Chapter 697: The First Buyer

With the depot under control and fifteen creatures being stabilized, all that remained was to follow the only movement in the network that was still active: the meeting scheduled for that night outside Vareth. Pasted Markdown

Rhea received the first update before they left the lower level. Soren’s rented room was empty, but it had not been abandoned for long. The bed was still unmade, there was warm water in a basin and some of his clothes remained inside the wardrobe. He had left in a hurry, taking only a small bag and the documents he considered important.

"Then he still intends to attend the meeting," Kael said, climbing the stairs beside Sylphie. "If he intended to simply run away, he wouldn’t have any reason to remain near the city."

"Or he wants to use the meeting to get help," Rhea replied, handing him a copy of the message. "The location is six kilometers from the eastern gate. There’s an old weighing station on the trade road. It’s been abandoned for three years."

Kael opened the paper while they walked. "How many entrances?"

"One main road, a service trail to the north and woods on the other two sides," Rhea replied, pointing out the positions on a smaller map. "I can close the exits without putting men near the building."

"Do that," Kael replied, returning the map. "Four men on the road, two on the trail. The others stay far enough away not to be seen. No one goes in until we hear something useful."

Rhea looked at him. "You want to let Soren talk."

"I want to know who’s coming to meet him," Kael replied. "Arresting him now only gives us a depot administrator. If someone shows up to help him clean up the operation, I want that person talking before they realize they’ve lost."

Sylphie adjusted the bag fastened at her waist. "And if no one shows up?"

"We arrest Soren and go back."

The simple answer seemed to satisfy Rhea. There was no need to turn the operation into something larger than it was.

Shortly before nightfall, the guards were already in position. Kael, Sylphie and Rhea remained on a raised section of the woods with a partial view of the old station. Umbra disappeared into the shadows to observe the interior.

The building was small, made of stone, with a sloped roof and a platform where wagons had once been weighed. The scale was still there, rusted and crooked.

"He’s here," Umbra said through Kael’s shadow.

Kael looked toward the road.

Soren appeared alone.

Lysa’s description was accurate. Tall, light hair, dark gloves and clothes too discreet for a wealthy merchant. He walked to the station without carrying a lantern, entered through the side door and did not come back out.

"Armed?" Kael asked.

"Knife, two vials and something attached to his left forearm," Umbra replied. "Not a normal weapon."

"Don’t touch him yet."

"I know."

They waited.

Almost twenty minutes later, the sound of wheels came from the eastern road. A small enclosed carriage appeared between the trees, driven by only one coachman. It stopped before the platform. A woman stepped out through the side door.

She wore a long brown coat, black hair tied in a bun and carried a leather case.

Rhea narrowed her eyes. "I know that mark on the case."

Kael observed the metal symbol attached to the leather.

Two interlocking gears.

"Kessel & Rook?" he asked.

"Yes," Rhea replied. "The workshop Oren mentioned."

The woman entered.

Umbra spoke again. "Now this got better."

Kael did not answer.

Inside the station, Soren waited until the door closed.

"You took your time," he said, remaining near the broken window.

The woman placed the case on an old table. "I was busy finding out why fifteen collars stopped transmitting at the same time," she replied, removing her gloves. "Then I found out the guard entered the depot."

Soren ran a hand through his hair. "Oren was arrested."

"I know."

"And you told us to suspend and transfer."

"Yes. Not to sit around in Vareth waiting for them to find your name in a book."

Soren approached the table. "I need to leave the city."

The woman opened the case. "First I need the buyer records, destination codes and payment copies."

"I didn’t bring everything."

She stopped.

"Then go back."

"I can’t go back. The depot has been taken."

"That’s your problem."

Soren placed both hands on the table. "You supplied the collars. If I go down, Kessel & Rook goes down with me."

The woman slowly raised her eyes. "Careful."

Outside, Rhea looked at Kael.

He gestured for her to wait.

Soren continued. "The Vharak disappeared, Beltram fell, Oren is arrested and now you’ve lost the depot. The client is going to want answers."

"There is no longer a client for that shipment," the woman replied. "The order was canceled this morning."

"Who canceled it?"

"You know I don’t receive names."

"Then who do you receive orders from?"

She closed the case.

"You’re asking questions you should have already learned not to ask."

Kael looked at Rhea.

"Now," he said.

The guard moved.

Two men appeared on the road at the same time the others closed the service trail. Rhea entered through the main door.

"Vareth Guard. Hands away from the table," she ordered, keeping her sword sheathed. "Soren Keld, you’re under arrest for illegal trafficking of creatures, document forgery and participation in unauthorized confinement and mana extraction."

The woman grabbed the case.

Umbra emerged from the table’s shadow and seized her wrist.

"Don’t even try," she said.

Soren reacted differently.

The object attached to his forearm glowed.

Kael felt mana compress in the same instant.

"Rhea, down," he said.

The device released a short burst of light and smoke. Soren went through the side window, breaking the remaining glass with his shoulder, and ran toward the woods.

Kael used a Celestial Step.

He did not need another.

He appeared directly in front of Soren and grabbed his arm before the man could activate the device again. Soren tried to strike him with the other hand. Kael dodged, twisted his wrist and forced him to his knees without using enough strength to break the joint.

