* * *
Alessio moved swiftly through the crowd, his pace unhurried but purposeful, flanked on either side by Caleb and Mateo. The noise of the market faded behind them as the three slipped into a narrow side street lined with shuttered doors and old brick walls.
"If he's planning to run, then we'll need eyes on every major exit," Alessio muttered, his tone firm. "Ports, stables, private carriages. I want everything blocked before he gets the chance to vanish."
"I've already set up teams along the harbor and the merchant's road," Caleb said. "He'll have to try something reckless if he wants to escape, unless he's got help from above."
"Yeah. We're dealing with Count Belmont, who was directly backed by the Wittelsbach Duchy. There's also suspicion the sultan himself might be involved. We need to move quickly before word reaches him," Mateo replied.
