Chapter 250 All black

Chapter 250: Chapter 250 All black

_Ezekiel’s POV_

The sun rose early in the crowded streets of the downtown market district.

I leaned against the side of a delivery van, taking a massive bite out of a warm, creamfilled pastry I had just bought from a street vendor.

The open air market had officially cleared out their midnight stalls, transforming into the morning bazaar. Kasper and I had a job to do today, setting a trap for Dr. Kyle,and naturally, I wasn’t about to do my part without a little extra company.

I pulled out my phone, dialed a number, and held it to my ear, humming a tune while I waited.

"Ezekiel, it is six o’clock in the morning," Pierre’s deep, groggy voice rasped through the speaker. "Unless the packhouse is on fire or Alaric has officially lost his mind, do not give me a reason to hang up on you."

"Good morning to you too, handsome," I grinned into the mic ignoring his rant. "I need you downtown right now. Wear something casual, bring your sharpest instincts, and don’t tell your mother."

There was a pause on the line, I could hear Pierre sitting up in bed, the sheets rustling through the speaker. "Is this about Rowena’s?”

"Bingo," I said, taking another bite of my pastry. "Kasper and I are setting up a surveillance net around an old herb stalls, and I need an extra pair of eyes that won’t draw attention. Besides, you promised me last night that you’d help me out with my next security whatever. Come on, Pierre, don’t leave me hanging out here in the cold."

Pierre let out a long, sigh that sounded half annoyed and half amused. "Give me fifteen minutes."

Twenty minutes later, ablack motorcycle pulled up near my delivery van. Pierre stepped off, taking off his helmet to reveal his messy dark hair and his serious eyes. He walked over to where I was standing, shaking his head as I handed him a fresh cup of hot coffee I had bought for him.

"You really don’t know how to take a day off, do you?" He asked, taking a sip from the cup and looking around at the market stalls.

"Where’s the fun in taking a day off when we can catch a dirty mole in the act?" I laughed, throwing my arm casually over his broad shoulders. "Come on, Kasper is already waiting in that van."

We walked around the back of the market square, slipping into an unmarked gray van parked behind an old spice warehouse.

Inside, Kasper was sitting in front of four monitors, wearing a headset, his fingers flying across his keyboard like a wild man. The screens were displaying live high definition feeds from six hidden cameras disguised as light fixtures and vendor signs along the central market street.

"Look who I dragged along," I announced, hopping into the passenger seat beside Kasper’s rig while Pierre closed the van doors behind us.

Kasper glanced over his shoulder, giving Pierre a brief, respectful nod. "Alpha Pierre. Good, we can use an extra eye on monitor three."

Pierre stepped up behind us, leaning over Kasper’s chair as he studied the screen setup. "So what’s the exact setup, Kasper?"

"Simple," Kasper explained, tapping a key to bring up a green chat log on the main monitor. "At seven o’clock sharp, I sent a classified security alert straight to Dr. Kyles private terminal. The message was encrypted using our internal clearance codes so it looks like a high level briefing meant only for the Alpha King’s inner circle."

"And what does the fake briefing say?" Pierre asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It states that our intelligence unit tracked a black market chemical vendor to stall forty-two in the central bazaar," I jumped in, grinning wide as I spun around in my swivel chair. "The leak claims that the vendor possesses an unreleased, illegal chemical compound, the exact compound used to manipulate biological blood markers in automated lab equipment. We added that our guards are scheduled to raid stall forty-two at two o’clock this afternoon to seize his private sales ledger."

Pierre raised an eyebrow, a small smirk touching his lips. "That’s clean. If Kyle really used that compound to fake Brielle’s pregnancy test, he can’t risk us grabbing that ledger."

"Exactly," Kasper said smoothly. "If he shows up to buy that ledger or quiet the vendor down before two o’clock, he exposes himself completely. And we have six cameras pointed straight at stall forty two."

"Where are Alaric and Rowena?" Pierre asked, checking his watch.

"Sitting in an unmarked SUV two streets over," I answered, grabbing my earpiece and fitting it over my ear. "They’re waiting for our call. The second Kyle steps foot near stall forty two, we alert Alaric, and he moves in to make the arrest."

Pierre nodded slowly, stepping over to monitor three and taking the spare headset hanging off the wall. "Alright then. Let’s start scanning the crowds."

For the next hour, the market grew louder and more packed. Hundreds of local pack members streamed through the stone pathways, browsing through stalls filled with fresh fruits, hand, and rare herbs.

Pierre stayed right beside me the entire time, his eyes scanning every single face that walked past the camera feed. Every now and then, he would reach over to point out a suspicious figure on the screen, his hand lightly brushing against mine, making my lips curve into a small smile despite the serious mission.

"You’re surprisingly good at this surveillance stuff, Pierre," I teased softly, leaning my shoulder against his arm. "Maybe you should quit your Alpha post and join me permanently."

"Focus, Ezekiel," Pierre murmured, though he didn’t pull his arm away. "Look at camera two. Near the flower stall."

I snapped my eyes back to monitor two as I noticed a figure wearing all black approaching the stall. Witjoyr being told or confirming, I ran out of the van.

It had to be him, and I needed a close confirmation. Because he wore all black and it would be difficult to tell who was who.