Page 92 of Carry Your Debt

+TASK: DISCOVERY

+TARGET:THE LERNA CORPORATION

+AFFILIATIONS:Confirmation Required

+LAST KNOWN LOCATION:Themis

+DEADLINE:23 hours, 59 min from digital receipt of message

“Fuck,yes,” Hermes cheers with an enthusiastic fist pump. “Team Discovery,” he crows, holding up a palm for me to high-five.

I only quirk an eyebrow at him. While I’m relieved to see a positive trend upward in his mood today, he knows as well as I do that he’s not getting any kind of skin from me.

Unperturbed, he turns to address the rest of the room, “Shit’s myjam,” he assures us.

I roll my lips inwards at the heated looks both Sabine and Dionysus shoot in his direction as his narrow hips continue to wiggle in his seat. I also don’t miss the way both Graysons pointedly avert their eyes back down to their screens.

“Sabine?” Zeus calls out. Hermes spins back to lock on his screens, fingers poised over his keyboard.

Sabine’s head is tipped back against the couch cushion behind her. A small crease forms in her brow as she gathers her thoughts.

“LERNA’s a bit of a point of contention for theImperium.The Arbiter likes everyone to live and work happily together, all neatly wrapped up with an affiliation bow,” she explains, pulling herself up a little on her seat. “If a citizen or an entity doesn’t wish to formally declare for either the North or the South, they can promise to serve both Sovereignties equally—and declare themselves Neutral instead.”

“And LERNA’s Neutral?” Ares asks, gruffly.

“Notexactly,” she continues with a small lift of her shoulder. “All entities are also required to both publicly register any assets, as well as disclose details of ownership and incorporation. Everything from the shareholders to the board of directors down to their janitorial staff.”

“So what’s the issue?”Apollo asks. His fingers lace together on the tabletop as he unconsciously leans toward her.

“The problem is LERNA’s not just a simple umbrella corp, it’s more like multiple ghost subsidiaries in a trench coat, masquerading as a multinational conglomerate.”

“The beast with many heads,” I murmur and she nods.

“And not knowing exactlywho’s behind LERNA would rankle the Arbiter to no end,” Zeus supplies, knowingly.

“Exactly,” Sabine agrees. “I know from personal experience that following the trail on any of their public-facing companiesonly leads to a shell company. Which leads to another dead end of a registry notice and so forth.”

“It says last known location: Themis,” Apollo muses. “Do we have listings for all Underworld businesses operating in Themis?”

I shake my head, and my best friend shoots me a quizzical look. “They were at the Symposium,” I say pointedly.

“Most likely,” Zeus agrees, giving me an encouraging smile. It’s warm and my spine pulls straight.

“That’s why it says Themis,” Sabine repeats, nodding again. “It’s technically No Man’s Land, so theycouldtechnically operate there, but I doubt the Arbiter would allow them to do so from right under her nose like that.”

“Of course, that would be too fucking easy,” Dionysus quips, beginning to dismantle the same exact handgun for the third time today.

“Ihateriddles,” Hermes whines loudly.

“What happened toTeam Discovery?” Sabine teases him.

“Give me something tangible to find or a virtual barrier to breach. Just don’t ask me to think logically,” he grouses, and I can’t help the soft smile that pulls at my cheek.

Because I fuckingloveriddles.

“AndDürerca,Inc’s a bust as well,” Hermes announces, slamming his chair back.

He stalks off towards the kitchen.

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