The black car cutting through Blackmoor City in the dead of night seemed to dissolve into the darkness itself — just another drop of black rain, sliding past the hazy blur of streetlights, past the corners of eyes belonging to the drunk, the wandering, the ones drifting home from parties that had run their course. It slipped into the web of roads and was gone.
Nobody gave it a second glance. Nobody could have guessed it was a predator, silently exchanging a constant stream of signals and information with every corner of the city.
"No good — still can't get through. It's been ten minutes now."
After a short string of flat beeps, Tian Xi glanced at his phone screen and ended the call — the third attempt. "You think this guy already ditched his SIM card?"
Not long after leaving Between the Backlight, Chaisi had told Tian Xi to use his own phone to call the man named George Green. Not once had any of the attempts connected.
"Give it a few more minutes, then try again."
