Page 18 of The Honor Society

Me

How sweet of you. Location?

Unknown

Eastfort Docks, pier thirteen. Come alone.

Me

How very original of you, doing business down at the docks. Tell me you’re an eighty-year-old Cosa Nostra member without telling me you’re an eighty-year-old Cosa Nostra member. If you had half a brain you’d best stay out of Sinacore and Nicolasi territory.

Unknown

They fear us.

Me

No. They really don’t. They tolerate us because we keep each other in check. But if that’s what keeps you warm at night. See you at midnight. Keep my man alive.

I rush out of the museum and jump into my Defender. Bullshit is what this is. I dial Rhodes number. He answers on the first ring.

“Yes?”

“One of the Calloway bitches has Jenner.”

“You’ve been ignoring me.”

“I was in the hospital jackass, get over yourself.”

“Is that any way to speak to The Chancellor?” Rhodes snaps.

“Depends, are you going to start referring to yourself in the third person Rhodes or is humanity safe for now?” I start the car and hit the accelerator. “This pisses me off, you know what this means, it means someone leaked my number, someone’s been watching me, and we have less than eighteen fucking days until The Convocation. You know what happens if the votes are split. You need me a much as I need you.”

He curses. “I can’t decide if that’s a threat or not?”

“Oh it is. One hundred percent a threat. You aren’t all knowing Rhodes. One of your guys talked, and when I find out who it is, I’m going to rip their tongue from their throat, not cut, rip. Do you feel me?”

Rhodes sighs heavily into the phone. “Listen, if they got your man it might be your man who talked or maybe dig deeper. Why would a Calloway kidnap another Calloway?”

My blood runs cold. Is there more to this than a simple succession? “What do you know?”

“Enough to know War doesn’t want Jenner dead.” He says in a low voice.

“Then what the fuck do they want?”

Rhodes sighs. “You have The Ledger, Proctor, you tell me?”

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel.

He bites out a curse, not sure if he’s frustrated or if it’s directed at me, maybe both. “Read the account, Axel.”

I think about it, then finally look down at The Ledger and read through it again and pause at the end. Of course.

Heir: Disputed.

Claim: Unrecognized.

Shit. I tap The Ledger against my thigh. “War wants a pawn not a king. He thinks if he has the page he has power.”