Jamie's thoughts were occupied with how best to do the right thing by everyone involved. Look at the price they had paid: professionally, Chloe was still in good shape. Personally, however, her relationship with her only living relative, her sister, was damaged beyond repair. The affair with Jean-Michel had strained it, but Chloe's refusal to give up the team during Nathalie's torture had severed it completely. Of course, the failure of the team would have cost Nathalie her life anyway, but Nathalie had no way of knowing that. Jackson's fun-loving life as a safari animal behaviorist was long since in the rear view mirror, and worse, he had been unable to contact his mother in Botswana for months. He had no way to know if she was dead or alive. He always had to live in the shadow of his often ridiculed father; now, the knowledge that the elder's seemingly maniacal rantings had actually been correct left him riddled with guilt and regret. Abe found himself stranded in a foreign world from the he'd always known. He had also lost his livelihood, his job as a safari guide which he had loved, and had no way to reach his cousins. His calm demeanor belied his despair over not knowing their fates. Mitch's teaching career, as well as his work as a veterinary pathologist, were over and done with—at least for the time being. He had very little contact with his ex-wife and therefore his daughter. Presumably, they were still safely ensconced at the home of Justin's parents, but there was nowhere that was completely safe from the animals, and he had not heard from them in more than a month now. At that time, Clementine was doing well. They could only hope that nothing had changed. As for Jamie herself, well, her troubles were well-documented. Idiotic. Paranoid. Pathetic. These words had been spoken directly to her face as she'd tried to warn people about Reiden Global. She was fired from her job. She couldn't help but wonder what awaited her and Mitch when this was all over and they returned to Los Angeles.

And they were the lucky ones. Consider Robert Oz, and his dear wife who believed in him. They had lost their lives. And Leo Butler. He had also been on a mission to make Reiden pay for their crimes; he, too, had died in the battle. Even Hartley, hardly a sympathetic character, had been a victim of the mutation. Nathalie Tousignant had suffered immeasurably, and she didn't even know why. Delavenne put everything on the line when he betrayed Reiden and was now living underground with his family. And then there were the millions of people around the world who'd been slaughtered in pain and fear by animals. All victims of Reiden Global's greed and carelessness.

Reaffirming her vow to bring justice for all of them, Jamie looked over her manuscript. It was coming together nicely. How to Save the World on $11 a Day. That was the title she once joked she'd use for her book. Probably a little flippant for the seriousness of the subject matter, she mused, but still pretty accurate.

It was then that something on the computer screen caught her eye. Oh my God…The recognition of what she was seeing hit her like a ton of bricks. She began to feel ill.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We can't take the one the government has," Abe said. "They would know right away that it was us and they would discover our secret friends."

"Could we just cut off a very small piece and leave the rest? Maybe they wouldn't know it was missing. It's sitting in a warehouse while it's not being used." Chloe suggested as she poured the wine.

Jackson and Chloe had invited the others to their apartment to discuss the mother cell issue. Jamie opted to stay behind and work on her research.

"Maybe," Jackson considered, "but it's a seriously secure warehouse. We're not just gonna walk in there. How much do you need?"

"For two test doses?" Mitch responded. "Very little. A few grams, maybe."

"Maybe we can get it from the source," Abe offered.

"Reiden? Maybe, but do you know where they keep it?" Mitch sniped. "Somehow I doubt it's hanging on a wall with a sign reading 'in case of animal apocalypse, break glass.'"

"No, but maybe you're on the right track," Jackson had an idea. "We're going to walk right in the front door and ask them where it is. And they're going to tell us."

Seeing three skeptical expressions, he continued. "Look, it's a simple confidence game. The best ones for the job are Jamie and me, but obviously Jamie's not marching into the head office of Reiden Global."

He walked over and put his arm around Mitch's shoulder. "That's where you come in."

"Think again, Einstein," Mitch removed the arm. "They know my face, my name, everything. I'll be made the instant I walk in there."

"That's what I'm counting on."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You won't believe the plan that's in the works," Mitch said as he walked in the front door. Jamie sat on the sofa with the lap top in front of her. She was white as a sheet.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh my God, Mitch," she began sadly. "It was me. Me. I'm the rat."

"Catch me up."

"I'm the reason they always seemed to know what we were up to. Look at this," she pointed to the screen. "I typed this. On my computer. Word for word. They had to have gotten this from me. Don't you see? They cloned my freaking hard drive! And I didn't have a clue."

