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Commander Towers relaxes a fraction, and I take a beat to consider ht?"

"He’s not the one I’m worried about," she replies With a jerk, she retrieves the e-filer fro it azines--and it’s got a loop of Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux posing for the cameras As I watch, Merendsen ducks his head to press his lips to Lilac LaRoux’s te the iot to be holding more pieces than I am If she knows about LRI’s presence here, and the facility, then she could kno it’s connected to theMori and Davin Quinn--and me

I need to find out what Merendsen can tell me first He clearly knows some secret about his fiancée’s family business, and if it helps me find answers, I ht now, I don’t knohose side she’s on

Shaken, I slip out of her office to find Merendsen some ten paces away, arms folded behind his back Commander Towers is so sure I can’t trust hie, after all There’s every possibility he could be in this as deep as anyone

When the door closes behind ards ive when he aiting for ure out I was in trouble Only this tiet out of it

No, I decide I have to trust soood to see you, sir"

"It’s just Tarver, now"

"If you say so, sir"

He grins at ood to see you too, Lee" His smile twitches as he looks over my dress whites, and he adds, "Nice hat"

His srin back at him as I lead the way The base is busy, as it always is in the evenings The patrols are changing, one watch giving way to another

I turn to face Merendsen, wanting nothingout of ht I’d bring you to Molly’s for soht to take a look around the base, see what’s going on Things got a little hairy on the descent, it looks like you’ve got a bit of a stale outside the perih, to have the conversation we need to have For all I know, if I’ve aroused anyone’s suspicions, ood stuff hidden away in his back roory?"

Merendsen lifts a hand to rub it over the back of his head I recognize the gesture from when he used to keep his hair cropped close Now his hair is longer--not quite standard, but he’s not subject to regulations these days He’s watchinga bit peckish Lead the way, Captain"

I pickthe worst of thethe way One of et up in our dress whites on the base They never stay white for longer than five minutes, unless you stand perfectly still, indoors, and don’t think too hard about the swah the s between us and the swa Merendsen all the way here only to have hier-happy rebel As alk it starts to rain, first only a few drops that patter off the prefab roofs, and then more I quicken my steps

The back door to Molly’s storeroom is locked, but I knohere he keeps the key I reach in under the botto for the indentation in the wood and then prying the key out with ernails I fumble aardly with the lock, aware of Merendsen’s eyes on s here were fitted with standard thues froth of tiet here when so breaks down, low-tech is better And at least this way, Molly doesn’t have to explain to anyone why he added me to the list of stockers and deliverymen who’d have reason to have access to the bar

Finally the lock gives way I stow the key again and lead Merendsen up the wooden steps, shutting the door firn of Molly or any stock workers Good

I turn to face Merendsen again, but my explanations die on my lips He doesn’t look at me the way Flynn did--he doesn’t see me covered in blood He doesn’t look atat me, in that same way he used to when I screwed up in the field, when he was o--and suddenly it’s like no tioes dry

"All right, Lee" His voice is soft, but fired to emulate, an ability to be confident, even stern, while still being pleasant and encouraging "I’ve only got two days here--thein with no warning, so that’s the li"

I want to answer, butto open How can I begin to tell him how lost I am?