Free A Dragon at the Gate (The New Aeneid Cycle Book 3) by Michael G. Munz

shady.”
    “Some more than others. This one—he goes by ‘Easy Jack’—he has a beastly reputation. The Felix we know would never work with him.”
    “So you think he’s doing something to Felix?”
    “I don’t know about that. But Michael, the bloke he brought in to Jack’s? He never came back out, and I’m told he looked healthy going in.”
    “I can’t believe— Are you sure? Maybe he left by another exit, or just stayed in there longer and came out later?”
    “The Scry did some checking. Jack’s place does have a hidden exit, but only Jack uses that. This bloke? He went missing. That’s all they know for certain.”
    “That doesn’t necessarily mean that Felix—”
    “I asked him if he’d ever gone to Easy Jack, referred people to him, anything. He looked me straight in the eye and said he hadn’t, but I saw him go back there today with my own eyes.” Caitlin reached across the narrow table and grabbed Michael’s forearm in a way that had Jade starting forward a step before she stopped. “Michael, I know you’ve not been awake long, but is this anything to do with whatever you and Marc are involved in? I think Felix would have told me if that were the case, but it’s still the kindest explanation I can think of.”
    “I can’t see how it could. For one thing, Felix isn’t even part—” Wait. Something had happened with the AoA. Was Felix drafted back into their ranks to help because of the crisis?
    Caitlin’s eyes narrowed and locked onto his. “You’re thinking something.”
    Should he tell her? “The group I work with, something’s happened to it. I don’t know what. That’s one reason I was looking for Felix myself, on the long shot he’d have some answers. But I don’t get why that would get him involved in anything with this Jack. Or make him flat out lie to you. Unless he was protecting you from something?”
    “I think he would tell me if he were, even if only to say he couldn’t say more.”
    “Maybe he’s afraid?”
    “Does that really sound like Felix to you, Michael?”
    It didn’t. If Felix were afraid, he wouldn’t hide his fear from people he trusted. “If it is related to the—er, my group, he’ll tell me if I ask him. I need to talk to him anyway. If it’s not . . . Well, did you try to have Ondrea check him out instead?”
    “I’m not daft. But it’s been weeks and I’ve had no luck finding her. The best I managed was reaching Gideon. He said she had to leave town for work and won’t be reachable for a while. He’s not sure how long.”
    “I don’t think you said who hired her?”
    “I—” Caitlin blinked and then tugged out her phone, its screen flashing. “Moment, Michael, sorry. I’m expecting to hear from . . . ”
    Michael waited as she tapped the screen and read. He caught a whispered curse, and she caught his expectant look as she wrote a response to the text.
    “One of my mates, following Felix right now.” She slipped the phone back into a pocket. “He took a train to Gibson but she’s lost track of him.”
    “What’s in Gibson?”
    Caitlin pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows with an air of frustrated uncertainty.
    “I could try—”
    “If you call he won’t answer. Or I expect so.”
    “Worth a shot.”
    “Aye.”
    He unzipped the bag and leaned close to the A.I.’s platform. “Holes? Call Felix Hiatt. Er, please. If he’s not there, can you leave a message for him to call me?”
    “Affirmative.”
    “He doesn’t answer when he’s away like this, but there is something else we might try. There may be some clues on his laptop. I feel like a sod for suggesting it, but that’s what I’d been trying to reach Marc about. But if Marc’s still away . . . ” Caitlin glanced at Holes with appraisal.
    The mention of Marc’s name rekindled Michael’s worry that something might have happened to him, too. He set it aside for the moment and tried to decide what to say to Caitlin’s suggestion.
    “Any