The youngsters were gathered together in front of the entrance to the old warehouse that contained the Haunted Alien Catacombs attraction. A few were crying. Some looked confused. Several worried adults, including Devin’s grandmother, Myrna Reed, and Charlotte and Rachel had formed a protective circle around the children and were talking quietly to them.
The dust bunnies were doing their part to calm the kids. They hopped from fairy to doctor to superhero, making soothing sounds.
Devin Reed spotted Cyrus and Sedona first.
“The chief said for you to go in as soon as you got here, Mr. Jones,” he announced in official tones.
Cyrus nodded. “All right.” He looked at Myrna. “What have we got?”
“Dead body,” she said quietly. “Not a local. Must be one of the tourists. Some of the kids found him when they entered the last exhibit inside.”
“Actually the dust bunnies found the body,” Devin said.
Cyrus nodded and turned back to Myrna. “Cause of death?”
“Mag-rez. Slade says it’s a double-tap.”
“Pro.”
Myrna wrinkled her nose. “On Rainshadow. Who knew we’d become a tourist destination for that crowd?”
Lyle chortled a greeting to Sedona and waved the small gleaming object that he held in one paw. At first she thought it was a Halloween cookie wrapped in shiny foil. When she collected him from Annie, he offered her the gift.
She glanced at it and shivered. Without a word she handed Lyle’s gift to Cyrus.
“It’s an amber compass,” Cyrus said. “Standard Guild issue.”
“Look at the back,” Sedona said.
He turned it over in his hand and examined the name and serial number that had been stamped on the flat metal surface. “This is interesting.”
“Whose compass is it?” Rachel asked.
“It belongs to Kirk Morgan, the head of the Gold Creek Guild,” Sedona said. “The jerk boss who set me up to be kidnapped.”