Chapter 22

Even at this late hour, Europa's spaceport was busy with families and businesspeople scattered around the departure area in wait for their respective flights. Arched metal columns supported the glass ceiling of the building, their smooth bodies reflecting the wall-mounted lights and the gleam of the gray tiles.

It gave Aiden a headache. Conversations hummed all around him too, and the scent of fried food and sweets wafted from the many shops. Any other day, the rich aromas would've had him lining up as soon as they hit his nostrils, but today food was the last thing on his mind. Just the thought of it was appalling, making his stomach churn in protest. He had too much going on in his head, too many unanswered questions driving him mad, to even imagine putting something in his mouth.

What if Darren had sent him into a trap, after all?

To some god-forsaken part of old Atlan where it would be far too easy for even an amateur to off him. Maybe this Bea, whoever she might be, was waiting to chop his head off.

Aiden realized that he'd taken a leap of faith by his own choice. He could've killed Darren just as he had planned, yet he'd chosen not to. Because, as much as he hated to admit it, while Darren Howe was a murderer, his story was too compelling to ignore. It held up against Claudia's case more than any other explanation the authorities had provided so far.

Did it mean Darren had told him the truth? Aiden had no way to know. It could be a cruel joke, but he was desperate. He was at his limit, both mentally and physically, and Darren's explanation was the only thing so far that made some kind of sense.

So, yes, maybe he was wasting his time, but the beam would still be there upon his return. It didn't matter if he killed Darren Howe tonight or in two days.

The announcement for passengers to Mars to head to Gate 24 had Aiden temporarily put the mystery that Darren Howe was aside. He dragged himself through security, stopping by the restroom to freshen up. Once he'd splashed his face with cold water, he made the mistake of looking at the mirror. Dark circles, messy hair, frown lines on his forehead even if he wasn't currently scowling…

He was a wreck.

He hadn't managed even an hour of good sleep in the past two days and the painkillers did little to lessen the pressure in his head. All the more reason to go to Mars and finally get answers. Or, alternatively, end up dead in a ditch. At least the other meds were working, keeping some of the anxiety at bay, even if thoughts of Claudia still crossed his mind… as did feelings that he was somehow betraying her by going through with this ridiculous goose chase.

Aiden made it to the waiting area just as his phone rang. It was Rick. A surge of guilt crossed through him the moment he picked up.

"Hey…" Rick trailed off, squinting at Aiden through the holographic screen. "Where are you?"

Aiden looked around and sighed. "About to board a shuttle to Mars," he said, his heart rate picking up pace.

"You are coming to Mars? Why am I learning about this now?" Rick asked, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "How long are you staying here for? I can get some time off work…"

Aiden debated what to say. He didn't want to lie anymore, not to Rick. But he also couldn't confess everything over the phone. This was a conversation they needed to have in person, and he didn't think he had the luxury of hanging out with his friend if he wanted to make it back to Horizons on time.

"I have some things to take care of and I… don't think I'll be able to meet up." An announcer's voice blared in the background, calling all passengers to head to the shuttle.

"What do you mean you won't be able to meet up…? Aiden. What's going on?"

Aiden looked around as people started lining up. He really was tired of making up excuses every time he spoke to Rick. "I… talked to Darren Howe. I need to confirm if what he said is true."

Rick stared at him, wide-eyed. He pressed his mouth in a line, his expression morphing from confused to disappointed to concerned. "You spoke to Claudia's murderer?" He took a pause, his breathing slow and deep. "Aiden… how? What did you do?"

A member of staff waved Aiden over, tapping the holographic watch she was wearing.

"That's not important now. I'll tell you everything the first chance I get, I promise. But I need to go now."

"Aiden! You can't just drop this on me and hang up!"

Aiden handed his ID for scanning at the checkpoint and gave Rick an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. For lying, for everything. I just… couldn't deal with you trying to stop me. But everything is in place now and… soon I'll have some answers." Heading into the tunnel leading to the space shuttle, he held up the phone and looked his friend in the eyes. "I will tell you everything. Just… give me a couple more days. Please."

Rick bit on his lip and frowned. He looked hurt and disappointed and like he wanted to argue, but he didn't. He just sighed and gave Aiden a tiny nod. "I can't believe—" he cut himself off, sighing again and rubbing his forehead. "Call me as soon as you can. And please, whatever you are doing, just be careful."

Even though Rick seemed hurt, some of the guilt lifted off Aiden's shoulders. "I will be," he said and bid Rick goodbye, promising to tell him the rest the next time they talked.

