"Already trying." She held up a tracking crystal. "But they're good and it seems they have anti-scrying measures."

"How long does he have?" Adrian asked quietly.

Victoria's expression was dark. "Hours or maybe a day if they're thorough, but it shouldn't be long."

Aria stepped forward, face pale. "So this is it! The betrayal that I predicted, it's not one of us betraying directly but someone getting taken. Cipher knows almost all our plans and if they make him talk..."

The implications hit everyone at the same time.

If the League broke Cipher, they'd know everyone in the resistance, every aware person at this tournament and some of our plans. Everything. They could eliminate us all in one coordinated strike. In one go.

"We have to rescue him," I said after a while. "Before they extract what they need, we need go get to him fast."

"That's suicide," someone protested. "We don't even know where he is!"

"Then we find out," Victoria said firmly. "I have contacts in this city and in the underground networks, someone must have saw something, not matter how they want to move.

"Also, the authorities are on it. But we simply can't wait for them since everything will get buried in procedures. Don't forget that the professors are also already scattered to look for him. But we can't sit our ass down too."

"I'll help too," Kaeel offered. "Shadowgrove specializes in information gathering, I'll sew what I can do."

"As will I," Lyra added. "Storm Watch has connections to the city guard, we should be able to pull something out."

"Then we need to move fast," I said. "We should organize search teams and leverage every resource we can get our hands on to find Cipher before dawn."

"And if we don't?" Adrian asked quietly as a voice of reason.

"Then we evacuate everyone who's aware and can be a direct target, we get them out of the city before the League strikes, that's the best we can do in this situation."

"That's dozens of people," someone said. "How do we evacuate without causing panic?"

"We don't," I said grimly. "We cause exactly enough panic to save lives."

I pulled out a map of Silvercrest, spreading it across the table. "We need four teams. Each one pursuing a different intelligence source to go for a full sweep."

"Four teams means splitting our combat power," Kaeel observed. "If we encounter League forces..."

"We retreat and signal for help," I interrupted. "Tonight isn't about fighting, It's about finding Cipher before dawn, remember combat is secondary to intelligence gathering."

I waved my hand and with the help of the system, I pull off an holographic image.

TEAM 1 - UNDERWORLD CONTACTS:

Victoria Steelheart.

Hadeon Ravana.

Adrian Celestius.

Coverage: Criminal networks, black market, information brokers

TEAM 2 - OFFICIAL CHANNELS. TO COLLABORATE WITH THE GUARDS.

Lyra Tempest.

Seraphina Valorheart.

One Additional..

Coverage: City guard, harbor officials, legitimate merchants

TEAM 3 - MAGICAL TRACKING:

Kaeel Nightwhisper.

Ravenna Blackthorn.

Aria.

Coverage: Magical residue, scrying attempts, probability paths

TEAM 4 - STREET INTELLIGENCE:

Lucille Nightshade.

Marcus Voidstep.

Two street contacts.

Coverage: Street level, common folk, visual sightings

I outlined the team structure to everyone. Everyone took a look at it and nodded, they didn't seem much trouble with it except for a tiny bit.

"Can we trust him?" someone asked bluntly.

They were referring to Adrian. I turn to look at our protagonist without replying. The reason I made him part of my own team was just so I can personally monitor him.

Adrian met their gaze steadily. "I understand your suspicion and I've given....some of you no reason to trust me. But Hadeon trusted me enough...that should count for something."

I almost coughed and said something but fortunately, someone else spoke before me.

"He fights with Team One," Victoria said firmly. "With me and Hadeon. If he betrays us, I'll kill him myself." She smiled coldly at Adrian. "No offense."

"None taken. I'd expect nothing less."

The teams finalized as such.

Team One (Underworld). Victoria, Hadeon, Adrian

Team Two (Official). Lyra, Seraphina, Cipher's assistant.

Team Three (Magical). Kael, Ravenna, Aria

Team Four (Street). Lucille, Marcus, two local street kids Lucille knew

And at base Damian will be coordinating from the hotel with communication crystals as well as all my other faction members. Lucille and the others were already giving me looks for not including them but I don't even know the level of danger involved, why should I let my tools participate?

"Everyone takes a crystal," Damian distributed them, they ate small and enchanted gems that allowed group communication. "Report findings of anything immediately and don't engage League forces alone if you are forced too, infact, it's better to retreat. If you find Cipher's location, signal everyone."

"Reconvene here in four hours," I said, checking the time. 3:15 AM. "Dawn is at 6:47. We need answers before sunrise."

"And if we don't find anything?" someone asked quietly.

"Then run away." Victoria said. "Better to run and survive than stay and die."

"Let's make sure it doesn't come to that." I looked around the room. "Move out."

The teams dispersed.

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

Victoria led us through streets I'd never seen, far away from the merchant quarters and the noble estates of the tournament district.

Down into Silvercrest's underbelly.

The docks at night were a different world. Oil lamps flickered in the fog rolling off the water. Rough voices called out from taverns. The smell of fish, salt, and something less pleasant hung in the air.

"The underworld has three major players in Silvercrest," Victoria explained as we walked. "The Red Fins control smuggling and dock operations. The Velvet Shadows run the pleasure houses and gambling dens. The Iron Brotherhood handles muscle work, mercenaries, enforcers, wet work."

"Wet work meaning assassination," Adrian supplied helpfully.

"Obviously." Victoria stopped at an unmarked door. "We're meeting with a Red Fin lieutenant now, his name's Barlow and ne deals in information, very expensive information."

"How expensive?" I asked.

"More than gold, he'll want favors. Debts, the type of things money can't buy."

She knocked in a specific pattern. Three slow, two fast, one slow.

The door opened a crack and eyes instantly studied us.

"Victoria," she said. "Here to see Barlow, he'll want to see me."

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