Chapter 107 Nico #2
Mateo held his phone up. “It’s all over the internet. Those videos are circulating like wildfire. The president’s press secretary has already announced he’s going to give an emergency address at eleven o’clock tonight. Christ, this is happening fast.”
I still hadn’t fully processed what we’d seen on TV when my phone rang. It was Donatello. I answered. “That was more than I was expecting.”
He chuckled. “My friend, sometimes one has to lay all their cards on the table.”
I stood and walked to the kitchen to get away from the commotion of everyone celebrating. “You’re a shifter? How the fuck did you hide that from us?” I asked, trying not to sound pissed.
“Well, there are suppressants that hold back the shift. I believe your lady love knows a bit about those. But there are others that can simply mask it. Even humans know when they’re in the presence of a shifter.
There’s something about us that sort of…
clues them in, you could say. I decided long ago that I wanted my personal business to be mine.
It took a lot of money, but I developed a synthetic pheromone that I add to my deodorant and cologne.
Twice daily applications keep me walking freely among the humans. ”
I sighed. “I’ve never heard of this stuff. Why didn’t you offer it to us? We could have used it to move freely.”
“My friend. Would you have believed me if I had? Plus, you strike me as a much more confident person than I am. Someone who would balk at hiding your true self.”
Those words almost made me laugh. “Donatello, you are the most confident person I’ve ever met.”
“Hmmm. No, I think I’m probably the best actor you’ve ever met.
I am anything but confident. Though, I am good at faking it.
Anyway, I’m going to lay low for a bit. I’m sure Viola has already contacted every assassin, mercenary, and hitman in her phonebook to come for me.
I’m going to my special little place in the Caribbean I told you about.
It might be a good idea if you all joined. ”
“We’ll give that some serious consideration. I want to thank you for what you did. You have no idea what it means to us. Especially since you had to out yourself.”
“It was the right thing to do, Nico. For all of us. Please keep me updated on your next move. I’m happy to provide more assistance if it’s called for.”
I turned back to the group. Everyone seemed to be scrolling on their phones or laptops, checking on how the report was going. Diego clicked the TV to another channel. “We need to see this. It’s fucking hilarious.”
A new news clip showed the speaker of the House trying to make his way into his office. He was in street clothes; he’d probably rushed in after seeing the report. Microphones and cameras were all over the place as reporters tried to shove forward to get answers to their questions.
“Mister Speaker, what do you have to say after seeing the footage Donatello Moretti has released.”
“No comment at this time. Congress needs to work together to figure out what’s going on,” he said.
Another reporter chimed in. “So, you’re saying the entire United States government took the word of an unregulated and unchecked organization?
You realize that this may be grounds for a human rights violation.
Every member of Congress who voted in favor of the collection facilities may have to answer for crimes against humanity at a U.N. tribunal.”
The speaker of the House’s face went deathly pale as though he’d only now thought about the deep shit that he and the rest of Congress were in. “Uh… no comment. No comment. Out of the way.”
“This is amazing,” Diego said as he laughed and changed the channel.
Another report showed a man sitting across from a reporter. The reporter gestured to her guest. “We have here retired Attorney General Anthony Yates. Mr. Yates, what is the fallout of these allegations against the Monroe Group?”
Yates sighed and shook his head. “This is unprecedented, as you know. If these videos are authenticated, then we have a huge mess on our hands. Viola Monroe, as the chief executive officer, chairman of the board, and majority owner, will, of course, be the main target of not only the FBI but also Homeland Security, as well as Interpol, if I had to guess. If the rot in the company goes all the way through, we will see prison sentences handed out like candy. The president may take steps to bend some anti-trust laws to fully dissolve the foundation. This is bad. I can’t even think of anything in history that compares. We are in uncharted waters.”
My family and friends continued to watch the news, and they celebrated—as well they should.
I couldn’t fully join in their happiness.
I was the alpha. I had to live in the future as well as the present.
If I knew anything about Viola, then I knew that this wasn’t the end.
Even if she was going down, she’d do everything in her power to take us with her.
She was going to strike back. I understood as well as anyone what an animal was like when it was backed into a corner.
She was going to be even more dangerous than she’d been before this. We had to be ready for that.