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He continued to puzzle over options when his pocket buzzed again. In his whirlwind of thoughts following his interaction with Greta, he’d all but forgotten about his phone. As it vibrated against him like a purring cat, he found himself annoyed by the interruption. He’d nearly done it. Greta’s behavior basically confirmed she was the one behind the theft. He needed time without distractions to plot his next steps. Now it was his turn to reclaim his rightful role as thief.

More from annoyance than interest, Jack finally released his phone from its fabric prison. The screen lit up with five missed calls and two texts from Eli.

ELI: found her

ELI: call me

Jack’s thumb immediately sought Eli’s number, but he stopped himself from pressing it. He couldn’t make that phone call here, but he’d risk rousing suspicion if he left the archives now and then had to return. Instead he directed his thumb to the little box at the bottom of the text conversation.

JACK: u found Greta?

Less than a minute later:

ELI: better, I found Gretas

JACK: ???

ELI: your new archivist is Greta Nelson, not Greta Summers

JACK: ???

ELI: there’s 2 of them, dumbass

JACK: 2 Gretas?

ELI: yup

JACK: so this Greta isn’t 1 of the directors?

ELI: no

Jack stared at the screen. How could that be? He’d just figured it out. He’d just confirmed it. Greta Summers was there in the archives after weaseling her way into this branch to steal the Master List. There was no other reason for her to be so shifty. There was no other reason for her to be there. Except, if Eli was right, that wasn’t Greta Summers at all, which meant she might very well be an actual archivist with every reason to be exactly where she was, which, in turn, would mean Jack was wrong about everything and back at square one again.

Another text appeared in a glowing little box on Jack’s home screen.

ELI: but that’s not the best part

Jack stared at the message as though it was written not only in a language he didn’t speak, but one he’d never even seen written down before.

JACK: ???

ELI: FFS stop doing that

ELI: guess who Greta Nelson’s stepdad is

Jack went to type more question marks but quickly stopped himself. His mind became a question mark instead. What the hell was Eli talking about? And more importantly, why was he talking about it? Not three minutes ago, Jack could feel the Master List in his grasp. He had been so close. Now, just like that, he was as far from completing this job as he ever had been, and Eli was texting him about his colleagues’ family trees.

JACK: no idea

ELI: Omesh Bajwa

Bajwa. The name echoed like a memory through Jack’s mind. He knew that name. Why did he know that name? And then it hit him.

Bajwa. Summers. Cook. F. Ian Grant.

The directors of this branch of S.C.Y.T.H.E. The names scribbled in initial form on the whiteboard in the Room of Records.

Ms. G. Summers. Mr. O. Bajwa. Mr. J.F. Mr. Ian Grant. Ms. P. Cook.