ry'

e envelope as I reread the si

on't come back, find the fl

ike ice sharp, col

ad Landon gotte

his computer conspicuously absent. I stepped inside like an intruder, the silence thick and unnatu

as g

l. Not in a

nto someone else's life. The letter lay on the glass surfa

n art piece, the kind that looked more decorative than functional. But Landon had once

panel. Retinal or thumbprint. No o

was someone

t given me a

o keypad just a sleek black screen. When I leaned in close,

h twisted

s Gra

stagger

" I whispe

ome point, without me knowi

ealing a velvet-lined interior and a single sil

nse of detachment, as if I were in a

d printed documents emails, spreadsheets, photos. Names I

an V

d only seen once in passing someone Landon had refus

beneath th

Classified contract acquire

was selling co

ry time he appeared made sense. He wasn

on... La

ave everything behind and thr

supposed to do

me in the for

ulated knock on La

my fist, and forced myself to look normal li

ned before I

epping inside. "I heard Landon's

flash drive behind my back

," I replied carefully

rn. "Tsk. How inconsiderate of him. Le

he room, and every instin

I was just about to head to the design floor.

errupted, reaching pa

ic

er than it should've.

miling, but with something els

ere he went?" h

N

my hands. "What's th

n't a

r step. My bac

ry, Emery. You don't want to

I almost dropped the flash drive. I darted fo

ice call out, "You should've s

he button, and exhaled only when the

ho I could trust. All I knew was that Landon was gone, D

s in

my t

er, double-locked the door, and place

d breathe, my

wn nu

ew me

nooping. You've already made o

ood f

sn't just

been

hey were wat