She began pacing the room anxiously. "They probably installed some kind of spyware at the same time. I can't believe this! That's how they knew. I'm the rat!"

Mitch attempted to offer comfort. "So…we hate you now? Don't be so hard on yourself, Jamie. You couldn't have known. Look at the bright side: this means they've been watching you far longer than you thought. That's flattering, no? You must scare the shit out of them."

"That's why they didn't know we were in Zambia. I never made a single entry there because I had no way to charge it."

"Well, we know this computer is clear because they're unaware that you're still a threat to them. You're now officially a secret weapon."

"Awesome," Jamie said wryly. "So, um, what's this about a plan?"

"Apparently we're going to run on a con at Reiden Global to find out the location of the mother cell."

"Ooh, I so wanna be in on that!"

"Ooh, you so cannot be!" Mitch reminded her. "The fun part is that somehow Jackson thinks I should be."

"But they know you. Could you be arrested if you do this?"

"For what? I'm not planning to get caught doing anything other than being a jerk. No law against being a jerk. If there were, I'd be doing life without parole already," he shrugged. "Ask anyone."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mitch plopped himself in the chair in front of the CEO's desk. Clayton Burke, Chief Executive Officer, the plaque read. Ah, how familiar, Mitch thought.

Burke leaned back in his chair.

"Well, well, well Mr. Morgan…"

"Doctor," Mitch interrupted.

"Pardon me, Dr. Morgan. We meet again. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm here to make you an offer."

"An offer? From you? You proved yourself to be pretty untrustworthy when you failed to keep your end of the bargain last time."

"I was busy trying to clean up the mess you and your flunkies made. But, hey, if you're not interested in hearing what I have to say, I'll leave right now." He began to rise from his seat but stopped when Burke motioned for him to sit.

"What is it that you think might interest me?"

"You cost me a lot, you know," Mitch replied angrily. "It took me three months to be able to go through Jamie's things, but when I did, I found this." He retrieved a flash drive from his pocket and held it up for the man to see.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Everything that was stolen from the computer system in Paris," Mitch confirmed.

"And how do I know this is the only copy?"

"You don't. But since I go to prison if I violate the non-disclosure, it's useless to me to make copies." Mitch lied convincingly. His tone dripped bitterness. "I just thought since I have no income, and you have a vested interest in making sure this doesn't fall into the wrong hands, we might be able to make a deal."

"So now you've sunk to extortion?"

"Call it whatever you like."

Burke quickly scrawled some number on a post-it.

"I'm willing to pay this much. After my people verify the authenticity."

Mitch glanced disapprovingly at the paper and wadded it up. A quick toss and it was in the trash can. "Add another zero."

Burke stood. "Give me five minutes to have it checked out. Then you'll get your cash."

Mitch handed the flash drive to him, and the man left office and disappeared down a hallway. He knew two things: first, that a well-disguised Jackson was watching from the outer office and would follow the flash drive as far as possible. And second, that he was about to get tossed out on his rump. Any minute now, he thought. A few moments later, two security guards appeared with Burke.

"Ah, here's my escort now," he mumbled. As expected, the guards flanked Mitch and began to remove him from the premises.

"Don't come back here, Dr. Morgan," Burke snarled. "Next time we won't be so pleasant."

Now it was up the locator chip hidden within the flash drive to do its job.

"It's moving again," Jamie announced. "It's still in the building, though."

Chloe ended her call. "Jackson followed it as far as he could until it entered a secure area."

"Now we just have to hope that they store it where they store their other valuables, like the mother cell," Abraham said.

"Wait, now it's on the road."

Chloe called Jackson again. "They're heading south on Martin Road, passing Nebraska Avenue."

"Ok, we're about four blocks from there. We'll catch up."

Jackson and Mitch followed directions until they were in viewing distance of the car containing the flash drive, but not close enough to arouse suspicion. Jackson readied the camera while Mitch drove. The vehicle came to a stop at a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district. Mitch parked out of the visibility of Reiden's men. Jackson diligently videotaped while they entered the security code, hoping against hope he could capture the code. That would certainly save them a lot of difficulty. A deep growling came from behind the bushes. Mitch knew that sound.

"Jackson! Get back in the car. Wolves!"

"Got it!" Jackson jumped into the passenger seat and closed the door. "I'm pretty sure I got it!"

"Let's get it home and see."