n to roll in j

as the sky bruised. Aria sat at her desk, finger

d not

t she saw on

me words that seemed to have

ya

rg

o

ple fall in love, suddenly, stupidly, with

d

eep; too deep fo

-

a.m., the entire

d reverberated th

prang

s flickered. Somewhe

the security interc

o evacuate. Level 8 breach.

g in he

e cut through the alar

e already, gun holstered a

ened?" she

y came for

vau

and. "I'll expla

-

the emerge

om the guards, doors banging shut, spaces being abandoned in a ru

Nicc

m of one who has seen

ding on the 7th floor-then slammed

the hidden pan

ed her

h red emergency light. Monitors lined o

er console and curs

checkpoints. Someon

omeone on t

inously. "And I k

led up

Calde

ked. "You

til five mi

into Level 8. Thirty seconds l

nd walked out like n

he do this?

Niccolo muttered, "and so

hl

n't have even

both

-

gunfire with intruders. Blood sprayed onto the walls

ess," she said softly. "

ook at her. "It a

rought me

o it the second

flin

wasn'

from securing the breach, Ni

s his voice snarled Italian ove

sil

oor o

ked ex

ould go

ink someone on the inside tipped them off. Th

"You don't trust

oul

lked

him cracked j

alty means to peop

ld her

ne you shouldn't love... and

I?" Her voice

not r

d into his pocket and han

sonal files. You want the t

ked dow

nothe

her

her

-

t, Aria did

button to a floor she had

s privat

his upper eche

es, drives, photos. One drawer

Calderón

y bottom: A. B

seized in

na

or

open

found made he

found a pictur

side a man whose face

note clipped

suspected link to Valenti

ed her

her's death

o the other si

hild survived. Relo

ged

from the pounding, Ar

er past had rem

t

she

rtunate woman in the wr

arget long before Nic