Arliss saw Ven’s point but shut him down.

  “That argument is too flimsy and too late. And if the Pikers were about taking care of orphans, why allow Kip inside?” He thought better of pursuing this line. “Actually, stop. Don’t answer. We’ll deal with the orphan problem another time. I want to know how we’re going to find my son.”

  Arliss watched Ven tap a code into his wrist pad.

  “I’m calling them in, Offante. No point keeping our best people in the dark.”

  Offante winced, dabbing at his split lip.

  “A gathering puts us at risk.”

  “Less risk than losing those kids.” Ven’s eyes narrowed. “Or having Dubai here tear apart what’s left of you and your shop.”

  Four figures materialized from the shadows of Market Strip within minups. Ines entered first, her silver-streaked arms bursting against a mesh bodysuit. She fixed Arliss with the same calculating stare she’d given him at The Transit days ago.

  Dox and Tallon followed, both scanning the wreckage of upended shelves and scattered parts. Arliss also met them at The Transit.

  “What in the holla happened here?” Tallon kicked aside a broken pressure gauge.

  “Looks like someone had a party he’ll regret forever,” Dox muttered.

  The fourth arrival gave Arliss pause. He was unfamiliar.

  “Janu Kreager.” The man extended his hand. “Heard good things about you, Dubai.”

  Don’t I know him from somewhere? The name seems familiar.

  Ines paced the length of the counter, her eyes taking in every detail of the destruction.

  “This is unwise, Offante. Five of us in one place? If EQ is paying attention to their nodes, we’ve piqued their interest.”

  “Six,” Ven corrected. “And we wouldn’t be here if the situation wasn’t critical.”

  “Operation up north went bad,” Dox said. “We know. But gathering the leadership team …”

  Arliss’s heart clenched.

  “My son’s up there.”

  “Your son?” Janu’s head snapped up. “Kip Dubai?”

  “Yes. You know him?”

  “I work with your wife. Meera’s my domo at Silar. Or she was, until recently.” Janu’s expression hardened as he turned to Offante. “You never said Meera’s boy would be involved.”

  Offante deadpanned his response.

  “That knowledge would have compromised you. I’ve heard you speak highly of Meera. As many do.”

  Janu’s fists clenched.

  “I feel like I know that boy. Meera talks about him daily. You slag.”

  Arliss intervened.

  “Have a go at him later. Take the one eye he still sees through.”

  “This is exactly why I kept you uninformed.” Offante straightened his torn jacket. “Personal connections cloud judgment.”

  This is getting us nowhere.

  “You’re all Torque?”

  “Leadership circle,” Ven confirmed. “Each of us runs our own cell.”

  “Through me,” Offante added.

  Ines snorted.

  “Usually with a better plan than sending children to raid EQ … without warning the circle.”

  “The plan was sound,” Offante insisted.

  “The plan was desperate,” Tallon countered. “Now we’re exposed.”

  “We’re exposed because of a traitor,” Offante was quick to rebuff.

  Janu cursed.

  “Do you have a name?”

  “Emilie Bless. She has a mother. Perrin. But there’s a complication. I ordered my man Brenlee to track down the mother. They live on L51. Moments before the newest member of our leadership waylaid me,” he nodded to Arliss, “I heard back. The flat is empty and showed no signs of having been used for days. Clothes are gone.”

  “Which means what?” Arliss knew the answer but had to ask.

  “Mother and daughter are a redoubtable team. The girl’s Tet father abandoned them three years ago. He left Vandress, given that he had no friends in the other Megas.”

  The implications hit Arliss like a kick to the gut, like the one Offante delivered earlier.

  “Her father must have had a few friends. Maybe on the conservative side. Yes? Perhaps the girl’s mother offered them a deal to juice their credcard?”

  He saw a shadow fall over leadership as the pieces fit into place.

  “How much did this girl know about our operation?” Dox asked.

