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Jack eased close, the scent of his aftershave familiar as he reached behind the man’s coat to slip free an envelope It had Jack’s name on it, and Peri went cold He knee’d be here?
"Get off," the older ain, and this tiun to her, and she retreated to where she could see both the CEO and the downed guard The crackle of the envelope was loud, and the olderPeri a dark look "What is it?" she asked, and Jack unfolded the paper inside and shook a pinky-nail-size memory chip into his hand "Is it the files?"
Her attention shifted to the CEO when he palpated his privates as if estihts to justify my request You tell Bill that what I found warrantshis arms to fix the fall of his coat "Three percent I just saved his ass and he thinks I’ to take three percent?"
"Jack?" Peri whispered, disliking her uncertainty He knows Bill? What’s going on?
Face white, Jack angled the printed page to the faint light co, he tipped the chip onto his glass phone It lit up as the data downloaded, and Jack co even more pale as he verified it
Theon the foil hat before he took a chocolate fro you … I’d believe you ht
Jack looked ut knotted The CEO knew Bill Was he proposing a deal?
"You made a mistake" Jack folded the paper around the chip and tucked it aith his phone
The man snorted and put an ankle on a raised knee "The onlyHe can do better I only want a fair price for what I have"
Shit, Peri thought, her alar to buy theents Drafters and anchors had to be trustworthy to a fault or the govern tihest bidder, especially now
Fear settled in her like old winter ice, cracked and pitted, as Jack cocked his head at the angle he always had when he was thinking hard, and a weird light was in his eye
"Jack?" she said with sudden mistrust "What’s that list?"
His expression cleared "Lies," he said blandly "All lies"
The CEO bit into a chocolate "The truth is farI could invent It’s a list, lovely woents," he said as he chewed "Your nahtened on the handgun, and she forced her finger away froer close behind "Liar!" she cried, ju at hi hiun under his chin
"You made that list up!" she exclaiainst hiet off!" Jack deun fired in close quarters Pain was a stake of iron pounded into her chest, and she looked at the man under her, his eyes fixed on hers and his face unbleony stabbing her again Oh shit, she thought, and then she fell back as Jack pulled her to the carpet The guard she’d downed had shot her Da, the bullet still in her as she choked, bloody froth gathering at her lips as pain !" Jack shouted at the CEO, Peri’s head cradled in his lap
The CEO stood, and she could do nothing, pinned by a thousand-pound weight Oh God, it hurts But Jack was here She’d be okay if she could hold it together long enough … to draft
"She’s on that list," the el "She can’t walk out of here knowing she’s been "
"You cretin," Jack snarled up at him "She won’t remember any of this in about thirty seconds You think we don’t know her past? Who she is? That doesn’t oddamned drafter! You kno ? He thought she was … corrupt? Selling her skills to the highest bidder? Oh God Her narew too e and ju to draft She couldn’t stop it--and it would save her life Again
Eyes widening, she felt the tingle of sparkles gather at the edges of her sight, flooding her as she breathed theh her athered energy, she juht
Peri’s vision flashed blue and settled as herHer breath ca it was She was drafting, and she stood before the CEO, watching as he reached for a chocolate Fear made her aim shake Her name was on Jack’s list? But how? She kneho she was, and she wasn’t a dirty agent