o her ear, her mind struggling t

he whispered.

en the line

Damon Blackwood's number n

ing. Nothing. No

amed that somethin

bly compromised, her sense of security shredded. Someone had be

now what sca

r, a flashlight, her pepper spray-and slipped into the

wood

s glanced at her but said nothing as she entered the ground floor. She took th

as ca

rust, and every camera f

the door marked D. Blac

ck

s old-fashioned ways. He hated ke

It felt ridiculous-like a movie trope-b

ke

ly?" she

adows across the sprawling desk, the floor-to-ceil

crep

a thin folder lying in the center

across the front in

embled as sh

rinted survei

e

ng to

the bu

partment

uments-one stamped with Blackwood Industrie

as a backgr

kground

t of names. Some wer

was at th

ros

ead more, a click

pun a

sn't

ited, but unfamiliar. His face was

stepping in and closing the door behind

up slowly.

e. He got involved when he shouldn't have. Now he's..

g about?" she demand

e him flinch-

drive?" he asked,

eyes. "You broke

t you should've taken

hand behind her back, fingers brus

Give me the drive. Or thi

have it,"

feet away, gaze hard.

he l

e spray and fired-st

mbling back, cla

into the hallway, and ran t

the ground floor, breath ragge

into the cool night air

essage. N

bbit. You just

to a halt beside her. The back door swings open-an

ow. We don