“PIT were certainly using hawk shifters to tail us,” Jackson said. “But I was under the impression they’d stopped.”

I snorted. “Just because the inspector implied that doesn’t mean she actually did it.”

I liked the woman, but she was in the middle of a battle she couldn’t afford to lose, and there was no doubt in my mind she’d do whatever she deemed necessary to twist the odds in her favor. If that included following two people who were knee-deep in the same shit, then she’d do so.

“And if we weren’t followed,” I continued, “then the only other way they could have found us is if they were told.”

Rory frowned. “Did you tell anyone we were here?”

“No.”

Jackson held up his hands. “Don’t look at me.”

“Which means they either had psychic help or PIT did indeed track us here, and the squad does indeed have a mole.”

“There’s an easy way to get an answer to one of those questions.” Jackson pulled out his phone and hit the DIAL button, then held the phone between the three of us so we could all hear.

“Chief Inspector,” he said the minute she answered, “I have a rather urgent question for you.”

“Indeed? Please proceed.”

“Have you set a hawk on our tail?”

She paused. “And if I have?”

“You need to call him off.”

“Only if you start carrying your phone so we know your location. It’s imperative that we keep track of all operatives right now—”

“Inspector,” I cut in, “we’re not operatives. We’re associates, and your tracking us almost led to the death of a friend.”

“Would this friend be Rory Jones, the man nobody witnessed coming out of Brooklyn?”

I hesitated. “The same.”

“Care to explain how he got out?”

“No—and that’s not important right now,” I said. “Are you, or are you not, having us tailed?”

“I am.”

“Then you need to call them off. Someone betrayed our position, Inspector.”

“There is no leak or mole in my department, Pearson.” Her tone was frosty. “If your hideout was blown, then it was not due to anything we did.”

“No one knew where we were, Inspector. There were no bugs on our cars, and we dumped Jackson’s phone long before we got to our current location.”

“The sindicati are not averse to using winged shifters to follow targets,” the inspector said.

“Yes, but we would have noticed two birds following us. And undoubtedly your hawk would also have noticed another tag.” I hesitated. “Besides, we have a truce with Parella. He wouldn’t be following us.”

Not by air, at any rate, Jackson said. Not if the past efforts are anything to go by.

“If you believe that,” the inspector said, “then you are both fools.”