Three days later, I returned to the forest clearing with Kane trailing behind at his characteristic professional distance. The pattern of meetings we'd discovered suggested tonight might yield more concrete evidence, and despite the deterioration of our partnership, I needed his tactical expertise.
We positioned ourselves in the dense undergrowth surrounding the clearing, our equipment carefully concealed among the natural vegetation. Kane worked with mechanical precision, placing cameras and microphones with the skill of someone who had done this countless times before.
"Audio check," he whispered into his comm unit.
I adjusted my own equipment, testing sight lines. "Visual confirmed. Clear field of view to the center point."
It was the most professional conversation we'd had in weeks
