Page 76 of Twist of Fate

Silence fell across the chamber.

Luke blinked. “Kittens.”

“Very sick kittens,” Gomez said. “See, there’s a medication that can save them, but technically it isn’t legal in our country. But they’re kittens, Luke. What was I supposed to do? Anyway, getting it isn’t always easy. So volunteers help connect desperate pet owners with people who know how to find it.”

“You’re part of a criminal network that distributes cat medicine.” Luke didn’t quite believe the words even as he spoke them.

“I prefer confidential rescue collective.”

It took Luke’s heart a couple minutes to start beating normally again. “You called it the dark underbelly of society.”

“There are layers of secrecy, Luke. People use aliases.”

“What’s your alias?”

Gomez hesitated. “Mittens O. Justice.”

Luke closed his eyes.

Beside him, Connal asked, “Why would anyone prevent sick animals from receiving medicine?”

“Exactly!” Gomez pointed at him. “See? Connal understands the moral complexity.”

“I understand that the animals require aid.”

“And sometimes aid requires working outside traditional systems.”

Luke opened his eyes. “You order cat medicine online.”

“I facilitate access to lifesaving resources.”

“You have it mailed to the apartment.”

“Never under my own name.”

That explained the packages addressed to increasingly implausible variations of Gomez’s identity.

Luke rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re not helping examine the drive.”

“Hey! My contacts are extremely resourceful.”

“Do any of them know how to analyze encrypted data?”

Gomez paused. “I don’t ask what they do in their private lives.”

“So no.”

“So their skills remain unconfirmed.”

Fizzwick patted Gomez’s arm. “You help kittens.”

“I do.”

“You are a hero.”

Gomez’s expression softened. “Thank you, tiny best friend. Finally, someone appreciates me.”

The other pixies began whispering excitedly among themselves. Luke suspected Gomez would soon have the entire Unseelie court convinced that he ran a vast criminal organization dedicated to rescuing baby animals.