Under the Cover of Night

The darkest hour came before sunrise, and a light rain fell from the sky.

The back door of the house opened without a sound. The first person to step out hesitated, but soon set foot on the ground of the alley.

Footsteps echoed through the alley: two adults, an older child, and a little one being carried. The four hurried into the unknown darkness.

A rhythmic tapping came through the walkie-talkie, and Frederick answered with the agreed signal.

Before long, another signal came through. A second group appeared beneath the cover of night.

It was as expected. Frederick let them handle it themselves.

The Duchy of Weissen's intelligence service was managed by Ah Fu. Its backbone consisted of several people from the organization once known by the codename "Garden." Later, it had taken in numerous information brokers and "underworld figures." Its internal codename was "White Cat."

Tonight was White Cat's first clash with its counterparts from other countries.

"Open the window," Frederick said to Bellberk.

Schneider had been a little crafty. He had contacted several parties to help him leave the city, without letting any of them know about the others. Before setting out, he had drawn lots to choose one of them, planning to switch to another if anything went wrong.

This was beyond what either side had anticipated. Frederick and Casimir lacked enough reach in the city to keep track of everyone involved.

The hunt beneath the cover of night had begun, all to keep the Schneider family in their hands.

Frederick couldn't be sure whether the other side had any experts, so he prepared to step in himself.

Bellberk opened the window and drew the curtains shut. The evening breeze stirred them, making them sway gently.

Frederick sat beside the walkie-talkie with his eyes closed, resting while