"It is. And it's a duplicate." She slid free of the pile another memo that included the coding. "This one is from your computer." She tapped his. "This one is the one that actually went out in transmission."
He looked up at her slowly. "Someone is managing to intercept the transmissions before they go out and attach this coding?"
She inhaled slowly as she nodded. "That's the beauty of this particular technology, and the danger of it."
Callan's fists clenched, his expression tightening further.
"How many departments at Sanctuary have been compromised?"
"So far, I've found it in nearly every department," she told him quietly. "The main deliveries are coming from the labs though. Part of my transmission to Dane earlier in the day was a request for the beta program to detect the coding as it goes out. When I asked for the heli-jet, it was actually a request for that."
Mercury glanced at her, pride filling him at the thought of just how intelligent she truly was. He was still uncertain of the anger he could feel pulsing just below the surface, and he had no idea how she was going to handle what she had seen when Dane slipped into the bedroom.
But she stood beside him now, allowing him the ease he needed in knowing she was safe.
Damn the Council scientists. This woman should have been his, completely his. Not just his woman but his mate. Every instinct inside him reached out to her, held on to her. And he knew the lack of mating heat hurt her.
She had no idea how much it hurt him as well.
"How soon can it be installed?" Callan questioned her.
"How well do you trust the people overseeing the outgoing transmissions?" she asked him. "This can't be used or installed without their knowledge, Callan."
"All communications, outbound as well as in, go through one secured office in the communications bunker," Callan informed her. "That office is overseen by my sister Sherra. She has four Lionesses working beneath her, each that she's trained herself."
"How well can she trust her assistants then?" Ria asked.
Mercury glanced at her. Her attitude had always been respectful toward Callan, not once had she shown so much as a shred of disrespect. But she wasn't backing down in what she knew, or in her suspicions.
"Ely can't be behind any of this, nor is she involved." Jonas had finally spoken up, and Mercury heard the certainty in his voice. It was a certainty he didn't share.
"Ely's running scared," Ria said softly, compassion lacing her voice because, Mercury knew, she was aware that Ely was more than just a friend to all of them.
"Ely's kept us sane." Lawe moved in behind Jonas, staring at the evidence on the table before staring back at Ria bitterly. "She's not capable of this."
"How secure are the labs?" she asked then.
Jonas grimaced. "No one in or out without clearance, retinal scan and fingerprint authorization. They then pass the security post. Even Breeds coming in for testing are escorted in by the enforcer on duty."
"Do you trust the enforcers on duty?" Ria asked.
"Fuck, are we allowed to trust anyone now?" Callan growled. "They're Breeds. They're men and women who survived hell and know the consequences should we ever lose public approval. I can't imagine anyone in Sanctuary capable of this." His finger stabbed into the papers lying before him.
"Yet you know yourself that even your most trusted personnel can be compromised," she pointed out gently. "Taber proved that."
Mercury looked back to Callan. They all remembered that. When Callan's brother Tanner had brought his mate to Sanctuary, she had also brought with her information that an attempted kidnapping of Callan's son was in the works. Taber, a Lioness entrusted with David's care, had been the one to attempt to kidnap the child, as well as Tanner's mate, Scheme.
"Yeah, Taber proved that." Callan wiped his hand over his face and glanced at the watch on his wrist. "My mate and my children are alone at Sanctuary, and we have a greater risk now than we did then."
"I contacted Jackal, Callan," Jonas told him quietly. "He informed Kane, to let the others know to be on guard with their mates and their children. They're safe."
But for how much longer? Mercury lifted his gaze to Lawe and Rule before turning to Jonas.
"We need Rule and Lawe back at Sanctuary. The main family is of prime importance and only God knows what could happen if someone actually decided to attempt a coup right now. We have the party tomorrow night, as well as visiting dignitaries arriving the night after. We can't take any chances with David or the unborn child's life. We all know just how badly both Council and non-Council scientists would love to get their hands on a mate or child born of those matings."
"It's too late to cancel the parties," Jonas murmured.
"And you don't want to cancel them," Ria said. "Horace Engalls of Engalls Pharmaceuticals will be there if I remember the guest list correctly. As well as the CEO of Brandenmore Research. Let's see what we can detect during these parties. They have no idea we're onto them," she stated. "Let's play them right back."