The factory’s noises echoed in the background, muffled by the walls around us. The air inside the office, however, was tense. Robert “Bobby” Reynolds leaned back against his desk, a big, burly, balding man with a smug grin slashed across his face.

  Like two sharks circling, he and Fred stared at each other across the room while I shrank in my corner.

  “Do you know what a war crime is, Concordia?” Fred asked.

  I perked up. “M-me?”

  “Yes, you.”

  Savio scratched his face.

  Most of my education happened on the road, through books and sheer curiosity. So, yeah, I wasn’t exactly a scholar.

  “Vaguely,” I said.

  Fred stretched his arms towards Bobby, making a window with his hands. “You’re looking at him.”

  Bobby scoffed. “You can’t let go of the past, can you, Fred? I’m a different man.”

  “Yeah, I can see that—your vest won’t close.”

  The man’s smile died, a vein throbbed on his forehead. “Son of a—”

  “Wait, you two!” I said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re here on official business. Fred, show him the official paper.”

  Fred shook his head.

  Bobby frowned, looking at me with curious eyes.

  They widened.

  “Fuck... is this one of those things?” he asked.

  “I’m not a thing!”

  “Oh, darling, I know.” Bobby raised his hands, staring at me as if he’d seen a ghost, then turned to Fred. “So, you stand there judging me, but you’re back at it? Priceless.”

  What the hell?

  My heart raced.

  “Fred... what is he talking about?” I asked.

  “Yeah, Fred.” Bobby snorted. “What am I talking about? It seems you didn’t tell her.”

  Fred didn’t blink.

  I swallowed hard and moved toward him. “Hey—”

  Savio cut me short. “It’s none of your business, both of you.”

  “But—”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Sorry, Connie.”

  I looked back and forth at them in disbelief.

  Fred lit up a cigarette.

  “Fine.” I sat down on the chair nearby, arms crossed.

  Bloody hell.

  “You made a fortune in the war,” Fred said. “Then used the money to start this business.”

  “True. All within the limits of the law.”

  My jaw dropped. “You don’t even deny it?”

  “Why would I?” Bobby opened his arms. “We all paid the price—I just had the smarts to make something out of all the shit.”

  Loud knocks on the door.

  Bobby opened it. A breathless worker stood outside.

  “Sir, bad news—one of our suppliers just got attacked on the road, and most of the cargo was destroyed.”

  “Damn it. This is going to slow us down too much.”

  “In broad daylight?” I muttered.

  “It’s getting desperate,” Fred said.

  “Do you think it has something to do with the omen?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Most likely.” He turned to the worker. “Where did it happen this time?”

  “On the road to Eastford.”

  “Let’s go.” He left the room. “It’s prime time to set that trap.”

  We followed him.

  “I gotta call another supplier now. You, kids, have fun.” Bobby closed the door behind us.

  I waited for him to get out of earshot. “So... Bobby’s innocent.”

  “We’ll see.”

  I thought we were going to jump straight into the mission, but there was a new thing in our lives called bureaucracy.

  “The city can’t afford this operation, Detective.” The stubby bureaucrat fixed his glasses. “Not so close to the inauguration of the new railroad.”

  “It’s one wagon and some machinery parts.”

  “Impossible.”

  Fred stared at him. “How much is Mallory paying you?”

  Eh?

  The man glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Just name a price already.”

  “Oi, Fred... Chang’s pay is due in two days. I don’t think we can afford—”

  I stumbled back as the bureaucrat asked for a ridiculously high bribe.

  Still, it was cheaper than buying a new wagon and cargo.

  Fred slipped a bunch of bills inside the tax book and handed it to the crook. “I’ll deal with Chang.”

  The wagon creaked, breaking the silence of the road. Fred’s high collar concealed his face, eyes forward, while I kept watch over the dark forest surrounding us.

  “That’s a lot, Fred...” I said.

  “What?”

  “The debt, Mallory, now the bribe. Where are we going to end up?”

  “I’ll deal with it.”

  My lips pursed. “You can’t... carry everything forever.”

  He went silent.

  “What if we just disappear?” I asked. “Get back on the move, somewhere far away. Screw it.”

  “What about your house?”

  My eyes widened.

  Damn it. I hadn’t thought about that...

  I hugged myself.

  “I’ll deal with it,” he said again.

  I nodded, unable to protest, even though it felt wrong.

  We continued in silence.

  The horses pawed nervously as something shifted at the edge of the woods.

  I pulled my left arm in closer.

  “Easy now,” Fred whispered. “We can’t miss our shot.”

