Masked

CHAPTER 39 | the zealot

Nederland, Colorado

Daniel repressed the urge to reach across the table and rip out the man's tongue. He might be a scientific genius, but that did not mean he was sane.

"The impure will be wiped from this earth." Hans chanted his belief like a mantra, banging a fist on the table. "We will no longer be diluted with their tainted blood."

Daniel leaned across the table, his fists clenched and ready to strike. "I don't care what you think, old man. You will tell me where Matheo took Parker Johnson."

"Alpha Lauzon will lead our race to greatness. She is the future of our salvation."

"Enough." Daniel made his way around the table and towered over the Werewolf he had been interrogating most of the afternoon. "Your precious alpha is only leading you to your death."

Hans Fridericks.

His name was the only information Daniel and Murphy had elicited. The elderly man was a zealot, and he had endlessly ranted about how he and Elise were ridding the world of tainted blood. The Werewolf truly believed he was doing their race a service.

What was even more disturbing was his utter dedication to the cause. The madman had boasted that he had killed his Human mate to ensure that purity be maintained. She was dead the moment he realized she was Human. His only regret was that he did not slaughter her and her family in front of Elise. This would have proven his true dedication, loyalty, and commitment to his alpha.

Daniel had called on all his strength not to slay the butcher there and then. The image of Parker, afraid and in danger was the only reason Hans was alive.

He gritted his teeth. "Where is Matheo Dumas?"

No reply.

"Where is your lab?"

Hans shrugged.

"Is there a cure?"

To that, he yawned.

"How do we stop it?"

With each question, Hans would either recommence his rant or laugh. The sound was grating, maniacal, and set his teeth on edge.

At one point, Hans chanted out formulas. To what was anyone's guess.

He reached his snapping point, leaned over the table, grabbed the scientist by his shoulders, and dragged him across the room. He slammed him against the nearest wall. His wolf rose to the surface, and strained to take control, and he fought to keep his most primal instincts from taking over.

"You will tell me where she is, or I will tear you apart, piece by piece, until you beg for me to kill you."

Murphy telepathically interrupted before he tore the scientist's arm from his shoulder. You won't get answers if he's dead.

He slung the killer across the room. Fine.

Murphy righted Hans's chair and indicated the downed man should sit. "I am sorry about him," he said. "How about you take a seat?"

Hans hesitated, then pulled himself off the floor and made his way to the offered chair. He flinched when he passed Daniel.

"Now, where are our manners?" Murphy said. "You are a guest, and we have been most impolite. You must be thirsty. Would you like some water?"

Hans glared at them suspiciously before nodding.

This better work, Daniel said.

It will.

He stormed out the door. "I'll get some water."

If they had any chance of getting information, they needed to try everything, even good cop, bad cop. He made his way to the other room where a monitor had been set up to observe the interrogation, and watched as Murphy proceeded with the questioning.

Murphy took a seat across the table. "So, Doctor. It is Doctor, isn't it?"

The prisoner, more relaxed now that Daniel had left, nodded.

"I must say, in one way, I am quite impressed with what you've achieved. I don't condone it, but I can appreciate that developing a disease such as this could only be achieved by a genius," Murphy said.

Hans leaned forward. "But you don't understand, it's not a disease, it's a cure."

His blood boiled. How could that madman condone what he had done to his victims? Pain ripped through his chest at the thought of the lost souls; many of them still children.

Murphy leaned forward and lowered his voice. "It must have been difficult for you, developing something of this magnitude. It can't have been easy, especially with Alpha Lauzon breathing down your neck all the time. She's not known for her patience."

Hans shrugged as if his achievements were predestined. "Not really. My alpha purchased a biotech lab years ago. I was always privy to new medical advancements, and my personal lab is kept up-to-date with the latest equipment." He leaned back in his chair with a smug smile etched across his face.

Murphy mimicked the scientist's posture. "It must have been disappointing to have breakthroughs in your work and not be able to share them with your alpha. I can't imagine that she had time for you over the years."

Hans sat up straighter, a haughty, triumphant look on his face. "You couldn't be more wrong. My alpha shares my vision—she was there at every step." He smiled smugly. "She even assisted on some of the procedures."

Murphy held up his hands. "My apologies. I misjudged the relationship you have with your alpha." He pushed his chair back and stood. "You must be hungry. If you'll excuse me, I'll arrange for something to be sent in."

Daniel's eyes widened. Food? There is no way he's getting anything to eat.

A moment later, Murphy joined him in the monitor room. They watched Fridericks chant out formulas.

"During World War Two, Elise, Matheo, and a few of the others were working with the Nazis," Murphy said. "They were assisting with the acquisition of art and gold bullion from institutions around Europe. She took far more for herself than she ever handed over to the Germans."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me she has unlimited funds?"

"Precisely." Murphy nodded toward the screen. "From the conversation with our friend in there, I would say she has her operations nearby. If she's involved with the experimentation, she's not going to want to be far away. They will need access to something big enough to hide prisoners, as well as buildings that could house a small hospital."

He rubbed his jaw. "She would have bought the place twenty years ago when you said she first left the pack."

"That would be my guess," Murphy said.

"Elise always enjoyed the finer things, so I would imagine it would be secluded and palatial." Daniel paused. "This narrows it down, but where do we start looking?"

"She would need to be in the proximity of a reasonably sized city," Murphy said. "But her Werewolves would need to be near a greenbelt for their wolves to run without attracting attention. She would have placed herself a reasonable distance from any of the packs that know her by sight, but close enough that she could maintain tabs on them." Murphy paused for a moment or two. "I suspect somewhere north of the border, in Canada."

Daniel hesitated. The last thing they needed right now was a wild goose chase. "How sure are you?"

Murphy sighed. "This is what I do. I profile madmen and killers—and a killer is a killer irrespective of whether he is Human or Werewolf. Your madman in there wasn't about to give up his god, but he told us what we needed to know."

He continued to assess Murphy, indecision shadowing him for the briefest of moments. His only concern right now was Parker. "Let's get Parker's omegas onto it. They should be able to narrow it down."

"You make it sound like she's their alpha," Murphy said.

His mouth curved upwards in a half smile. "You've obviously never met the woman."