I replayed the encounter in my mind, but really couldn’t determine a way that it could have gone any differently.
Fisk arrived with a handful of his helpers. “You let him go?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice.” I explained what had happened.
“I’ve assigned a team to keep an eye on him,” Fisk said. “Maybe he’ll lead us to his boss and where they’re holding Leif.”
“He’s intelligent, so I doubt he’d be that careless. But it doesn’t hurt to try.”
The door into the alley swung open and Ari and Janco arrived. The red splotches on Ari’s normally pale cheeks warned me. I braced for his lecture on the dangers of meeting with Bruns. He didn’t disappoint, listing a number of horrific and creative outcomes. Janco had rubbed off on him.
“...not listening, are you?” Ari asked.
“I got the point. You’re not happy and neither am I, but I see no other way.”
“What do we do while we wait?” Janco asked.
What indeed? “We need to update Irys and...” My stomach soured. “And Mara. She needs to know what’s going on.”
“Can we trust the guards at the Keep not to turn us in to the Citadel’s security forces?” Janco asked.
For the first time since I’d come to Sitia, I truly didn’t know. “Fisk, can one of your helpers deliver a message to the Second Magician?”
“Yes. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay with me. I’ve guest rooms.”
“Fancy,” Janco said.
Pride momentarily eclipsed my anxiety for Leif. Fisk had turned into such a fine young man.
*
Irys and Mara arrived after supper. Both wore worried expressions. Mara fisted the fabric of her skirt. We settled in Fisk’s living area. He had left earlier and hadn’t returned. I sat next to Mara on the couch and held her cold hand in mine. Janco leaned against the door and Ari occupied the other chair across from Irys.
“No,” Mara said when I’d finished detailing my conversation with The Mosquito. “You can’t sacrifice yourself for Leif.” She smoothed the wrinkles over her lap.
“It’s not an exchange.,” I assured her. “He just wants to talk. Plus we can follow him after—see if he’ll lead us to Leif.”
“And if he doesn’t? What if something goes wrong?” Ari asked.
“Then I’ll have a talk with him,” Irys said. Her steely gaze promised results, and the magic detector flashed in response. “Let me know when the meeting is scheduled.”
*
While we waited for a message from The Mosquito, my thoughts turned to Valek. It’d been sixteen days since we’d parted. I wondered if he waited at our rendezvous location or if he still hunted the Storm Thieves. Should I send a messenger? I asked Ari and Janco.
“If you do, he won’t worry why we’re not there, but if he hears about Leif, he’ll come here,” Ari said.
Not good. He needed to stay in Ixia. “What if I say we’ve just been delayed?”
“He’ll come regardless.” Janco crinkled his forehead in confusion. “You act like that’s a bad thing. He can flatten that Mosquito.”
“The Commander has forbidden him to leave Ixia,” I said.
“That didn’t stop Valek last month,” Janco said. “He disobeyed a direct order from the Commander when he traveled to Lapeer to help you. Valek’s never done that before. His loyalties have changed, so unless you’re at the rendezvous location soon, expect to see him.”
I played with the butterfly pendent Valek had carved for me. If Janco had noticed that Valek’s priorities had switched, then it must be obvious to the Commander. No wonder he’d come down so hard on Valek.
“Then we’ll have to conclude our business with Bruns as soon as possible,” I said.
“No problem. We’ll rescue Leif, bring down the Cartel and be home in time for our afternoon naps,” Janco snarked.
I stood and slapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit!” However, my insides churned with dread. This Cartel might be beyond our ability to stop, and convincing the Sitian Council would require more proof than we currently had. Drawing in a deep breath, I cleared all the things I couldn’t control from my mind and focused on the most important issue: rescuing Leif.
Fisk drew on his network of information gatherers to collect any bit of news regarding the Cartel’s location. They kept an eye on the businessmen who were suspected of having ties to the Cartel. Irys gave permission to Lindee, Fisk’s accountant, to access the Citadel’s records room. According to Fisk, she had a sharp mind and was a genius with numbers. Perhaps she’d find a bill of sale for a building that could be traced back to the Cartel.
I organized the intel, searching for clues and weak links, and tried to piece together their plans. Ari and Janco frequented the taverns in the government quarter, listening to the gossip.
The Mosquito’s messenger arrived four long days after the encounter in the alley. The young boy waited outside for a reply. The letter said: