Page 22 of Mystery of Magic

“The eye of energy. It was listed as destroyed, but obviously those shards are fake. That is not an easy item to replicate. To create a duplicate means the perpetrator had intimate knowledge of our most powerful artifacts and our security measures.”

“Right. I need every item in that museum rechecked. I don’t think any of the debris is real. I want a list of every person who visited the museum in the last year. Hunters, council members... everyone.”

Lochlan was silent for a moment. “I will get that list. If anyone even strolled by the museum, they will be investigated.”

“Good.”

There was silence before Lochlan swore. It was unlike him to use foul language on an open channel. Hell, he never swore.

“What is it?” Daryn asked.

“Cage was sighted in a warehouse two blocks from you.”

Daryn hissed. “He is in prison. That isn’t possible.”

“I know. But someone is good at a glamor spell.”

“Send me the location now. We will check it out.”

We were dashing to the vehicle when Daryn’s phone beeped.

CHAPTER 10

As Daryn and I pulled up to the entrance of the warehouse, the night enveloped us in a shroud of darkness. The warehouse loomed before us, a shadowy behemoth that seemed to belong to another era, its rundown exterior belying the activity it supposedly housed.

The moonlight cast eerie shadows across the peeling paint of the building’s facade. Large, rusted metal doors were half-open, revealing glimpses of the mysteries hidden within. It was a stark contrast to the bustling daytime world we knew, but Cage’s impersonator wouldn’t have come here if the business was legitimate.

Daryn and I exchanged a glance before exiting our vehicle. The echoes of our boots on the cracked pavement were muted by the whistling wind, as if the world exhaled a breath, waiting for us to unravel the secrets held within.

The warehouse’s windows were dark, their glass panes coated with layers of grime, further obscuring the nature of business within. Yet, a faint glow emanated from a dimly-lit office in the corner, a beacon in the obscurity that beckoned us closer.

As we approached the entrance, a gust of cool night airbrushed against my skin, carrying with it the scent of metal and rust. Daryn put one finger to his lips as he moved ahead of me toward the faint glow. He opened the side door slowly, but I flinched when it creaked.

Inside, the warehouse was massive, its cavernous space filled with stacks of crates and pallets. The flickering overhead lights cast eerie shadows that danced along the exposed rafters. The air was thick with the scent of wood and metal that hinted at the warehouse’s true purpose.

“What is this place? The sign was too badly worn to make out the name,” I asked.

Daryn glanced around. “Cipher is checking on it now. It’s owned by a shell company, so he is trying to find out what this warehouse was used for. It appears to be the staging area for some kind of import and export business.”

The dimly-lit side office revealed itself to be more of a makeshift workspace than a bastion of secrets. A single desk, weathered by time and use, stood against one wall, accompanied by a modern laptop that seemed out of place in this forgotten corner. A lamp perched near the door we had entered cast feeble light in the room.

As I scanned the feeble excuse for an office, my eyes landed on the desk’s surface. It was scattered with stacks of papers and what appeared to be hastily scribbled notes. “Let’s check out the computer.” I approached, hoping the seemingly mundane setup might hold the key to unraveling the warehouse’s mysterious activities.

Daryn pointed at the desk. “You check the papers. I will scout the building to confirm the fake Cage isn’t hiding somewhere. My scan was negative, but I want to be sure.”

He approached the first row of crates. They were stacked haphazardly around the large space. The disorganized chaos seemed incongruous with the world of shipping and logistics.Some of them had their lids removed, revealing their packing materials—a scattering of straw strewn about on the floor beside them. It was as though they had been hastily rifled through, and their precious cargo removed.

As I turned my attention back to the desk, I felt a sense of determination wash over me. The place appeared mundane, but this office held clues, connections waiting to be made. The new laptop beeped when I hit the button and promptly asked for my password. I wasn’t a hacker, so I closed it and planned to take it to Cipher.

I grabbed the first invoice I came across and turned to Daryn when he returned.

“There is nobody here,” he said, with obvious disappointment.

I held up the shipping invoice. “You were right. This place is listed as Excalibur Imports. I doubt that is a legitimate company, but the contact is Cage Lancer.”

Daryn took the invoice from me and stared at it. “This says he was importing Army surplus. It fits with his mercenary work, but I don’t think he had this warehouse because he was bringing in flak jackets and night vision goggles.”

I motioned to the crates. “What is in them?”

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