Much to Aiden's surprise, at some point during the fifteen-hour flight, he'd fallen asleep. There was still a prickling throb along his temples, but it was now bearable. His legs felt less heavy too, though how much was due to the difference in gravity between Mars and Europa, he couldn't tell.

Atlan, Mars's capital, housed the red planet's oldest but most modern spaceport. Thousands of passenger and cargo shuttles passed through it every day and it was at least six times as big as that of Europa. It also sported a remarkable twofold design, pulling from both minimalistic new age shapes for its interior, and richer, more intricate old century styles for the exterior.

Because of its relative proximity, Atlan International Spaceport was connected to the city by an underground highway and an over-ground magtrain line. Aiden opted for the latter, curious to see how far the terraforming had progressed since he'd not had the chance to do it last time. As soon as the train left the spaceport, he got his answer: more than he'd expected.

The filtrating glass dome that had encircled only the city two years ago, now spanned a wider diameter, ensuring space was abundant for the ever-expanding Atlan. Heavy machinery and terraforming outposts dominated the barren red plains below the magtrain's elevated tracks, some digging, others flattening. Three or four more years and the city's boundaries would creep even closer to the spaceport, and then likely beyond it.

With nothing to do but stare out the window, Aiden decided to give PI Deverson a call. He'd not had a chance to update him, and now was as good a time as any.

"Mr. Kesley, I was just about to call," the PI said, his rugged face taking up the phone's screen.

"I also… I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

PI Deverson's eyebrows scrunched together, his dark gaze roaming Aiden's face. "I think it's best we met in person for this," he said, glancing away from his phone. "I…" he hesitated, looking a little spooked. It was the first time Aiden was seeing PI Deverson show a reaction of this sort, and it worried him. "I heard back from my contact, and they gave me a few threads to follow up on." He paused again, eyes darting left and right as if scanning the surroundings. "I stayed up late doing that and… I've got some things for you, Mr. Kesley, but I really would rather not discuss them over the phone."

A nasty swirl of nerves knotted Aiden's stomach. "Is everything okay?"

The man nodded, offering a weak smile. "Yes, Mr. Kesley. It's just that this case is a lot bigger than I suspected. And… I think we need to exert caution from now on."

Aiden's quickening pulse drowned out the noise around him for a few moments. He'd wanted to catch PI Deverson up on Darren's confession—while withholding how he'd gotten it—but the PI's warning made him reconsider that. Whatever PI Deverson had stumbled upon had to be major, maybe even the breakthrough Aiden had been hoping for.

"I'm… actually away from Europa for a few days, following up on a lead of my own," Aiden said, wondering if he should go back and speak to PI Deverson before continuing this silly quest Darren had sent him on. But he was already on Mars and didn't feel like another fifteen-hour long flight before he'd had a chance to stretch his legs. "It's why I called you, actually. But I'll leave this for when we meet up. Unless what you found out is urgent, then I can head back now."

PI Deverson shook his head, holding up the phone as he walked away from his desk. "No. It can wait until you're back. Especially if you are onto something yourself. There are a few gaps in my findings, and I have a feeling that you might be able to shed some light on those missing pieces."

"Okay," Aiden agreed, part of him still pondering if he should go back anyway. "Then I'll stop by as soon as I can once I'm back."

"Be careful, Mr. Kesley. I'll see you soon."

"You, too. See you in a few days."

Aiden hung up and slumped in his seat, not sure what to think of the PI's warning. But at least things were moving, even if at times it felt like they were doing so too quickly. Still, it beat being stuck and not making progress, so he wasn't about to complain.

Aiden spent the rest of the trip to the magtrain station trying to look up the Moonshine Ravine. Nothing came up. He kept at it as a shuttle taxi took him to the Meridian Hotel, but he still couldn't find a venue with that name. Once he'd checked in, he asked the staff at the hotel for help. When the braided young woman at the reception had no idea either, disappointment bubbled up, adding to his already budding irritation that Darren had sent him on a hunt for dragons and unicorns.

"Uh, maybe the name has changed?" the receptionist suggested after a glance at what must've been a rather exasperated expression on Aiden's face.

Aiden squinted at her. "That's… a good point."

Darren had been behind bars for two years and that was a long time, especially given the rate of turnaround for private businesses. In most cases, they lasted a year or two, then either declared bankruptcy or were assimilated into one of the bigger players.

Phone in hand, Aiden claimed a table at the café on the ground floor and started scanning the list of establishments across Atlan. Again, he found no match, however, his attention was caught by the logo of a specialty club going by the name Luna's Nymphs. It sort of offered an alternative take on the Ravine's logo he'd found online, depicting a crescent encased between two obelisks, so he deemed it a good enough place to start looking.