  “Aham.” I pretended not to notice the movement on our left.

  A shadow sprang from the tree line towards us.

  So fast.

  “Wait,” he said.

  The horses lost their composure as the creature got close—black feathers like a crow, sprinting on all fours.

  “What the hell is that?” I muttered, tensing up.

  Fred yanked on the reins, locking us in place. “Now—”

  The creature ran back towards the forest before I could aim the net launcher behind my hand.

  “What?”

  Clack.

  Fred detached my arm. “The son of a bitch tipped it off!”

  “Wait, Fred!”

  He got off the wagon and mounted one of the horses. “Meet me at home.”

  The leather traces came loose—

  “Yah!”

  They bolted after the creature.

  Shit.

  I scrambled up the other horse, now down to one foot and one arm. “How do I even unbuckle this thing?!”

  The horse looked back at me and snorted as Fred and the creature dove into the woods.

  “Goddammit!” I ripped off the traces. “Yah!”

  I burst through the tree line, branches and sharp leaves scraping my face.

  But I had the slow horse, and the horse the inexperienced rider.

  I lost them.

  “Can’t you let me in your plans for once?!” I searched and spun after my tail, but no sign of him. “Damn it, Fred!”

  The forest grew denser ahead, with trees almost touching trunks.

  “Alright, we have to slow down now.” I dismounted and led the horse by the rein.

  The sun was about to set when exhaustion kicked in for both of us. I thought I knew the way back, but I wasn’t so sure anymore.

  “Sorry, I’m a terrible guide.”

  The horse neighed in response.

  “It’s his fault, though. I don’t know what made him go off like that. I’m usually the impulsive one here.”

  Branches cracked under my feet.

  “Sometimes I think he just doesn’t trust me.” I stopped, looking at the horse, when an idea came to mind. “Do horses know how to get back home like pigeons?”

  It started grazing on nearby weeds.

  I sighed. “I guess not.”

  We continued.

  Until the forest thinned out again ahead.

  “Finally.” I quickened my pace, hoping to see the road again at the end.

  There was no road.

  I blinked rapidly. “Huh?”

  It was just a clearing with an old rustic house in the center. Moss climbed up the walls.

  My stomach churned a bit.

  “Who could possibly live out here in the middle of nowhere?”

  I scanned the clearing, but there was no sign of anyone.

  “Should we knock? Maybe it’s abandoned.”

  The prospect of a roof for the night was tempting. Finding my way in the dark would’ve been nearly impossible.

  I approached the house, knocked, and stepped back just in case, expecting the worst.

  The old door creaked, and a figure appeared behind.

  I lowered my guard.

  It was a sleepy woman in her late thirties with long black hair.

  “Visitors this early in the morning?”

  “Hi...” I scratched my head with a sheepish smile. It was definitely not morning.

  “Where’s your arm, puppet girl?”

  I looked down at the stump, wide-eyed.

  I forgot!

  “So?” The woman asked, unfazed.

  “Aren’t you... disturbed by this?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve seen worse.”

  Hm...

  “Do you live here alone?”

  “Of course.”

  “Alright, look, I don’t want to frighten you, but there’s a monster on the loose. Do you have any other place to go?”

  “Pftt. I’m not worried about monsters. It’s the townspeople that I despise, all that noise and pollution they throw my way.”

  “Noise? I couldn’t hear anything coming here.”

  “Noise indeed. They are quiet now, but there’s a railroad getting built nearby. I fear it’s going to come so close to my house that I’ll be forced to move soon.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “Maybe it’s for the better.” She shrugged. “Anyways, do you want to come in? It’s getting dark.”

  “I’d love to, actually. Can I hitch the horse somewhere?”

  “Sure, there’s a post and some water in the back. Just keep it away from the garden.” She went in and closed the door.

  “Seems I just booked us a nice hotel, boy.” I rounded the house and saw the post. “There it is.”

  I had just finished tying the reins around it when a sharp scent stung me.

  My jaw dropped as I turned towards the source.

  “What the hell is wrong with this garden?”

  Poisonous-looking purple vines that wriggled along with other monstrous plants.

  “I knew there was something off about that woman.” I swallowed. “Okay, you stay here. I’ll try to figure out what her deal is.”

  I went back to the entrance and put my ear against the door.

  Something bubbled inside.

  I jumped as she spoke up, her voice muffled through the door.

  “C’mon in. I don’t bite.”

  Can I brawl with a single hand?

  I cracked my neck and stretched my only arm, adrenaline surging through my body.

  Yes, I can.

  Let’s go.

  I stormed inside.