Page 106 of Drift

“That’s not a virology haul.” Light started thumbing down the list. “That’s basic stock needed to take bulk care of more than twenty people.. See: Amoxicillin, Candesartan, Sodium Valproate, Gliclazide for type two diabetes,clobazam … plus basic items to fill out first-aid kits.”

“Or stock for something bigger about to go down, and they are there at the table, sorting a drug haul,” said Gray quietly. The oestrogen was a little out of the norm, but to Gray there was enough stock taken to last a few months. But no, nothing that could really be broken down and used in a virus or a cure, but maybe stocking up for something larger to go down.

“CCTV caught nothing at Jessop’s, cameras were taken out,” said Simon. “Raif said the laser pointer tech was only used by two groups: Jackson’s and a man called Essex’s. Jessop’s wasn’t on either turf, and Raif said only Jackson goes wide to avoid detection.”

As wide as Wales. This really wasn’t looking good for any of Jackson’s lot.

“You want them all pulling in?” asked Raif.

Gray glanced Light’s way. “No.” Jude and his crew were runners like Light, only Jude and his crew could get further and wider a whole lot faster. Jude also knew London streets like Light never would.

“Okay.” Raif nodded. “Jackson, then, the man here.” He tapped at the image of the man with the scorched rope mark around his throat. “He’s a bastard on the street, but…?” He gave a sigh. “This is why all this is odd. He’s usually a good man if you can get into his crew, feeding… clothing… giving his people a roof over their heads if they can prove they can earn their bed. He’s split across five townhouses like this and considered the best at feeder level. I agree going in hard on anyone there will get him running and pulling rank tighter for one reason only here.”

Raif scrolled through the iPad, and images of young kids came up in the house Jude had been caught in, one looking as young as eleven.

Kids. A lot of. Oh. Gray tightened his jaw. Now wasn’t that just… fucking peachy.

Raif seemed to know where Gray went with that. “No. Jackson keeps this a young coop, but not of Night-walkers, last I saw.”

Martin turned his ear Raif’s way, and Raif looked at him. “Not for what you’re thinking either, or it wasn’t back when I knew him. He keeps his pips away from his adult crew for safety reasons: no drugs, a strict no-touch policy, otherwise they’re kicked out. He’ll be more likely to fly the coop with his pips here if he catches a bad whiff of anyone around his home, especially if he’s involved in this somehow. But there is a plus side to Jude being in this house of his.”

He swiped through the iPad again, and a row of musical instruments lined up along the one wall.

“Most kids here aren’t feeders. They usually don’t come with Night-walker skills,” Raif said quietly. “They earn their beds through street performance. So the way into Jude here?” Helooked Gray’s way. “You want to know who found out about Simon’s phone and took out Ray, we need a street performer to get in and talk on their level without pushing anyone’s run buttons.”

“They have one,” Light said flatly.

As Simon flicked a look Light’s way, Raif looked him up and down. “Jude’s seen you. He knows where you base. If he is with them, you’ll be handed over.”

“So would anyone else walking in there at this point,” Light said flatly. “I can get out. But with me being there, Jude will also know there’ll be backup behind me. He took his mask off because he knew he’d been caught, that enticement games had called him in and caught him out. The threat of not knowing where Gray’s team is could keep him from bolting or saying anything if he is involved in all of this and Jackson isn’t.”

That made clear sense to Gray. Light had also turned twenty-one, too old for this Jackson’s young coop in that sense maybe, but he still carried that young rocker look and could pull off nineteen, also that need to sleep with how he seemed to walk most nights.

And one thing he had was musical talent.

Gray held Light’s look. “You’ll be stepping into culler territory. Mine. Can you live with that on your conscience? I need to know who got access to that phone.”

“There’s no cullers here,” he said flatly. “When it comes to anyone stepping into home territory like they did last night, there’s only family.”

Gray cupped the back of Light’s neck. He’d damn well needed to hear what he’d seen on the CCTV last night, when Lighthad gone in with Ray and protected Jack and Jan. That Jack had been right: when it did come to family, there really was no semantic difference between killer and culler now, only the psychopaths, only them. “More than fucking agreed, boy.”

Gray let him go, and if comeback was expected off Simon over walking the same line as Gray for a while, none came, just a professional walk to Light’s side and a whisper in his ear as Raif joined them and started talking detail. Even better. Gray expected no less off Simon.

As Martin came and rested back against the board with a fold of arms, Gray caught a shiver with a whisper that came his way as well.

“The warrior gene umbrella theory,” Martin said quietly. “Fact or fiction, it’s perhaps why you’ve gotten a warning to back off. Something’s got them sending a warning only.”

Gray looked his way.

“To them, you carry it.” Martin flicked a look at Light. “So does he.”

Gray glanced Light’s way.

“That tells me they’ve tested it on our ilk, and it’s had a reaction they don’t want. Because out of all the conditions you marked on this board,” Martin said eventually, “psychopaths are being avoided. They’re avoiding us for a reason, and warning you as a psychopath to do the same.”

A breath teased Gray’s ear.

“Take the warning. Don’t get pricked, princess.” It came so softly, and there was almost a smile in it. “You make damn sure Light doesn’t either.”

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