Poison City

“To be honest, I don’t know.” Marcus shrugged then looked at Kevin and Keryn: “You? Do you have a plan?”

“No, not really. ” Keryn shrugged as well.

“Then you’ve gotta figure it out soon.” Luo Zhuge let out a very long sigh and shook his head, looking disappointed and tired: “You should know. When they have their eyes on you, they won't stop until they confirm - or they believe you’re dead.”

“They’ll come for us like that?” Marcus narrowed his eyes.

“Well I’m kinda surprised they haven’t done so earlier.” Luo Zhuge chuckled: “After what I’ve had - never mind. The thing is they’re likely to do so now. If they are so brazen as to attack your precinct, then they are willing to do much worse.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

“So - I guess, we have a deal?” Luo Zhuge rubbed his legs before heading towards the door: “When you move against them - and I hope - I trust that you will, I will be receiving your message.”

“But how do we contact you?” Kevin asked.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Luo Zhuge threw a small wooden plaque at Marcus. Marcus caught it with his one hand: “When you’re ready to move. Break this. Be careful with it. If you’re not careful, or you’re trying to fool me somehow. Things will get really ugly for all of us. I hope you understand that. Deal?”

“... deal.” Marcus sighed. The moment his words dropped. Something tingled his senses, as if an invisible line of energy had wrapped around his left wrist. He looked Luo Zhuge in the eye: “What the fuck is this?”

“Being Carriers of Notes has its benefits.” Luo Zhuge grinned: “Don’t worry, it’s just a tracking spell linked to that plaque, not that dissimilar to the one I used to find you here. It won’t bring you any harm. In fact, you break the plaque, or you break this ‘ribbon’, either way I’ll know you moved.”

Marcus took a look at Kevin and Keryn, Keryn was looking at her and Kevin’s left wrists - she felt it too.

“Before you leave, I would like you to tell me one thing.” Marcus sighed and said when Luo Zhuge had his hand on the door’s handle. “I don’t think it’ll be a trade, as it’s mutually beneficial for us.”

“Oh? What is that?”

“If we are to move on them. IF - we are to strike them where it hurts. ” Marcus’ voice was calm but it made Kevin and Keryn both stiffen up slightly: “How do we find them? How do we know where to hit? We will only have one opportunity.”

“Northern District.” Luo Zhuge shrugged: “I suggest you do some retcon before you go. Because for sure the place would be heavily guarded. And - just like you would expect, the place would be energy dense.”

“Energy dense? So - some kind of power plant? That’s not - we don’t have power plants in the Northern District, they’re only on the borders between districts - ” Keryn scratched his jaw.

“Well, that’s not my problem now, is it?” Luo Zhuge shrugged: “You figure it out. And tell me when you’re about to act. ” He twisted the door handle, but turned back one more time before he opened it: “I know you don’t trust me. I wouldn’t, and hell, I have a ton of doubt about you, how prepared you are and your integrity as well. But Let me just reiterate this, without any intention to convince you, or threaten you, that your timing and your action can and will decide the fate of at least a few people, not just me.”

“I have one more question!” Kevin raised his hand and called out.

“What!?” Luo Zhuge almost bolted out the door already.

“Do you know anything about Blood Rainbows? Or - how to detect, or avoid them?” Kevin threw this question out without any hesitation.

“Not more than what you already do. Just hide when you see it, and be careful at night. ” Luo Zhuge opened the door and stepped out. Yet before he closed the door, his voice came through the gap: “Just pay attention to the temperature and street lights.”

“Okay, I think we’re gonna need a new place to stay.” Marcus immediately said: “DO you know any?”

“Shit, Marcus, let’s take a break first.” Keryn sighed and shook her head: “You look tired. Just take a moment.”

“No - no, we can’t trust him.” Marcus paced in the living room: “I know - I know he gave us the really important intelligence. But since he’s out of his hiding place, that means those after him would probably find his traces as well.”

“Yes. But take a moment. ” Keryn came over and pulled Marcus down on a sofa: “I’ll tell you what, we will keep an eye on the surroundings, you take a moment. Meditate, take a nap, eat, whatever you do. Then we will contact Captain Ko and tell him we’ll search for a new place to hide. You see, we don’t know any other place to hide. This place is the last of the captain’s. So to find another - easier said than done.”

“Plus, if he’s really Alex Pearson, then I really doubt he would be that careless.” Kevin sighed and sat down on the floor, rubbing his temples: “We’ve been at this for what, a few months? He’s been hiding for years, decades, almost.”

“So this - Alex Pearson, Luo Zhuge, what have you found out about him?” Marcus yawned before he leaned back on the sofa.