Zera sighed.“Ava...”
“Zera.”She looked at the projection.
Tirra snorted.“Did you two always butt heads?”
Zera sighed, and a face appeared behind her.Ava grinned.“Hey, Torun.You look shorter naked.”
“Investor?Oh, gods.You are looking good.Very good.”
Zera elbowed him and then winced.
Ava smiled.“How is your portfolio doing, Torun?”
“Excellent.Thank you.”
She inclined her head.“Sorry.Dex is here, and she doesn’t have clearance for this level, so I am heading up to brief her about the perv waiting for poor Sixty-Six.”
She walked to the elevator, went up, saw Dex in the lobby, and then did what she rarely did: she shared her vision.Dex took the information and nodded.“Got him.He’s a block down, and he has shadows outside the door as markers.”
“Are you going to hunt him?”
“Oh, yes.I already registered the hunt with the guard on the way over here.You never steer me wrong.”
Ava grinned and smacked Dex on the butt.“Go get him.Guards have been notified, and I will make sure they are aware of you and your sword.”
“Thank you.Take care of her.”
“I will.Below I go.You do you.”Ava smiled and headed back down as Dex got the sword ready to take care of the shadow.
Jienne was going to need help to recover from the mental invasion, and Ava was going to offer her very secure home and her very big pet as assistance.
She went down in the elevator, and the markers she had planted in the area gave her a delightful view of the pursuit.She guessed that he never expected a shadow killer to be accessible and licensed by Aksalla.
When she returned, Jienne was talking softly with Arcady and the counsellor.Ava waved at her, and she smiled with a tear-streaked expression.The humiliation she felt was the worst part.
Arcady walked over and said softly, “Drin wants you to contact her.She will come here if necessary.Or she and one of hers can meet you upstairs in textiles.”
“That is the best idea.I am guessing it will be Vikor.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Oh, you really don’t want to know.Plausible deniability.”She looked over at the corner where Jienne was giving her testimony to the woman.It was being documented for the official record.Jienne would be held blameless, and that was important.
She caught Jienne’s gaze, and the other woman smiled.
Zera contacted her, and Ava answered, looking up at the display.“Hey, what’s up?”
Zera looked at her.“He’s dead.Dex got him and split him down the middle.Do you know what he was doing?”
“I am guessing he’s been collecting female actives who can output to manipulate others.There should be a few of them chained up in a warehouse building near the harbour.”
Zera gritted her teeth.“Do you have an address?”
“Three-seven-six Port Acker Storage.”
Zera nodded.“Message sent to the guard.All women?”
“Yup, and all delicate, so bring some females and no psychics.”
