Horace shrugged, understanding immediately what Theodore was insinuating. He picked up his phone and placed a call. After a moment, he had an answer.

“Tietram Media says there's no cooperation for now," Horace hesitated before adding, "and Joziah's on annual leave abroad."

Theodore let out a chuckle, but Horace sensed something was off and wanted to speak up. Theodore, however, cut him off with a raised hand, clearly impatient.

Horace, normally a talkative man, remained silent to avoid any chance of provoking Theodore. He sealed his lips and made sure to breathe as quietly as possible, fearing that any noise might set off Theodore's temper.

Theodore's face twisted in anger as he pulled out his phone and accessed a hidden interface. With a satellite map displayed, he saw a red dot moving in a familiar direction.