Agent Ortega nodded. “Zardo’s bringing them to the hospital now.”

“Won’t that alert Night Axe that we’re on to him?”

Ortega shrugged. “Agent August texted me. He seemed worried something might happen to them. He wants them all monitored until the investigation closes.”

Fear curled inside Deven. He suspected it had been his threat against the others that made August act to protect them, which meant he didn’t trust Deven not to act without permission. Deven was surprised how much the idea that August didn’t trust him hurt.

“What did you tell them to get them to come with you?” Deven asked.

“They all think they’ve been poisoned by a toxin.”

Deven nearly asked another question when the director’s door opened and August stormed out, for once a little color showing on his cheeks. He looked ready to commit murder. He glanced around and zeroed in on Ortega.

“You got them all?” August barked.

Ortega nodded. “Thirty-six total. A few have to be pulled from job sites, but otherwise, yeah, they’ll all be tucked up safe and sound by this afternoon.”

“Where the fuck is Klakow?”

“He was in the library last I saw him.”

August started down the hall but suddenly swayed and nearly crashed into the wall. Deven rushed to his side. August immediately righted himself.

“I’m fine!” he snapped, but he didn’t look it. His lips were almost blue.

“You’re going to pass out,” Deven said.

“No. I just can’t make sudden movements.” The fingers of his right hand trailed along the wall for support.

Deven and Ortega both watched him slowly make his way. Ortega sipped his coffee and smacked his lips. “That man is going to fall down.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Deven promised.

The library was nothing more than three computers clustered around a printer and mountains of files. Clearly at one point someone had attempted to organize things but gave up halfway through, because some of the contents were color coded to match file cabinets, but other piles remained unsorted.

Klakow looked small in the middle of it, sweating despite the air conditioning and clearly out of his comfort zone.

He shoved an open, crumpled city map toward August. “Here. The circles were drawn by Zardo. It shows where the sacrifices were located.”

“What did you find out about Night Axe?”

“Not much. There isn’t any mention of him, although older references mention sightings of Tezcatlipoca, an Aztec god who was missing a foot. Thirteen years ago, eight bodies were found with their throats cut outside this building,” he said, pointing to one spot, “and another ten over here.” Klakow turned to Deven. “What did you find out from your Aztaw contact?”

“He’s dead.”

Klakow’s eyes widened. “How?”

“Burned by Night Axe’s minions.”

“Before he could tell you anything?” Klakow asked.

August rolled his eyes. “Obviously. Don’t be an idiot. Move over.” He urged Klakow out of the room’s solitary chair and sat down rather inelegantly, sprawling in the seat as if his body was no longer able to support itself. “I honestly don’t know how you ever became an agent.” August started digging through the paperwork spread out on the table. “Give me your damn pen.”

Deven reached behind his ear, but Klakow handed him a Sharpie, which seemed to be what August was after. Deven felt a little foolish and stepped back into the shadows.

August marked the locations where the bodies had been found, which were nearly central to the locations of the living victims.

August typed quickly on the computer in front of him. Deven, who still struggled with basic spelling and who found keyboards slow torture devices highlighting his lack of education, was amazed at the speed at which August typed.

“What are you looking for now?” Klakow complained.

“Information on poisons.” He studied the screen.

“What are you thinking?” Deven asked.

“You said we have to poison his blood to weaken him, right? Well, I’m connected to Night Axe, so if I ingest something toxic, it will affect him. We need a substance that’ll weaken him enough to incapacitate but with a fast enough working antidote to save me and the other sacrifices.”

Alarm zinged through Deven. “That sounds dangerous.”

“You got a better idea?” August smirked, but Deven now knew August’s sarcastic looks well enough to recognize he was faking it. Clearly this idea frightened him as much as it did Deven. “Klakow, call R&D in DC and find out what they have on toxic chemicals affecting otherworldly beings.”

“I don’t work for you, remember?”

“You are an assistant on this investigation from internal affairs. You work for me until we resolve Carlos’s death.”

“Help him, Agent Klakow.”

All three of them turned. The director stood in the doorway, watching the men. Behind her stood Agent Ortega and another shorter, bored-looking man who Deven assumed to be Agent Zardo.

“Yes, ma’am,” Klakow mumbled. He shuffled past the director. Deven noticed that August didn’t bother to look at the director. He kept typing on the computer.

“I’m Director Herlinda Alonsa.” The director held out her hand to Deven and he shook it awkwardly. She turned and faced August. “Why do you want a toxicity report?”

“Deven learned Night Axe needs to be poisoned in order to be weakened enough to be captured. I can poison him. I’m attached. We find something that I can survive with a timed antidote and this may be the best way to subdue him.”

The director shook her head. “You’re too weak already.”

“I’m fine,” August grumbled. “Why doesn’t anyone believe me?”

“We’d have to detach the other sacrifices,” Agent Ortega said. “Otherwise we risk poisoning them as well.”

“Dr. Ramos wouldn’t do it for me,” August said.

“That was before we were considering poisoning three dozen people with a toxic substance strong enough to bring down an Aztaw,” Zardo said.

The director nodded. “Zardo and Ortega, go to the hospital and get Dr. Ramos up to speed. We’ll attempt a separation on a healthy volunteer. We need to move quickly.”

Deven worried that detaching victims, while offering the benefit of draining Night Axe’s blood, would also alert him to their plan. But he didn’t say anything. Director Alonsa didn’t look like the kind of person who was open to suggestions from strangers, and besides, at her command the rest of the room dispersed until it was only August, Alonsa, and himself.

“One more day, Silas,” Director Alonsa said, lingering in the library doorway. “That’s all you get. Then I’m putting you on medevac back to LA.”

She left the room and August’s mood seemed to dampen further. He slumped in his seat and rubbed his eyes.

“She’s taking you off the investigation?” Deven asked.

August nodded. “She thinks I’m getting careless because I’m sick. But it isn’t me. It’s this fucking case...” He pushed at the map angrily, tossing it to the floor. August covered his eyes with his hands.

Deven sighed and walked around the table and picked up the map. He studied August’s markings. He grabbed August’s marker and put a check next to one of the locations.

August uncovered his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Night Axe is there.”

“How can you tell?”

“He’ll be based at a crossroads. Crossroads are sources of malevolent energy for Aztaw lords and can enhance their house powers. Night Axe would rely on this additional source of power to fuel any wards or protection spells he has around himself.”

“Do you know how to dismantle his wards?”

Deven shrugged. “There are basic wards around locked rooms in Aztaw that I can pick, but more complicated ones require magic more powerful than I have.”

“There’s a ward pruner in the armory I can borrow,” August said, sounding more enthusiastic. “Whatever you can’t handle I’m sure the pruner can.”