Page 56 of Truth or Lie

“No one else knew her secret besides the terrorists,” Nikolayev said. “And yet, a few weeks after her return to Montreal, she was arrested as an unregistered omega after the Montreal police Department received a tip. A tip, I might add, that came directly from a Committee liaison.”

Fairbanks blinked at us. I watched as the implication hit home.

He frowned. “That’s a tenuous connection at best.”

“It is,” Nikolayev agreed. “But I have investigations underway to uncover financial links between Sloane and the individual who drugged the drinks at the recent conference in Belarus. Bank records are considerably more useful than hearsay in a court of law.”

A fire kindled behind Fairbanks’ eyes. “You’re telling me Enoch Sloane funded the terrorists who might have killed my little girl?”

“There certainly appears to be a link,” Nikolayev told him.

“By god.” Fairbanks’ right hand closed into a fist. “Get me that proof, and I’ll see the pasty-faced Committee rat hauled before an international tribunal before you can say the wordssanctimonious little prick.”

“I would like nothing better,” Nikolayev assured him. “And in the meantime?”

“Alphas and omegas are still being bought and sold every day,” I said. “Innocent human beings, forced to breed like cattle—or else face involuntary sterilization and second-class status in the eyes of a two-tiered legal system.”

“Yes.” The prime minister’s face settled into sober lines. “Yes—you’re absolutely right. I couldn’t act before—not unilaterally. One nation can’t take on the Committee. But...”

“The Euro-Soviet Committee no longer supports alphomic suppression,” Nikolayev finished for him. “I assume there is a question implied in your statement—and the answer is, yes, my branch of the Committee will support you. As will a large bloc of Eastern European and Soviet states.”

Fairbanks tapped the fingers of one hand on the table in a thoughtful gesture. “And I think there’s growing support among some of the larger Western European states, as well.”

“We heard you’d been busy lobbying,” I offered. “It sounds like you were already considering an end-run around Sloane and his allies.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I wasn’t willing to let an upstart terrorist group dictate terms to a meeting of over a hundred nations. Apparently, the fuckers sent in people posing as HVAC maintenance workers to set the gas canisters in place, with remote controls to operate them from a safe distance.”

“Practical, I suppose,” Nikolayev said blandly.

“As practical as sneaking someone in as a member of the wait staff in Belarus,” I added. “I suppose there’s no need to be flashy when being pragmatic works so effectively.”

“Apparently not.” Fairbanks sounded grim. “Very well. If the UFNA were to tackle the subject of alphomic rights in one broad legislative stroke, rather than continuing a policy of lukewarm resistance, what might that look like? I’m open to your thoughts on the matter, Chairman—and yours, Ms. McCready.”

I had to take a moment to check in via the mating bond and make absolutely certain this wasn’t a dream or a hallucination. Based on Alex and Jax’s shocked hope echoing through my thoughts, it wasn’t.

“Very well, Prime Minister,” I began. “As it happens, we have a package of proposals that we would be more than happy to discuss with you.”

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