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“It depends on the person. Some of the officers are more observant than others, sir. The reports on the searches might mention something like that.”
Guess he’d have to wait until later. In the meantime, what else needed repairs? Fishing boats. Just like the buildings, each boat needed extensive upkeep, and they’d been searched. Unless the boat was out to sea at that time. Suicide, unless magic was involved. Assuming a magician was on board, Valek mulled it over and found a flaw in his logic. The fishermen would notice if a boat sailed away during the storm season. They’d think the captain was insane and talk about that “damn fool” at all the local taverns.
No. The Storm Thieves couldn’t risk such odd behavior. Unless... Valek straightened. Unless they left before the storm season and never returned! They’d be considered lost at sea. No one would suspect them because they were all dead. A perfect alibi.
Valek asked Endre if any boats had disappeared during the fishing season.
“There are always a few that don’t come back. The Port Master in each town would have those records. Also Annika might know. When a ship is lost at sea, everyone gathers at the inn.” Endre paused. “Why is that important?”
He explained his theory.
“That would be a right smart trick. But why go to all the trouble? Living on a ship ain’t fun.”
“Are there places along the coast only accessible by boat?” Valek asked.
“Yeah. There’s a few. Up north there’s a couple coves hidden in those cliffs. Do you think they could be there?”
“It’s possible. Or they could be stocking up for a journey to Sitia.” Which would be a safer place for the magician to live.
“That’s too dangerous. Out of dozens of ships, only one has crossed the Rattles intact.”
But would a boat with a Stormdancer aboard be able to? Valek considered. The Rattles extended over a hundred miles into the Sunset Ocean from the knob of land jutting from the southern coast of MD-1, which was also the western edge of the Snake Forest. It twisted over underwater rocks, contained pockets of shallow water and created unpredictable riptides and strong currents. The sound of the turbulent water reminded sailors of rattlesnakes when they shook their tails in warning. And it fit perfectly with its location at the end of the Snake Forest.
A Stormdancer influenced the weather and not water, so Valek doubted having one on board would make a difference in an attempt to cross the Rattles. One thing Valek did know—the Storm Thieves must have a grander scheme than stealing in mind. Once he figured that out, they’d be easy to find.
Annika arrived with two steaming containers of seafood chowder for them. Valek’s stomach lurched in sudden hunger as the tangy, fishy aroma reached him. She served Valek first, but she gave Endre a sweet dimpled smile with his bowl. Ah. They’d been working together too long. In the past, he’d break them up and assign one to the other side of Ixia. But as Hedda had said, he’d changed. Valek no longer believed love or romance negatively affected an agent’s ability to do his or her duty. In fact, he thought it made them a stronger team.
Pah, you’ve gone soft, old man, Janco’s voice sounded in his head. He ignored it. Instead he asked Annika about the boats that had disappeared this year.
“There’s always a bunch that wreck or sink or catch fire,” she said. “Mostly those have a few survivors, but there were two that sailed from Gandrel and never came back. The Starfish and the Sea Serpent.”
“Do you know who captained the boats and worked on them?”
“No, sir, but the Port Master will have all that information.”
“Can you get the names for me without anyone knowing?”
She hesitated, then glanced at Endre. “Do you have any sleeping juice left?”
“Yep.”
“Then that would be a yes, sir,” she said to Valek. “The Port Master is a frequent customer.”
“What about the other towns?” Endre asked him. “There have to be other boats that disappeared.”
“The Stormers are from Gandrel.”
“How do you know?” Annika asked.
“You tell me,” he said. “What’s changed?”
She stared at the map in concentration. A section of her long brown hair fell in front of her face, and she tucked it behind her ear with an impatient tug. Her darker skin tone reminded him of Yelena.
