“Sarah, we must talk.”
“Indeed we must.” Her voice was firm. “You can’t order my children around like that. You have to-“
Cade interrupted. “No, Sarah, not now. We have to talk about Terrel.” She grew quiet at that. “Sarah, Terrel was involved much more deeply with the PFLS than you thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was running contraband for them.”
“I know he gave them some money, but everybody was supporting one group or another.”
“He was doing more than contributing a few spare coins.” Cade sighed, his hand drumming against the table edge. “When Terrel stayed late, he was making pots, special pots.”
“Cade, that is what he did for a living.”
“I know that.” Cade leaned over the table. “But these pots were built to hide things.”
“What sort of things?”
“Who knows?” Cade shrugged. “Weapons, money, messages, even drugs, whatever it was doesn’t matter now. What matters is that he did it for the PFLS. He was not just paying them; he was one of them.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it.” Cade leaned back, staring at her. “I’ve discovered a whole underground organization, very well coordinated, slipping all sorts of things through the different control zones of the town. Terrel was part of it, and it’s because of that he was killed.”
“Why?”
“I’m still not entirely sure. Could have been a lot of reasons-one of the other factions found out, one of his own people betrayed him, per- haps even the PFLS themselves were the killers.”
“But why? If he was helping them, why would they kill him?”
“Lots of reasons: a shipment got lost, an internal upheaval.” His voice was bitter. “Sarah, this town was a mess, insane. No one knew who was in charge of what. The control areas changed daily, hourly. Somehow, someone decided Terrel had broken a rule, and they made him pay.” Sarah’s face was pale and her lips trembled, but she could think of noth- ing to say.