Bound By Pride

After another thoughtful pause, he slowly nodded his head again, finally persuaded. "Okay, I'll find someone… maybe an investigator might want to step up." He now could see why the FBI had come to him, seeing their poster girl, the first Were agent, floundering in one territory then efficient in another, had shown them how important it was to keep them in an environment they knew. They could still cross boarders and follow cases but they worked their best in their own territory.

Electra sighed, really wishing she could just go to bed but knew she had several things to do first. She kneaded the back of her neck as she rotated it. "I don't know where I am staying until I sign in so who do I inform when I know?"

"Just tell Jeff and he'll inform me." He told her with a jerk of his head which clearly meant she was free to leave his presence.

Jeff nodded. "I can fill you in along the way." They left the office and picked up Dave who was staring at a Vampire as he fed from a more than willing victim.

Dave shook his head to rid that image from his mind as he got behind the wheel. Electra was forbidden to drive at night because headlights left her blind. He retraced his route and from there, knew the way to the FBI office. While Dave drove, Electra and Jeff filled him in on what Joel had told her and the two separate cases he had given them. Jeff then went on to explain what they had so far: his little sister had been the eighteen year-old victim. She had been driving home from her job when she was stopped and taken. They had managed to find three sets of unknown prints and his sister's in her car.

"I'll get these into print analysis. Do you still have the car?" She asked, turning her head to look at Jeff in the back of the SUV.

"Yes, we have a few forensic guys they have kept the chain of custody." He answered.

"Can they hand it over to the FBI forensics and everything they've found or taken photos of?"

He nodded and quickly made the call. They parked and together went in. Jeff signed in along with Electra and Dave and they went up to the Were and other department, the Nevada branch was in a new building so the Were and Other department had a lot more space then Electra and Dave were used to. They walked pass the empty offices towards the director's office. He met them halfway.

"I expected you here an hour ago, De Luca." He stated reproachfully. Electra took a deep breath and reminded herself that each branch of the Were and Other department had different directors who did things differently. Director Johnston was tall, thin, his dark suit was immaculate and he was much younger then her own director. He also seemed anal and not at all like her own laid-back boss.

"Sorry, sir. Had to go to the scene first so that the ME could move the body. Then we had to report in to the Alpha." She explained slowly, sensing that the explanation would not please him.

Proving the accuracy of her instincts, he glared at her. "You should have reported here before reporting to some stupid Alpha."

Jeff kept his face neutral, wanting to see how Electra responded.

"Sir… granted I'm FBI, but it's just a badge. At the end of the day, I'm Were. It colours everything I do, how I act and how I react." She told him calmly. Her phone buzzed, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw her mother's number. She didn't answer, just holding it in her hand to answer later.

The director saw red at her gall, confounded by the interruption even if she decided not to answer. He grabbed the phone, flicked it open and yelled, "she's busy!"

Electra winced as he hung up on her mother. "Sir…"

"What?!" He barked.

"That was Senator Luis that you just hung up on." She told him quickly as she didn't know any other way to break the fact that he had just hung up on a very influential Senator.

His face, which had been red only moments ago, quickly turned white and visibly blanched when her phone started to ring again. He held the phone out to her carefully and she took it. She flicked it open. "Sorry, about that." She told her mother.

"Put that man back on the phone." Amy said gently, almost silently, making the hair on the back of Electra's neck stand on end.

"Please... don't be mad with him. He's had a very stressful day." She said, trying to get her mother to realise that he didn't mean to bark at her.

"Put him on." Amy pressed on, as she really wanted to talk to that man. "I promise I won't tear him a new one."

Electra was doubtful but handed the director the phone anyway. He cast Electra a panicked look then put it to his ear to face the inevitable.

"Hi." Amy said pleasantly, without any anger or malice in her voice, surprising even herself as she was actually a little pissed at being spoken to like that. However, she got angry at the smallest things since her daughters had been taken and was trying to keep a tight leash on it. "Can you chew her ears later? I'm afraid she has a bigger problem to deal with at the moment. Over the last couple of months, a total of twenty seven under-aged Were have been taken from almost every pack and pride in the country." Amy told him with as little emotion as she could muster.

"Almost?" he asked, a little concerned and not sure how to react as he had been expecting to be torn a new one for yelling at her.

"Yes, none have been taken from my pack besides my own daughters but they are safe and I believe separate from this matter. In about half an hour I will be faxing every piece of information gathered by the investigators." She informed him then continued on, "Electra has been granted free run of every territory to find these missing children so every investigator and enforcer in the country are going to be working under her. She's going to need your help to coordinate."

"I understand." He told her, his mind already at work on how to organise these people.

"Can you put Electra back on I want to explain what's going on to her?" Amy asked nicely.

"Of course." He said, he sighed in relief as he handed Electra her phone back. He was glad that the Senator had appeared to forgive him for barking at her, she was definitely not someone to cross.

"Hello." Electra greeted, a little cautiously, it had looked to be going well but looks could be deceiving.

"Hi, sweetie," Amy greeted pleasantly. "Look… I'm sending you some… fuck it; I'll be there in a moment." Amy appeared with several boxes. "Here, every piece of information gathered. I'll explain to your brothers and sisters why you won't be making an appearance at your father's birthday party."

"Thanks, ma." Electra said, accepting the boxes and a moment later Amy was gone.

"Your… she's your mother?" He asked in shock.

Electra nodded. "Electra Louisa Luis-De Luca. They adopted me the same day they adopted Alanna. It's also the reason why I have her on speed dial." She sighed as reached under her glasses to rub her tired eyes. "It's too late to go over these today. Can we have an incident room where we can put these?" She asked tiredly. She had been on her feet literally since early that morning, she was aching to have a hot shower and wash today from her skin. However, the work was never done and on the contrary, it seemed to be piling up on her.

He nodded and pointed to a large office. They carried the boxes into a large room and put them on the table.

"Now, let's go to the hotel and don't you dare wake me before eight." She threatened Dave who was beside her.

Dave chuckled at her expression. "What... need your beauty sleep?" He teased.

She glared at him, "Ever heard the saying 'let sleeping dogs lie'?" He nodded. "Yeah, well here's a new one for you. 'Let sleeping wolves lie or prepare to die."

Dave chuckled at that.