Alex Verus 5: Hidden

by Benedict Jacka

  “Sagash kidnapped Anne once already,” Variam snapped. “How much more proof do you need?”

  “We can’t just go—”

  “Variam,” Caldera said. “Do you have evidence that Sagash was behind the attack?”

  “All we have to do is go to his shadow realm and—”

  “Do you have evidence that Sagash was behind the attack?”

  Variam glowered.

  “I don’t know what your master’s been teaching you,” Caldera said, “but Keepers do not get to kick a mage’s door down and go in shooting just because they might have done something.”

  “I’ve seen Keepers do a lot more than that.”

  “With evidence,” Caldera said. “So far we have nothing linking the two suspects to Sagash. Unless there’s something you’re keeping from us?”

  Variam was silent. Caldera nodded again to Sonder. “Go on.”

  “Okay,” Sonder said, sounding slightly annoyed. “So, um . . . First we have the two mages who carried out the attack.” He wrote ATTACKERS on the top right of the whiteboard in blue marker and drew a circle around the word. “We don’t have very much information on them, but I’ve put what we do know on these handouts. So, uh, take one before you go and see if you can find any leads.”

  Handouts, I thought. Right.

  Sonder had written SUSPECTS on the top left, underlined it, and written CRYSTAL underneath. “So while we’re doing that, I think we should start looking at who might be behind this. We’ve agreed that the most likely—”

  “Point of order,” I said, raising a finger. “How do we know someone’s behind this, rather than those two attackers acting on their own?”

  “I don’t think that’s helpful,” Sonder said with a frown.

  “Okay,” I said. “Why do you think that someone’s behind this?”

  “Ah . . .” Sonder looked at Caldera.

  “Typically in these kinds of cases the victim has had prior contact with the perpetrator,” Caldera said. “When we check the history, about eighty percent of the time we find an escalating series of incidents. The abduction’s just the final step. In Anne’s case, she’s been targeted for similar attacks on two previous occasions.”

  “Sagash and Crystal,” I said. “So you think this was aimed at Anne specifically?”

  “So far I’d say this has features in common with a targeted attack. Random abductions by strangers are very rare. The way it was carried out combined with the fact that our tracers haven’t been working would suggest advance planning.”

  “Do you think—?”

  “Excuse me?” Sonder said. He was giving me an annoyed look. “Could you let me finish, please?”

  Luna raised her eyebrows. I sat back in my chair.

  “Thank you,” Sonder said. “As I was saying, I think Crystal should be our primary suspect. She did something like this to Anne once already and she’s got a clear motivation for trying again.”

  “It wasn’t Crystal who snatched Anne in Fountain Reach,” Variam said with a frown. “It was Vitus.”

  “She was still involved.”

  “Ah, question?” Luna said, raising a hand. “Isn’t Crystal wanted for murder?”

  “Yes, that’s the point.”

  “So the Council hasn’t found her, or they would have tried and executed her already, right?”

  “Yes . . .”

  “So if they can’t find her, how are we going to find her?” Luna asked. “And if we can’t find her, what’s the point of making her a suspect?”

  “It’s just the most logical possibility,” Sonder said. He was looking harassed again.

  “Last time Crystal used a shroud,” Variam said. “Why not this time?”

  “She can’t move as freely now. There’s no reason to—”

  “Let’s move on,” Caldera said.

  “Right,” Sonder said. “The next possibility is the rakshasa Jagadev.”

  Luna and Variam shared a surprised look as Sonder wrote JAGADEV on the board. “Didn’t he sponsor you and Anne?” Luna asked Variam.

  “He fell out with her afterwards,” Sonder said. His eyes flicked to me. “There were . . . issues.”

  “Yeah, but he still helped us,” Variam said with a frown. “I’m not saying I like the guy, but . . .”

  I stayed silent. Variam and Anne didn’t know why Jagadev had banished them, but I did. In fact, I was the one who had made it happen. And Sonder (as far as I knew) was the only other person who knew the secret, given that it was his research that had uncovered it.

