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"You guys have the saht "Did you guys practice with each other?"

Justin headed for the door "He stole it from me"

His first task for SCI actually wasn’t a visit to the ed as possible culprits He’d meant what he said to Cornelia: He had someone he was certain could crack the video If it really was faked The problely uncooperative Leo Chan was the best biotech engineer Justin had ever met, one Justin had eventually used exclusively because everyone else looked like an ah, Leo had given up his government job for the private sector and relocated to Portland Leo had been hen Justin called, and refused the invitation to coo to Portland, since he wasn’t allowed to send that dangerous video through the strea of the trip, Justin got up early to go jogging It had sort of beco his Exerzol habit Exerzol was a hundred times better than caffeine when it cah not nearly as powerful as a si, however, Exerzol was ive his, providing a burst of nervous energy that had i around this house high," she warned him the first time she’d noticed the rush There’d been a look in her eyes he knew all too well, one that only a fool would cross

And so, jogging beca with Exerzol’s exuberant entrance An hour loop through their sedate suburb usually brought hiy level, and the exercise wasn’t a bad thing anyway Living in a world of bodyguards and constant threats in Panaood shape, and he didn’t want to lose that now

As he returned to the house thatHe didn’t really think his trip to Leo required a bodyguard, but SCI had been adamant that she be his shadohenever he conducted any official business

"What’s that look for?" he asked her

Mae crossed her arms, face impassive He always took inventory of her clothes, and she was casual today in a das for her legs It was fitting, seeing as her legs could do incredible things "What look?"

"The one that says you can’t believe I do anything physical" He opened the front door and gestured her inside

"Oh, no," she said with icy pleasantness "I believe you do all sorts of physical things I just assu wo," he added He ran a hand over his forehead and gri to look at identical laas the sweat "I’ to hit the shower, and then we can head out to the train station Tessa’s going with us"

Mae looked startled "On an assignnment today Not exactly It’s a trip to visit an old friend" He frowned as he glanced toward the living roo to Tessa the TV socialco the saued but also baffled by what she simply viewed as people’s need to see theet outschool in a couple days"

The scathing expression Mae reserved for him faded as she watched Tessa In their occasional encounters this week, he’d seen Mae’s frosty exterior warenuine affection whenever she interacted with Tessa It reminded him of the woman who’d shared his wine and bed in Panama

"How do you think she’ll do?" Mae asked

"She’ll be okay," he said with more confidence than he felt "Once she’s thrown into the thick of things, she’ll adjust"

Thrown to the wolves you nored the raven and headed off to shower He returned an hour later and found that Mae had joined Tessa and Quentin as they discussed scrolling commentary on movies "You’ll have to ponder the mysteries of media exhibitioniso"

Tessa’s face fell "I really have to go?"

"You’ll love it," he assured her "Portland’s great Think of this as your last big hurrah before school"

That seemed to cheer her up Even when she was reluctant to do soht She was impertinent by Panamanian standards but co it would take to shake that docility out of her and if he’d be proud or worried when it happened

As it was, she was looking irl, especially with her love of jeans She still wore her long hair elaborately braided and wrapped behind her head It was a little odd and old-fashioned but didn’t attract the kind of attention her provincial clothing had