- A MISTAK

g out recycled air that always smelled faintly like old paper and lemon cleaner. Kira slipped into her cubicle with a shy smile at no o

s something on her desk tha

No return address. Not one of the standard

at her touch. It hadn't been here the night before. She remembered wiping down

except the janitor finishing his shift and Marcy from payroll, al

a small, unce

. Maybe someone dropped it off ea

ment were rare. Too many regulations, too much

under the flap and

single blac

nremarkable USB drive that looked like it bel

up the base

allway, expecting someone to suddenly app

o one

ng about coffee, keyboards clacking-but the envelope in her hand fe

back dow

r hand it to her supervisor. Or,

unfamiliar, unwelcome tug that

hesitated ov

ate surprises.

the flash drive i

folder

AL - PROJE

eath s

uldn't

knew

weight of secrecy implied in every capital

embled as s

ts. PDFs. Videos. Audio recordings. All

pened-just one-was enough to

y. This one showed numbers she'd never seen before. Transfers to shell companies she didn't recognize

s of millions

ter. The cursor on

ked anot

s. Men in tactical gear. A w

her

m, authoritative-speaking in to

very loose end is secured. I want

her hand ov

ew tha

he company kn

ard

on every magazine cover. The man whose

omach

sn't a

't a cour

o somewhere else-and it had

and cold coile

dn't have

y should not

ewhere... probably

ash drive and tucked it back into the

Internal Affairs. No... no, ma

ed, each one more f

de, a shadow loomed o

ir

jumped out

Smiling. Too casual

ice plugged into your workstation," he said, a

crashed agai

they kno

ugged it already. It was a

"Still. I need to

pe under her desk, finge

't part of anything. He was...

er computer-sharp, assessi

orld

ing wa

was very,

minute," sh

his mouth

the building, announcing an ur

urrowed. "We'

lked

d she was shakin

as no long

was no lo

had just collided wit

a new notification popped onto her screen-an

li

sen

igna

w what

inked. Her vision blurred at the edges. Her fingers went numb. The

, chest tightening like a f

was watc

ht

this bu

this

ating. She grabbed the envelope with the flash drive and

to get out.

followed her. Her cubicle walls felt too low, too thin. Every coworke

nce rooms filled with oblivious employees. No one k

break room wh

secure th

ious. Coming from

lood

against the wall,

plied. "She's on the move.

looke

blo

car

l

hreatened

talking abo

talking

ers fumbled for her phone

. She needed a

zed before sh

ess

wn nu

ey're compromised. Go to

eath c

was

s anoth

arn

ife

idn't

thing: staying

d her leg

the s

two f

the fi

oing silence of t

ath came fast. Her palms

lickered

s of cars. Nothing.

ti

lowly around the cor

art st

the flash drive-dark clothing, tactica

secu

cowo

no

re here

ulse hammering. She had n

her-an engine

torc

a leather jacket, and a cock

ale?" h

fusion and fear.

erson here who doesn't want you dead.

lse ex

cogniz

a company newsletter abou

van

ck-shee

andal

openly hated

SUV reached ins

ly, holding out his hand,

ts exp

bike just as a bullet shattered the

ycle lurch

ything w