More Than the X Can See

Chapter 21

“He’s been expecting you,” Warren’s receptionist said as she ushered them down a hallway, past two office doors to a set of elegantly carved double doors. She was a short Asian woman, shorter than Logan, but Angel could tell she was probably not just a receptionist in an expensive, purple pantsuit, but also a bodyguard. Her movement and the muscles on her body screamed martial arts master.

“The personnel from Gulogulo have arrived, Mr. Worthington,” the receptionist announced as she stood to one side with the door open.

“Thank you, Gina,” Warren said from his seat at his desk. “Please make sure we’re not disturbed for the next hour, will you?”

“Yes, sir,” Gina replied as she closed the door behind her.

Nathan and Logan immediately headed for Warren’s large mahogany desk. Nathan sat down in one of the two large leather upholstered chairs that had been placed in front of the desk and brought his metal briefcase up onto his lap, opening it and revealing his laptop. Logan walked around the edge of the desk to stand at Warren’s elbow. Logan examined the papers lying on the fancy blotter before looking at the sleek high tech computer monitor screen that was embedded in the top edge of the desk.

Angel held back near the doors, remembering Logan’s comment that Warren was a feral. She didn’t want to cause problems with her presence. Looking around, Angel’s senses told her that Warren’s office suite took up half of the top floor of the building. It consisted of his receptionist’s desk and his two administrative assistant’s offices, his own office, and through a discreet door off the office, a small apartment.

Surprised, she asked, “You live here?”

All three men looked at her, but Warren was the one that answered, “No, I have a penthouse suite in one of my other buildings.”

She motioned towards the wall that divided the apartment from his office, “Then what is it for?”

Warren glanced at the wall and smiled, “Convenience.”

“What?” Nathan asked, their conversation going over his head.

“He has a studio apartment up here complete with bed, bath and kitchen,” Angel replied with astonishment. “He doesn’t even have to leave his office!”

Nathan looked over at the door that led to the apartment, “What type of setup?”

“Everything money can buy,” Warren replied. “My home away from home.”

“Mind if I take a look?” Nathan asked.

“Go ahead, the door’s unlocked.”

Nathan looked at Logan as he stood up, “You know about it?”

“Yeah,” Logan said, “Used it a few times.”

Nathan placed his briefcase on his seat and went to investigate Warren’s apartment.

Logan looked over at Angel, “Darlin’, bring your laptop over here and we’ll load the building schematics onto it.”

Angel hesitated a moment before she walked forward and placed her blue laptop case on the edge of Warren’s desk. As she opened the case, she sensed Logan’s nostrils flare and wondered why, he’d been with her the entire time, and then she realized he might be scenting something from Warren. Warren wasn’t aroused so she didn’t know what he smelled.

Warren picked up three data sticks from his desk and held them out to her. “I hope you have room for all of these,” he said.

She took them from him and looked at the labels on the sides that told her how much information the sticks could contain. She frowned, “I’m not sure. I have a lot of personal stuff on here. Are they set up so I can examine them one at a time?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” she nodded, “It should be able handle the files. I can keep them right?”

Warren smiled, “Yes, we’re on the same team. Just don’t lose them. I don’t need any thieves with instant access to all the security measures.”

“They’re on here, too?” she asked, surprised. “I don’t need that information.”

“Can you verify they’re all up and active?”

“I can verify that there’s something there physically, a box with wiring or a camera, but I can’t detect what it does or if there’s electricity in the wiring or if infrared beams are active. All I can do is trace the wires to electrical outlets and make sure they’re not unplugged or cut.”

“Better than nothing,” Warren replied. “If the plans say there should be a camera or a security box and you didn’t detect one, then I know something’s wrong.”

“It’ll be easier for me to look at the plans and take notes before actually going through the buildings.” She looked around his office to make a point about the fact that, although the room was richly paneled and accented in mahogany, the room only contained his desk and two chairs, “Is there an office I can use?”

“Both of my Assistants have already called to tell Gina they’re coming in,” Warren began, “and I need them to help me get organized and up to speed, so that rules out their offices. I suppose she can use—”

“She can work in here,” Nathan said from the open apartment doorway, “while we go over your personnel files. I don’t know how long it will take her to go through the schematics, but I want her here so I’m taking her to scan a couple of restaurants this afternoon and it’d be easier if I don’t have to track her down.”

“What if I’m already done with the schematics and this building?” she asked.

“Then we go to lunch,” he replied. “Logan, you’re coming, too, I need your nose.”

Angel wasn’t so sure about staying within Warren’s vicinity, “Won’t I ‘stink’ his place up?”

Nathan and Logan looked at Warren.

Warren looked at her in surprise, “I don’t smell anything.” He’d thought about the odor that Logan had mentioned immediately after the conference call, but he’d gotten so busy, not to mention worried about the fact that his office buildings had been targeted, that he’d nearly forgotten about her having gone into estrus.

Angel frowned and looked at Logan, “I thought you said he was a Feral?”

“I wasn’t sure. He’s got wings.”

“Oh, thanks,” Warren said, “and the term Archangel means nothing? I haven’t tested positive on half of the Feral tests.”

Logan shrugged and said, “Kiss her then.”

Warren looked at her, then glanced from Logan to Nathan. Sighing he stood up and motioned for her to lean forward over his desk.

“No,” Nathan said as he walked over to the desk and pushed Angel to the side, “you’re not going to get away with a peck on the lips. We need to know if she affects you and that won’t do it.”

Logan grabbed her arm and guided her towards Warren.

“I won’t say this isn’t a dream come true,” Angel said with a smile as she was pressed against Warren’s chest, “kissing the handsome prince in his tower and all, but I didn’t think the two guardian Ogre’s would be the one’s forcing us to do it.”

