The recess lasted only minutes, but it was long enough for Hale to vanish.
Mercer noticed first. He'd kept his eyes on the councilor's chair through the chaos of the chamber clearing, watching for exactly the kind of move the Ledger had warned him about. One moment, Hale sat surrounded by council aides, murmuring something to the man beside him. The next, the chair was empty, and nobody could say which door he'd used.
"He's gone," Mercer said, pushing through the crowd toward Isla.
"Gone where?" Isla's face went sharp with alarm. "The inspection party hasn't even left the building."
"That's exactly the problem," Mercer's pulse hammered. "If he's already running, he's not running from us. He's running to the quarry."
Priest, still at the podium, called for calm as council staff scrambl
