My Darkest Shadow

Chapter 23

The following day was spent unpacking, replying to Maria's incessant texts, and worrying about confronting Arthur in the next few days. Maria insisted on keeping abreast of our progress with Arthur. Despite my argument to the contrary, she suspected Kael of something - she didn't know what - because he seemed far too preoccupied with my connection to Arthur. Between Maria's texts, Arthur messaged asking if we could meet for coffee to catch up. My excuse was a combination of jet lag and work.

Kael was back at my apartment late that evening. Greetings were brief. He was preoccupied with the business that brought him here, and I wasn't about to distract him by bringing up our discussion yesterday.

He recovered a folder from his backpack and sat down at my small four person table. His hair lie in strange ruffled angles and a light grey encircled his lower eyelids. Not for the first time, I wondered about his accommodation. An expensive hotel wouldn't be a problem for him, but from his appearance, he might have spent the night on a friend's couch.

He pushed the folder over to me. "This is the plan."

Surprised, I took the documents. Such openness from him was rare. Usually, he'd hide most of his schemes, allowing me to stumble along as they unravelled.

The plan wasn't the open book I had hoped for. Inside, there was a building blueprint with numbers in the margins. Corridors were outlined with highlighter. Some of the pages had dates and times while others looked like a code of some sort. Arthur had his own rap sheet, as did a few other scary looking gentlemen.

"The Eye will be auctioned tomorrow at a venue disguised as a charity gala for this FFI, Famine Fighters International," Kael said. "Tedious event. You know. You've been to these things. Anyway, Henry shouldn't know we're onto him. But we won't assume we have the element of surprise."

Calling Arthur Henry would take some getting used to. I struggled to believe it, despite Maria's confession and Kael's conviction.

But using the gala as a cover for illegal activity was unexpected. Arthur and Maria had been the major benefactors for this charity for decades. I'd forgotten it was this week. The three of us had gone to the gala every year since my adoption. Each ticket raised thousands for world hunger.

My gaze narrowed, and I tried to focus my wayward thoughts. Nodding toward the folder, "So this will keep us one step ahead."

"That's right." Kael's index finger tapped one of the sheets. "This guy Arnell runs much of the underground market in the city."

I chewed on the side of my mouth, wondering if I would ever get used to the criminal circles Kael travelled in so easily.

"Trust isn't easy, but he and I go back," he waved his hand. "I've got three bidders and he'll be sure one of them gets the Eye. We've already settled on a price."

Impressed, I leaned forward. I was used to being the one outsmarted and revealed as a novice. It was nice to be on the right side of the plan.

"Henry's been out of the game for a while, but I don't want to underestimate him. We can get in easily enough. I'll need the right ticket to get me upstairs. The problem will be getting out. Arnell has his guards but as a backup, I'm thinking these stairs here."

Kael had started talking to himself, his hands moving across the pages as he spoke about our options for exit. After a minute, he seemed to sense that he was losing me. He glanced up. "Anyway, it'll be fine. We'll be armed. Don't be fooled if I give up a weapon at the door."

I folded my arms."How on earth did you bring a gun on the plane?"

"I'm picking them up later tonight." Kael didn't look up from his papers as he spoke, moving them around and studying the plans. I wondered how long it took him to organise this, to anticipate every action Henry could take.