  “Little to none.” Offante stiffened his chin. “TimBob never disclosed his relationship to me, or the Pikers’ connection to Torque. I’ve been listening to him for months. But this girl is clever, more than I gave credit for.”

  Arliss caught the flash of fear in their eyes. These were hardened resistance leaders, and the guy at the top set them up for disaster.

  “We need a rapid solution,” Ines insisted, pacing the room. “Every minup we debate could kill all we’ve been working for.”

  Arliss leaned against the counter, mind racing through possibilities. The thought of Kip in an EQ holding cell made his servos twitch with anxiety.

  “We could try a direct assault,” Tallon suggested. “Small team, surgical extraction. We did acquire guns, after all.”

  Dox scoffed.

  “Against a fully armed EQ station? Might as well throw ourselves off the Mega and save them the trouble.”

  “What if we just send an unarmed delegation to EQ headquarters?” Janu said with a bitter laugh. “Take the lift straight up and ask who they’ve captured. Maybe bring some sync-stew as a peace offering.”

  A ripple of dark chuckles filled the room, but something clicked in Arliss’s mind. The absurd suggestion sparked a connection to what Meera had shared after her temple visit.

  “Wait.” Arliss straightened. “That might actually work.”

  Five pairs of eyes turned to him with expressions ranging from confusion to concern for his mental state.

  “You want to knock on their door and ask nicely?” Offante’s split lip curled in disdain. “Perhaps you took more damage to your processor than I thought.”

  “Not just us,” Arliss said. “Someone they’d have to respect. Someone with authority from the temple.”

  Ven frowned.

  “The Breath temple? They want to push us out.”

  “Only some.” Arliss sighed. He couldn’t hold back any longer. “Meera met with her father. Wind Reader Keet.”

  The room fell silent. Arliss didn’t wait for the inevitable eruption.

  “It’s a long story, but it was productive. And for the record, that man took five years of my life. He signed the consent that delivered me to Rogue. Not my favorite Tet. But his position in the temple is under threat, so he’s making a move to protect himself from the Pure Breather faction. It might work to your advantage. Right now, Meera’s meeting with Legate Muryll Steath.”

  Offante’s eyes narrowed.

  “Steath? A Sinquin legate?”

  “He’s sympathetic. He’s violating temple doctrine by administering to our kind.”

  The response came fast and furious, but not how Arliss expected.

  “What Blend in their right mods would put faith in the Breath?” Dox asked.

  “Answered your own question,” Tallon followed.

  “Is it so hard to understand?” Janu jumped in. “Many of our people are desperate. They seek comfort where they can find it.”

  Arliss regained control.

  “What if we approach Steath? As representative of the temple, he could act as mediator. Nothing in the law says he can’t.”

  “You want us to trust that crowd?” Ines spat on the floor. “The Breath teaches we are an abomination.”

  “That’s how some have interpreted the doctrine. Steath is different. He’s been watching over Meera for years at her father’s request. He’ll step forward if he knows the stakes for her son.”

  Dox crossed his arms.

  “And what exactly would this mediator do? Ask EQ to kindly release the children they caught stealing weapons?”

  “He could invoke religious privilege,” Arliss explained. “Frame it as a mercy mission. The Breath teaches compassion, even if many ignore that part. He could claim he wants to ensure the children are being treated humanely.”

  “That’s thin,” Tallon muttered.

  “But it might work,” Janu said, considering. “EQ wouldn’t dare refuse a legate entry. The temple holds too much power.”

  Offante limped to his chair, collapsing into it with a wince.

  “And what does Steath get out of this?”

  “Leverage,” Arliss said. “Meera told me the moderates are gathering evidence against the Pure Breathers. One in particular. Ennis Vega.”

  The name drew a collective groan, his intended effect.

  Ven nodded.

  “A legate witnessing EQ’s treatment of children firsthand ...”

  “It’s a bold gambit,” Offante said. “If Steath is not considered neutral, this plan might backfire in spectacular fashion.”

