Chapter 35: Pawns

"Pawns can be dangerous, too. Pawn or not, I'm still here," I countered, pressing the barrel of my pistol against his temple. "And you're not. Start talking. Why is Finch working with the Mongols if he's trying to steal their prize?"

"He's playing you both," Maddie interjected, her voice cutting through the tension. "He's using you, Graves, just like he used us. Tell us what Chiron wants, what the Oracle really is."

Graves' eyes darted between us, fear finally gaining the upper hand. "He wants… access. He wants to understand it. The Oracle isn't just a machine. It's… It's a network. A living network." He coughed, a desperate, raspy sound. "People. Wired in. The disappearances… that's them."

A chilling cold settled in the pit of my stomach. "Human trafficking. For a supercomputer."

"Processing power," Graves choked out. "The best kind. Their minds… their consciousnesses… hooked in. Chiron wants to replicate it. They want to control it. By controlling it, they will control the world. Finances, law enforcement, wars, you name it, and they plan to control it using the Oracle."

"And the Mongols?" Maddie pressed, her face a mask of grim realization. "They just want the predictions, the control it gives them?"

"Yes! They feed it. Finch optimizes the feed. It's a partnership." Graves' voice was desperate now, a flood of information spilling out. "He's been trying to get close to the core processing unit. The 'heart' of it. That's what he really wants."

"And where is this 'heart'?" I demanded.

"Deep in the mine," he rasped. "Below the public tours. A sealed chamber. No one gets in without Miguel's authorization. Or… or a specific frequency. Finch has been trying to crack it."

"A frequency," Maddie murmured, her brow furrowed in thought. "A sonic key. That's why the unique mineral deposits."

"And his phone," I said, my gaze dropping to Graves' utility belt. "Miguel's direct line?"

He nodded, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "He trusts me. I have the codes. You can't touch me, Draven. I'm too valuable."

"Not anymore," Maddie said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Give us the phone. Then give us the access codes for the mine's sealed chamber."

Graves hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "You'll let me go?"

"Don't be an idiot," I snarled, pressing the barrel harder. "You just confessed to human trafficking, and you're a liability. You die either way. But you can choose how."

His face fell. He knew. With a trembling hand, he unclipped a rugged satellite phone from his belt. "The codes are encrypted. Passcode is… Elias Vance's birthday. Finch's contact."

"Clever," Maddie said, taking the phone. "Anything else?"

"There's a raid planned tonight," Graves blurted, eyes wide. "On the Dark Kings' last known safe house. Miguel thinks it's still active. They're moving a fresh batch through Calico tonight."

"When?" Maddie asked, her voice sharp.

"The old mill outside town. Two hours after sunset. He's going to make an example of them. You."

Maddie's eyes narrowed, the predatory glint returning. "Then we give him a show he won't forget."

Maddie exchanged a look with me. A new plan, formed in an instant.

"Thanks for the intel," I said, taking the phone from her. "One last thing. Can you access Miguel's command channel?"

Maddie's fingers flew across the phone's screen, her eyes intent. "Already on it."

He nodded, tears welling in his eyes. "Yes."

"Good. Tell him you tracked us to the church, we split up, and you're pursuing Maddie's trail, heading towards… the western pass. Tell him you've cornered her. Make it sound convincing."

Graves swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. He held the phone to his ear, trembling. After a few clicks, he spoke, his voice surprisingly steady, though laced with a false urgency. "Miguel, it's Graves. I've got her. She's headed for the western pass, near the old canyon. I'm closing in. Draven's a non-issue. He's headed east, looks like he's running."

He ended the call, looking at us, a desperate plea in his eyes. "I did it. Now… now what?"