Jesse stared at the computer screen. If he hardly believed what he was reading and seeing how he could expect Breanna to do the same. Jaxon was onto something here, and Jesse wondered how they could not have seen it. Rubbing his hands over his face, he sighed, this was bigger than any of them had realised, plus it had Darcia and Madden's madness all over the place.

"What is it?" Valencia asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stopped behind him.

"Birgit?" he whispered the question.

"Sleeping," she answered, "you look like you're about to throw up."

"I feel like I may," Jesse pointed at the screen. "Darcia and Madden went further than we knew, or someone as insane as them took it further than anyone would think possible."

"What are you saying?" Valencia slid onto his lap, looking at the screen, "where did you find this?"

"Jaxon's passport," Jesse sighed. "I followed his journey to each country, and when I put in these codes," he indicated the passport open next to the keyboard. "I found unknown areas holding facilities doing scientific research."

"What are they researching?" Valencia asked, turning to Jesse as he swallowed hard.

"I'm not sure, but it would seem they are targeting naturally born enhancements," he sighed, "the experimentation hasn't stopped. Just shifted."

"On babies?" Valencia asked, horrified.

"Babies, young children, young adults ..." Jesse shook his head, "it seems to be extensive and looks as though it's been happening for years."

"But then ..." Valencia frowned, "how? We were told it would never be possible for us to reproduce."

"What I have read tells me it's always been possible," Jesse said. "We were fed lies to maintain control, keep us vulnerable. Ultimately if you cannot procreate, you don't really dream or wish for anything. You lose the line of no return and, therefore, will do anything you're told. You have nothing to lose ... or to gain. Nothing to hope for, yearn about or want."

"Jesse, how are they finding these naturally born enhancements or those who can birth them?" Valencia asked, "they must have something or someone locating them or a way to do that."

"True, I haven't gotten that far yet," Jesse rolled his shift neck on his shoulders, "but you have a point. Perhaps we can find a pattern in the "normal" world of Darcia and Madden. We know they are dead, so someone is carrying on this madness."

"When the world doesn't need anyone in the mad scientist category, it seems to be filled to saturation," Valencia muttered, taking the seat next to him and typing quickly. The screen above her flickered as it executed the search requested.

"Anything?" Jesse asked, glancing her way.

"It just started," Valencia said, "it may take minutes, hours or days, but one thing is certain: it will find something."

"Oh boy," Jesse muttered, "we have increased missing person reports in the past year and a half."

"Who is missing?" Valencia asked, "children? Women? Men? Ages?"

"Searching," Jesse said, typing quickly before pushing back and staring at the screen above them. Faces, names, and opening dossiers flickered into thumbprints littering the screen.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Oh dear heaven," Valencia gasped as she took it all in, "we have to find them. Do you think they are in the country?"

"Maybe, but if Jaxon's travels tell us anything, they have been moved somewhere else," Jesse murmured, taking in more opening information. "There ..." he pointed, "what is that?"

Valencia pulled the open document onto her screen, "A shipping manifest."

"Type of ship?" Jesse said, typing quickly again on his keyboard.

"Container," Valencia said, scanning the document for more clues, "out of ... that's not a port."

"From where?" Jesse asked, "give me what you have."

Valencia spelt it out for Jesse to enter it into his search parameters, "It's owned by a private shipping company."

"Who owns it?" Valencia asked.

Jesse read the company's name, "Didn't Jasmine say she had inherited her father's empire?"

"Yes, why?" Valencia asked.

"I think this may be why Madden got involved with him," Jesse ran his hands through his short hair, "he is ... was ... using Jasmine's empire for his own uses."

"No one would think to monitor what came and went from a private port and shipping company," Valencia shook her head, "unbelievable."

"We have the how," Jesse said quietly, "now we need the where to."

"We'll find it," Valencia said, taking his hand in hers, "we'll find them."

Smiling, Jesse linked his fingers through hers, "We're not done yet. We still need to find out how they are finding the enhancements, but I need to rest. You?"

"It is two in the morning, Jesse," Valencia chuckled, "we both need to rest."

Securing the information, he stood and stretched.

"Come on," Jesse pulled her to her feet, draping his arm over her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, "tomorrow is another day."

The door whooshed shut on the tech room, leaving the dimly lit space silent. A pair of eyes watched Jesse and Valencia disappear from sight. Moving out of the shadows, Jasmine stepped into the room. She felt cold, confused and gut punched at the same time. It sounded good at the time to phase in to check something only to hear Jesse and Valencia busy with research. They were so focused they hadn't seen or felt her. Finding what she wanted, she made ready to phase out when she heard the name of her father's port and one of his ships mentioned. After that, she couldn't leave. She needed to know why that had been at the end of the trail Jaxon had left them.

"How could he allow this?" she whispered, moving toward the machines used, "how could he be part of this?"

She felt sick, confused and wished her mind wouldn't take the path it was in linking some of the dots she had avoided thinking about. Slipping into the chair vacated by Jesse, she typed in her unique passcode, searching through the information uncovered about her port and shipping company. Time ticked by, and the lights brightened as the sun began to rise outside the mansion. Jasmine continued to work.

A mug of steaming coffee appeared between the screens, and Jasmine started. Looking up, she found a smiling Cara sitting in the chair Valencia had vacated.

"It's seven in the morning," Cara murmured, "coffee is needed to begin any day ... or continue it. Oran is bringing your breakfast, or you can join us in the kitchen."

"How?" Jasmine shook her head, "never mind."

Slowly she picked up her coffee and sipped the brew sighing at the delicious taste rolling over her tongue.

"What have you found so far?" Cara asked, "anything I can help with?"

"How much do you know?" Jasmine asked.

"You're sick to your gut that your father was working with Madden or allowed the use of his empire to be so complete," Cara provided. "Not only are your thoughts giving you away that you've been searching your empire for hours to see to what extent the damage has spread, but your eyes look like someone punched you."

"Then you know as much as I do," Jasmine said, "I'm waiting for the search to complete itself."

"Find anything else on Jesse and Valencia's early morning work?" Cara grinned as she met Jasmine's astonished gaze.

"No," Jasmine shook her head, "Jesse set a search going as well, and so far, not much new information has come to the surface."

"Then, until that happens," Cara stood, indicating Jasmine follow her, "you need to see the outside of the room before you lose control of your tightly held together emotions."

Jasmine frowned but stood and followed Cara from the room. Cara, as always, had a point. She needed sunshine and fresh air before she lost her mind in the agonising hurt balled in her chest.