ravaged hearts

CHAPTER FIVE,

RAVAGED HEARTS | CHAPTER FIVE

  THE SCENE OF the kidnapping had remained relatively untouched. The few agents they'd send in here were all the skilled ones. There might be something left behind. Io stood in a row with the others, Constanza besides her. Celinos scowled. "This should have been done long ago."

  "So why wasn't it?" Io asked with a snort. "Bloody hell, it's not that difficult to search a place for evidence."

  Anita mumbled, "Didn't want to annoy anyone in any way, you know. Knew it would be something relatively big, all of you would be rushing here."

  "And so you did nothing for two bloody weeks?" Io pressed, arms crossed. "These are innocent children's lives in danger. Not something you can just push off, for god's sake. What is wrong with you people?"

  Constanza stayed quiet. Louis was the one who said, "Leave them be, Io, it's not their fault. They didn't have a say in this anymore than you did."

  Io just shook her head in response. No point arguing with him of all people, she'd always known that. Someone, he knew the exact way to win. But it didn't mean she was just going to leave it at that.

  Anita said, "Let's just go in and figure this out, yeah?"

  Bailen himself had been removed from the area a while back. It was quite obviously unsafe, especially considering the fact his children were taken away from right under his nose. One of the few intelligent decisions she'd seen made so far.

  They scattered around the room.

  Constanza said, "They were playing with this last." She held up a doll. "Probably dropped it while being taken away."

  Io walked over. "It's important to them. Look at all the stitches. They're both old enough to know what to treasure. They won't just throw it haphazardly like this." Constanza had been partially trained by Io. They thought the same way. Perhaps it wasn't the best way when they were working together solo on a mission, but with so many other people around, they wouldn't lack extra input on what they were doing right or wrong.

  "Knowing what toy they were playing with before they were taken away doesn't help though... does it?" Anita's hesitance was clear. She found Io intimidating. She couldn't blame the younger woman, but it was slightly irritating. Being unreasonably feared, she'd learnt over the years, was almost just as annoying as being considered a shattered little thing.

  Though it was amusing, how different people treated her so totally differently. It's not as if she truly acted differently among them. She was always the same old Io.

  Louis, to her surprise, was the one who answered. "Every bit of information helps."

  Io decided to refrain from comment, because she knew whatever came out of her mouth would not be nice and pleasant. The atmosphere was already awkward enough. Her further contribution was not necessary in the slightest. Constanza asked, "The note had already been taken away?"

  Celinos nodded, combing his tousled mop of brown hair back from his eyes. "The only thing moved from the scene."

  Constanza nodded. "Can we see it?"

  "Later," he said. "It's not here."

  "Well, this screams political motivation. Why they won't just kill Bailen though, I don't understand." Constanza shook her head in disgust. "Poor kids."

  Io replied, "They want to make him seem like a coward. If he was just assassinated, Bailen would be martyred. Seen as a national hero. Might rouse the people in support of him and his cause. These people want to destabilize Vayante. My guess is on remaining fragments of Caba's government."