"He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious."

"Something's definitely going on at House Whele."

Alex shut the heavy double doors behind him and waved a roll of paper as he crossed to the large dining table in Claire's apartment.

"The place's locked down tight," he continued. "Whele's dismissed his Archangel Corps detail and put his own men on security. No-one gets in or out without David's express permission... and a full pat-down search."

Claire rose from the sofa with a frown, still hardly daring to believe that Whele would actually go this far. "So you think he's holding Michael inside his own apartments?"

Alex shook his head. "No, too risky. If he's done this – if he's holding Michael somewhere – then he has to have been planning this for a while. There's no way Michael just went quietly. Whele has to have found some way to take him down... and somewhere private and secure to hold him."

Alex spread the papers out on the table as Claire and Becca joined him. He pointed to the area of the blueprints showing the basement levels of the MGM Grand. "I'm guessing down here," he said. "Somewhere contained, isolated, secure. Where he can control access, away from the main household. He wouldn't risk any of his general staff seeing or hearing something that they shouldn't."

Becca stared pensively at the map. "So what do we do?" she asked. "We can't just send troops into House Whele without any cause. And David knows we daren't tell the Senate about Alex..."

Alex nodded. "We can't risk a frontal assault, but a small force of 2 or 3 people... we could go in covertly, extract Michael..." he tapped the blueprint, "...if we knew where he was being held."

"A small team?" queried Becca. "Who?"

"Me and Noma," Alex said without hesitation. "Maybe Ethan."

"You're sure you can trust them?"

"Absolutely."

Claire bit her lip. There was one way she might be able to find out the information they needed. One person she could ask.

"Okay," she decided. "Start prepping your team. Stay alert. I'll get you the information you need."

She met Alex's gaze as he rolled up the blueprints. He knew exactly where she was going.

Claire waited patiently as William Whele wound up his morning services. He was a good preacher, his audience hanging onto his every word, their faces rapt with attention. In many ways she envied them their belief. They saw the Chosen One as a mystical saviour, a divine being whose arrival would end the war, save mankind.

Claire, and William himself of course, knew better. The Chosen One was a man, like any other; strong and brave, yes, but mortal and fallible. The revelation hadn't seemed to faze William and indeed he now regarded Alex with something akin to a childish hero worship. But Claire knew Alex far better than William did, knew just how unsure and uncomfortable he was in his new role as Saviour. And without Michael to guide him, to help him interpret the tattoos...

A smattering of applause signalled the end of the service and she watched William shaking hands and giving blessings to those members of his congregation who gathered around him. He looked over and saw her waiting and she forced a smile for his benefit. Things had been awkward between them since his father's announcement of their betrothal. They'd hardly had time to come to terms with the idea before General Reisen's death had changed everything.

Claire was Lady of the City now and it was her choice, and hers alone, when and whom – or if – she would marry. And with everything that had gone on, she and William had not yet found time to sit and discuss what that meant for them. But she knew from the lingering sadness in his smiles – like the one he gave now as he wished the last of his followers well and come over to greet her – that he already knew what her decision would be.

"Lady Reisen," he took her hand gallantly, bowing a little.

"Principate," she echoed his teasing formality.

He crooked an elbow and she took his arm.

"So what brings the Lady of the City to my humble services?" he asked as they walked.

She didn't answer for a long moment, trying to decide how best to phrase her request, and the teasing smile fell from William's face. He stopped walking and turned to face her expectantly.

"Claire?"

"I need your help," she said seriously.

"Anything Claire, you know that," he promised immediately.

She shook her head. "You don't know what I'm asking..."

He frowned, confused.

She took a breath. "You're aware of what your father told the Senate?"

"About Michael? Yes." His face showed his concern at the archangel's supposed departure.

"He's lying." Claire pulled no punches. "There's no way Michael would leave Vega," she lowered her voice, "leave Alex, without a word of explanation."

William shook his head. "My father said Michael came to him..."

"And you believe that? Michael and David hate each other. Have you ever known Michael go to David with something, especially something this important?" She looked him squarely in the eye. "He's lying, William, and he knows that we know it – but we can't expose his lie without exposing Alex."

"But why would he lie about that?" William frowned.

Claire studied William's face. Dear, sweet, caring William, always such a good friend to her. And there was certainly no love lost between him and his father. But would he believe that David Whele would go this far? And would be betray his own father?

"Because Michael hasn't left Vega," she told him. "Because your father is holding him prisoner."

William's first reaction was to laugh, a bark of disbelief that faltered as he realised she was deadly serious.

He shook his head, his smile uncertain. "Claire, my father may be unscrupulous, even devious, at times but you can't think that he would... I mean... Michael is..."

"Missing," she interrupted. "And you father says he has left Vega."

She took his hand in hers, desperate to make him see. "Your father is lying, William, and for him to do that means that he's certain that Michael will not return to expose his lie. Which means he knows where Michael is."

"But why would he do that?"

"I don't know. But whatever he's doing, we have to stop him. We have to find Michael."

He nodded slowly. "How... how can I help?"

Claire breathed a small sigh of relief. "We think David is holding him somewhere at the MGM Grand. Somewhere away from the main household, somewhere isolated and secure. We need to find out where."

William frowned. "That's not going to be easy," he mused. "My father has increased security lately, put his own men on guard duty, everything's locked down pretty tight..." He tailed off and Claire saw the realisation dawn in his eyes, shock turning quickly to determination.

"Leave it with me," he said firmly. "I'll find out what you need to know."