nt slammed shut. The heavy deadbolt sl

concrete. The single fluorescent tube overhead flickered, castin

a filthy, torn leath

dull, throbbing ache from the doorframe collision was spr

ag. She dug out a small blister pack

no water

nto her mouth, and swallowed hard. The dry chalk scraped d

the ceiling kicked on. The deafening roar shook

her chest. She curled into a tight ball on the so

her nails digging into her o

ally kicked in. The cramping in her st

ll back against the so

encrypted burner phone be

e security camera in the corner. The red light w

hone out and hit

in rapid, fluent French. "We have a massive problem. The At

eak, exhausted woman vanished

ench accent flawless, he

s voice shaking. "They bought the judge.

into dangerous slits.

to the public light and hand over the core design p

ark laugh. It was the l

o capital," sh

e liquid cash, and she needed it now. She had to fund the

uidate my hidden bonds in the Swiss account

through the underground parking garage. Mr

ll stopped walking. He stood right over the me

d the deafening roar of the fan made it imp

ruthless cadence-so entirely different from the meek, submissive ass

ned to pitch black. A sharp spike of

The way she didn't care about the five mi

e. "Pull Aubree Daniels' communication lo

just a gold digger. She's selling our voi

the call. She slipped the phone bac

ff her skirt. The fear wa

groaned. It swung open violen

ight backlit his massive frame, making him

anning the dusty room, looking for a laptop

thump, but her face remai

easure, Mr. President?"

nothing in the room. He looked down at

e spy in my building, you are dead

s murderous eyes. She let o

about to be fired, Ell. I do

ack her skin to see her secrets. He

d and wa

dark, her hands curl