he Clark Estate, slamming

velvet sofa and sipping espresso. The silver pendan

say a word

rabbing the pendant

ack of her neck. She clawed at his hand, her coffee c

Burke, realizing they had an audience, releas

neck. Tears of rage filled her eyes

't give it back, she's going to Dad. Do you want Dad to g

defiance from Brielle's face. The old

if I give it back, I shouldn't have to! I

outing face. He realized logic wouldn'

. She changed out of the hospital gown into a pair of dark jeans a

idewalk. She didn't hail a cab. She looked toward the u

buzzed in

he pendant. It will take time to ret

lips. Burke was bringing her onto his turf, hoping the g

ck a single

g to show up. She wa

e bought a high-end laptop with maximum RAM, a set

e'd never learned flooded her consciousness, as natural as breathing. Her fingers, at first clumsy on the keys, quickly found a rhythm, a kind of muscle memory awakening from a deep slumber. Code flowed from her fingertips, elegant and

at the ceiling. Her brain wouldn't stop simulating. She ran

g face, of Burke's arrogant dismissals. The pain the

t status and things. Burke was a coward. H

ss it. Using a burner app on her phone, she sent an anonymous, encrypted text to the General's personal aide: "Concerned about Major

e micro screwdriver. She rolled the cold meta

earn what happens when you underes