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Enforcement Special Response Unit

Outside CommTECH Research Facility

Houston, Northern Territory

“The research mainframe with the backup data is on sublevel five,” Daniel Mercer told his twin “Sublevels three through five are alarmed and fitted with blast doors We would know if so”

He looked up fro on his datapad to find his twin standing out in the open He faced the building, feet apart, are to Freedom

But he was listening to every word Daniel said “If the anti-, we could blast the to figure out a way to do it anyway

“Shepherd doesn’t care about casualties, but she does care about her company’s reputation” Daniel nodded his head toward the ca at the perimeter line “If we blow up Keiko Sato on the news, it would be bad press”

Charles didn’t care about the press—or anything else, for thatwhat he wanted Every situation was a negotiation He would only do what Shepherd wanted for a price But the price was never exacted fros

“What’s the plan?” Charles kept his eyes on the building, as though he was trying to see inside it Who kneent on in his brother’s head?

“We take a teaets are eliminated”

“Tiet to the good part—the killing “What’s your backup plan?”

“Two tea full well that Charles would veto whatever his first suggestion happened to be “We go straight to the terrace and hit it with a bigger tea, sweeping for strays”

At last, his twin turned to face him There was no expression on his face; there never was—only a cold, calculated intelligence “My payment is Keiko Sato”

And there it was Ti the beast his whole life It was the only way to ensure they both survived Otherwise, Charles would have taken him down,

along with hio