Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (red queen free ebook txt) 📗

to build businesses here in the Ruins?” Birt’s face broke into a wide smile, “We’ve already signed contracts with eight merchants, most of them along the edges of the Ruins, just this side of where Batter’s Field borders the Waterfront.” Cooper nodded, “Those are prime spots, easy to get goods in from the port, but not far from the Bridges.” Birt nodded, “Once those merchants start up, and don’t fall victim to ‘the dangers of the Ruins’, we’ll be getting flooded with contracts. Mister Ysel will probably need to create an actual agency to manage the transactions.” Cooper had an answer, “Pick someone to handle the accounts. Once we’ve recovered from the prison break, we’ll see about assigning some Enforcers to that.” Mentioning the raid on the prison had a sobering effect of Birt, “I know you’ve planned for that, backwards and forwards, but we really don’t know what to expect, do we? I mean, no one’s ever done it, or even tried it.” Cooper shrugged, “But that’s what you do for family, isn’t it? If Miss Camilla was in there, we’d go and get her out, right? Or if you were there?” Birt took a deep breath, “You’re right, but afterward… the Army will never ‘just leave us alone’ afterward.” Cooper clapped a hand on Birt’s shoulder, “I’m working on that.”

After lunch, Utsef put his belongings back into his pack and spent a few minutes arranging them. Cooper noticed the man’s preparations, “Leaving already?” Utsef nodded, “We’ve gone over the jailbreak and the recovery as much as we really can without knowing the layout of the prison. That’s something you’ll just have to work through. It shouldn’t be overly complicated. Prisons are designed to keep people in, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to gain entry.” He rummaged around in his pack a little more, mumbling, “Everything sits differently without that bag I handed over to Camilla.” He shifted a few more items then tied the bag closed and smoothed over the top flap with a satisfied expression. Cooper asked, “You’ll be back?” Utsef shrugged, “Probably. I’ll likely come back every few months. At least until you start sending students again.” Cooper extended his hand. Utsef accepted the handshake then bent and shouldered his pack, “I’ll check with Camilla on my way out and see if there are any specific plants she might want me to bring the next time I come in.” Cooper thought about the full greenhouse and herbarium that had been alongside Miss Camilla’s classroom, and remembered how it looked when he and Loryn had been searching for a way into the library. It would take years to replace all that.

Chapter 19

   There was still an important detail to discuss with Mardon. Cooper went to the treasury, taking the time to sift through the gems and select two, a deep-green peridot and a vibrant amethyst. The time was drawing nearer, but the anticipation could sometimes cause people to act unpredictably. While the man seemed honorable and trustworthy, Cooper still preferred to leave the First Merchant holding a significant balance ‘on account’ to help secure his loyalty.

It was a quick walk through the Waterfront to reach the First’s ship. Upon boarding, Mardon greeted him with a wink, “Of course I recognized you immediately, but dressed as you are, you seem smaller somehow.” Cooper hadn’t worn his Guild leathers for several days. He wondered how they’d feel when he pulled them on again. He nodded towards the hatch that led below deck, “Do you have time to discuss a little business? It won’t take more than a few minutes.” Mardon furrowed his eyebrows, “I have an appointment very soon. Can this wait until later? This evening, perhaps?” Cooper held the two gems in his fist. He opened his hand to display them, “It really will take only a few minutes. We need not even go below to discuss it. The matter should even appeal to you. It concerns the mooring of certain ships.” Cooper raised an eyebrow, “You have influence with the workers on the docks, right?” Mardon’s eyes grew wider at the sight of the gems, then he squinted at Cooper as he replied, “Yes. I have ‘influence’, as you say.” Cooper nodded, satisfied, as he offered the gems to the First. Mardon accepted them and Cooper leaned in to speak in hushed tones.

Less than two minutes later Cooper was crossing onto the neighboring vessel, on his way back toward the Waterfront. Mardon watched him leave, then with an amused and slightly disbelieving expression and a brief shake of his head, the man slipped both gems into his pouch.

****

It had been almost two weeks since anyone had reported any Apex-related information. During times like these it wasn’t uncommon for Yoren to express his frustrations to her. Today was such a day.

Yoren had knocked loudly on her door and barged in as soon as he heard the latch being lifted, “Nothing! The Watch has heard nothing! You have offered me nothing! How am I to perform my duties if I have no information to work with?” Iona had no answer and, in fact, it wouldn’t matter if she had. The Spymaster was simply venting and her best course of action was to let him rant and hope to avoid catching the brunt of it. He turned his attention to her, “You tell me you can only detect him when he uses his Gift? How can it be that you haven’t felt anything from him in over a month?! Am I to believe that he doesn’t use his Manifested Talent? For anything?” Iona opened her mouth to correct him, then thought better of it. Explaining that Talent usage and Channeling were distinctly separate acts would do little more than increase his agitation. “I have no explanation, sir. I only know that I haven’t felt anything of him recently. Perhaps he knows that the University has Hunters like me,