  But Sonder stayed quiet. “There are reasons to be suspicious of Jagadev,” Caldera said when Sonder didn’t speak. “I can’t give you most of the details because you’re not cleared for them. No, not even you, Variam. Let’s just say that the Order of the Star has abundant evidence that Jagadev is mixed up in some very shady stuff.”

  “Is he being investigated?” Luna asked.

  “Jagadev is very careful never to be directly implicated in anything,” Caldera said. “He works through proxies and cat’s-paws. He’s suspected of being connected to half the high-profile magical crimes in the country, but we don’t have any proof. And he’s got influence on the Council. Investigations which target him have a bad habit of getting their resources pulled.”

  “He sounds almost as impossible a target as Crystal,” I said.

  Caldera shook her head. “Jagadev’s not untouchable. Someday he’ll slip up. We just need to be patient.”

  “What about Sagash?” Variam said.

  “The final suspect is Sagash,” Sonder said, writing the last name on the board. “So far there’s been no evidence of any connection between him and Anne—”

  “You mean since we shot our way out of his shadow realm?”

  “Maybe you ought to tell them the story,” Luna said, intervening before the conversation could get derailed further.

  I looked at Variam, as did Sonder and Caldera. “Fine,” Variam said, obviously reluctant. “Back when Anne and I were in school we had a teacher who was a sensitive who wanted to be a mage. She got her hands on a focus somehow and started Harvesting kids.”

  “Is this in Keeper records?” Caldera asked.

  “No,” Variam said shortly. “People died and so did she—we didn’t know at the time, we just thought she’d gone somewhere else. A few years passed and then Sagash showed up. Turned out the teacher had been his ex and he was pissed. He snatched Anne right out of school and took her to his shadow realm, this huge castle in the middle of the sea. Anne was supposed to be his apprentice as payment for the whole thing—she didn’t want to, but he didn’t give her much choice. I went looking for them, I found them, there was a big fight, and we got out. That’s it.”

  “Who is Sagash, anyway?” Luna asked. “You and Anne talk about him sometimes but . . .”

  “Dark death mage,” Caldera said. “We don’t know much about him, but what we do know matches with Variam’s experience. He’s supposed to be secretive to the point of paranoia—hardly ever leaves his personal shadow realm. Apart from Variam, I don’t know of any Light mage who’s been inside. We’ve had a few reports, mostly from independents who visited at some time or another, but it’s all out of date. Sagash generally stays off our radar, and he’s powerful enough that people leave him alone.”

  “Where’s the shadow realm linked to?” I said.

  “Never managed to find out,” Variam said.

  “Excuse me?” Sonder said. “I think we’re getting off topic.” He tapped the board with the marker pen. “Our focus ought to be Crystal.”

  “Screw Crystal,” Variam said.

  “She’s the most likely suspect!”

  “Do we have anything linking these guys to her?” Luna asked. “Because if not, I’m kind of with Vari.”

  Sonder was looking frustr
ated again. “We don’t have any evidence that they were linked to Sagash either.”

  “Right now I don’t think it matters,” I said. Sonder, Variam, and Luna turned to me and I glanced between them. “We don’t have any clue as to Crystal’s location and we don’t have any evidence for Sagash’s involvement. We can’t effectively go after either of them.”

  “Which brings us to what we should be doing,” Caldera said. “Sonder and I are going to work the forensic end of this. We’re waiting on lab analysis of the samples we took from the flat, and Sonder’s going to scan other periods to see if we can pick anything up. Honestly, none of you can be much help with that. You can’t help Sonder, and you’re not cleared for Keeper facilities. Except you, Variam, but it’d be probationary and I think there’s something more useful you could be doing.”

