Lana's heart pounded as she watched Ethan's retreating form. She felt relieved that he listened to her but she felt as if there was more that they were missing. Lana hadn't went through all of Janet's files before reporting to him.
Lana wanted to call out to him, to tell him to take a breath, but the words caught in her throat. Kenneth wanted Kasia. He was a threat that they couldn't ignore at least she was safe with Amdis.
Darren gripped Lana's shoulders, bringing her out of her thoughts. "How did you know Oak Lake's pack was in danger?"
"The journal…it was in the journal," Lana answered and Darren released her. He picked up the journal forgotten by Ethan. Darren flips through it. The pages start off with normal things such as how the person felt or what they planned on doing. However, as Darren got further into the journal, there were darker thoughts.
"All of this reads like a deeply troubled person," Darren commented.
"Keep reading," Lana urged. "Look at what she is saying."
Darren continued reading and noticed blasphemous things: a hatred for the pack leadership and then the pages turned into notes. Notes on the health of certain pack members with remarks on how easy it would be to take them out.
"Whose journal is this? Where did you find this?" Darren asked.
"In Janet's room…it's her journal," Lana explained.
Darren looked back up at Lana in disbelief. "Say that again."
"That journal was in Janet's room in a drawer at her desk a long with that tablet," Lana responded.
Darren flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing as the notes began to talk about the activity and whereabouts of "priority targets". A low growl rumbled in his throat, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "I knew something was off about her. The way she always seemed to be watching, listening. Like she was gathering intel."
"Are we sure about this?" Milo interjected, his golden eyes narrowed in thought. "The notebook could be planted. As a former double agent, I've used similar tactics to shift attention away from myself when I thought my identity was about to be revealed."
Lana nodded, considering Milo's words. He had a point. Janet was cunning, manipulative. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she'd anticipated someone finding the journal and had left it as a diversion.
"This is her handwriting, her scent," Darren stated.
"All of those things can be replicated," Milo countered again.
"The only way to know for sure is to confront Janet directly," Lana said. "We need to question her, find out what she knows."
"I'll send her straight to the dungeon," Darren growled.
"No. That won't do. She'll shut down or prepare lies before you even begin to torture her. We have to make sure that she doesn't figure out that we are on to her," Milo stated.
Darren nodded, his jaw clenched tight. "I'll post extra security around the infirmary. No one gets in or out without my express permission."
"Let me handle the interrogation," Milo suggested, pushing off from the wall. "I have experience with this sort of thing. I know how to get people to talk."
Lana shook her head, a sense of foreboding washing over her. "No, that's a bad idea. If she sees you, she'll shut down. You were supposed to be dead because you were caught. She's been unconscious while all this was going on. So, no one would have gotten a message to her yet."
"How would you know that? How would you know anything about how they operate?" Darren asked, slightly suspicious of Lana. Lana inwardly wanted to hit herself as she had not revealed that she used to be a Hunter.
"Milo told me a lot about how they operate. We have another mole in the pack or Janet goes out to get messages. I'm betting on Janet leaves to check-in and provides updates," Lana explained.
The answer seems to satisfy Darren as he nodded and begins pacing as he thinks. "I'll bring in one of my Deltas to interrogate her," he suggested.
Lana declared, "I should be the one to question her."
Darren's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You? But you're human. What makes you think she'll open up to you?"
A wry smile tugged at the corners of Lana's mouth. "Exactly. I'm human. Non-threatening. Janet won't see me as a risk." She shrugged, feigning a nonchalance she didn't feel.
Darren looked at her skeptically, his eyes narrowed. "You think that could work?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you ever interrogated someone before?"
A glimmer of something dark and dangerous flashing in her hazel eyes. "In a different life," she said. "Trust me, Darren. I know what I'm doing."
Milo frowned, clearly unconvinced. He knew what Janet was capable of even wounded. Janet could easily snap Lana's neck in a blink of an eye if she catches on to what Lana is doing. "Lana, this isn't some game. We can't afford to take any chances."
"I'm not taking any chances. I'm playing to my strengths." Lana took a step closer to Darren, her voice low and intense. "Let me do this. I can get her to talk, to reveal what she knows. The pack complains that I am a burden, let me prove that I am worthy of being a pack member."
Darren hesitated, weighing his options. Lana could practically see the gears turning in his head. Finally, he nodded, his expression grim. "Alright. Don't make me regret it."
Relief washed over her, mingled with a thrill of anticipation. "You won't," she promised. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but Janet already had a plan forming in her head. Lana could handle this.
As she turned to leave, Milo caught her arm, his grip gentle but insistent. "Be careful," he murmured, his eyes searching hers. "Don't underestimate her."
Lana nodded, a faint smile playing at her lips. "I won't," she assured him. "But don't underestimate me either. I got this."