Finishing his coffee, Aiden called for another shuttle and provided the address. The driver snickered, but Aiden didn't bother to ask why and let the man giggle away, flipping through the database of other establishments in case this one ended up being a bust.

When he arrived at his destination, he immediately knew why the driver had been giving him funny looks. Luna's Nymphs was a sex club. Two massive gray doors halved the front of the venue, their frames decorated with two naked nymphs who held a full moon above their heads. The rest of the fa?ade was metal, and a dozen or so silver neon signs of crescents peeked out from holes haphazardly drilled in it.

Aiden spent a few more moments appreciating the exterior of the club, but didn't let his thoughts wander too far. He didn't have time for that, or for a hookup, as the driver had likely assumed.

Hands in his coat's pockets, he walked in. The inside of the club was dimly lit, littered with replicas of marble pillars and arches in ancient Roman style. Soft jazz music played from speakers mounted across the ceiling and, in the middle, two women in mermaid costumes swung their slim bodies around two poles. The scales painted over their chests sparkled in iridescent hues every time they moved, creating a mesmerizing effect that had the majority of patrons enthralled like flies to a fly trap.

Ambling past the spectacle, Aiden picked a spot at the edge of the long bar, away from the noisy conversations. He fumbled with his phone for about ten minutes before one of the bartenders noticed him.

"Hey there. What can I getcha, sweetheart?" a skimpy dressed redhead said in a heavy Martian accent. Her dark skin shimmered with silver glitter under the bar's purple lights, and a tiara secured her fiery curls on both sides of her round face.

"Whiskey. On the rocks."

She arched an eyebrow, a grin teasing her lips. "Just that?"

Aiden laced his hands together atop the bar counter, leaning in slightly. "Make that two, along with five minutes of your time?"

"Coming right up!" she chirped and got busy pouring drinks. Two minutes later, she joined him, propping herself on her elbows on her side of the counter. "First time here, I take it?"

Aiden winced internally. He wasn't the type that went to such places, sure, but he'd hoped he wouldn't stand out too much. "Is it that obvious?"

"Nah. I just know all the regulars."

That made it somewhat better, though he still wished he'd done a better job of blending in. But the noise and the sweat and the blinking lights were getting to him already, making him wish he'd stopped by his room at the hotel for a nap before coming here. He really really needed some sleep, but he didn't think he'd be getting any soon.

"You've been tending the bar for a while, then?" Aiden said, meeting the woman's brown gaze.

"Aye. Long enough to know most of these mugs by name. Where ya from?"

"Europa."

"Europa… that's one of Jupiter's moons, isn't it?" the woman said, slanting her eyebrows and tapping her fingers against the side of her glass. "And what brings a fine man from beyond the belt to our humble adobe?"

Aiden chuckled and took a sip from his drink. The bitter liquid slid down his throat and warmed up his chest. "I'm looking for someone, but I'm not sure if I'm at the right place," he half-shouted as the music got louder. "Or if they even exist!"

She laughed, her entire face lighting up. "Oh, I've no doubt we'll be able to help with that. There is someone here for everyone!"

"I am sure you are right." Aiden cast his gaze around, taking in the people mulling about on the dance floor. "Do you happen to know of a place called the Moonshine Ravine?" he asked just as the DJ lowered the volume and started talking about some kind of bingo.

The woman placed her glass on the counter and spread her arms wide. "Standing in it." So his deductions had been correct. "Or what used to be it."

"What happened?" Aiden asked, curious if the rest of his theory had been correct.

"Regulations. Taxes. Life can be tough for the small-time business."

"So I've heard." He chugged the rest of the whiskey. "I could do with a refill. Or two."

Once she'd poured them another round, she threw him an expectant look. "So, who is it that ya're looking for? Maybe I can help."

"An old friend of mine. She used to work at the Ravine, a couple years back. She goes by Bea."

Something crossed over the woman's face, bringing an edge to her gaze. "I might've heard of her." She leaned in, this time closer. "And why might ya be looking for her? In case I happen to know her."

Aiden lifted his glass, tilting it to one side, then to the other. The liquid inside swirled, sliding over the ice like a tide overtaking a glacier.

Trying to keep his voice steady, he said, "Sir Barnaby Albus II sent me to find the white raven."

She studied him for a long moment. Then she smiled and took out a card from the back pocket of her tiny shorts, pushing it across the counter until she'd placed it by the tips of his fingers. "Well, Mr. Europa, how about ya make yaself comfortable in a suite on the second floor? Number V-4, the one at the far back. I'll send one of the girls up to keep ya company."

Aiden didn't get to respond to that as she disappeared to serve another client. He took the card and studied it, then put it in his pocket and finished his drink before heading upstairs.