Chapter Eight #2
He shook his head. He couldn’t contact Nicole before he had something concrete, even if he knew her mother had left a vast series of bestiaries and journals on supernaturals and art.
‘Besides,’ Luca continued with a sniff. ‘The issue isn’t necessarily getting in, but that she records who goes in.
No exceptions. You can’t reason with her, she’s stone.
So whatever you need to do in there, be it steal or kill or whatever – don’t tell me – she’ll know you went in and there will be a record. ’
‘Might not be too bad,’ Callum said.
Kyan gave him a flat look.
‘What? It’ll only cause an issue if we have to light the place on fire or they find out we took something.’
Kyan pulled him a few feet away.
‘What if there are people in there?’ Kyan said quietly. ‘Creatures … like Lynch.’
Nazen didn’t have heightened hearing, but Kyan still didn’t risk elaborating.
‘We won’t be able to get close to deadly ones without transforming,’ Callum said, confused.
‘For any that have been mutated like the curator from Estwood, we might have no choice but to get close or kill. But what if there are people they haven’t …
’ Transformed, he meant, but Callum got his meaning.
If there were cages of creatures waiting to be experimented on, they couldn’t leave them.
They’d be used like Lynch to hunt and kill, their natures twisted or worsened.
Every part of him rebelled against the idea.
Callum’s eyes darkened. ‘We’ll find a way to get anyone out and grab whatever evidence we can.’
But to do that successfully they needed a good idea of the layout, the number of creatures, and a clear exit strategy. Anything else could blow their cover.
Evidence was what Nicole and her family – what the world – needed to prove what the Wake were doing.
But after that, destroying the operation was what he needed to stop more mutated and dangerous beings like Lynch strolling around.
Lynch’s heightened powers and ability to play on Kyan’s weaknesses had made him a formidable enemy – and were the reasons he’d failed Nicole.
Never again.
‘Destroying the labs might be the best way to stop them. For a period of time, at least,’ Kyan said.
‘If this is the only building they experiment in, then I’d agree. But then what do we do with the prisoners if they’re too dangerous? We don’t want a slaughter on our hands or mass panic in the streets.’ Callum thought for a moment. ‘Luca, find me a way out of the building.’
A minute later the Nazen said, ‘It’s got a warren of underground tunnels and rooms from the old prison, but I can’t see them all. They won’t have them on just any blueprint. Some lead right down to the forgotten River Fleet beneath the building.’
That river was toxic now. Was this why? Were the waste products from whatever the Wake were doing being dumped in that river? The irresponsible—
‘Wait, okay,’ continued Luca, ‘there’s a tunnel to the church across the way. Apparently it was used in the ye olde times for when the priest needed to cross to give prisoners last rites or whatever it is humans do, and wanted to avoid the mobs.’
‘So, it leads to the church opposite?’ Callum asked, his teeth flashing in a smile. ‘Perfect.’
‘And if the Babewyn logs us?’ Kyan asked.
‘Then we’ll just have to make sure she scratches us out of that little black book,’ Callum said.
‘Look’ – Luca spun in his desk chair to face them, one Kyan noted had an in-built cup for sweets which glittered with leftover sugar – ‘it’s my professional opinion that this is not going to work. Not with a Babewyn. Not in a building crawling with Empyreals, and wards and cameras.
‘Let’s say you can get through everything else, the Babewyn will log you and I have no way to manipulate her.
Plus, they have some heavy-duty blockers on the cameras.
You’d need something inside to be able to blind them long enough to even get in there, especially because these aren’t all the plans.
‘Without going inside, I can’t map out the secret parts of the building and can’t tell where the rest of their electronics are because it’s obviously not on the maps.
’ Luca shrugged. ‘It’s cool, but it’s too risky.
’ He picked up one of the gummies – shaped to resemble different supernaturals, Kyan realised – and bit into it.
Callum smiled. ‘Well then, we’ll just have to take you inside.’
Luca choked.
Kyan slapped him on the back.
‘Er – wait—’
‘Problem solved.’
‘No?’ the Nazen asked helplessly.
Callum spun Luca’s chair back around to look at the screens and leaned over his shoulder.
‘Come now, Luca. I’m offering you exactly what you’ve always wanted.
Think of all the power you can sap from their systems by going in?
Think of the tech you could feel out while inside.
How much it could help your … little idea. ’
Sapping electricity was a rare Nazen skill, as too much would just overheat them to the point of death. If Luca could sap, no wonder the Wake wanted him dead.
Kyan frowned at Callum’s phrasing, but his friend shot him a look to stop him interrupting, while the seduction of the statement swayed Luca.
The Nazen set a sparkling sweet on his tongue with a smile. ‘When do we leave?’