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“It’s the next part that’ll be difficult,” Iyoni said. “Got a plan for getting Farron alone?”

“Yeah. Wing it.”

*

My phone beeped periodically with Natalie’s updates, and because I’d asked her to start with REACT, Farron’s team was the third one she sent through.

“He’s Downtown, at the Providence Performing Arts Center,” I read out.

Iyoni veered across two lanes to take the exit onto I-195. “Ten minutes.”

“Firth has spread them thin,” I said, checking the message. “He’s there with only one other, and they have NPPD in support. That’ll make life easier.”

“Maybe that means the bomb’s not at PPAC,” Kara said. “I mean, if he knows where it is, he wouldn’t search there, right?”

“Or he’s sabotaging the search,” I said grimly.

“Or PPAC is the target, but the bomb’s not in position yet.

Or it’s so well hidden he can be confident it won’t be found—large enough to blow up a theatre, small enough to be impossible to find.

Or Moreau hasn’t seen fit to share the details, and Farron is useless to us. ”

Gloomy silence greeted this list.

“Even if Farron doesn’t have the details,” Kara said carefully, “he may yet be able to point us to someone who does.”

“I think that’s the best chance,” I agreed, then sighed and shared the worry that had been developing for some time. “If I were Moreau, I can’t think of a reason to tell Farron anything.”

“So we grab him, Dacien makes him talk, and he gives us his contact?” Iyoni said. “Then we have to find and make them talk, and all by eight on Friday?”

“And locate and diffuse the bomb,” I added.

“Shit.” Iyoni shook her head, and drove a little faster.

“All right,” I said as we drew closer. “I have something approximating a plan. Iyoni, you stay with the van. You’re our getaway. Kara, you’re job is to lure him out. Not only will anyone follow you with your ass in those tight jeans, but I’m too recognizable. I’d prefer not to be seen if possible.”

“He’ll recognize me too.”

“Yes, but not many others will. Just flash your SPAR ID if you need to get past any enthusiastic NPPD. Try and get Farron to the door, where I’ll be waiting.

” I gave Kara half the vials, making sure she had both types of drugs, and followed up with a handful of syringes.

“We need to stab him with one each of these. I’ll start with the ketamine, you lead with the loraz-whatever-it-was.

” I started filling a couple of syringes, one of each drug.

“If we can both inject him, job done. If, for whatever reason, only one drug gets into him, then follow up with the other. Clear?”

“Crystal, but that’s not a plan, it’s a step above winging it.” She copied me, pushing the needle through the rubber stopper of a vial, and loading her syringe.

“I thought that was your preference,” I said, checking both my needles were capped. I didn’t want to stab myself by accident.

She gave me a look. “Any tips on how to lure him out?”

“Drop your jeans?” Iyoni suggested helpfully.

“Do not drop your jeans,” I growled. “Tell him I’m waiting outside and it’s urgent. He might even believe that. Just … try not to do it where you’re overheard. It would be nice to get out of this without being connected to his disappearance.”

We pulled onto Weybosset Street and drove past the center, then Iyoni spun us around the side of the building to the back entrance, parking up on the pavement. “I’ll be here, engine running.”

“Hopefully see you in a few minutes.”

Kara and I got out.

She followed me to the door into PPAC. “We’re going to do this inside if we can, right? Near the door, away from other agents? There may be witnesses if we do it outside.”

“Ideally, yes. But the priority is getting Farron, whatever the cost. Anything else we can worry about later.”

Kara grimaced. “So many ways this could go wrong.”

“Let’s be positive,” I said, and grabbed the door handle.

It was locked.

“Are you kidding me?” I didn’t have time for this. I braced my other hand on the door, took a breath, and pulled. The lock gave way with a distinctive crack, the handle coming half off, and the door swung open. “Heh. Definitely stronger.”

“That could’ve set off the alarm,” Kara said. “We need to work fast.”

“The place has NPPD crawling all over it,” I said. “Good chance there’s no alarms still on.”

We both paused, listening, but there was no sound of an alarm, and no shout of surprise inside.

“Wish me luck,” Kara said, and slipped within.

I followed her, loitering just inside the door.

The waiting was the hardest part. I stood motionless, breath slow, pulse anything but.

The minutes ticked by.

What had I missed? What if he saw through her?

What if Moreau had already told him she was a threat?

Then I heard her voice.

“—Think we’ve found a possibility.” It echoed through the hall, and she wasn’t being quiet. “We’re going there now, but Xan wanted you with us.”

There was a pause. I imagined him scanning the space around her, weighing the ask.

“Why me?” Farron’s voice, high and musical, but with a note of suspicion.

“Don’t you remember us from Bay Uni? You were the first SPAR agent we ever saw. I think he likes you.”

Ironic. Nice touch.

“He’s just down here,” Kara’s voice came again.

I slipped the cap off my syringe of ketamine, palming it, and stood boldly before the door—partly to hide the broken handle and splintered frame. She was being so loud she must want me to know she was coming, and that gave me an inkling of her plan.

Kara appeared around the corner, Farron following her. He was alone.

“There he is,” Kara said, stepping aside to let Farron past. It confirmed what I’d guessed … I hoped.

Farron came closer, dressed in his usual SPAR uniform, his wand and sword on opposite hips. His vest gave off aether, as did the barrier ring I knew he had, but neither were active.

“Ah, well done, Kara,” I said. “Farron, so glad you’re here.”

He walked right up to me, curious and wary, but not seeing me as a threat. “What’s happened, sir?”

“We may have found—”

Kara leaped onto him, her syringe finding its mark in the side of his neck.

Farron spun faster than I expected, one hand going to the wound, the other activating the ring on his hand.

A buckler of pure aether sprang up on his wrist, and he backhanded Kara away.

She hit the ground with a gasp of pain, stunned.

My stomach twisted. The force of it had been brutal, and she’d had no chance to shield herself.

I threw an arm around his throat, holding him while I stabbed him with my own syringe, and pressed the plunger as hard as I could.

Farron struggled, gripping at my wrist, but I held on.

He reached for his wand, but Kara got a foot beneath herself and dived for his hand.

A welt was already appearing upon her cheek, and I scowled and stamped on Farron’s ankle.

He gave a muffled scream, my neck-lock helping to stifle the noise, and dropped to one knee.

I rode him down, still gripping his throat.

His fingers scrabbled at my arm, but his movements were growing sluggish, and his body became limp against me. Another moment and he slumped, only my arm stopping him from falling.

“Are you all right?” I asked, staring at the red mark his blow had left.

“Bit bruised, but I’ll be fine.” She threw me a smile. “It worked!”

“You were brilliant. Let’s get him in the van.”

Kara opened the door and stepped outside.

She was only gone a moment, but it felt like an age.

The air was thick with the dusty smell of old carpet and something faintly acrid, like scorched wiring or cheap disinfectant.

I listened hard, my heart pounding, expecting footsteps at any second, a voice demanding to know what we were doing here.

Then Kara slipped back inside.“We’re good. ”

Together, we dragged him out of the door and literally threw him into the back of the van—no care, no finesse, and a savage satisfaction as he smacked into the floor. I slammed the side door shut after him while Kara climbed in next to Iyoni, and seconds later we were pulling away down the road.

Now I had to face Dacien.