Annika tapped on the map with her finger. “Stealing weapons from a security office is a dangerous hit.” She met Valek’s gaze. Long eyelashes framed lovely brown eyes. “There are a number of offices along the coast, but they picked Gandrel’s because they’re very familiar with the town. There’s no need to worry about getting lost while a storm rages when you know every street, and the chances of encountering an officer are smaller when you know their patrol patterns.”
Valek grinned. “Exactly.”
After Endre finished his chowder, he left to report to work. Valek asked Annika about the local gossip. “Anyone mention my name?”
“A few noticed you arriving in town, but they all assumed you’re here to help with the nets.”
Good. “How about speculation over these Stormers?”
“Lots of that, from the ridiculous—ghosts living in the clouds—to the mundane—local kids taking advantage of the weather. A couple folks think the security officers are making a big deal for nothing. So far, I haven’t heard anything of value.”
Annika returned to her job at the inn. Valek waited thirty minutes before finding a spot at the bar of the inn’s common room. He ordered an ale and listened to the various conversations around him.
“...best net caught on the blasted rocks and shredded like wet paper.”
“I wanted to ring his bloody neck...”
“I’d bet Nichel’s boy is behind all this trouble. Damn kid never did listen.”
“...fat cats at the garrison. You’d think they’d help us with these bastards.”
When Valek finished his ale, he inquired about work, and one of the boat captains said he needed an extra pair of hands. Then he climbed the stairs to his room, changed into his sneak suit and slipped out the window. He spent the next three hours reading reports. A couple of comments from the searches snagged his attention, and he wrote a list of buildings and shipyards to recheck. Overall, there wasn’t any information that challenged his theory.
Good. The sooner he could solve this and reunite with Yelena, the better.
* * *
Over the next couple days, Valek helped repair nets. His nimble fingers and skill at tying knots earned him a favorable reputation. The fishermen soon relaxed and Valek listened to their gossip. Eventually he steered the conversation to the lost ships.
“Everyone knows the risks you take when you step on that boat.” Pug looped new twine around a tear. His fingernails were black and he smelled like brine. “You expect a few losses, but it’s a heartbreaker regardless.”
“Yeah,” Joey agreed. He was one of the oldest men on the crew. “And sometimes you can guess who’s not coming back. I told Nell not to take on such a young, inexperienced crew, but she wouldn’t listen. What you get in energy and stamina, you lose in experience and plain old good sense.”
“Poor Nell.” Pug tsked. “At least those tadpoles didn’t leave behind younguns, but I’m sure their parents are beside themselves.”
Valek remembered Nell’s name from the Starfish’s manifest. Annika had copied it along with the Sea Serpent’s last night while the Port Master had been slumped over a table at the inn, snoring. The list of names hadn’t meant anything to him, but learning the crews’ ages helped. A person with children and a spouse wouldn’t be as likely to pretend to disappear at sea so he or she could become a thief.
After a few more questions, Valek would have bet money that the Starfish was the Storm Thieves’ ship. Now the next step would be to find it. There hadn’t been a break-in in over three weeks, and most of the fishermen believed the weapon raid was the last one. Only thirteen days remained until the start
of the warm season and the first safe day that the fleet could set sail.
Valek figured the Storm Thieves would make one more raid before lying low for the fishing seasons. He needed to review the stolen items again. Once he determined what was next on their list, he could anticipate their destination.
“We better finish this net today,” Pug said. He gazed at the sea. “I don’t like the look of those clouds.”
“Could be a big blow.” Joey massaged his stiff fingers.
“Any idea where it will hit?” Valek asked.
“If it’s big enough, it don’t matter. The whole coast gets punched,” Joey said. “If it’s smaller, then you follow the waves.”
“The waves?”
“Yeah. If the storm’s coming right at you, the waves are parallel to the shore, lined up like rolling pins on my granny’s table. If the waves are angled to the right, the storm’s moving north. Angled left means south.”
Valek studied the waves lapping under the dock. Rolling pins.
“Too soon to tell,” Joey said. “Look in the morning.”
“When will the storm hit?”
