Fyn looked at Eondar expectantly. The photographer had never talked in detail about his trip to Azirus, and it was the one subject Fyn hadn't pressed him about. But now the lifebearer realized that it didn't just have to do with the fact that the memories were so horrible. There was something else, something very important and undisclosed.

"Back then, we had been given the location of a secret meeting place in a very poor port village," Eondar began. "I had two colleagues with me: Michael Nolan wrote the reports, and Jamie Hendricks was our assistant. I had been working with Michael for years, but it was Jamie's first tour into dangerous territory. And it would be his last."

The sire hesitated, clear pain in his eyes for a moment before he continued.

"But instead of the rather unimportant and harmless informants we had been hoping to meet, there was one of the rivaling Guildlords of Azirus himself, known as the Shark, surrounded by his goons. We didn't recognize him at first because no one except for his underlings and the people that deal with him know what he looks like, but as we listened to the conversation from our hideout, we quickly learned the truth. He was meeting with someone who was clearly from Avras, but none of us could see him clearly. The stranger proposed a deal to the Shark: he would secure a safe haven for the gangsters in Valkyrie Falls and bribe or threaten some important council members, attorneys, and other influential people to turn a blind eye to the Zarnian mafia in their midst. It seemed that the stranger worked with the criminals in Avras although he, strangely didn't sound like one himself. His voice was upper class, very educated and refined. The Shark demanded to know the price for the stranger's help, and the man just said, "You'll help me get back what belongs to me first. And in time, the network I'll help you build will make you lord of all the Zarnian islands."

Michael, Jamie, and I held our breaths and continued to listen as more details came out, mainly the names of the people who needed to be maneuvered onto their side. None of us had dared to switch on any recording devices during this, but unfortunately, one of our cameras started to beep suddenly as a low battery warning. We ran for our lives with the gangsters close on our heels, shooting at us. Jamie got hit."

Fyn stared at him. That was really so much bigger than he had expected, and slowly, some pieces in his head fell into place. But he managed to keep quiet and listen.

"After that, Michael and I returned to Avras. The TV channel changed our names in the listed credits to protect us, but someone there must have been threatened and told the criminals. Yesterday, Michael was killed in a hit-and-run accident. I know it was no coincidence," Eondar finished. "He was targeted."

"Damn, didn't you go to the police, or better, to the Alliance for help?" Fyn asked.

The photographer's face turned even darker. "I did. The Alliance was very interested in my story, and they have been watching Michael and me for weeks now. But apparently, the gangsters got lucky yesterday."

"But what has this all got to do with forbidding me to do my job, Boss?" the lifebearer asked Jordan with a frown.

"We're coming to that," the Editor-in-Chief said. "When Eondar returned from Zarn, I was the only one he told the whole story besides the Alliance agents. I was just about to start my job here at the "Valkyrie Times", but I had promised to keep this under wraps for the moment. Then, just a week or so later, I started getting blackmail letters. I was told to keep my investigative journalist from any serious research or risk the lives of all "Times" staff members and their families. I contacted the Alliance on this as well, and they advised me to comply until they'd found out who was feeling cornered by our articles. But so far, they have found nothing. You, Mr. Sheldon, wrote some nasty stuff about some very important people in this city, but none of them was apparently angry enough to take such drastic measures."

"Oh, damn it all, it's probably about my little conspiracy theory!" the lifebearer exclaimed as he finally understood what was going on. "Eondar, which names did you overhear on Azirus?"

Eondar thought for a moment. "I didn't write anything down, mind you, but I'm sure it was about State Attorneys Carlton and Harrows, Council members Dellary, Sheens, Morgan, and Olvad, and the heads of GTZ Cargo and Stellaris Entertainment. The last two don't make much sense to me."

"Hah! I knew it!" Fyn grinned at both sires who raised their eyebrows in confusion. "GTZ Cargo and Stellaris Entertainment have very big facilities at the harbor that haven't been used for years. They'd be the perfect storerooms for illegal wares. - Okay, listen. For some time now, I have been trying to find a way to connect exactly those people. Each of them started to behave strangely in their decisions at exactly the same time, but I couldn't find a reason. So I started my little theory on them all being under the influence of a criminal organization. I had no proof whatsoever, so I didn't tell anybody. Then you forbade me from doing any serious work, and I stopped my pet project as well - although I wanted to take it up again no matter what you had said."

"So the criminals must have realized that you were researching their targets." Eondar was piecing together the puzzle as well now. "And this means that the person blackmailing Jordan is the same one that I overheard on Azirus... the Sharks's unknown Avras associate."

"It's a shame you don't have any recordings, or the Alliance could have found that guy already. On the other hand, it would have been far more dangerous." Fyn looked at McKenzie. "And you thought I wouldn't have understood if you had told me the real reasons? Damnit, what if I had continued my research anyways, giving those criminals a reason to make good on their threat? Do you really think I would have continued if I had known that Eondar's colleague had gotten killed because of this?"

"I'm sorry. I just... you're right. I should have told you," Jordan murmured. "But now you know, and you can help the Alliance with your research results. Would you do that?"

"All you had to do was ask, Boss," the lifebearer answered, shaking his head. Why did nobody trust him to be sensible? "And just so you know, I'm not afraid. I've been threatened before. And I already had the most nerve-wracking day of my life yesterday, so I don't think that this can scare me any more than that."

Both sires seemed to relax a bit, although Eondar's face still betrayed his worry. Jordan got up and extended his hand to Fyn. "I do hope that we can work together from now on."

The journalist took it. "Apology accepted, Boss. And now I should get to the Alliance HQ and talk to the guys there, right?"

Jordan grinned. "No need. The agent responsible is already here. To be exact, she's sitting in your office right now."

To be continued...