Chapter 182: A Traitor With Ninety-Nine Percent Loyalty
Information is a lot like water; it’s hard to hold on to, and hard to keep from leaking away.
The person who had revealed the information of Zane’s whereabouts to Leon Bronzer wasn’t a Warden.
It was someone else entirely.
Jammy the Janitor.
He himself said he leaked the information.
At first, Zane couldn’t believe his ears.
He checked if he heard it right.
He snapped his fingers beside his ear and they heard it just fine.
He turned to Xavier.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah. Loud and clear. And that would be the last thing he would say."
Xavier clenched his fist and walked towards Jammy.
His face devoid of anything resembling kindness and peace.
This time, Zane didn’t stop the man.
He was against fighting within the group but Xavier’s anger was justified.
Zane stood silently, watching Jammy.
The young man had no words in his mind at the moment and he didn’t even know what to say.
The janitor leaked Zane’s information for the reward. For money.
And he revealed all that to Zane just now with a smile at that.
That didn’t sit right with Zane. And it might never be.
"Wait. Wait. Hear me out first. I used my brain." Jammy stepped back, making distance from the incoming Xavier.
Zane squinted his eyes.
Is he actually worried about this?
Jammy seemed genuinely afraid.
Show me his loyalty percentage again.
[ It’s 99% ]
Zane raised his brows.
Is it possible that this number might be wrong?
[ No. I am synched to your Ashbearers as well. That number is right. That’s how much Jammy is loyal to you. ]
This doesn’t make sense.
"Wait, Xavier." Zane said.
"What? Did you not hear what he said? He sold you off for some money dammit!"
"I know. But I want to hear him out."
If he really wanted to sell me out he wouldn’t have that kind of number.
Xavier’s jaw tightened.
"Your kindness will get you killed one day."
He kicked the floor and went back to stand where he was before.
Milo also went to Tesla and hid behind him.
Zane would have looked after her but right now Jammy came first.
He turned to the Janitor and the man was smiling.
"Thank you, kid." He said.
"Spare me that. Explain yourself first."
Jammy nodded.
"From the Wardens, we got to know that there is a reward on your head. For something as simple as giving your location, Leon was ready to pay a hundred gold lumens. Why? Because he must be desperate. His family owns so much land all around and yet he wouldn’t have been able to find us. So he also used the Wardens for such work. And I simply used this to our benefit."
"How?" Xavier asked.
Jammy cleared his throat and answered:
"I revealed your location for the money, yes. But not for me. I would have given it to you. It would have helped us. After Vehran died, I waited for a few minutes and then contacted Leon and told him that Zane Atlas was around the Blue Rose street.
He said only after confirming the news he will pay me the money. And to my surprise, he contacted me again saying that the news was confirmed. I asked him how he confirmed it so fast, he said because some other wardens shared the same news as me. He called me to one of his offices to collect my reward and I have yet to go there. That’s all I did."
"That still doesn’t explain how revealing the information will help us?" Xavier asked.
Jammy rolled his eyes. "We will get a hundred gold lumens for it. Free money. That’s the help."
"We are not short on money, Jammy. Why did you even share the information in the first place? You could have stayed quiet." Zane said.
Jammy walked up to him.
"Because I didn’t want those Wardens to get money. Think about it, why should those bastards get rich spoiling your plan? So I snatched their money and you didn’t get caught anyway. It’s a win-win for us. Can’t you see it?"
Zane sighed.
"Yes. You are right."
Xavier gasped.
But before things could escalate, Zane raised his hand.
"He revealed my information for some money. He hadn’t even got the money in his hands yet. The Wardens lost because of it. I didn’t get caught. I am safe and sound here. If anything, Leon only knows that I went to Hena’s house for the money and nothing more. No plans of ours got leaked. We are not in danger."
Xavier opened his mouth but Zane wasn’t done yet.
"However," he glared at Jammy. "No more stunts like this. Don’t do anything reckless. At least don’t do it without my knowledge. Got it?"
"Yes, sir." Jammy held one of his ears again.
Zane stopped talking.
And as he did, someone hopped on to the chance.
"What if he is lying? What if all that story is bullshit?" Xavier barked.
How should I tell him about the ninety nine percent?
Xavier didn’t know what Zane knew.
"It’s not a lie." Jammy said. "Why would I lie? Heck, I threw a freaking mop at an Emberlord for him. If I had some ill intentions towards him I would have sided with Leon and revealed the location of your basement. I had that crystal with me for a while. If I had exposed this place, I would have surely been rewarded with more money. Can’t you understand?"
"That’s..." Xavier went silent.
As dense as he might be, he agreed with Jammy.
The janitor could have contacted Leon and told him about the basement. But he didn’t do it. He kept this place a secret. If anything, that depicted Jammy’s loyalty pretty well.
Xavier unclenched his fists and went to stand at the corner again.
Zane let out a tired sigh.
"Alright. Now that’s over. We have a bigger question to ask now."
"What?" Hena asked.
Zane’s eyes turned serious.
He rested his hands on the table as presented the bigger question.
"Why is Leon Bronzers looking for me?"