  Variam looked alert. “The fact that Anne disappeared so soon after her removal from the apprentice program probably isn’t a coincidence,” Caldera said. “It’s likely that the information spread from there to the people behind the attack. If we work on that assumption, then we may be able to find the ones behind it.” Caldera glanced at Luna and Variam. “Luna, if you’re willing to do it, I think you’d be best placed to investigate this angle. You’re the only one active in the London apprentice program, and the other apprentices will be more willing to talk to you. Before you agree, bear in mind that this might be dangerous. You’re not Keeper personnel, so I can’t ask you to do this without your consent and that of your master.”

  Luna looked at me. “I’m willing if you are,” I said.

  Luna nodded. “I’ll do it.”

  “Variam, I want you to start checking up on Anne’s friends and acquaintances,” Caldera said. “Concentrate on anyone she’s been in contact with recently, and if you find any leads, report them to me immediately. You will not approach Sagash or anyone connected to Sagash, and that’s an order. Your master seconded you to me for this, and you’ll do what I say or you’re off the case. Clear?”

  Variam didn’t look happy. “I get it.”

  “You get it, or you’re going to do it?”

  “No going near Sagash. I got it.”

  “Verus,” Caldera said. “I’m going to need your help for tonight. There’s an audience scheduled to take place at the Tiger’s Palace. It’ll be the largest concentration of Dark mages this month in all of the British Isles.”

  “Sounds lovely. How’s that going to help?”

  “It’s Jagadev’s club and Sagash is supposed to be on the guest list. That’s two out of our three suspects in one place, and even if they don’t have anything to do with it there’s a good chance someone there will know someone who does.”

  “And you’re planning to go?” I asked.

  “I’m going with Sonder. As I understand it, you’ve got some past experience with the place. If you could go over the layout and anything else you know before we go in, that’d be helpful.”

  “Not planning to take anyone else?”

  “We don’t need anyone else,” Sonder said.

  I looked between Sonder and Caldera, then shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Anyone have any questions?” Caldera asked, looking around. No one answered, and after a pause she nodded. “All right. Verus, I’ll meet you at midday. You’ve all got your tasks; let’s get to work.”

  | | | | | | | | |

  “I thought Sonder was supposed to be smart,” Variam said once we were outside and walking down the street.

  “There’s a reason he’s playing it this way,” I said. Luna, Variam, and I were out in St. John’s Wood, heading towards the Tube station. Sonder and Caldera had stayed behind to do something else, the details of which they hadn’t elected to share.

  “It’s Sagash,” Variam said.

  “It might be any of the three, or someone completely different,” I said. “Sonder knows that, he’s not stupid.”

  “So why was he acting so sure it was Crystal?” Luna asked.

  “You know which order Caldera is a member of?”

  “Order of the Star,” Variam said.

  “Remember what their remit is?” I asked Luna.

  Luna rolled her eyes slightly but didn’t complain about me testing her. “First and second clauses of the Concord,” she recited. “They’re supposed to keep the peace in magical society, punish anyone who ticks off the Council.”

  “Second clause of the Concord only forbids hostile action against recognised mages and apprentices,” I said. “Crystal broke that clause when she helped kill off those apprentices in Fountain Reach, but she didn’t break that clause when she attacked Anne. Anne’s got no legal status. If Sagash was the one behind this attack, then as far as the Council’s concerned he hasn’t done anything wrong.”

  “But the Council still wants Crystal,” Luna said.

  “Which means that Caldera’s on our side for exactly as long as Crystal stays a suspect. If we can prove that Crystal’s behind this, we’ll get Caldera and a whole Keeper task force backing us up. But if we prove Sagash is behind it then there’s nothing Caldera can do. Sonder has to push Crystal as the prime suspect, because as soon as she’s not then he stops getting help from the Keepers.”

  “I hate Light politics so much,” Variam muttered.

  “Better get used to it.”

  “Why are you so sure it’s Sagash?” Luna asked.

  “Because this was what he did before,” Variam said. “He got a couple of idiots to kidnap Anne out of school.”

