Tailing Her II

The file opened to a picture of the Leda’s face. She was lovely, but not the most beautiful that he had ever seen. Although, it was not her visual appeal that had him so caught, that had forced him to ask a favor of the Undersecretary and endure the man’s offensive fume in his office.It had been her scent. Not as full-blown as the irresistible pheromones contained in Omega lub, but softer as if it had been transmitted from afar on the wind. And that small hint, of something deeper and more genuine, kept him excited.It wasn't a secret that he had little patience for the bootlicking and status enthusiasm of government types.

Unfortunately, he needed them almost as much as they desired him. It was government funds that made up the pile of dollars that his empire was presently sitting on.He had built a plant that supplied most of the air purifiers to the Aquila. The de2vices were all that kept the atmosphere breathable in a place that would have otherwise been a filthy wasteland. And not only did Brumeh control the production and installation of the air purifiers, but also their upkeep and continued functioning.The first skipped payment and Brumeh could easily cut off the cycle of purified air to key parts of the sky towers in the Aquila, affecting those in the palace. He could start with the quarter of government officials and work his way down the chain of command. The newly elected officials taking the place of their deceased superiors would be more amenable to Brumeh’s terms and conditions.

It wouldn't be the first time that he had been compelled to make his intentions clear. If memory served, Damon had his current position because the previous inmate had been reluctant to do business with him.Brumeh’s second in chain-of-command, a green-eyed Beta male named Jason, walked silently into the room and waited by the door. Although Jason was not an Alpha, he had earned his place at Brumeh’s side through a brutality and desire for power that nearly challenged Brumeh’s own.“Is Damon gone?” Brumeh asked as he closes the file.

“I can't tell, his fear stenches so strongly that I can sniff it in here for days.”

Jason answered with his arms behind his back as a sneer twirled his thin lips.

“I accompanied him to the skycar personally.” Jason answered.Brumeh tugged the file across the desk.

“Have you seen the report?” he asked.Jason didn't move from his spot by the door.

“I studied pertinent information preliminary to bringing the Damon in to meet with you.”“And?” Brumeh asked with more power added to his voice.“I do not comprehend the question.” Jason replied.Brumeh was under no misconceptions about his second’s disapproval. Jason had made it obvious that he saw no purpose in devoting any energy to a random woman from the hovels.“You verified that the information was correct?” Brumeh asked.Jason changed position, causing the weapons slung on both hips to screech in their holsters.

“Only because you authorized it.” Jason replied hurriedly.Brumeh smiled, but it was totally without humor.

“Have you thought about touring Ceres House yourself, the selection was better than I imagined.” Brumeh asked with smiles on his face.Clever enough not to rise to the trick and inadvertently insult his boss, Jason responded without inflection. “I think yours may have been the exception.”“Speaking of my selection…” Brumeh said.

Brumeh kneeled back in his armchair and studied the unobstructed view of the sky disclosed by the large window that rose from the floor to the ceiling. They were ample too far above the lower levels to even see any of the people who dwelled below, but he looked down and imagined them trudging through the dirt, like a child squatting over an anthill.

“I want you to follow the girl, find out anything about her that might be missing from the government file.”“With all due respect, sir" Jason answered.Brumeh cut him off with a low growl. “I don't need your respect, just your obedience.”Jason’s nostrils flickered, and he made a clear effort to control his ascending anger. He stepped forward to stand over the desk where Brumeh sat.

“And what is to become of my other responsibilities while I am babysitting a hovel rat?”“Mind your tongue.” Brumeh spoke out in anger.

The cold gaze that Brumeh grounded at his second was more frightening than even his growl could be, making the other man stood up a little straighter.

“It will not be for long. I want confirmation that my intuitions are incorrect, although they never have been before. It is then that you can forget all about her.” Said Brumeh.“Even a moment wasted swallowing contaminated air in the hovels is too much.”Both of them found the lower levels unpleasant, each for their own reasons. And it was not an exaggeration that the air grew more poisonous as you moved closer to the ground. Massive pollution settled over the wildlife and destroyed the vegetation. Even plants could not grow in the hoves, all the agriculture was hydroponic and grew exclusively in the middle levels. The people in the hovels we're not living, just perishing slowly enough that the government could get away with not paying attention.Dark eyes turned back from the window to survey his second-in-command.“Award yourself hazard pay and stop complaining before I tear out your throat.”Jason appeared not to be disturbed by the threat as he picked up a page with a grainy picture printed on it.

“What's it about this girl, that you find so interesting?” Jason asked. With the corner of his lip twisted in a silent snarl.

“That’s what I want you to find out", replied Brumeh.

The likelihood that the girl could be Omega was barely worth contemplating. And yet, he found no other ready justification for what made it so impossible to push her from his thoughts. Women served limited utility in his world and had become mostly convertible. But this girl continued in his thoughts despite his best efforts to forget her, and he needed to know why.“I could just drag her back here by her hair and save us all of this trouble.”For a moment, Brumeh considered it. But no, the uproar that would result from a kidnapping, even one in the hovels, would be more than he wanted to deal with. As much as it rankled, Brumeh recognized that he wasn’t totally above the law.At least, not for now.“You have your orders, Jason.” Brumeh said

Brumeh swiped up on the desk’s surface to initiate his terminal, his mind already moving onto other things.

“Do not disappoint me.” He said .Jason gave a slight bow and left the room. Feeds from a dozen cameras emerged on his screen. They had overcome the encryption on the government surveillance units a long time ago and he frequently used them to monitor areas where it would be too skeptical to venture in person. He called up the block where the Leda’s home address was located and flipped through the feeds. He had not bothered to notify his Jason of it, but he had watched her before — leaving and entering her shit-hole of an hut, walking to the public diner where she worked. None of it was particularly intriguing, but he found himself coming back to the feeds and zooming in on her face, which always looked like pinched with distress and fear.“What are you hiding, little girl?”