CHAPTER 49

Something wasn't adding up.

Zane—if he truly was part of the underground circle—why was he alone?

He had heard rumors before, whispers from reliable sources about how members of the underground circle moved. They never walked alone. They were always surrounded by men—fifty, sometimes even a hundred. They carried an unmistakable presence, a force that couldn't be ignored.

But Zane?

Zane had shown up alone.

That could only mean one thing.

"It seems like Zane…"

Daniel finally said, his voice slow and deliberate, "might be at the lowest rank of the underground circle."

A flicker of realization passed through his gaze.

"Because if he was higher up—" he continued, his voice dropping slightly, "he wouldn't have been alone. He would have come with men. A lot of them."

He let the weight of his words settle over the room.

"Which means he might just be a member… but maybe the lowest-ranked member."