ALDRIC
I turned the corner and stopped.
The hallway stretched empty in both directions. Quiet. Exactly what I needed.
I unlocked Elara's phone and pulled up the contacts.
My memory had always been sharp. Precise. Even now, wearing Gabriel's weaker body, that part of me remained intact.
From memory alone, I keyed in the delicate's handler's number.
I had only dealt with him once. Briefly. Through intermediaries, mostly.
But I remembered his number.
I pressed call, and it rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello?"
The voice was rough and just as cautious.
"Is this Mateo Ruiz?" I asked.
There was a pause at first, then the rough voice said, "Who is asking?"
"Someone who needs information," I said. "You handle a delicate. I hear she is strong."
There was another pause, and it was longer this time.
