“It’s a start,” said Leroy, when she had finished accounting all she had seen and heard during her first day as a Renegade. “Have you determined your primary objectives going forward?”
“Research and development,” said Nova. “They’re very secretive there. I want to know what they’re working on, and what consequences it might have for us, and the city. Also, the Sentinel. I want proof he’s a Renegade tool, and I want to know who he is and what they plan to use him for. From there…” She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I want to know their weakest links. Maybe a direct attack on the Council was premature. Maybe there are other ways to bring the organization collapsing in on itself. Sneakier ways.”
Ingrid nodded. “If you want to blow up a building,” she said, “take out the support beams.”
Nova met her gaze. “Unfortunately, I won’t be blowing up anything for a few days, at least. The team that picked me at the trials has been assigned a specific mission. This will interest you, though.”
Ingrid raised an eyebrow.
“Starting tomorrow night, we’re running surveillance on Cloven Cross Library.”
“What?” yelped Ingrid, tossing the framed photo into a corner. Nova scowled at where it crashed against the floorboards, feeling a peculiar sense of ownership—over the house and everything in it, even over the family that was, in some alternate universe, her family. “What did they find on Cronin?”
“Nothing,” said Nova. “Yet. But they somehow traced the gun that I used at the parade back to him.” She glanced from Ingrid to Leroy. “You did get it from him at some point, didn’t you?”
“Years ago,” said Leroy, rubbing his cheek so hard the scarred flesh wrinkled and bulged around his fingers. “He used to stock that particular model a lot. I should have realized they would draw a connection back to him. That was sloppy of me.”
“They don’t have any proof of his involvement yet,” Nova insisted. “They’re just suspicious. As long as the Librarian can refrain from buying or selling anything illegal for a while, they shouldn’t be able to pin anything on him.”
“Unless they search the library,” mused Honey, toeing at a mysterious stain in the area rug. “If they find his inventory, well … that will be that.”
“They can’t search it,” said Nova. “Not without evidence of illegal activity. It’s part of their code.” She couldn’t avoid the sarcasm, even though, in this case, the Renegade code was proving to be a good thing. For them, at least. And the Librarian.
“I don’t like it,” said Ingrid, starting to pace. “If we lose access to Cronin’s network…” Her gaze smoldered. “We’re already outgunned enough.”
“Again,” said Nova. “They can’t search—”
“Oh please.” Ingrid snorted. “If they suspect he’s dealing again, they’ll find a reason to search the library, even if they have to plant the evidence themselves.”
Nova’s shoulders dropped, and she wondered whether that was true. Adrian had seemed adamant about this surveillance mission, and the importance of finding evidence that would allow the Renegades to legally search the library. Was that just a ploy? A show of goodwill to the community, a demonstration of their own due diligence, before they planted the evidence that would get them the results they wanted?
“Then … we have to warn him,” said Nova. “I can go right now. The surveillance is set to begin tomorrow night. That gives him more than twenty-four hours to clear out any weapon stock or documentation that would incriminate him. Should be plenty of time.”
“You can’t go,” said Ingrid, tapping her fingers against her hips. “It would be far too suspicious if anyone recognized you.”
“But you said—”
“I will talk to Cronin,” Ingrid continued. “I’ve worked with him more than anyone. I can’t exactly say we trust each other, but he’ll be more likely to listen to me than anyone else here. Besides, the man’s a coward. If he thinks the Renegades are on to him, his instinct will be to run and save his own skin.” She inhaled sharply. “Like he did at the Battle for Gatlon.”
Nova glanced at Leroy, who shrugged. “There is a reason he’s one of the few villains who survived that slaughter, and it certainly isn’t because of his strength or bravery.”
“But if he runs again,” said Ingrid, “I bet you anything he’ll skip town for good, and that won’t leave us any better off than if the Renegades arrested him. So I’ll make sure to motivate him in a way that helps our cause, more than hinders it.” She turned her focus back to Nova, her expression calculating. “How many Renegades are going to be involved in this surveillance mission?”
“Just four, I think. Me and the three other members of my team.”
Ingrid held her gaze for a long time before asking, “Including the Everhart boy?”
The way she said it made the hair prickle on Nova’s scalp and she found her fingers wrapping idly, almost protectively, around her filigree bracelet. “Yes,” she said. “He’s the team leader. But … from what I can tell, he’s never done any surveillance like this before. I don’t think any of the team has.”
“Of course,” said Ingrid. “But he’s the perfect candidate to conjure up a piece of incriminating evidence, isn’t he?”
Nova swallowed, wondering why that thought hadn’t occurred to her.
Leroy stood and brushed the dust from his backside. “Nova will keep a close eye on him during their mission. If he does try to plant any evidence against Cronin, she can deter him.”
“Don’t bother,” said Ingrid. “It will be better if they search the place and get it over with.”
“What?” said Nova.
“I’ll make sure there’s nothing there for them to find,” said Ingrid. “You make sure that team of yours conducts that search, say … early morning, right after the library opens. The sooner they can cross the library off their watch list, the sooner we can go about business as usual.”