"That was a bad choice," Kael said, tearing the mechanism from his forearm.

Soren breathed heavily. "You don’t know who you’re dealing with."

Kael handed the device to an arriving guard. "So far, a trafficker who tried to run."

The man fell silent.

Rhea appeared shortly afterward.

"Take him."

Two guards handcuffed Soren.

Inside the station, the woman from the workshop remained restrained by Umbra’s shadow. The case was open on the table.

Sylphie examined the contents without touching them.

"There are components for six collars," she said. "Drain crystals, locks and regulators."

Rhea looked at the woman. "Name."

She took a few seconds.

"Tessa Rook."

Rhea exhaled through her nose. "Rook as in Kessel & Rook?"

"My family owns the workshop."

"Good," Rhea replied, approaching. "Then you’re going to save us quite a bit of time by confirming who authorized the manufacture of these devices."

Tessa kept her expression firm. "Our workshop manufactures legal containment equipment."

Sylphie picked up one of the pieces using a cloth. "This was calibrated for continuous draining below the collapse threshold. This isn’t ordinary containment equipment."

"It could have been modified afterward."

Umbra opened another compartment of the case.

There were six metal tokens identical to the one found with Daren.

Tessa fell silent.

Kael returned to the station and placed the device Soren had used to escape on the table.

"I also want to know who manufactures this."

Tessa looked only once.

That was enough.

"From the workshop," Kael said.

Rhea agreed. "I recognized the finish too."

Soren, already under escort, let out a short laugh. "She isn’t going to protect you."

Tessa turned her head. "Shut up."

"You already lost the depot."

"I told you to destroy the records."

Rhea stopped.

Kael did too.

Tessa realized it too late.

Soren smiled without humor. "Thank you."

Rhea stared at the woman. "You just admitted to attempting to destroy evidence."

Tessa closed her eyes.

"Take them separately," Rhea ordered.

The guards obeyed.

Kael examined the case while it was being catalogued. There was enough material to prove that Kessel & Rook supplied at least part of the equipment used by the network, but it still did not identify who was buying the creatures.

Until Sylphie found a small envelope tucked beneath the inner lining.

"Kael."

She handed the paper to Rhea first. The captain opened it.

Inside was a production order.

Six medium collars.

Two large ones.

Four reinforced traps.

Delivery in three batches.

At the end, there was only a code.

M-4.

Rhea looked at Kael. "Another destination?"

"Maybe," he replied. "Or buyer."

Soren, a few meters ahead, heard.

His step changed.

Kael noticed.

"You know M-4."

Soren did not answer.

Kael walked toward him.

"You don’t need to tell me now," he continued. "Rhea will find it in the documents."

Soren looked at Tessa.

She avoided his gaze.

Tessa was the first to speak.

"M-4 is a buyer."

Rhea turned toward her. "Name."

"I don’t have one."

"Location."

Tessa hesitated.

"You just admitted that you manufacture illegal equipment for him," Rhea said. "This is the moment to decide whether you’re going to keep protecting someone who already ordered a shipment canceled and abandoned the entire operation."

The logic worked better than any threat.

Tessa took a deep breath.

"Norven," she replied. "A city north of Vareth. There’s a property outside the walls called Miren House. The M-4 orders go there."

"Who lives there?" Kael asked.

"A researcher named Valric Morn."

Sylphie frowned. "Researcher of what?"

"Magical beasts."

Kael looked at Rhea.

She was already writing it down.

"Do you know the name?"

"I know the reputation," the captain replied. "He published two papers on the adaptation of magical creatures in captivity. Nothing illegal that I know of."

"Now we know where to look," Kael said.

Rhea put the paper away. "I can request a warrant in Norven tonight."

"Do that."

"Are you going with them?"

Kael looked at Sylphie.

She was also watching him, waiting for the answer.

"If the Norven guard finds animals at risk, they enter immediately," he replied. "If they find an empty house and documents, they preserve everything. We’re not crossing into another city just because we have a name."

Rhea nodded.

Sylphie smiled.

Kael looked at her.

"No."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You’re getting predictable."

"So are you."

Umbra appeared between the two of them.

"I prefer it when we travel."

Kael picked up Tessa’s case and handed it to a guard responsible for evidence. "You prefer it when someone tries to run."

"That too."

The operation ended without another confrontation.

When they returned to the depot, it was already past midnight. Thirteen of the fifteen creatures were stable. Two still needed constant treatment, but none had died. The red bird that had been nearly motionless had managed to drink on its own.

Sylphie spent several minutes checking the healers’ reports.

"They’ll survive," she said, handing the sheets to Rhea. "At least based on what we know now."

Kael looked at the rows of open cages.

That was enough for one night.

"Norven can wait until the guard responds," he said.

Rhea agreed. "I’ll send everything before I sleep."

Kael picked up his coat.

Sylphie approached.

"Are we going home?"

"Yes."

Umbra appeared behind them.

"And the primroses?"

Kael looked at her.

"If you mention the primroses one more time, I’m going to make you water them."

Umbra remained silent for two seconds.

"I don’t know how to use a watering can."

Sylphie started laughing.

Kael headed for the exit.

After two days away, they had finally dismantled the visible part of the network, freed fifteen creatures, identified the equipment supplier and found the first concrete buyer.

The rest could continue tomorrow.