Chapter 9

The building was already visible at the end of the tree-lined street. The pair had left the caravan behind twenty minutes ago, in a location that was, to say the least, interesting. Nasor had dropped them off on a strip of land from which they could see the sea to the left and countless trees to the right, stretching into the distance until they faded into a grayish blur, where, according to the caravan driver, Cova Dois was located. They walked along the remnants of a road built by the Ancients, with some occasional patches, some sections completely redone. The original road was concrete, while the patched parts were made with clay painted gray to blend in with the rest.

Naomi noticed the trees, even though they were spaced out, they made up for it in size. Red and yellow mangoes clustered in the treetops, where bees and birds feasted. Children ran between them, holding long bamboo sticks to chase away unwanted visitors. The place had a sickly sweet smell. Naomi observed one of the children devouring the yellow fruit, which surprised her, as she had assumed it would be red like its skin.

They weren't the only ones heading toward the building; several people ahead of them were walking in the same direction, coming and going. It was a cheerful place, Naomi thought, excited. The building was rudimentary, and like the sidewalk, it had been constructed during the Ancients' time, with many patches.

Long benches were arranged around the entrance of the establishment, where people sat voraciously eating the fruit or drinking its juice. The house had been painted yellow, and attempts to draw mangoes on the walls had been made, but they ended up looking like red balls.

"I like this place," Naomi remarked, taking in every detail with her eyes.

"It's very happy," Gabriel replied, seeing the look on his partner's face that urged him to continue. "Are you going to tell me you didn't think so? After the camp, this place just bleeds happiness."

Naomi couldn't argue; the difference was stark. And after Gabriel told her what he had seen, she really understood the strangeness he was feeling.

"Come on, Gabriel," she said, nudging his shoulder. "Don't tell me you're not at least a little curious to try that fruit?"

The young man simply nodded, pouting, which made her let out a muffled laugh. Anyone seeing him like this would never imagine the things he had done. But first, they needed to find the Crows.

"Finding the Crows here will be easy," Gabriel said, as if reading her mind. "Just look for black spots in all this yellow."

Naomi was about to retort when she actually saw a dark figure heading behind the building, talking.

"I know you said it jokingly, but that's really how we're going to find them."

She dashed ahead, leaving her partner momentarily confused, but he quickly followed her. The smell grew even sweeter near the building, dampening her appetite for the fruit. They circled the house until they reached the back, where four figures were sitting. The tension between them was palpable.

For a brief moment, Gabriel thought they were going to be attacked, as all four reached for their hidden knives, like any Crow would, but they soon relaxed. A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, who was eating a slice of mango, looked them up and down, assessing the threat they posed, and stood up. She was a short Crow, about five feet tall, and had the look of someone who enjoyed mocking others. She reminded Naomi a lot of Gabriel.

"You two lovebirds can find somewhere else to hook up!" the blonde said with a wicked smile.

Next to her was a man wearing a long garment that covered any exposed skin. He only nodded. He wore a hood that left only the tip of his chin visible. Unlike the blonde Crow, he was tall and very thin. Judging by the movements of his mouth, it was clear he was muttering something.

"Is that any way to talk, Cecilia?" reprimanded a woman who was leaning against the trunk of one of the trees.

The Crow who censured the other was an older woman, nearly in her forties. A long scar ran from her forehead, down through her right eye, which had turned blue from blindness, across her nose, which was missing a part of the tip, and ending at her upper lip, which was also damaged by what appeared to be a very old wound. Her curly hair, streaked with gray, swayed as she made a disapproving gesture toward the other.

"I didn't say anything the two of you weren't already thinking," Cecilia huffed, pointing to the scarred woman and the one next to her.

The last figure in the alley was a woman with a completely shaved head, standing six feet two inches tall. Her arms were as thick as Naomi's legs, and her eyes were the greenest the Crow had ever seen. Her masculine facial features gave her an abstractly striking appearance.

"This is complicated," she said, turning to the pair. "Would you two mind giving us some space? We're waiting for some people."

"That would be us," Gabriel responded theatrically. "I'm Gabriel, a Crow sent to help you with the investigation, and this is Naomi, my partner."

The four paused for a moment, reassessing the two who were going to assist them with the disappearances. The hooded man muttered something that made Cecilia laugh.

"What?" Naomi asked, slightly irritated, not liking the girl.

"He said you two don't look like much."

"I don't think so," said the woman who had been leaning against the tree earlier. "I'm Gygy, and this is Martha, my partner."

"Nice to meet you," Martha said simply.

"And I think you should reconsider your words," Gygy continued, addressing Cecilia. "They survived the S.L. incident, something I'm not sure you could handle."

The man muttered again, and just when the situation was about to explode, Gabriel spoke up.

"So, let's work together. And I assume the quiet one here is Mateus, right?" He received a nod from the muttering man. "What's the situation? I don't think you called us here for nothing."

"What do you know?" Martha asked bluntly.

