Heyya. Just so you don't have to wait too long, here is a chapter that's a bit shorter than usual. Next up, we get some action ;).

They called Betty, and Skulduggery swung by the Sanctuary and his house to get some case files. A couple of hours later, they all accumulated back in the warm kitchen of Diamond's Roarhaven house. On the counter island, they spread out documents, receipts, and maps from the back-office jewelers, as well as the case files.

At first, all five of them attempted to lend a helping hand in comparing the documents. Yet, soon into the process, it became apparent that Betty's and Skulduggery's combined experience outweighed everyone else's so heavily, that they worked quicker without 'help'.

And so, Diamond and Nuce sat onto the counter along the windowed wall, as Valkyrie quietly brought them up to speed on what else she knew of the Perock case. In the meantime, Skulduggery and Betty chattered mutedly amongst each other, moving documents back and forth, sliding pages next to each other to point out commonalities. Eventually, their conversation ceased, and they seemed to simply be sorting the files.

Some moments later, Betty nodded and looked up at the others confidently. "Alright. So, based on the trade routes, receipts, and witness reports, it looks like we're looking at this specific warehouse facility in Romania." She pointed at a set of squares and rectangles on one of the maps.

"They seem to be funneling most of the product through there, as an intermediate storage," Skulduggery added.

"So, we will probably find girls there, too?" Valkyrie asked.

"Probably."

"And what if we do? We just steal them?"

Skulduggery swayed his head waveringly. "Well, our advantage is that we have the element of surprise on our side. And this time, we know what to expect."

"The disadvantages are the trackers," Diamond concluded.

He looked at her, then nodded. "They are. However, if this is a storage, then they might have the keys as well. In which case, we would take them with us, quickly deactivate the trackers, and then relocate them."

"We should call Fletcher," Valkyrie noted, "he could get us in and out quickly."

Diamond did not seem convinced. "And if they keep the keys somewhere else? We just leave the girls there? Hope for them not to be dispensed of as potential evidence?"

"In that case, we might need reinforcements," Skulduggery replied. "We could inform Riordan Wayward of this."

Nuce looked around questioningly. "Who is Riordan Wayward?"

"He's basically Grand Mage Sorrow's assistant," Betty told him with a shrug.

"Actually, her assistant's name is Tipstaff," Valkyrie corrected, "Wayward is more than an assistant. He's… what did you say, Skul? A turntable of international politics."

Skulduggery nodded. "China established very early that, instead of having two Elders, she would rather be advised by the entirety of the international Elder board. Wayward is a mouthpiece between her and all other Sanctuaries, which also allows her to draw any resource she needs from them."

"That's a lot of power," Nuce noted skeptically.

"It is," he agreed.

"She might not be a dictator, but she was never a democrat either," Valkyrie murmured.

"The upside is, since Valkyrie and I have an overseeing position over the head of government, we have that same access. We could dispense the Romanian Wardens with a phone call."
Nuce opened his mouth, to which Skulduggery quickly explained; "their magical police force."

He closed his mouth again.

"That sounds like a plan, then," Betty said cheerfully. "We sneak into the facility, check for clues, and girls, and keys. If the keys are gone, we talk to Wayward. Did I forget anything?"

Diamond mustered her skeptically. "Are you sure you want to come in with us? There might be fighting."

"There most certainly will be fighting," Skulduggery clarified, "and violence. Plenty of very dangerous, very bloody violence."

Betty blinked at him, then at Diamond, then snorted amusedly. "Nice try. You're not getting rid of me. I'll just… stick with Fletcher or… maybe, I'll find a shovel somewhere."

Diamond lifted a rounded brow. "A shovel?"

"Yeah, to hit people with," Betty insisted convincedly, then lifted her arms and curled her fingers as she were holding an invisible shovel. She swung up and brought it down on Diamond's head. "Bonk."

The ginger gave her a doubtful smile. "You're right, maybe you should stick with Fletcher."

Betty sighed but nodded. "Fine. But I get to flirt with him."

Valkyrie snorted.

She blinked, then looked flustered, "oh, I mean… unless you have a problem with that."

"Oh, golly, no," Valkyrie waved the statement away. "Knock yourself out."

"Literally," Skulduggery said blandly. "Get that shovel, knock yourself on the head, and that way, you'll never even have to meet him."

Diamond snorted with bemused, second-hand offense. "Woah there, dad."

Skulduggery turned his skull to her slowly. "What did you just call me?"

She shrugged thoughtfully. "A tosser?"

"That's more like it."

The group watched curiously, but Diamond just inhaled positively, brows rising along with her posture. "Well, then," she said as she turned to the others. "Who wants to go see the Romanian outback?"