  Arliss did not disagree but added:

  “Might also prevent a full sweep of the district.”

  Janu stepped forward.

  “I’ve heard Steath mentioned at Silar. Our owner, Farris Jakob, says he’s genuine in his concern for all Vandressi.”

  The room fell into contemplative silence. Arliss saw the calculations happen behind each pair of eyes, weighing desperation against distrust, immediate need against ingrained suspicion. Now was the time to tip the scales. He played his last, best hand.

  “My wife is meeting Steath in response to a data chip her father gave her. I saw it. It’s damning, if accurate. Prisoner transit records to facilities I’ve never heard of before might shed light on Blend disappearances over the years. It also includes EQ schedules, rotations, and an active plan for a large-scale lockdown of the District. There are also lists of Wind Readers who will oppose the Pure Breathers. And much more.”

  “Do you believe it’s credible?” Janu asked.

  “I want to. It lines up with many things that our people have whispered for ages. You’ll have to see the datasets for yourselves.”

  Dox shook his head.

  “Still feels like crawling to our enemies for help.”

  “Sometimes,” Ven said, “the enemy of our enemy is our best option.”

  Tallon ran a hand through his fire-red hair.

  “If it gets those kids out and gives us time to prepare ...”

  Good, Arliss thought. The sentiment might be shifting.

  Offante stared at Arliss for a long moment before nodding.

  “Call Meera. But this doesn’t mean I trust the temple. Or forgive what her father did to you.”

  “This isn’t about forgiveness.” Arliss still fought the urge to finish this slag. “It’s about survival. And finding my son.”

  “Our interests align, for now,” Offante conceded. “But remember, Arliss, the Breath teaches that even the purest wind changes direction without warning.”

  “I don’t need wind metaphors.” Arliss reached for his tagger. “I need my boy sleeping in his own bed.”

  ***

  Arliss paced the narrow strip before the lift on L64, his fingers tapping an anxious rhythm against his thigh. The wait stretched his nerves. Every few simps, he glanced up at the lift’s indicator, watching it creep upward from the lower levels.

  You couldn’t skip a few stops?

  When the doors parted, Meera burst through them like a storm. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her face taut with the effort of holding herself together. The moment she saw him, something cracked in her expression.

  She whispered his name.

  He met her at the threshold, arms outstretched, but hesitated.

  “Meercat, I’m sorry. I should have found him sooner. I should have …”

  She shook her head, cutting him off.

  “Don’t. This isn’t on you.”

  “But if I hadn’t given him so much freedom …”

  “Stop.” Meera’s voice hardened as she pressed her palm against his chest. “Kip’s been slipping away for months. Long before you came home. I saw it happening and couldn’t stop it.”

  The lift doors attempted to close, but Arliss blocked them with his arm. They stood frozen in that threshold.

  “Where’s Steath?”

  “On his way to the uppers. Different lift.” Her voice trembled. “He has connections in EQ. Officers he administers to. He says they’ll help cut through to the top.”

  Arliss guided her away from the lift, keeping his arm around her shoulders.

  “Then we have a chance.”

  “A chance.” She repeated the word as if testing its weight. “Our son is somewhere up there, Arliss. Scared. In a cell. Maybe hurt. Is there an update?”

  “No. Offante claimed he was listening in on TimBob with a planted device, but now that’s been cut off, too. Apparently. You should see him, not in control anymore.”

  “When Steath heard what happened, he...” She swallowed hard. “He’s worried what EQ will do with the orphans.”

  “And your father’s data chip? Does he believe it?”

  New tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “He said it confirmed his worst fears. He’s been looking into the disappearances for years without success.”

  The chill that ran through Arliss had nothing to do with the Mega’s climate control.

  “The entire Torque leadership is waiting to see that evidence. Can you handle seeing them?”

  Meera’s eyes flashed.

  “Hmm. You said Offante gave the order on his own? Yes, I can tolerate the others if you let me have one decent shot at that slag.”

