the inside.”
“It’s going to work,” Cin nodded in agreement. “You know I had to warn the others, and LAW will no longer be welcome on their worlds.”
“I don’t blame them,” one of the officers said with a disgusted shake of his head.
Dar stood and looked at the other LAW officers. “Get these assholes out of here.”
Dar moved over to Lanie and Cin and waited until no one was around them. “I need your help with this. There has to be a way to find these bastards. Another major blow like we had with the LAW traitors working with those on Forchania will only cause more mistrust and drive a greater wedge between the member states.”
“I can look for communication patterns in your systems, but after Forchania, the Consortium and the traitors most likely stopped using anything I can infiltrate.” Cin would look into it but didn’t expect to find anything until an idea hit him. “Actually, it may be a perfect storm of information.”
“What do you mean?” Dar hoped Cin had a plan.
“I might find something by looking into those who have suddenly stopped using any electronic communications,” Cin said with a shrug. “We may catch a lot of innocent people in such a large net, but you’re bound to find some of your traitors among them.”
“I like it.” Dar put a grateful hand on Cin’s shoulder. “Everyone uses electronic communications, and anyone who recently stopped is worth investigating.”
Cin and Dar continued to discuss parameters for Cin to look for while Lanie watched the stolen relics being loaded up for transport to LAW as evidence.
“This is bullshit,” Lanie muttered.
“What?” Cin was immediately alert to Lanie’s frustration.
Lanie gestured to the officers loading the artifacts into crates.
“You’re putting it right back into the hands of those stealing it. Why don’t you let the elves, elementals, and the rightful owners come and claim it? Or put trackers or dye packs in the stuff so you can at least see where it ends up.” Lanie didn’t see sense in doing anything when it would just end up back with the Consortium.
Cin quirked a brow at Dar, and both men seemed to ponder Lanie’s suggestion before Dar nodded his head and turned to the other LAW officers in the room.
“Clear out!” Dar gestured to the door.
The three waited until everyone left before Dar looked at Cin and Lanie.
“Everything has to go into evidence at LAW,” Dar explained. “But putting trackers on the stuff before it gets there is a great idea. But only if it’s something the traitors and Consortium won’t find until the product reaches its destination.”
Cin knew what Dar was asking. “I can make something that’ll bypass any security sweeps. I can’t make any promises about what’ll happen to the idiots if they try to consume any of the products with the trackers inside of them.”
Dar’s blue eyes turned hard. “I don’t care what happens to anyone that’s a part of stealing these items.”
“Put dye packs in it and turn them all bright blue or something,” Lanie laughed. “They’ll be easy to find when they’re converging on doctors to get their normal skin color back.”
“Dye packs?” Cin was confused.
“Yeah, banks put them in money stolen from them. When the robbers open up the cash, the packs explode, covering the robbers and the loot in a bright color like red, purple, or blue,” Lanie explained and smiled when the guys realized what she meant.
Dar’s gaze when to Cin, who nodded his head. “Yeah, I can come up with something. Keep everyone out for a little while so I can plan this. Lanie can help me make them.”
“Take all the time you need.” Dar headed to the door and turned back to look at them. “I’ll get you guys some food and drink. You’ll probably need the energy to make so many trackers. We have to do the same to the products in the other two compounds here as well.”
Cin held his hands out in front of him, and Lanie watched in awe while thousands of nanites passed from one palm to the other, and numbers flickered rapidly in his eyes.
Not wanting to bother him, Lanie sat in a chair and waited until Cin designed the trackers and gave her the plans so she could help make them.
Twenty minutes later, Dar walked back into the room, and Cin was still in the same position. The giant handed several bags of food and water to Lanie before taking a chair beside her. He gestured to Cin.
“How