"Not much," Naomi replied. "People have been disappearing, and it seems the Crows aren't giving it the attention it deserves."

— Unfortunately, it's true — Cecilia agreed. — Not all Nests are doing their part.

— Another thing — Naomi quickly added, sensing the tension between the four. — There's a new cult that is the main suspect in these disappearances.

— The Heirs — Gygy spat to the side as soon as she said the name.

— There's not much we can do about them — Martha said. — Aside from their explicit threats, there hasn't been any real attempt at violence, and the Bunker has clear rules about not getting involved with beliefs.

Naomi noticed with unease that everyone was stuck. The fact that they couldn't do anything against an institution that preached a belief complicated the situation immensely. This idea came from the time of the Ancients, about not interfering in anyone's beliefs until the worst happened. Stupid, the young woman thought, but she couldn't expect much from people who had wiped themselves out in a nuclear war. The cheerful atmosphere around them stood in stark contrast to the six Ravens sitting there, tense and frustrated by their helplessness in the face of the situation. But having two newcomers with no direct ties to anyone in Cova Dois was helpful.

— The biggest problem with these disappearances — Cecilia broke the uncomfortable silence — is that there are no bodies. At least not whole ones.

Naomi, like everyone else involved in the morbid conversation, knew this all too well. When someone disappeared, especially in those times, it was natural to assume they were dead, and therefore a body would turn up. But since these kidnappings began, not a single body had been found.

— We assumed they were dumped in the ocean — Gygy added, pushing herself off the tree. — So, the Covas along the shore formed watch groups. Another 20 people vanished, and still nothing.

— It doesn't make any sense — Gabriel commented.

— Exactly — Cecilia agreed.

— The biggest issue here — Gygy continued — is that this city has many layers, from drugs to prostitution, and we're all marked. I don't believe the people behind these crimes don't know every Raven's face in this place.

— That's why we're here — Gabriel concluded, to which the other nodded in agreement. — Is there any place we can start?

Mateus moved for the first time, shifting closer to his partner, and in a low voice, he spoke.

— The disappearances have happened all over the city, but there are two places where they've been more frequent.

— One of them is the C-3 district — seeing Gabriel's confused expression, he clarified. — Residential District C-3. The "C" stands for "citizen." There are ten such districts in the city.

It didn't take much for Naomi to understand that the people of Cova Dois lived in these districts for better control by the Ravens. She considered asking if each Nest was responsible for two of these areas, given that there were five of them, but decided to save that question for later.

— C-3 — Martha added — is drowning in drugs, all kinds. I doubt you can walk down any alley at night without finding someone high.

— There's at least one new overdose case every day — Gygy said. — Most of the time, the person's already dead.

— You could call it the city's stoner hotspot — Cecilia interjected. — It's not just C-3 residents who go there. In fact, people from all over the city come for a fix.

Gabriel understood why such people would be easy targets for the kidnappings. Someone incapacitated and thrown into a corner was perfect prey, and often, addicts were abandoned by their families and friends, treated as disposable. If someone like that vanished, the alarm would be minimal, if at all. Still, kidnapping an addict didn't make sense—what could a person in such a state contribute?

— There's one more place — Naomi said.

By her expression, Gabriel knew his partner had reached the same conclusions he had, and he stayed silent, listening as Martha spoke again.

— It's called Pleasure Alley. From your faces, it's clear you know what it's about. — The two new Ravens nodded. — It's our red-light district, a dead-end street dedicated entirely to all sorts of sexual experiences.

Naomi found that oddly specific information strange but decided to stay quiet.

— On the main street — Mateus whispered — nothing's happened. Security in places like that is generally pretty high.

— And we're not talking about Ravens — Cecilia added.

Places like that were protected by the ones who ran them, just like drug spots and illegal gambling dens.

— The abductions have happened in the streets around it — Gygy explained. — Men and women sneaking home are prime targets.

— Have you considered the possibility — Gabriel asked — of human trafficking?

— Highly unlikely — Cecilia responded. — If it were just in the brothel area, maybe, but there's no reason to do that with addicts.

Gabriel had to agree, understanding why Jonas hadn't given them much information before; the local Ravens were short on details themselves. It wouldn't be easy.

— The Heirs are our main suspects — Gygy began — because of the two groups targeted in these disappearances. You must have encountered people, like any Raven with a few years of experience, who spread hate for the most trivial reasons. The Ancients themselves nearly destroyed the world over hate. The fact is, this cult preaches hatred, especially against those who are deformed, but nothing stops them from also going after these other two groups.

— We all know — Cecilia said angrily — that people who have problems with addicts and prostitutes just want to go to a brothel and snort a lot of powder! — Seeing her colleagues' expressions, she added, — Tell me it's not obvious!

— Anyway — Gygy continued, completely ignoring Cecilia — that's the current situation.

— Yeah — Gabriel spoke up — we're screwed.

— I like him! — Cecilia exclaimed, giving Gabriel a friendly slap on the shoulder.