  “Please. Do pile on.” Arliss tightened his grip. “We’ll find our boy.”

  When they reached Ruhl’s Reliable Parts, Meera paused at the sight of the destruction inside. Her eyes widened, taking in the upended shelves and scattered components.

  “What happened here?”

  “Offante and I disagreed about his childcare philosophy.”

  A ghost of a smile touched her lips.

  “Good.”

  Inside the back office, the Torque leadership fell silent as Meera entered. Janu stepped forward.

  “Meera, I’m so sorry. I had no idea …”

  “You’re part of this? I should have known. You’ve always been a leader.” Her voice turned to steel when she spotted Offante, who sat nursing his injuries behind his desk. Arliss thought she might lunge.

  “You recruited my son to steal weapons from Enforcement Q?” Her voice cut through the room like a blade. “What kind of monster puts children on the front lines?”

  Offante shifted in his chair, wincing as the movement aggravated his injuries.

  “The kind who understands that children can move through spaces adults cannot. The kind who knows EQ would never see them com …”

  “Don’t you dare justify this.” Meera slammed her palm against the desk. “You used Kip because he was vulnerable, because he was looking for somewhere to belong. So much for being a fill-in mentor.”

  Arliss watched his wife’s rage with a strange mixture of pride and concern. He’d rarely seen this side of her: Raw, unfiltered anger breaking through her usual pragmatic exterior. It reminded him of the woman he’d fallen in love with, the one who defied her father and gave up everything for a new life.

  “The operation was sound,” Offante insisted, though with less conviction than before. “We’d been planning it for weeks. The failure wasn’t in the concept but in the execution. We had a traitor.”

  “I don’t care about your operation.” Meera’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “I care about my son. And if anything happens to him, I swear by whatever you hold sacred – which is probably nothing of value – that I will tear your world apart.” She turned to the other Torque leaders. “There’s a pattern with this man. He took advantage of my husband at a low point and paid him to do unspeakable things. How many of you allowed yourselves to be his pawns? Now might be a great time to reconsider your choices.”

  She silenced the room. Arliss was never prouder. Meera might not have thrown a physical punch, but she did actual damage.

  Meera took a deep breath, visibly pulling herself back from the edge. She reached into her pocket and extracted a data crystal.

  “This is what my father gave me.” She placed it on the desk. “The datasets are extensive, but they don’t touch on something my father claims men like Ennis Vega are planning for Blends. The goal is to forcibly migrate all of you to a Risen Era facility at the Northern Waste and fence you in.”

  That was the broad stroke necessary to break the skepticism. The idea of forced emigration wasn’t a secret among those with contacts on the inside. But the specificity added an extra element.

  Offante’s eyes locked onto the chip with undisguised hunger.

  “May I, Mrs. Dubai?”

  The formality offered a surprising shift in tone. Meera handed it over when Offante held up his reader. A holographic display flickered to life, filling the small office with ghostly blue text.

  A quick review of the vital data set off emotions and triggered debates about the credibility of the evidence and the necessary countermeasures.

  Arliss responded to the notion of staging a fierce resistance:

  “Vega and his allies will use our violence to justify accelerated implementation.”

  Meera crossed her arms.

  “But we might avoid confrontation. The temple is fracturing,” she said. “My father is caught in the middle and looking out for himself, which is true to his nature. If he wins this round somehow, don’t expect him to become an ally. He’ll consolidate a power base and retreat to his Wind Readings. But for now, we can help each other. He would not have passed on this chip unless he knew it could work for him and us.”

  Arliss followed on:

  “If we use what he’s provided with a clear understanding of his motives, there might a way to turn all this around.”

  “How?” Dox demanded.

  Offante’s wrist pad buzzed before Arliss answered. He attached a bead to his ear and listened, expression shifting from pain to satisfaction.

  “An update on the stolen cargo,” he announced. “My operatives secured it in the fallback location. All weapons accounted for.”