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"Then you have your answer"

I knew the decision was too co with the others "Leta military movie I’d seen before "Maybe there’s a better way to handle this"

"Very well" Thomas disconnected without another word

Chapter 21

That afternoon, our group of six conspirators met for a late lunch and to prepare for Operation Clearwater, a nicknaiven our scheme I explained my plan to use Christian to trap Darkwater people in Colombia so Elyssa and crew could infiltrate their corporate headquarters and search for infor my mother’s transportation route, discover whose blood would seal her transport, and, last but not least, dig up any useful infor on the arches and control roo the Alabaster Arch in El Dorado to find the Grand Nexus and, if possible, destroy it

Adaic-based computer system Darkwater employed Such systems were called Arcsys datacenters and used spells similar to what ASEs used to store data All Elyssa had to do was attach her arcphone to an Arcsys node and run the script--at least in theory

I also mentioned my conversation with Thomas Elyssa and the others furrowed their brows in almost perfect unison when I told them he’d left the decision up toyou up for leadership," Elyssa said, "but this is unheard of"

"Thoive you the final decision?" Shelton said, sounding baffled "The oldit"

"Thanks," I replied, voice heavy with sarcash intel," Elyssa said "We need the schedule, the identity of the person sealing the doors, and the route Then we can plan how to handle it"

"I realize that," I said "At least we have another option on the table, and that’s good"

"It’s bloody wonderful," Stacey said, her eyes narrowed to contented slits as she regarded ard a bowl of ota?" Elyssa asked

I offered her a knowing sripped me by the front of the shirt and pulled rin, and pecked oodbyes to Bella while Ada trip and wouldn’t be back for a week, though if everything ell, we’d be back in town the minute Kassus fell for our ploy Ryland sauntered into the roo like a wolf on the hunt I noticed he wore his sideburns in the mutton-chop look he’d favored the first ti a hand through his short thick hair "I’d be happy to run with you"

"Kassus ht not be a good idea"

He shrugged "I ain’t worried about that"

"My wolfy willbad happens," Stacey said, her eyes exa away help," Shelton said

Ryland was a Teht be handy in case things went from bad to worse In o, then"

"We set up a long-range ASE to keep an eye on Darkwater headquarters," Elyssa said "If it spots any commotion, we’ll let you know"

"We’ll leave the portal open for our return froota," I said "But if we see an opportunity to lead the Darkwater people on a longer chase ill, especially if Christian is delayed in shutting down access to the Obsidian Arch so they can’t return"

"Sounds like a remarkably well-considered plan," Stacey said with a wink

We went downstairs to the omniarch Christian had sent me the picture of an empty room in a Templar safe house near La Casona for the portal exit I concentrated on the ie of the room appeared in the center of the omniarch When we stepped inside, I noticed the portal had opened in the middle of a wall As we’d seen before, the physical world seeateway, unaffected in any other way Through the thin gap between the wall and the outer edge of the portal I saw another roo the house down, is it?" Shelton asked, looking uneasily at the way the wall bent around the opening like rubber, even though it remained solid as ever to the touch

"The ould have already collapsed by now," I said

"Peculiar," Ryland said, pressing a hand against it "I wonder ould happen if you opened it on a person"

"Nobody had the guts to be the guinea pig for that little experiment," Shelton said

We left the rooe foyer A Te at a desk looked up "Justin Slade and company, I presume?"

"That would be us," I said

"The La Casona way station is just down the road We sent a couple of scouts to check it out, and they reported two suspicious individuals watching the door to the pocket dimension"