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THEIR FIRST STOP WAS the tenements. Tony and Chance went to look for Tracey and the kids. They weren’t there. Tony suppressed a panic that tried to take control. Chance put her hand in his. “She might just be taking the kids to school,” she said.
“This time in the afternoon?” Tony asked.
“Perhaps fetching them from school?”
“She’s been seeing a shaman in the city for a blood disease,” Sam said. “She might be there.”
“I’ll stay,” Genevieve said. “If she comes back I’ll get her to take the kids to safety. You go warn Axel.”
Sam looked at Chance. “Stay with her?” he asked.
“Not a chance,” she said.
Tony shook his head.
“Let’s go then,” Sam told them and they returned to the coach.
Their second stop was the office where Axel worked.
Sam ushered Tony and Chance into his little room in the alley before going to fetch Axel.
While they waited, Tony started pacing around the room.
“What’s wrong?” Chance asked.
“Getting here,” Tony said.
“What about it?”
“It was too easy.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“It just doesn’t feel—”
The door opened and Sam and Axel walked in.
Axel’s face was a mask of concern. “What’s this about Mendel after me?”
“We heard it at the siding,” Tony said. “Dougherty’s men said Mendel is coming after a traitor who helped us escape.”
“Why would you think I was one of Mendel’s men?”
“You work here. Mendel owns some businesses here.”
“Yeah, he does.” Axel closed his eyes and shook his head. “He has stakes in the ship builders, the ones who make the boats we fit with engines and panels. I doubt he’d even know who I am.”
“You mean you’re not in danger?” Chance asked Axel and then glared at Tony.
Axel shook his head. “Is that why you’re here?” he asked.
“Tony thought you were in danger and couldn’t leave without making sure you’re safe.” Chance told him.
Axel smiled. “I appreciate the thought, but you’re the ones in danger.” He looked at Sam. “Can you get them out?”
“Not today,” he said. “I’ll have to keep them somewhere overnight. Is there somewhere you know of?”
“If what you’re saying is right, Mendel’s men will be about. I don’t think it’ll be easy to get them to a safe room.”
“It was easy enough for us to get here,” Chance said.
“I know that,” Axel said. “But there’s some things more bothersome happening right now.”
“Like what?” Tony asked.
“Like Mister Francis is coming, with Carlos.”
“Mister Francis? Who’s that?” Tony shook his head.
“He owns a significant share of the foundry and the fitting business that makes Mendel’s wooden boats into ironclad warships. He also has a share in the gun factory, if that’s what you call it. We’ve been told to clear the wharf for Carlos’s men.”
“What’s this Francis fellow got to do with Carlos?” Tony asked.
“Don’t know,” Axel said. “But if Mendel’s men are about and Carlos and his men are about then it’s not going to be safe to be walking around until they’ve gone.”
“There someplace we can keep them?” Sam asked. “One of the ships perhaps?”
Axel shook his head. “I’d offer them an office, but if Carlos comes, he might want an office for himself.”
“Or that Francis fellow, I suppose,” Tony said.
“I doubt that,” Axel said.
“Why?” Chance asked.
“Because Thomas Francis is black. He can’t be seen around here. It’s not safe.”
Chance looked at Axel with disbelief. “You mean a coloured man owns...”
“It’s what I said about Little Ahranam,” Tony smiled. “Didn’t you believe me when I told you there was money there?”
“It takes money to get people away from The Folk,” Sam said. “The Folk are too busy buying the government to notice who’s running their cities, or at least the cities with the money. You see girl, money’s political power, no matter what colour the man is who has it.”
“Five years ago, Tommy Toms was hanged for owning one of the big casinos on the hill,” Axel said. “At that time, this place was only used to move people out of Orsvonton who The Folk wanted dead. That was the time that things changed and the people in charge of the operation decided they didn’t just want to use this place as a cover, they wanted to control it. Own it.” Axel looked at Tony. “You remember that, don’t you?”
Tony nodded. It was about the time that he caught what Sam called the calling. He still knew it as a grifter’s curse.
“We don’t need a history lesson right now,” Sam said. “We need someplace to hide these two.”
“There’s a storeroom in back of warehouse one,” Axel said. “I can get some big crates put against the door so Mendel’s men don’t see it.”
“What about Carlos?” Tony asked. “He still wants Chance dead.”
“I know that,” Axel said. “There’s only one door into that store room. If it’s hidden by crates, they shouldn’t think to look.”
“I don’t like it,” Sam said.
“It’s not the first time we’ve done that,” Axel said.
“Yeah, but that’s just The Folk,” Sam said. “They’re not the sharpest knives in the second drawer, least not what they send here anyway.”