Chapter 30 · Trade Me the Proof

Marcus picks up on the second ring.

"Don't talk," I say. "Just listen."

Silence. Then a low breath. He's smart enough not to ask questions when I sound like this.

"Eli's people are tracking Karl right now. They want him alive. They also want the chain I'm holding—it's got blood pit residue all over it, the kind that ties back to the Ashe family if anyone runs it through proper channels." I pause. Let that sink in. "You told me you wanted proof. Well, I've got it. And I've got a deal."

Another beat. Then Marcus says, quiet, "Where are you?"

"Convenience store. The one where this whole thing started." I look at the chain on the counter. It's stopped glowing but the links are still warm. "How fast can you get a camera crew here? The kind that streams live. The kind the council can't pull offline once it's out."

"Ten minutes," Marcus says. "Maybe eight if I call in a favor. What's the play?"

"Eli's about to walk in here looking for this chain. When he does, I want the world watching."

Long silence now. I can almost hear him weighing it. Risk versus payout.