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‘Do you have a mobile phone number for him?’

More key taps The guard sed ‘No’

Winter and I exchanged glances ‘Then,’ he said, ‘you’re going to have to let us into his flat We need to search it without further delay’

‘I can’t…’ The guard tugged at his collar ‘I don’t think I can do that You need a warrant’

Winter folded his arht It’s important to stick to the letter of the law The trouble is that lives are in danger and we don’t have tiet the warrant we need’ He paused ‘Why don’t you just tell us which flat belongs to Mr Prescott? We’ll take things from there Any measures we take will occur without your pere’

I was iuard like an idiot and didn’t deny ere here to do He did, however, speak with a snore and his words had the clear ring of sincerity ‘If we do nothing, people will die,’ he said softly ‘I guarantee it You have the chance to help us stop that fro’

The guard sed ‘Okay Yes I can tell you which flat is his But I can’t know about you going in there, alright? I need this job’

‘All you’re doing is telling us which number he lives in That’s all No one will ever know’ Winter’s voice dropped ‘Most real heroes are unsung’

The guard gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head ‘Twenty-three,’ he whispered ‘Mr Prescott lives at number twenty-three’

‘You’re a brave man,’ Winter said ‘Thank you’ He whirled round and headed for the stairs

‘There’s a lift waiting,’ I said ‘It’ll be faster’

I expected Winter to disagree but he didn’t He si inside the lift and hitting the button for the second floor The doors closed suard,’ he said quietly ‘It’s not so I make a habit of I’m sorry, Ivy I don’t usually pretend to be someone I’m not’

I blinked For ato Then I realised he’d pretended that he was still with the Order ‘It was for the greater good, Rafe You were right If we can’t find and stop Blackbeard, people will die The end justifies the ise tolike this’

‘I won’t compromise who I am,’ Winter said ‘The end does not always justify the ardless of the reasons why, and you lose yourself’

‘You’ve not lost your morals It was a tiny lie, Rafe You were Adeptus Exemptus, after all’

‘It was still wrong’

I wasn’t so sure ‘We have to find Blackbeard,’ I said helplessly

The lift doors opened ‘Yes,’ he said quietly ‘We do’

He strode out of the lift with his long-legged gait, le for me to keep up but fortunately we found nuonise further over breaking and entering as well as lying, I jumped in and cast a rune to open Blackbeard’s door The adrenaline coursing through ic sla ales

‘Are you okay, Ivy?’ Winter asked

I nodded ‘Yep’