Chapter 189

Jacques leaned over the archive terminal, scrolling through rows of files that seemed endless. Each folder opened into subfolders, and those into more layers of old police data interspersed with corrupted entries. It wasn't a simple process. Half the files refused to load altogether, and the other half were riddled with gaps or encryption he hadn't expected.

He shook his head and said, "This is gonna take a while."

Behind him, Morrigan and Siobhàn exchanged a look. Morrigan turned her head toward the stairs, then back to Jacques.

"We don't have all night for this," she said. "Kazuo's barely holding on. I need to get him back to base."

Jacques didn't stop what he was doing. He dug further into a folder marked Emergency Operations - Classified, pulling up surveillance logs that spanned several blocks of the city's outskirts.

"Go if you have to," he said without looking up. "I can manage."