Page 50 of Validus Vale Academy 1
The SUV, a Rivian S1, according to Striker, registered to Gordon Handy, a senior Elite living one floor below me, returned with the twins at 18:04. That was the last time Validus Vale’s ever-watchful cameras captured Wes and Donovan Hart.
Striker had also hacked into the Rivian’s onboard computer. The internal dash cam and GPS confirmed their route: direct to the storage unit, seventeen minutes spent unloading, then a straight drive back to the academy.
A thought occurs to me, and I shoot off a text.
ME:Could the school CCTV be altered?
STRIKER:o_O
STRIKER:….
STRIKER:Yes
ME:Was it?
STRIKER:Negative. Day in question no AI/magical tampering. Same w/ wards around VV
ME:Have you got Dartmouth’s address yet?
STRIKER:Negative, am following a lead
STRIKER:….
STRIKER:Of interest. Max Larsen. VV Ordinarii. Jr. Rptd missing from VV 11/3 last year. VV/cops claim ML a runaway. Fam disagree
Maximus Larsen.
I remember him; he was hard to forget. A high-ranking Ordinarii kid, possibly even headed for Elite Status for his senior year. And a complete lunatic. The twins hung out with him sometimes. He wentmissing? I thought he’d quit school.
ME:Dig up everything you can on Larsen
STRIKER:o7
Striker signs off with her customary salute emoticon, and I put my mind to Max Larsen.
Maximus Larsen. Hmm
An interesting kid. If by interesting one means a complete maniac. He’d come to Machete on occasion and definitely made his mark in the cage. Larsen would have even given that naked ape a run for his money. I realize I’m unconsciously rubbing my ribs, where the weirdo’s meaty fists had smashed them. Fuck that guy. I should have just paid a healer to fix me up, but so many of the school staff are in my father’s pocket. I’d rather he not hear that someone got the best of me in a fight. He doesn’t take a Drakeward loss lightly; letting down the family name will always be punished.
Anyway, back to Larsen.
He’d disappeared.
No way that could be a coincidence. I pick up the phone again.
ME:Look into any other VV disappearances in the last few years
ME:And hurry the fuck up with Dartmouth
STRIKER:….
STRIKER:?∩?
I’m giving a middle finger back to the phone as a door opens and Troy saunters in. He’s got his usual slack-jawed idiot expression on his face. I graciously ignore him as he raids the fridge, snagging a couple of beers.
“I’m off for a good time,” he drawls. I look up to see a knowing smirk playing on his lips. Against my better judgment, my eyebrow arches a fraction.
Troy’s imbecilic grin widens. “Manu says he’s got a wild little time lined up for us both.”
