Jet fidgets with his empty mug. “We’ve never figured outwhythese shifters were kidnapped or killed, right?”
‘Various theories, but nothing definite. What are you thinking?’ I ask.
Jet grimaces. “What if the weapons are being made in Birchester, and our missing shifters are being used to test them?”
My stomach drops as everyone reacts with sharp inhales, snarls, and more than one pair of glowing eyes. If that’s what’sbeen happening this entire time… My tiger urges me to shift, ready to find the culprits and rip them apart. We wouldn’t succeed, but it’s bloody tempting to try.
Kit yanks their laptop closer and taps rapidly. “There was a lot of information in what the PRN sent us about various poisons on the weapons the Zbrodnia Smoka stole, although they didn’t find out much of use to us from the prisoner interviews.”
“We’ve already been over this,” Ethan says. “We can’t categorically link that to Far Out Freight.”
“We didn’t consider that they could be manufacturing such weapons here though,” Cal says tightly.
“If they’re adding poison to weapons, they’d need a secure lab space,” Jet says.
I clench my jaw. ‘We need to figure out where, and how they’re getting these weapons to the warehouse.’
‘Restocking is done overnight, but we’ve probably missed the window to follow a supply lorry,’ Bryn signs.
“Actually, we planted hidden cameras across the street a couple of months ago,” Kit says. “They’ve never picked up any nighttime movement at the warehouse, either night shift workers arriving or freight coming in.”
“I did a couple of fly-bys at night as well. Nothing,” Skye says.
“Could they be glamouring the vehicles arriving?” Ayo asks.
‘It’s possible, but why bother?’ Bryn signs.
Ethan rubs his beard. “It does seem unlikely.”
“What about underground tunnels?” Cal asks.
I shake my head. ‘Again, it’s unlikely. There’s no door unaccounted for, no access hatch that I’ve seen, and if there was a glamoured entrance Bryn would’ve spotted it by now.’
“You can see through all glamours?” Ethan asks Bryn.
Bryn nods. ‘Yes. On buildings, people, objects, everything.’
“Does Birchester even have underground tunnels?” Skye asks.
“Yes, but not in this part of the city,” Ayo says.
“So that option’s out. What else?” Ethan asks.
I scrub a hand over my face, my limbs heavy with fatigue. I’m out of ideas. We could be looking for a lab anywhere in the city, or even further afield. Maybe if we could search the remaining boxes in the warehouse, Lance’s office, even the admin office, we might find some sort of lead.
Ethan looks around at our weary faces. “All right, take five minutes, everyone.”
Bryn pulls out his phone and I take the opportunity to stand and stretch my stiff muscles. He types one-handed, his gaze drifting to the bare strip of skin at my waistband.
I manage a smile for the first time in hours and drop my arms, my shirt falling back into place. My tiger chuffs, ready to shift and curl up with Bryn for pets if we’re not going after any bad guys right now and I sigh, really wishing that was an option but too stressed to actually consider it. The priority is figuring out a way forward, because there has to besomethingwe can do.
“Anyone want another brew?” Ayo asks. He gets a chorus of yeahs so he taps Bryn’s shoulder and signs, ‘Drink?’
Bryn nods absently, signs ‘Thank you,’ then frowns at his phone.
I wave to get his attention. ‘You okay?’
‘Harley volunteered for overtime this weekend. He said more than three-quarters of the boxes are gone.’
