hawk & sable

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE,

HAWK & SABLE | TWENTY-THREE

DANNA PANG HAD realised how satisfying it was to watch her friends work long ago. She stood next to Malcolm, who was frowning as he glanced around the corridor Rhys had led them down to. Truth was that they'd probably have better luck on the roof, but Io and Ronan had already taken those, and those two would know what they were doing.

Hence, why they stuck to the ground.

"Anything?" Danna called out, rubbing her arms.

"You two could totally shut up and start helping me out."

Malcolm's brow raised. "I haven't uttered a single word since I've arrived."

"Well, then start helping!"

Danna turned to her friend with a smirk. "She always becomes grumpy on missions, have you ever noticed?"

Malcolm snorted. "I have to deal with her far more than you do."

Malcolm Man. Captain in the navy, Ryan's close friend, a well-known lover of women whose affairs were numeral. A steady ally who never failed to step up when necessary.

"Fair." Danna flicked a finger out. "We should help her."

"Yes you damned should!" Came Rhys's shout from down the corridor. Well. Super hearing. Danna should have expected that.

"It's far more fun watching you suffer alone, to be quite honest," Malcolm shot back, grinning. Danna laughed but stepped forward to follow the Iron Wolf, gesturing for the captain to follow.

Rhys was staring upwards, at the yellow roof of the building besides the corridor. Hearing them approach, she lowered her head. "Ciri says she walked by here. I'm assuming the Panther was already following her the moment she left Bai Lu Gong."

"He'd have gone by this path, then," Danna nodded, "but I don't see how this helps you track him."

"It doesn't, to be honest," Rhys admitted. "Likely chances are he isn't even in the Palace right now. But I'm hoping to find where he's breaking in to avoid him getting in again."

"Hence why you're tracking his trail," Malcolm finished with an approving dip of his head. "We should get the two kids to check out these roofs, then?"

"I'm hoping to map out all potential trails first. Let them traipse around for a while before narrowing their search. Maybe they'll strike gold."

"We all know the chances of that," Danna snickered. "Come on, let's keep searching."

"Wouldn't know about that." Malcolm shrugged besides her, fingers trailing the wall of the building. "Those two are miracle workers, pure and simple. Don't know how they do half the stuff they do."

"One word. Wiccai. For Ronan's case anyways," Rhys knelt down, something having attracted her attention. "For Io's, dumb luck and training from infancy, apparently. Hey, look here."

Danna knelt, holding up her dress. Malcolm followed suit. Rhys had picked up a small piece of yellow glazed tile. Danna frowned. "Chipped off from the roof. Are renovations in order?"

"These were fixed less than a year ago. Someone's been up there."

Danna exchanged a look with Malcolm. "So. Panther's been here, then?"

Rhys stood up and pocketed the tile. "Probably. For all his skills, the Panther is said to be a heavyset man. Muscled and brawny. Let's see if we can find any more of these down this trail. Come on, folks."