Lola

10

Bronswick

Atlas observed the amalgam of men in his cages. There was no pattern, they were of different colors, ranks, and ages. The only similarity between them was the fact that they had all not picked their chosen yet. 

First Beta Leonidas was in another cage by himself, for some reason her scent had afflicted him slowly. Atlas speculated that it was because Leo had a mate in name only, but his first beta had not yet consummated his bond with Delilah, although, Delilah was too ashamed to admit it. 

"Let me help you find her, I'm the best tracker in the pack." Leonidas said cooly, he may have kept his face stoic, but Atlas could hear the rapid staccato of the betas heart. Leonidas's arms were cover in goosebumps as if it were cold, but his skin had a light sheen of sweat. 

"Not until I'm sure you won't ravish her." 

"It was that Gamma bitch! Gamma Payne took my woman away from me." A man from another cage banged his body against the iron bars. "I just want a taste of her, just a small taste!" Leto whined and roughly banged his body against the jail cell once more. Leto's outbursts had caused a few males in his cage to go into a jealous frenzy and more fighting broke loose. 

"Gamma Payne? Marcus, what do you know about Gamma Payne?" Atlas turned around, Marcus was by the door, his eyes lingered on the first beta as he answered his alpha. 

"Her first name is Vivian and she's to be promoted to two months. She's a wicked fighter with a mean arm-barre. She doesn't talk much at the office so no one really knows too much about her." Marcus answered. 

"Go find her, I want her in my office within thirty minutes for questioning."

-

In the car

"I know we're on the run and all, but can we please stop for something to eat? Or at least a gas station." Lola's cheeks flushed as she recalled her last gas station encounter. 

"Please Vivi!" Lola whined this prompted a quick 'shut up!' from Vivian. 

"It's only been two and a half hours, and one of those hours was to travel through Bronwick. If we were getting chased, the pursuers would use this moment to catch up to us. We don't even know how far out they could be." 

Lola's stomach growled in response. "My stomachs starting to cramp up, it could be hunger pains or it could be the effects of grandma's midnight tea wearing off. If we go to a gas station I can make myself more tea which will help my...heat. Plus I'll be quick."

Vivian sighed, "Fine, we'll stop at the next gas station."

-

Bronswick

"She's not here." Third Beta Marcus barged through Atlas's door. Atlas glowered at the beta. 

"What do you mean she's not here? Where's her paperwork that said she could leave?" Atlas clenched his fist tightly. He was positive that she was one of the reasons his pack members were suffering from their current...afflictions. 

"I checked, and there is no paperwork, she never put out a request to leave!" 

"Who's the packs second-best Airborn tracker? I went a group of mated trackers at the sentry post now and I want them to analyze the scents on the scene. I want you asking other police officers about Vivian's habits, her favorite places, her home, and while you're at it- find a sock or something for the trackers to smell so they know who they're looking for." Atlas scratched his chin. 

"Tell Second Beta Gillian that I need to talk to her." He added before logging onto his desktop. It wasn't two seconds before 

"Marcus said you wanted to see me?" the second beta quickly strode into his room, her whole body was tense.

"Yes, tell everyone that the welcome ceremony is canceled but the meeting will still happen. I want it moved up to two hours from now, and I expect one hundred percent accountability. Anyone not at the meeting without a damn good excuse is to be reported and brought to me after the meeting, understand?" 

"Yes Alpha, anything else?"

"I want Leonidas questioned if he hasn't been already. We need to find out more about Vivian Payne. I want a video and transcript of the interrogation in my hands before the town hall meeting. Make it quick beta." 

The beta silently nodded before briskly walking out of his office. He could already hear her yelling for five deltas. 

While the Alpha shifted through other, more important paperwork, Marcus scheduled an immediate audience with any available member of their town police force. 

It took twenty minutes, but Delta Braxton and Gamma Lawrence and rounded up fifteen officers who weren't busy. They all grouped in their usual meeting place, a big grey area with a long table and whiteboard on one end of the room.

"As you all know we've had three casualties this morning. Duncan and Charlie were wounded and Jared was killed in an altercation involving officer Vivian Payne. The Alpha wants to know everything about Vivian Payne as soon as possible. Where does she hang out, who does she talk to, and anything else of relevance. Anyone got anything?" Marcus clapped his hands together and waited. 

Someone raised their hand, "We never really talked that much but one of the game nights was at her house. You usually don't go, but that's beside the point, she lives by the pond." 

Marcus quickly wrote "House -> Pond" on the whiteboard. 

"I see her at Mama Jody's bakery a lot." Everyone murmured in agreement, "it's the only place she really hangs out!" someone chimed in.

One by one the hints started to flood in.

Locations:

House - Pond

Jody's Bakery - hangout

People:

Leto - best friend/currently jailed

Simon - one-night stand

Habits:

Knife throwing

"Is that all we got?" Marcus asked the group. It was a resounding yes. He quickly dished put assignments to his deltas. 

"Braxton I want you to question Simon about everything he knows, he should be messing with cadavers at the morgue. Lawrence, you have bakery duty. I need two volunteers to go to her home to get used socks or t-shirts. The rest of you, tell every single unmated tracker to haul ass to the sentry post."

First Beta Ellieanna was having more issues with her own assignment. She had assigned some Delta's go door to door to spread the news about the change in their town's events for the day, and now all she had to do was question Leonidas.

The alpha didn't tell her that Leonidas was to be kept under lock and key, as she had found out from Marcus. She would surely get demoted when the alpha found that Leonidas was no longer in his iron cage.