‘So, where’s the weirdo?’Luca asks him.
‘Lurking outside somewhere.’Kade’s gaze keeps flitting back to Seth.‘Do you think he’ll move Seth sideways to replace Gage?’
‘Overseer and QG are nothing alike,’ Hiru points out rightly.
QG manage logistics, infrastructure and operational continuity within the Tower, controlling everything from supply chains and reserve stores to fuel, maintenance and payroll.
Head of the household, essentially.
Overseer runs Iron Star’s external crews and operations across Varrow City, managing territory, fronts, and outside relations while maintaining the syndicate’s political and criminal influence, typically dealing with the cops.
Head of the streets.
Kade has sometimes envied Seth’s job as it means a lot of time away from here.Seth has four teams on the outside that Kade’s only met for basic training.They live outside the Tower and only come in for anything less than an emergency.They’re currently across the room from him right now.
The chatter dies the second Riley walks in.
‘Thank you for gathering on short notice.’He goes to lean on the nearby windowsill, deceptively unassuming as always but everyone is staring at him, waiting.No one speaks.No one moves.‘All right.Listen carefully.’
Kade is practically holding his breath, curious how he’ll handle this.
‘Two nights ago we were attacked by an unknown subject who stormed the Tower and killed eighteen of our people.His name is Lachlan Tanner.I know some of you are wondering why he’s not dead.I’m sure rumours are flying around,’ Riley adds, looking in Seth’s direction but not directly at him.‘I want to make it clear how serious this is and remind you all that strange activity must be handled carefully.We’re dealing with something uniquely dangerous and until we fully understand the scope of this, the Tower will remain in lockdown protocol, and Tanner will be staying here.Not in holding, not confined.You’ll see him walking around cooperating with us.’
Faint, unhappy murmurs brush through the gathered crews.
From beside Kade, Luca whispers, ‘Seth’s gonna flip.’
Riley goes on.
‘Tanner’s providing actionable intelligence.He’s useful to us and if there’s one thing I expect you all to understand by now, it’s that I don’t waste useful things.We work with what we’re given.There’s a larger threat emerging that Tanner was only the tip of.Anyone else would bury him and not think twice, but we’re notanyone else,we’re Iron Star.We are the exception to the rule and the only reason Varrow doesn’t tear itself apart.Before I move on, does anyone have any questions specifically about Tanner?’
People are hesitant to ask, especially at first.Kade sometimes forgets that they don’tknowRiley the way he does.They don’t get to spend time with him in private, they don’t know the real him.Riley can seem intimidating.
Unsurprisingly, it’s Seth who raises his hand first.
Riley nods.‘Go ahead.’
‘Boss, I get extracting intelligence from him, but why does he need to walk around for that?’
Kade expects a vague answer, but Riley is surprisingly direct.
‘He can’t be killed or contained, Seth.That’s why.’
‘So, he’s usingusthen?We’re basically his guest house.’
Riley’s gaze never falters.
He doesn’t even blink as he stares Seth down.
‘Gage was your twin brother,’ he says softly, ‘but this is the life we chose.Risk is a part of it.’
‘Is he a Paranatural?’Seth demands baldly.
‘Rephrase your question.’
‘Is he a Paranatural,boss?’
Oh, he’s pushing so hard.Kade’s fingers twitch nervously by his side.
