‘Why them?’ I ask.
His expression is grim. “They are dragons who traffic drugs to supernaturals and special blood to vampires. Recently they changed tactics. They became more violent. We found bodies with unusual stab wounds and poison in the blood.”
Stab wounds? When we speculated Far Out Freight could be shipping weapons, I assumed they’d be modern in nature. Explosives and guns with magical enhancements, perhaps something more hard-core depending on who they’re selling to. Bladed weapons didn’t cross my mind, and Kit’s dark web searches turned up nothing like that.
‘So you think they stole a weapons shipment before yesterday’s attack?’ I ask Wojtek.
He nods. “Yes, but we did not know who from until now.After you borrowed our helicopter yesterday afternoon, we contacted our informants. We discovered that a group of fae nearby somehow learnt their latest shipment was stolen by the Zbrodnia Smoka. They went to retrieve it.”
“Which is why we had to leave in a hurry,” Ethan says.
‘Did the fae find them?’ Bryn asks.
Wojtek smirks. “Yes, and my people followed. After they exhausted themselves battling each other all night, we arrested them. They are in cells in the basement.”
I sit back in the plastic chair, not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, I’m glad the dragons responsible for hurting Bryn have been caught. On the other… I would have preferred to hunt them down myself.
‘Can we question them?’ I ask.
Wojtek gives a sharp shake of his head. “PRN laws prevent other international agencies from questioning prisoners. However, I am willing to pass on a list of questions to the agents investigating the Zbrodnia Smoka, and we can provide you with the interview recordings. Ethan says you speak Polish?”
‘I do. Thanks, Wojtek.’ Not even being able to question the Zbrodnia Smoka or the fae who were the intended recipients makes my jaw tighten and my shoulders tense, but Wojtek and his people are being so cooperative that I can’t hold it against them. ‘What about the cargo Bryn was carrying?’
Wojtek grimaces. “The Zbrodnia Smoka worked too fast. We suspect they already had a buyer lined up this time, perhaps over the border. We found several well-used fae weapons that match the injuries sustained by their recent victims, but no trace of your shipping container or the boxes that were inside.”
Bryn frowns. ‘What does that mean? They only kept weapons from a previous shipment?’
Finding old fae weapons with the Zbrodnia Smoka supports the theory that Far Out Freight are moving weapons rather than artefacts, but isn’t useful information otherwise.
I sigh, my hand movements tense. ‘Exactly that. It means we have nothing to link the freight you were carrying to weapons trafficking, and without evidence, we have no authority to make arrests at Far Out Freight.’
Bryn could have died, and we’re no further ahead than we were before. One thing I do know? I’ll do everything in my power to protect my dragon from further harm.
Chapter Twelve
BRYN
‘I don’t have to go. I could fake a broken wing and stay with you,’ I sign.
Raj and I are in the entrance hall of the manor, and I’m supposed to be heading out to do flight training with Milo, but I don’t want to leave my treasure unguarded. My dragon and I have been going a little nuts since we found out three fae attempted to kidnap Raj two days ago.
Raj’s lips twitch. ‘I suspect your brother would have something to say about that.’
He’s not wrong. I video called Milo after we got back yesterday to explain that the task force rescued me from a cargo flight gone wrong, then brought me here to ensure I was fully recovered. I mentioned that they let Dhiren stay as well, and it was only a promise to meet for our planned flight training this morning that stopped Milo from flying to the manor last night and demanding to be let in.
Thank goodness Doc P was able to repair my immunesystem. Milo won’t be worried anymore after he sees me, because dragon healing is the fastest of all earth shifters—or so we were taught as kids—and I’m entirely back to normal today. Physically, at least.
I’d prefer to be able to fill my brother in on everything that happened, but the NDA prevents me from explaining the full story. At least once the investigation is over we’ll be able to reveal Raj’s true identity, even if I’ll still have to keep some things from Milo.
‘Then I’ll make up a different excuse. I’m not comfortable leaving you. I can’t believe those bastards tried to kidnap you on the one day I was out of the country.’ My hand movements are wild, conveying my fury at their audacity.
‘I’ve been thinking about that, actually,’ he signs, his brow furrowed. ‘I’m wondering if the timing was deliberate.’
‘You think Lance sent me away on purpose?’
It’s true that the change of destination was last minute, and we’ve not hidden that we travel to and from work together. If they wanted to get Raj alone to kidnap him, they’d have to get me out of the way.
My dragon vibrates low in my chest, ready to shift and curl around Raj until the threat is over. Which isn’t a practical solution in the real world, even if it is fucking tempting.
