I spread the maps out on the table. “Few realms are as polluted as Yitar. It is too tempting a target—he will return.”
“What makes you so sure?” The Satyr arched a brow.
I tapped on the map. “He’ll revisit this river. It runs for a very long stretch, and is so polluted it is toxic—perfect for his mission. The opportunity to take out another population base along it will be too tempting.”
Jacques’s fingers traced the river. “Do you have theories as to where he’ll strike?”
“His current pattern is to target towns close enough in proximity for his army to hit simultaneously, and far enough from a major city that help cannot get to them in time. The river is pretty densely populated, so there aren’t many that fit that pattern.”
I pulled out a pen and circled the five most likely targets along the great distance of shoreline.
Jacques was silent for a moment, and then he tapped at a spot. “Did you know that Cara’s Bellati crew is here, working on the dam?”
I sat back, my fingers tapping on the map. “Galeran must know that the crew is there.”
“So what is your plan?” the Satyr asked.
I folded the Bellati crew into the equation, and crossed out the groupings closest to them. “His pattern is to send in his mercenaries to scout a place twenty-four to forty-eight hours before he hits them.”
“Mercenaries?” Jacques frowned. “Not his Bellati?”
“No. It’s the reason he’s been able to stay hidden.”
The Satyr rubbed his chin. “Be tough to spot his mercs in most realms, but in the virgin ones, we might be able to.”
I nodded and tapped at the three remaining clusters. “We need surveillance on these locations.”
Jacques’s brows rose. “That’s eight towns.”
“I believe they scout the gathering places—like drinking establishments and brothels—as part of their pre-attack reconnaissance. Each town will only have one or two of those,” I said. “It’s the only way to get ahead of him.”
The Satyr rubbed his chin. “So we either station someone at those places—”
“Which will look suspicious,” Haki stated.
“Or we take advantage of this realm’s technology, such as it is.” Jacques’s bright eyes glimmered from within his hood. “They do have wireless surveillance. This very bar has a security camera.”
I nodded again. I’d noticed it on the way in, which was why I’d sat with my back to it. “Can you nab us some cameras?”
“What’s the timeline?” Jacques asked.
“I want them installed tonight.”
He started to laugh, and then stopped when he realized I was serious. “Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“But that’s impossible,” the Satyr protested. “The closest of those locations is a ten-hour drive from here.”
“Haki and I will fly it. We should manage to get them in place by daybreak. We will need you to drive to the closest in order to monitor it tomorrow night.”
Haki sighed. “So much for a good night’s sleep.”
“You are a demanding client,” Jacques complained. “Which might be fine if you actually were a client.”
I pulled my trump card. “Tyrez said something about a horn?”
Jacques sighed. “It’ll be another week, at least, before it starts to dissolve to dust. Until then, it’s just a fancy sword.”
