guest bathroom on the first floor and threw herse

cold tile floor. She hugged her knees t

nestled amongst a few changes of clothes, was the small, beaded clutch she had carried the night before. She fumbled with the clasp and dumped the contents onto th

Arnulfo had given he

er button. The scre

ediately. Incom

flooded her veins. She swiped to answer, pressi

" Verity's voice purred. "Did

lip so hard she

tinued, her voice hardening. "And don't

he returns you like a

er. A high-pitched, rhythmic b

ideo," Verit

phone away and tap

eredith lay in the bed, looking small and frail. Tubes ran from

lish-came into the frame. It hovered

day," Verity said. "If you aren't Mrs. Bond, who pay

. She stared into the camera and m

part. Be the mute little doll. As soon as the Bond transfer hi

een wen

silent scream tearing at her throat. She slammed her fist into

ut she hated her ow

minutes, breathing th

he fear receded, replaced

opened a hidden partition in the operating system. Her fing

into a black termi

: THE

S GRA

the forensic accountant the SEC hired when they c

ghost protocol she'd embedded in Bond Industries' network s

ORMANT. U

nough. She needed leverage. She needed a weapon. And in t

She would find the illegal accounts, the bribes, t

d the bathroom door

shoved the phone back into th

face was pale, her eyes red. She splashed co

back on. The sc

pped out. She wasn't running