"Phase Two," Alistair agreed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
— EVELYN —
The abandoned rail station in the industrial district smelled like rust and old stone and decades of damp.
Tav arrived through the east approach at 9:04 p.m., eighteen minutes before the meeting time specified in the contact from Ablation's handler — a different handler from Evelyn, this one unnamed in the message, a specific and concerning deviation from standard Ablation contact protocol. He moved through the partially collapsed upper access route and found a position in the catwalk above the main platform that gave him sightlines on all three ground-level entrances.
He wasn't here to meet the handler.
He was here because the handler had included Naomi's photograph in the second message.
She'd been photographed outside the apartment building, at the grocery shop, twice in front of the campus library. The photographs were taken at range, with professional equipment. The attached message had been brief: IF YOU WANT TO LIVE. COME ALONE. AN ADDRESS.
Tav had not come alone.
He'd spent forty minutes arguing with Alistair about this and lost the argument in the particular way of arguments where one person's logic is correct and the other person's position is untenable but feels non-negotiable.
"She's in this because of us," Alistair had said.
"She's in this because she chose to be."
"The photographs were taken before she chose anything. They were watching her before we told her anything." He'd met Tav's eyes directly. "They've been using her as leverage for a week and we didn't know. Which means they anticipated that we'd involve her."
"Which means they know our patterns."
"Which means they know us." He'd paused. "And they're using what they know. Which means going in alone does exactly what they want — separates us."
Tav had looked at the message.
"I don't want you in the sightlines," he'd said.
"Then I'll be on the high positions. I'm better on elevation than you are anyway."
"That's debatable."
"It really isn't."
Which was how Tav had ended up on the main platform and Alistair had ended up in the catwalk with a long-range option and a clear view of the approachers.
Evelyn Hart appeared at 9:17.
Alone, as far as Tav could assess. She came in through the north entrance with a black umbrella and her characteristically composed pace and stopped at the edge of the platform light.
"You came," she said.
"You photographed Naomi Reyes."
"I didn't authorize that." She studied him steadily. "That was Director Cain. I was informed after the fact."
"Cain." Tav filed the name. The director-level involvement elevated the situation's seriousness considerably. "He's taken a personal interest."
"The Protocol was his project," Evelyn said. "Has been since the beginning. He built it after the first pair.
After what happened with Lucien and Elias. He believed the methodology was sound and the failure was in the execution. He wanted to run it again with better controls."
"We're the better controls," Tav said.
