“Yeah - yeah, I am safe. ” Marcus felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders and stomach: “Are YOU safe? I heard about the atta the prect - ”

  “I’m okay, I’m okay. So are Keryn and Mick.” Kevi out a sigh of relief on the phone: “How’s - how’s your iigation? Did you find anything?”

  “I’m afraid I ’t talk about it over the phone. But we really o talk about it face to face.” Marcus thought for a moment: “Where and when we meet?”

  “I actually don’t know where we are, exactly. We are in a safe pce.” Keviated for a short moment: “Let’s see, we’ll try to figure out a peet you. I’m not sure if it’s safe to tell you to e here either. But if you could tact the captain, he might be able to tell you where we are.”

  “Uood.” Marodded: “What else happened? you let me know?”

  “I presume you know it’s Tyler Khan’s scheme to lure you into the Lanmian Forest.” Kevin thought for a moment: “And - you might want to know this - we figured something out, it’s about - about electricity, it’s the reason behind Lydia Mu and the fug Benson kid, and it’s the reason behind - the rise in is and power outages. But we should discuss this further face to face - ”

  “Okay. Okay. That’s all I o hear right now.” Sensing the gravity of what Kevin was about to say, Marcus interjected: “You guys figure out a pn. I o find a pce to y low as well. I’ll go radio silent for now.”

  “Good. Good. Remember this number - I don’t know if you call back, but at least it’s worth keeping.”

  Just when Marcus hung up the phone and began leading his father away from the alleyway to catch a cab, another phone call came - it was Captain Ko.

  “Marcus, you answered, so I assume you made it out of - whatever you were dealing with.” Captain Ko sounded relieved.

  “Yes. Sir. And I’m gd you are okay as well. ” Marcus looked left and right at the exit of the alley, waving his hand at a taxi ing their way: “Where are you? What happened?”

  “her of us want that answer right now. But just listen to me.” Captain Ko coughed and dismissed Marcus’ question: “Just in case you didn’t know, our prect was attacked by a group of uified individuals, led by Tyler Khan. I am currently heading to a meeting with certain tacts I have, so I don’t have long and I need you to listen, and listen carefully.”

  “Okay.”

  “You know my pce, right? Ahe door to my pce, there’s a very ugly tree, with almost no leaves on it. If you look closely, there are symbols and runes carved on its trunk. There is a jar of wine buried u. If I ake it bay pce by sundown, I’ll send you a message. And if you get my message, I’ll need you to go to my pce, dig up that jar and spray it on my doorstep and below my bedroom window. Okay? After that, bow to my door three times and apologize to my wife on my behalf. But do not, I mean DO NOT, step inside. Okay? No matter what you see or hear.”

  “Uood.” Chills ran down Marcus’ back. The taxi stopped right in front of him, a his father go in first: “Okay, what else?”

  “That’s it. I need you to promise me. Otherwise I’m dead. You uand?”

  “Sure, captain.”

  “Kevin is in one of my spare pces. Keryn and Mick are with him. You’ve been there before, it’s the same pce where I almost held a house warming party, but it got celed because of a narcotics case. Do you remember where it is?”

  “I - I don’t remember exactly - ”

  “It’s hat unnamed rice crepe shop. You liked the crepe but it gave Kevin the shits.”

  “I remember now.” Marcus sighed, and sighe taxi driver to start driving: “I’m on my way. What else do you need me to do?”

  “Nothing, stay safe, okay? I’ll call the pce ter. I hope - just get there.” Captain Ko did not say anything else before hanging up.

  “Everything okay with the captain?” Elvin asked.

  “I hope so.” Marcus sighed and turo the driver: “Mister, I don’t remember what the pce is called, but I’ll tell you where to drive. Is that okay?”

  “Sure, whatever you say, boss.”

  Before shutting his phone down pletely, Marcus dialed the number of Gloria.

  The pce Captain Ko referred to in looking house, in a retively uncrowded neighborhood. If one did not pay close attention, they would not have noticed that the walls, the windows and the doors were all reinforced, even the vents were ected with filtration systems.

  “Stay here.” Marcus found a er close to the house to hide his father: “I’ll go check. If anything happens, you run away, okay? I ’t fight with you nearby.”

  “Of course, of course.” Elvin nodded and k in the er.

  Marcus took a deep breath. With his left hand on the pistol and his Qi c through his meridians, he knocked on the door with his right hand.

  One lock opened after ahe heavy door opened. Kevin jumped out and g onto Marcus’ body.

  “Holy shit dude! You’re here! Finally!”

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