Warren smiled at her analogy, “Just as long as one of us doesn’t turn into a Toad.”

“A horny Toad,” she countered.

His smile broadened even more, “Yes.” He brought a hand to the side of her face and leaned down to kiss her.

She opened her mouth as his lips touched hers to give him better access. His tongue darted into her mouth, sliding against her tongue. She closed her eyes and held still, not responding to him. She knew he had a girlfriend and it wasn’t right to try to make it into a real kiss. Instead she focused on his body, seeking the earliest sign of his arousal. His wings shifted for balance, opening slightly.

Just as she sensed the blood rushing to his loins, he broke away from her abruptly, “Damn!” He stepped back a few feet, shoving his chair backwards.

Logan stepped between them and asked, “What’d you taste?”

Warren wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “Oranges.”

“Anything else?” Nathan asked, moving behind Angel to pull her away.

“Mint.”

“Toothpaste and mouthwash,” Angel replied at their questioning looks.

“Well, it looks like you test as a Feral in this little experiment,” Logan drawled.

“But I don’t smell anything,” Warren protested. “She didn’t affect me until we kissed.”

“Remember, Hank didn’t smell anything either,” Nathan said. “Logan?”

“Could be the type o’ Feral,” Logan said, turning to look her up and down hungrily. “I can smell her, no problem.”

“Maybe it’s canine hormones,” Nathan said. “Hank’s a feline and you’re some sort of avian.” He looked at Logan. “Think it’s safe to put her in his apartment?”

Logan looked at Warren, “Wings?”

Warren slid a glance to Angel before he looked at Logan, “As long as we’re not kissing I can control it. Whatever it is.”

“I’m not planning on kissing you anymore,” Angel said reassuringly. “I’m not sure what Paige can do, but I’m pretty sure she’d try to kill me.”

That got a smile out of Warren, “Maybe. We haven’t been together that long.”

“Let’s just … keep it on the friendship level then,” Angel said. “I don’t need any more complications in my life right now.”

“Agreed,” Warren replied.

“He’s … uh,” she looked at Nathan, “returning to normal.”

“Good,” Nathan nodded. “Then it should be safe for you to use his apartment—at least for a few hours and we’ll make sure to air it out before we leave. Just in case.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angel walked down the hallway, clipboard clutched against her chest. She stopped in front of a set of double doors.

“Did you want me to open this one, too?” asked the balding man in uniform by her side.

“Yes, if you would, please.”

The man, who’s starched security uniform bore the name tag ‘Langley’, pulled out a handful of keys and selected one before pressing it into the keyhole and twisting it to release the lock.

Angel sighed. She was on the last floor she needed to check and, other than one disconnected camera in the underground parking, she hadn’t found anything wrong or faulty. She hadn’t been bored at least. Some people kept pretty interesting things in their desks. The alcohol, drugs and sexual objects in the more enclosed offices had kept her entertained. She wondered if the security staff knew about half of what she sensed. She’d made coded notes during the entire time she inspected the building. Most of the notes were nothing, but some were so she could tell Warren about the illegal drugs. She didn’t want him to get into a lawsuit, but maybe it would be better if he knew what type of tenants he had.

They’d found out early on that she’d need someone from the security staff to follow her around to open the entrances to the office suites that were over fifty feet from the exterior wall so she could be sure she was thorough.

Don Langley was the current On Duty Supervisor and she’d learned a bit about him during their time together. He’d served in Viet Nam, but quit military service at the first opportunity because he hadn’t believed in the war. They’d bonded quickly over that. With his military background, he easily found employment as a police officer and rose to the rank of Sergeant before he was injured in the line of duty during a hostage situation. His wife had pleaded for him to get out of the service before something worse happened. “And here I am,” he’d said laughingly, tapping at the badge on his shoulder “still serving and protecting ‘til the day I die.”

“There you are,” Langley said stepping back to let her through the doorway first.

Angel walked in and looked around. It was a lawyer’s office and she could sense a thick wall of legal books on the inside of the largest office. She walked around the small cubicles used by the receptionist, clerical staff and paralegals.

“You know if you find a fire hazard here, they’re more likely to sue you for defamation than fix the problem. Goldstein and Fitz have been here since the building was built,” Langley said. “They were one of the first tenants.”

Angel smiled. They’d explained the reason for her examination of the building as to make sure it was up to all codes and that all the security measures were in place and functioning. One of the other security guards had been assigned to tape her movement through the building on the security cameras.

Logan had suggested they just hand the keys to the building over to him and Warren had advised him that according to their contract, the security company couldn’t do that unless their contract with Worthington Enterprises had expired. They’d been resigned to the fact that they’d have to have someone follow Angel throughout her examination of all the Worthington buildings. Since the security company Worthington hired used mutants, the men went through the security personnel files to find people with enough seniority to enter every office, but at the same time weren’t listed as mutants. Even then, Logan had gone with Angel to arrange her escort by Langley and do a physical check through Logan’s nose and Angel’s senses to make sure he wasn’t an unlisted mutant, Feral or otherwise.

“No,” Angel said as she opened the door to the main office and took a peek inside, “I don’t see anything to cause alarm. And this is our last stop I believe.” She made the pretense of checking her clipboard and making a few notes as she left the suite and waited for Langley to lock the doors behind her.

Langley checked his watch, “Just in time for lunch.”

Angel glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was almost noon. “Could you have them deliver the security tapes to Mr. Worthington’s office?” she asked as they headed towards the bank of elevators.

“Sure,” Langley replied, “I’ll get them myself and bring them up before I head out to lunch.” He hit the elevator call button on the wall and one of the elevator doors popped open.

“Thank you so much,” Angel beamed at him as she headed towards the opening and stepped inside.