“Just tell me when and where.”
They agreed to meet at the Harts’ house in two days, when both of Danny’s parents would be out; Colton had memorized their schedules. He and Brandon parted ways.
It was a long walk to the house, and he worried the entire way that Christopher would already be there, panicked and enraged. But when he approached the front gate, he saw no auto at the curb. He was in the clear.
Pleased with himself for having an outing with no major complications, Colton opened the front door and froze. There was a letter on the floor under the mail slot.
His name was on it.
Colton knelt to inspect the envelope. Since nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he broke open the seal. The letter inside was just a simple message, scrawled in the same handwriting as the note in his pocket:
He is in danger.
Come to India.
Tell no one.
There was something else inside the envelope. Pulling it out with shaking hands, Colton found a black-and-white photograph like the one he had of Danny.
This one was of Danny, too, but his back was to the camera. He stood by a pile of rubble in the middle of a circular clearing beside Daphne Richards and two others. The photograph was taken from the viewpoint of someone looking down on them through a window on a high floor.
In the corner of the photograph, a gun was pointed at the back of Danny’s head.
Christopher and Colton went to the office the next morning to show the Lead how the holder worked. The man was impressed, and promised that Christopher and the smiths would be generously compensated for their work and discretion.
“That’s not necessary, sir. I’m just glad to do my part.”
“Nonsense, your family does outstanding work and I want to see that rewarded. Well now, Colton, are you feeling better?”
Colton looked up from where he’d been glaring at the carpet. “What? Oh, yes. I feel almost as strong as I would in my tower.”
“Brilliant.” The Lead still sounded a little hesitant speaking directly to a spirit, but the fact that Colton now looked like a human boy eased some of the awkwardness. “We’re still investigating, but we’ll get to the bottom of this soon. There’s been shadowy activity in India as well, and I’m sure Daniel and the others are hard at work.”
Colton sensed something furtive about the way the man said it. Apparently, Colton wasn’t the only one keeping upsetting news from the Harts.
After that, Colton’s day was torture. He couldn’t stop reading the note or staring at the photograph. It was of poor quality, the image grainy, but it was clearly Danny. There was no mistaking him.
The next day Colton anxiously waited for his meeting with Brandon. He’d called Cassie over as well. She arrived first, and Colton led her to the back room.
“I wish I knew how to make you tea,” he said. She laughed and touched his arm affectionately.
“That’s all right. You look much better than you did before. Well, more solid, I should say. Have you told them?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Colton—”
“Just wait until Brandon gets here. Then I’ll explain.”
The apprentice arrived ten minutes later, surprised to see Cassie. Colton introduced them, since he didn’t think the two had ever met.
“He’s mentioned you,” Brandon said, taking a seat in the armchair where Cassie had sat last time. Colton settled on the couch, wearing the cog holder on his back. He had become used to its weight already. “The auto mechanic.”
“That’s me. Nice to finally meet you.”
“I assume you’re here for the same reason I am.” Brandon gave Colton a pointed look.
“I’ll have to start from the beginning,” Colton warned.
“Maybe I’ll go make that tea, then,” Cassie said.
She came back with a small tray just as Colton finished up. Brandon thanked Cassie for the cup she held out to him, taking a few sips as he considered Colton’s words.
“Don’t you think someone should tell Danny?” he said at last. “About Enfield and all that? I mean, if he kept that note from everyone, he already knows something’s up. He’ll want to know.”
“The India assignment is important, and they trusted Danny with it,” Colton argued. “I don’t want him hurrying back here for my sake. And there’s … something else.”
Colton hesitated. The note had warned him not to tell anyone. He went to close the drapes, then laid the note and photograph facedown on the table. “I’m going to leave the room for a minute,” he said. “Don’t touch these.” He mimed flipping the letter and photo over, nodding his head. Brandon was reaching for them as Colton left the room.
He heard Cassie’s gasp and Brandon’s muttered curse. Giving them exactly a minute, he walked back into the room. The letter and photo were as he’d left them. Cassie was white as a freshly laundered sheet, and Brandon’s eyebrows were furrowed.
“I have to go to him,” Colton whispered. “They’ll kill him if I don’t.”
“Bloody idiot, can’t you see this is a trap?” Brandon whispered back. “These people know something about you. About Danny. If they get you where they want you—”
“I don’t care. I’m not risking Danny’s life to save my own. I promised his father that I would never put Danny in danger.”
Cassie twisted her hands in her lap and looked at him pleadingly. “Colton, let’s just tell someone. Please. There has to be another way.”
But he shook his head. “I will not risk his life. They want me to go to India.” He touched the small cog Big Ben had given him, secure in his pocket. “So I’ll go.”
“What about Enfield?” Brandon demanded.
“They’ll be safer this way. Time will start again when I come back, and then we can fix my tower.”
“If you come back at all! The Lead should know—”
“No!” Colton banged his fist against the wall and the entire frame shook. Brandon and Cassie jumped. “You two are the only ones I can trust right now. If you tell the Lead, or anyone else, they’ll do something to Danny. I can’t have that happen.”
“But how would you even get to India?” Cassie demanded.
Brandon opened his mouth, then immediately closed it. Colton stared at him, and Brandon stared back, eyes shifting in indecision. Finally, he exhaled a long breath.
“I know a way,” Brandon admitted. “My older brother’s a copilot on a transporter airship. He’s taking some cargo and soldiers to India at the end of the week. I can ask him if he’ll smuggle you on.”
Colton brightened at once. “Would you really? Do you promise?”
Brandon glanced at the photograph. He scratched his jaw and sighed. “Yes, I promise. Have to keep Danny alive, right? Since he’s so awful at doing it himself.”