The Summit's security office was a cramped, utilitarian room filled with monitors, radios, and the smell of stale coffee. James stood at a desk, reviewing documents. Eleanor entered, slightly breathless.
James looked up. "There you are. What happened?"
Eleanor closed the door behind her. "I overheard Simone talking to Gareth. James... she's not just a jealous wife. She's part of something. She said they're 'building something new. Something that doesn't need broken wolves.'"
James's expression darkened. "That's the same language from the profile."
"I know. And I saw her drop something."
She pulled out the vial, holding it up to the light.
"She tried to dispose of it. I retrieved it before anyone else could."
James took the vial carefully, examining it. "This could be our murder weapon."
"It's not just Wolfsbane. Look at the color. It's been modified. Concentrated. This is something new."
James spoke quietly. "Wolfsbane-722."
Eleanor frowned. "What?"
"A theoretical compound. It was in a classified research paper I read years ago. It's Wolfsbane, but... evolved. It doesn't just kill werewolves. It can control them. Rewrite their neural pathways. Make them..."
Eleanor finished his thought. "Mindless."
They stared at each other, the weight of the realization settling over them.
"We need to get this to a lab. Now."
A knock at the door. A security officer entered.
"Detective? We've finished processing Oliver Khan's phone. You're going to want to see this."
---
The same security office, ten minutes later. James and Eleanor were huddled around a laptop, scrolling through Oliver's phone data.
James pointed at the screen. "Look at these photos. The sacred caves. The ones on the contested property."
Eleanor leaned in. "And these notes... 'Delivery schedules.' 'Post office box 472.' 'Shell company: Prometheus Biotech.'"
"Prometheus. The one who stole fire from the gods. Appropriate."
Eleanor read further. "These are coordinates. Locations. And... James, look at this. A list of names. Pack members. Low-ranking ones. The same demographic as the murder victims."
James's voice was grim. "A target list."
"We need to cross-reference this with Simone's contacts. She's the inside asset. Oliver was the supplier. But someone else is pulling the strings."
"The human CEO. The one behind Prometheus Biotech."
"We need to find out who that is. And we need to do it fast."
A commotion outside the door. Shouting. James and Eleanor exchanged a glance and rushed out.
---
The main corridor of the Summit's administrative building. Pack enforcers were leading Simone toward the exit. She was handcuffed, her expression still cold and defiant. Gareth stood nearby, his face a mask of stone.
James stepped forward, blocking Simone's path. "Simone. I have questions."
Simone smiled thinly. "I'm sure you do, Detective. But I have nothing to say."
"We found the vial. We know about Wolfsbane-722. We know about Prometheus Biotech."
Something flickered in Simone's eyes—surprise, quickly masked. "Impressive. But you're still missing the point."
"Enlighten me."
Simone leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You're looking for a monster, Detective. But you're asking the wrong question. It's not who. It's what they're making."
"What are they making?"
Simone's smile widened, but she said nothing more. The enforcers pulled her away.
Eleanor stepped up beside James. "What did she mean?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
His phone buzzed. He looked at the screen, and his face went pale.
Eleanor touched his arm. "James? What is it?"
"A third murder alert."
He turned the phone so she could see. The message was brief and brutal:
ALERT: Rogue Pack member found dead. Same MO. Same chemical signature. Location: Summit grounds, east perimeter.
Eleanor was horrified. "The killer is here. At the summit."
James's voice was grim. "And the conspiracy is deeper than a scorned ex-lover. Much deeper."
They stood in the corridor, the chaos of the summit swirling around them, the weight of a far greater threat pressing down. The killer wasn't just among them. The killer was part of something that could change everything.