  “But that was what, five years ago?”

  “Four if you count from when we got out.”

  “You’re seriously saying he sat around for four years before coming back?”

  “Yes,” Variam said with emphasis. “Because that’s what he did the first time. It was three years between the deaths at our school and when Sagash showed up. The guy holds a grudge like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “Say it was him,” I said. “Why would he go after Anne now? What would he want from her?”

  “Best case? He still wants her as his apprentice and he’ll pick up right where he left off.” Variam’s face was grim. He didn’t say what the worst case was, but I could guess.

  | | | | | | | | |

  Once we reached the station Variam split off, disappearing into the Underground to begin his search. Luna hung back. “Caldera’s sidelining us, isn’t she?”

  I gave her an appraising look. “You noticed.”

  “Well, she didn’t exactly make it subtle,” Luna said. “Ask around the apprentice program to find who it was? What are they going to say? ‘Oh yeah, I was just talking about Anne to these two sinister-looking hunchbacked guys in black cloaks, here’s their address and mobile number.’”

  “Black cloaks aside, that probably is how they found out.”

  “That still leaves about a thousand people who it might have been. And same goes for Vari. She’s just trying to get us out of the way.”

  “Not quite. If she really thought there was no chance of finding anything useful, I doubt she’d have asked you to do it. I think she’s giving us peripheral jobs to keep you out of trouble.”

  “You know,” Luna said, “I’m getting really tired of mages thinking I’m useless.”

  “We’re not Light mages,” I said. “And we’re not Keepers. Caldera knows she could use our help, but we’re always going to be on the outside. From her perspective we’re amateurs. Well-meaning amateurs, but . . .”

  “Sonder probably wants that too, doesn’t he?” Luna said. “He wants to keep me on a shelf somewhere nice and safe.” She gave me a challenging look. “Are you okay with that?”

  “Well.” I gave Luna a grin. “Caldera is on our side, so I think we should help her out. But I don’t see why we can’t show a little initiative . . .”

  | | | | | | | | |

  We parted c
ompany and I headed home, picking up a few things from the shops along the way. By the time Caldera arrived a couple of hours later, I’d had the chance to make some preparations.

  “. . . and beyond Jagadev’s throne room are the private rooms and living quarters,” I said. Caldera and I were standing over a sketched map on the small table in my kitchen. “That was where Anne and Vari lived while they were there.”

  “Other exits?” Caldera asked.

  “At least two that I know about,” I said, pointing. “Here and here. There’s roof access too, but I don’t know the way inside. According to Vari it’s a bit of a maze, so I’d get directions if you’re planning to go exploring.”

  “What sort of security force does Jagadev keep on hand?”

  “Last that I saw, a lot. At least twenty armed guards, some of them adepts, and that’s not counting wards and automated defences. I wouldn’t recommend starting a fight.”

  “I’ll be there in my capacity as a Keeper.”

  “Mm.” I was pretty sure Jagadev was too smart to challenge the Keeper orders directly, but the assembled Dark mages might be another story. “I’m guessing you haven’t been to the Tiger’s Palace before?”

  “Other Keepers have. We poke around so often it’s practically the Order of the Star’s local pub.”

  “But they probably don’t do it on the nights Dark mages throw a party.”

  Caldera shrugged.

  “Sure you don’t want me along?”

  “Very sure,” Caldera said definitely. “Don’t take this personally, but right now having you mixed up in this is the last thing I want. You’re a trouble magnet, you’re not trained for police operations, I can’t rely on you to follow orders, and on top of that, according to Sonder you have some kind of history with Jagadev. I’m already going to be babysitting one civilian in there; I don’t need another.”

  I looked at Caldera in amusement. “Guess that answers that.”

  “This is my job, not yours. If you really want to do me a favour, scout the Tiger’s Palace for tonight so that I can get Sonder in and out without anything screwing up. That’s one thing I could use help with.”

  “Are you okay with Sonder having dragged you into this?”