Bero stood stupefied for a minute. Then he followed after Molovni. The curtains on the second-floor windows were all drawn shut; only a few slivers of light filtered in between the cracks. The room was as spartan as a cell. Bero made out the shapes of a single bed, a dresser, a desk and chair. There was nothing on the walls, no visible personal belongings besides a few papers on the desk, and a radio.
Molovni was adjusting the antenna and fiddling with the dial of the radio. Classical music skipped to jiggy remix, then to static, then to the KNB news radio station.
Bero said, “Where’s Ema?”
The Ygutanian didn’t look up. “She’s not coming.”
“Not coming?” Bero exclaimed. “Where is she? Isn’t she supposed to be meeting up with you?” If the Espenians had been watching Ema, where had she led them, if not to the nekolva agent and his plan?
Molovni held up a finger to silence Bero and turned up the volume on the radio. Kekon National Broadcasting news anchor Toh Kita was delivering a special report: A massive explosion had occurred in the Financial District of Janloon, collapsing the headquarters of the Kekon Jade Alliance during a board meeting. Dozens of government and clan representatives were suspected to be among the dead and injured. Police, emergency workers, and Green Bones of both the major clans were on-site. Toh Kita somberly promised listeners that he would share information as it became available.
“It’s done.” Molovni checked his watch. “If Guriho and Otonyo escape, they’ll be here soon.”
“You weren’t even there?” Bero felt as if his understanding of the situation was coming apart. “The others did everything and you hid in here, doing nothing? What kind of Ygutanian spy are you?”
The foreigner wheeled on Bero with a glower of contempt. “I did nothing? I spent eight years in this fucking jade-infested city to make this happen. Who arranged everything for the clanless? Money, guns, information, explosives, political asylum—you think any of these are easy to get?” Molovni snorted. He began to pack items from his desk into a black satchel. “The revolution has to come from within, but it would’ve gotten nowhere if it weren’t for me. If it weren’t for nekolva.”
Bero thought of his Espenian handlers and grumbled, “But why didn’t they stop it?”
He realized his slip in an instant, but it was too late. Molovni turned back toward him slowly, placing the satchel down on the desk. His small eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Who are you talking about?”
Bero fumbled for a convincing lie, but Molovni was stalking toward him, his craggy face clouding with suspicion. If he did have a sense of Perception, then he could sense Bero’s pulse racing. “What have you done, you useless creature?” he growled. “Who are you working for?”
Bero did not get a chance to answer. The windows shattered inward at the same time the door was smashed from its hinges. The small confines of the room erupted in a storm of splintering wood, flying glass, and violent movement. Bero’s shock lasted for a whole second. Then he dove into a corner of the room as half a dozen masked men in military tactical gear burst into Molovni’s apartment.
Molovni whirled with his Ankev drawn, firing at the nearest blackclad intruder. The bullet slammed into the man’s body armor, throwing him against the wall. Molovni got off one more round before another masked man shot him in the back with twin needle-tipped electrical wires that stabbed through his clothes and into his skin. Molovni went as rigid as a wooden plank and toppled to the floor, jerking, making choked, guttural noises as electricity poured into his body. His eyes were furious and panicked, his mouth frozen open in rictus. Three men rushed in on the downed Ygutanian like wolves.
Even with his muscles spasming uncontrollably, Molovni managed to grasp for his jade abilities. He unleashed a powerful blast of Deflection that ripped through the apartment in a concentric wave. The intruders staggered back and blown shards of wood and glass debris pelted Bero’s arms as he threw them over his head. The wires were yanked free of Molovni’s back. The Ygutanian rolled to his feet in an instant and seized his fallen Ankev. Bero glimpsed the manic fear on the man’s face as he turned the gun toward his own head.
A booted foot connected with Molovni’s arm, sending the weapon flying out of his hand and skittering under the sofa.
Bero had known that Molovni was nekolva, and he’d heard of Espenian special operatives who wore jade, but he had never seen men who were not Green Bones move so quickly or brutally before. In a desperate final bid to escape through the shattered second-story window, Molovni flew Light across the length of his apartment. He nearly made it, but was seized out of the air and borne to the ground by the combined Strength of three soldiers. Molovni was pinned like a thrashing bull. He screamed profanities in Ygut, spittle flecking the corners of his mouth as his wrists were yanked behind his back and secured with tight plastic bindings. His ankles were zip-tied together as well, and a black canvas bag was pulled over his head. One of the masked men drew a syringe from a pocket on his tactical vest and jabbed it into Molovni’s thigh, depressing the plunger. A few seconds later, the man’s struggles grew uncoordinated and feeble, then ceased entirely. Two burly soldiers lifted the unconscious Ygutanian between them like a heavy carpet and carried him from the apartment and out of sight.