110 Chapter 110
"Yes, Alvin" said Sven.
"Thank you, captain. I started having my spies gather information yesterday, but since it was late into the night, the results are not out yet. But I heard one possibly useful rumour. A week ago, some barrels of gunpowder were apparently missing from the warehouse of Tintin fireworks, the only fireworks manufacturer in Backlund" said Alvin.
"Gunpowder being stolen? Should we find the police report?" asked Luca.
"As far as I know, no police report was filed" said Alvin.
"Why not?" asked Luca.
"Well, fireworks manufacturers are highly regulated in Backlund. Since the gunpowder could cause serious problems, there are strict limits on the amount of gunpowder they can purchase or the amount of firecrackers they can manufacture in a set amount of time. But if this limit was followed, the profits of the factory owners and the nobles who are stakeholders will be less. Hence, they usually smuggle some extra gunpowder and manufacture more than the allowed amount. Plus, they also sell some gunpowder to the smaller gangs that do not have their own channels occasionally. The police would demand to look at the warehouse where the stolen gunpowder was stored, and the transaction books for the same. But that would expose the shady business of the factory. Hence, they choose to swallow the bitter pill" said Alvin.
"How sure are you of this information?" asked Sven.
"Anyone in the East Borough could have stolen it, so I can't say for sure if it was those responsible for the attack. A large amount of gunpowder seemed to have been detonated in both the locations. If anyone purchased such a large amount of gunpowder from the available channels, my informants will surely find out. But if the gun powder was stolen from the Tintin factory, unless we ourselves investigate them thoroughly, my informants won't be able to find out" said Alvin.
"Alright then. It's worth pursuing. Harry, you and Luca take 2-045 and 3-086 to try to see if you can find any clues in the two locations. After that, Harry can take 2-045 back to the cathedral. Remember to talk with Freeman and get me updates. Luca can proceed according to plan. Fred, you go with Alvin to see what you can find from this Tintin factory. Consult Alvin on how to approach this matter, and apply for Sealed Artifacts if you really need them. After that, report to me before you go. Harrold and I will stay here" said Sven.
Everyone acknowledged Sven and walked out. Alvin climbed up the trapdoor, and walked out into the bar, with Fred following behind him.
"So what do we do?" asked Fred as he followed Alvin cheerfully.
Fred was the oldest among the 5 Beyonders in the team, and the uncle of Marvin. Most of the time, Beyonders were young, as very few Beyonders could remain unharmed till they turned old. Except for those who could use some means to live longer, when Beyonders her older they had an increased chance of losing control. Hence, they would usually take desk jobs or work as Keepers. Fred was in his mid-forties, but he was still an active member of the Machinery Hivemind.
"I have written to an informant to meet me in a place in the East Borough. We go there first, and see what information he has to offer. After that, we sneak up to the Tintin factory and see if we can corroborate the information I will receive from my informant. I have a Sealed Artifact corresponding to a Nightmare for this. If we find that there was indeed some gunpowder missing, we collect the clues and information they are sure to have gathered in private regarding this. Then, based on what we find, we either explore ourselves, or inform Captain Sven" said Alvin.
Fred nodded. Alvin hailed a carriage at the edge of East Borough into a bar close to the Dock area.
After some time, both of them reached their destination. There, Alvin saw one of his informants standing in the shadows. He walked up to him, and for Fred's benefit, slipped him some soli notes, and took a piece of paper from him. He then reboarded the carriage as he read the paper. As he finished he handed it over to Fred, who also read it.
He put it down after a while and said, "So we go after the supervisor of the factory? This Jose?"
"Indeed" replied Alvin, instructing the carriage driver where to go next.
According to the information received, a significant amount of gunpowder was indeed stolen from the factory less than two weeks ago. The supervisor Jose was berating those on the guard duty extensively, which was how this matter spread.
"How likely is it that this batch of gunpowder was the same one that was used to blow up the two buildings?" asked Fred.
"Well, I asked my informants to see if there was a mass purchase of gunpowder from the Baccardi Gang, but he didn't send any news. So I am guessing probably this is it" said Alvin.
"Baccardi Gang?" asked Fred.
"Gang that specialised in moving stuff within Backlund. They buy weapons and other contraband en mass from suppliers, and sell it in very small portions to hundreds of establishments that deal with them. It's more accurate to call them the Baccardi Alliance" said Alvin. "The people who run this gang do not sell larger quantities to anyone, but it is possible to find the list of buyers from them, and purchase that amount of gunpowder in multiple portions. Or they could hit the smuggling routes of the Baccardi Gang. If either of that happened, with the loose structure of the Baccardi Gang, the news would have definitely been leaked. So the possibility of them being the source is very slim. Nevertheless, I have people looking into it"
Soon, they arrived at the factory, which was at the edge of St. George Borough.
They alighted from the carriage, and walked a circle around the huge factory.
"What next?" asked Fred.
"Usually, such factories have a supervisor's room, higher up, with a complete view of all the workers. And since the supervisor does not want to have to walk among the riff-raff, they usually have a separate entrance built for them to access their room. So we are probably looking for a staircase at the side of the factory" said Alvin.
