended up seeing the undercover agent a couple of days later during a pitstop at the station before heading out to Jenks' office. Jacob had also wanted to check on Paul before they met with the ASA. If the rumors were true, numerous federal agents would be visiting the station for questioning and possibly arrests relating to the police corruption probe.

From the moment Leah, Jacob, and Embry walked into the station, they knew the rumors were true. Paul, who was talking to a group of agents near his office, looked like he was moments away from exploding. After exchanging a cautious look with Leah, Jacob excused himself and headed straight to Paul's office to do some damage control.

Leah followed close behind until a familiar, unexpected scent hit her. Curious and puzzled, she stopped, turned around, and headed straight to the holding cells.

Benjamin was still here.

"I was under the impression that you were supposed to be yesterday," Leah said before grimacing at the sight of Benjamin sucking up the last his lunch: two bags of vegetarian blood. She was glad she was the only person who had noticed what the man had ingested; It was a smart of Paul to place Benjamin in a cell that was isolated from the others. Benjamin looked up from behind the locked gate, put aside the bag of blood, and grinned. "Detective Uley, always a pleasure to see your face." He stood up and placed his hands on the cell bars. Yeah, it looks like my extradition got a little delayed."

"Do I even want to know why?"

"It's nothing too crazy. Just the bureaucracy being the bureaucracy," Benjamin replied with a wave. "It's all the damn paperwork, but I did receive news that I'll officially be released today."

"Are you going back to your office?"

Benjamin released his hold on the metal bars and took a couple of steps back. "Yeah, but I'm going to have to lay low for a while. Maybe even request a transfer.

"Lay low?"

"It's standard for undercover assignments. I'm probably going to be stuck at the desk, writing never-ending reports, so, yeah... I'm laying low for a while."

Benjamin put his hands behind his head and leaned against the cell wall. "Luckily for me, it doesn't look like I'll have to be under witness protection. Felix's been arrested, so technically, the hit's off. The Volturi might not be too happy with me, but they can't afford to knock off a federal agent. At least, not anytime soon."

"Good to hear," Leah said, adding a small smile. "Look, Benjamin, this goes without saying…."

"Yusuf."

Leah blinked a couple of times. "Yusuf?"

"My name," Benjamin clarified with a wide grin. He seemed relieved to finally use the name his parents had given him. "Yusuf Mansour. My real name." His attention suddenly turned to the space beyond Leah, where he could see several federal agents following Paul. "Looks like the feds won't be leaving you guys anytime soon. So, the rumors are true…"

Leah turned around and watched as Paul pointed things out to his guests, looking as annoyed as ever. She suspected that Jacob was only tagging along to make sure Paul didn't get himself arrested. "We're being investigated," she confessed. Perhaps, she shouldn't have. "For corruption and obstruction."

Yusuf gulped. "Sounds exciting."

Leah sighed as her gaze dropped to the floor. She should be fine, right? She was just doing her job, right? Surely, she wouldn't be one of the unfortunate cops in trouble, right?

"Oh yes, I'm certainly looking forward to answering a long list of questions, and the possibility of getting disciplined or worse."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Yusuf said. "You'll be fine. You, Jacob, Sam, and even Paul will be fine. My people already know about the immense help you've all given me. They'll convince the rest of the G-men to leave you alone. They may question you guys, but charges and convictions?" He shook his head. "That's not going to happen. I'll make sure of it."

Leah let out a sigh in relief. "Thank you."

"No problem. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. Without your help, the raid and everything else wouldn't have happened," Yusuf said. "Now, I can't promise you that your coworkers will be treated the same. Making deals with covens usually isn't viewed in a positive light—Oh, look. That man coming this way has keys." He clapped. "Maybe that means I'm free."

Leah nodded. She soon stepped aside when a cop approached them, waving around the cell keys. He greeted Leah and then turned his attention to the man in the cell. "Mansour, we're ready to head out," he said.

Yusuf grinned. "About damn time," he said, excited. "My coworkers are here?"

"Waiting outside," the cop replied, and then dropped his voice. "To tell you the truth, I don't think the ATF wants to come inside with the Bureau hanging around."

Yusuf nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. They're not the best of friends right now."

"Why not?" Leah asked.

"Long story," Yusuf quickly said, stretching out his arms as he walked out of the cell. He followed Leah and the cop to the lobby. An ATF agent was standing outside, leaning against the station stairs. Another agent was leaning against a car, arms crossed, looking both bored and annoyed. "Looks like my job here is done— Thanks, man."

The cop nodded and left, leaving Leah and Yusuf behind.

"Your coworkers look happy," Leah said sarcastically.

"Yeah, extractions can be a bit of a pain in the ass," Yusuf said. "Tell Paul and everyone that I thank them for their hospitality and help. I wanted to let them know face to face, but it looks like they're occupied."

"I'll make sure to pass it on." Leah looked through the precinct window and the ATF near the car, pointing at his wristwatch. The other agent entered the building, and stood at the doorway, watching his coworker expectantly. "I think your friends are getting impatient."

"Oh, they can wait a little bit," Yusuf said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "Here's my card. I also wrote down my personal cell. If you need anything, and I mean, anything, hit me up."

Leah took the card and gave the agent a warm smile. "Thank you. I think we're good—Actually, there is one thing." She pulled out a note Jacob had given her earlier about the possible existence of a second federal prison facility just for the supernatural. Leah had to know if it was true or not. After looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, she handed Yusuf the piece of paper. "Do you have anything on this?"

Yusuf's eyes widened as he quickly scanned the note. He swallowed and shoved the piece of paperback in the curious detective's hand. "How did you—"

Leah knew she didn't have time to explain. "Does it exist?"

The agent hesitated to answer. "Arizona Desert," he then whispered. "Near Area 51."

Leah froze. ''What?"

"It's a quarter-mile deep." Yusuf let out a humorless chuckle. "I told y'all they know about us."

"Agent Mansour, it's time to leave."

Yusuf rolled his eyes and acknowledged the agent. "One second!"

"Who knows?"

"Only a select few are supposed to," the agent said. "Sort of."

Leah lifted an eyebrow. "And yet, you're telling me…"

"Think of it as unofficially classified info," Yusuf said in a whisper as he started to head towards the entrance. "Looks like I gotta go before my friend over there has a hit. We'll catch up, 'kay?"

"Of course," Leah said with a wave. "Goodbye, Agent Yusuf Mansour."

Yusuf turned around, grinning. "So long, Detective Leah Uley," he returned with a dramatic bow, hand gestures and all.