nuckles went white on the blanke

he scream. She straighten

o shoulder in the hall, jaws l

ed document, and slapped it onto the tray of a pas

e corridor. "As of right now I have no legal, financial, or blood tie to the

ittle bitch!" Byr

e nursing station at the same pace and left th

at the curb. A yellow cab

wles Estate. Top

her in the mirror, th

pair of wrought-iron gates. Guards in black tac gear checked the cab throug

to the courtyard with

one and dark slate, built like a for

tico with two maids behind him, both stone-faced. His gold-rimme

les is in the top-floor medical suite. Fo

e foyer she swept the vaulted ceiling, counted four the

ate elevator. Neither of

rced glass. Arthur punched eight digit

s humming around a wide medical

The comatose billionaire

heets, the man looked dangerous. Sharp cheekbones, a jaw un

he elevator will take you down. For now, you stay here.

door shut. The lock went home

until his foots

er eyes went to the collar of his gown, to the faint jagged line o

acer fire. Heat

ent any further and let her

no see, C

and flipped the latch. Twelve micro-electrode

n a pair of n

p cranial paths, the nerve bundles gone quiet af

im at the va

n the corridor. Fas

already?" A woman's voice, s

. In the same motion she dropped to her knees beside the bed

or swu

heels, diamonds rattling on her wrist. She looked do

l," she said. "You won't have

d, face drained, her whole body shaking like a

tals. Make sure this bad-luck charm hasn't pulled anything

. "Stable, Mrs. Knowles. No

ere where you belong. Cause trouble before the board meets

ll. The nurse followed. The

aking

leeve back. The long micro-electr

of his skull, turned it a millimeter to fi

monitor

dy seized, back arching off the mattress as the

hands didn't move. She pushed the fre

she said.

bed until it f

rror light fli

lator cut out on a ragged, rea

les opene

e, palmed it, and leaned down un

k to the liv