“See that you do. As well as Findo Trask’s location, I have also learned that an individual by the name of Russet Welliver entered the port at Daydawn in the past few days. This name will not mean anything to you, but it will be known to those you work for.”
“Thank you for that extra information. I will pass it along,” Hallie said. She hesitated, thinking over what Zurine had said and not said, and then asked. “Are you safe?”
“As safe as I can possibly be,” Zurine answered. “It has been an interesting experience encountering you, Hallie Talbot. I wish you well.”
Before Hallie could form an answer, the line went dead. Hallie didn’t bother to try to reconnect the call. Zurine would not answer.
After a breath, the phone in her hand buzzed and a text message appeared with an address that made Hallie’s brows shoot up. Findo Trask was in Daydawn. And not just Daydawn, but in midtown, if Hallie’s memory of streets was correct.
She went back to her room to pick up her own phone and called Girard.
“Zurine Halinburn just called with Findo’s location and some more information. She was very clear that he’s with some dangerous people, so I think we need the tactical team. Meet you out front in ten minutes?” she said as soon as he answered the phone, sounding just as groggy as she had when Zurine had called.
“Ten minutes. Got it,” Girard said, and hung up.
Not much later, Hallie was in the crowded conference room at the investigators’ offices. It was full not only with the files, papers, and photographs that the investigation team had gathered, but also now with people. As well as her and Girard, there was a quartet of heavily armed tactical team members, the director, and a handful of other investigators.
So far all Hallie had been able to say was that Zurine had given her an address where they might find Findo Trask and that it would be dangerous. At that point the director had summoned everyone else and pulled out a large map of the relevant section of midtown, spreading it across one end of the table ready for when the tac team arrived. He’d been so focused on that that Hallie had not been able to bring up the other information Zurine had given her.
Right now, Yasir Rojas and Frollo were bent over the map with the director, talking fast about entrance and egress, strategies for containment, points that might be rigged with traps and points where they might be ambushed if they went in to get Findo Trask.
The address that Zurine had provided was the far end of a residential street with only one vehicle access in or out, although Hallie could easily spot a few ways that a determined person might get out of the house and away across the garden fence or through the neighbouring properties. That possibility had definitely occurred to both the commander and the director. They’d floated the idea of waiting until darkness to go in and get Findo, but with the Conclave having its opening session in the afternoon, they decided they could not afford to wait.
In the middle of their discussions, Jasper was also setting up the big screen at one end of the room for an overhead view of the area and whatever photographs they had from street level.
The street was in an upscale neighbourhood of detached houses with large gardens all set back from the road and screened with hedges and trees. The sort of place where aveondkenlike Findo would stand out but no one would say anything as they were too concerned about their own business.
From Hallie’s perspective it was reassuring that the tactical team were taking such good care and being so thorough in their preparation. It was also quite unsettling to realise just how much information they had been able to access so quickly and easily about midtown’s streets. She couldn’t help but wonder just what else thehochlenhad in their databases.
“Quite a fewhochlenlive in midtown,” Girard said quietly, perhaps seeing her eyes fixed on the screen and the images Jasper was flicking through. “So we have good information about it. We’re all but blind in low city.”
“That makes sense.” Hallie’s worry faded a little.
“Is everything alright?” Girard asked.
“Findo’s address wasn’t the only thing Zurine told me,” Hallie said, keeping her voice quiet. “I don’t want to interrupt the planning, though.”
“Well, tell me, and I might be able to make a call on that?” Girard suggested.
“Alright. She said that someone by the name of Russet Welliver was in Daydawn. Entered the port at Daydawn a few days ago,” Hallie said, trying to stay as close to Zurine’s words as she could.
Girard sucked in a breath and took a step forward. “Sir,” he said, voice loud enough to draw every eye in the room to him. “Zurine had more information for Hallie, and you need to hear it before going any further.”
“What is it?” the director asked, irritation making his voice sharp. He looked as if he hadn’t had much sleep.
Hallie repeated what Zurine had told her.
“Russet Welliver,” the director said, still with that edge to his voice, shoulders bowing as if under an incredible weight. “You’re sure?”
“That’s the name, yes, sir. She said you would know it.” Hallie looked around the room and saw by the very grim expressions on everyone’s faces that everyone apart from her knew the name.
“She’s right. Jasper, call up his file,” Peredur ordered.
“Sir.” A moment later and a man’s face appeared on the big screen, taking up half the space with the rest filled with text. Hallie ignored the text for now, focusing on the face, which she had seen before. At least once. She half-closed her eyes, trying to remember where she had seen those features.
“I recognise him,” Hallie said.
“What?” the director turned on her. “Where? Why didn’t you say anything before?”
