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“Is it important that the building is getting a delivery?”

“It’s the first time we’ve seen that side entrance get used, without more data, we can’t figure out whether that’s a regular supply of goods, or a one-off, special delivery.”

“You think it could be the crown?”

Lucien looked back at me. “Maybe. But even if it’s not, this is the first delivery in two days; we don’t have time to wait around and see if another delivery arrives.”

“So, we have to assume it won’t open again anytime soon.”

“And since it’s at ground level, we can also assume it will be as heavily protected as the front door… which leaves us only one option.”

I frowned. “One option?”

Lucien picked the telescopic camera up, unplugged it from the laptop, and hauled it and its tripod toward the hotel room door. He turned to look at me. “Come with me,” he said.

I got up and followed him all the way to the roof access door. It was locked, but Lucien pulled out a key from his pocket, opened the door, and stood aside to let me through first.

The sun was bright, the breeze was cool, and I could hear the sounds of life happening all around me. Car horns blared below, seagulls cawed above, and off in the distance, helicopters. A pair of them were flying overhead, skimming just above the tallest buildings in the district and heading toward… the ocean.

I ran over to the edge of the building and threw my gaze toward the horizon. There, between the buildings ahead of me, glittering as the light touched it, was the sea. I took a deep breath in, shut my eyes, and honestly thought I could smell the salt water.

“Wow…” I said to no one.

“Wow?” Lucien asked, as he came up beside me.

I opened my eyes again and stared at the ocean, at the ships in the harbor, at the seagulls hovering over the fish market. “I’ve never been to the ocean,” I said.

“You haven’t?”

I shook my head. “I’ve never even been to the beach.”

“You live… in Boston.”

“I know.” I shook my head. “My family kept me under lock and key. I was never allowed to go anywhere.”

“Not even with them?”

“Definitely not with them.”

I shut my eyes, took another deep breath, and smiled to myself as the wind caressed my face and tugged at my hair. “It’s beautiful. What did you bring me up here, for?”

“Surveillance… but I can give you a couple of minutes, if you like.”

“What’s the point of looking if I can’t touch? We may as well get on with this.”

Lucien nodded. “Alright.”

“I appreciate the offer, though…” I turned my eyes up at him. Lucien held my gaze, leaving words unsaid.

“Over here,” he said, and then he moved toward another of the building’s edges.

When we reached a good vantage point over the Recondite temple, Lucien set the tripod camera up and aimed it at their rooftop. Their rooftop was lower than ours, which meant that from up here, we could see it perfectly.

The first thing I noticed was the guy in the suit with the sunglasses. He was pretty difficult to miss, leaning against the side of the building, watching the world go by below him. Lucien snapped a couple of photos of him—I could hear the click, click, click of his shots.

“Do you know who he is?” I asked.

“No idea,” he said. “Just another guard.”