Chapter Twenty
You know I’m always happy to recommend new staff for your security forces, your institutions, or anything else. The job market
being what it is, many of them need employment, and I doubt they’ll ask many questions.
No need to tell me where they’ll be working or exactly what roles you’re filling. I’ll just point soldiers your way and we’ll
leave things at that.
—Text from Holt Traynor to Charles Stone
Darkness had fallen, turning the evergreen-covered Olympic Mountains into rocky silhouettes. On a clear night, this far from
city lights, the stars would have stretched for miles in bright clusters, but clouds were gathering in the night sky, obscuring
the view and hinting at more precipitation to come.
Victor Nichols wasn’t stargazing anyway. “How far now?” he demanded of the helicopter pilot. “We’re descending, but I see
nothing.”
“The surface lights are hidden from air traffic,” the pilot said. “We’re not advertising this location.”
Nichols steepled his fingers. That was what he liked to hear. “But there is power?”
“Generators and satellite communications,” the pilot confirmed. “Most of the building is underground, set into the mountainside.
There’s a laboratory and holding facilities, as well as rooms for the researchers and barracks for the guards.” She gestured
around them. “And of course, acres and acres of empty forest. Stone Solutions hopes this will make up for the loss of Polaris.”
Nichols watched the forest grow closer under the helicopter’s light. “I rather think it will,” he said.
Reece pulled the truck into the garage at Jason Owens’s house, his fingers too tight around the steering wheel.
He’d been in that hall outside McFeely’s when he’d felt six new people arrive, their aggression so completely different from
the happy feelings of the clubgoers. It had been easy to guess who they were.
He should have expected Grayson to be trying to set a trap.
You drove the truck to McFeely’s, the little voice in his head pointed out. That could have been how they found you.
It wasn’t the truck. It was Grayson selling him out.
He didn’t seem like he was expecting Stone Solutions. He said he needed to see you. He told you he’s making a trip out of
town.
Yeah, well, Grayson was a lying liar who lied. Reece never should have gone to meet him; he was lucky he hadn’t ended the
night in cuffs.
He was all but stomping as he made his way through Owens’s house and into the study. Alex and Cora didn’t startle as he entered,
which meant they’d felt his anger before he’d even gotten in the room. Great.
Traynor was there too, his gaze fixed on Alex, and Reece really did not need to see Traynor right now.
“You’re just in time to hear about today’s visit to the Empath Initiative.” Cora was curled up on the plush rug in front of the gas fireplace, her back against one of the armchairs. The fire was lit, bathing the end of the room in reddish-orange light.
Reece took a breath through his nose, forcing his voice to be steady. “You went to EI?”
“Mr. Traynor here said he had something I would want, but he needed to stop by his office.” Alex was in the other armchair
by the fire. “But tell them what happened, Director.”
“Someone had already been in my office,” Traynor said. “I keep a key taped to the underside of one of the drawers. It was
gone. And in its place, someone left new stuff.”
Reece frowned. “What stuff?”
Traynor counted things off on his fingers. “An empty envelope in the recycling, postmarked from British Columbia with a recent
date. A folder of office floor plans for various EI locations. And several fake receipts.”
“What the fuck,” Reece said, taking his own seat in the armchair Cora was leaning on.
“The missing key unlocks a safe-deposit box,” Traynor said. “That’s where I keep the flash drives Victor Nichols sends me.
The last one he sent has the research he pretends is about how to reverse corruption.”
“Pretends?” Reece repeated.
“That’s what he told everyone it was, especially Agent Grayson,” said Traynor. “But Nichols has never believed there’s a way
to reverse the corruption. He was only ever looking for ways to make it stronger—and he had some good leads.”
Reece’s eyes widened. “And that research is in a safe-deposit box?”
“Not anymore,” Alex said. “Someone took the key. And guess whose name was in the visitor log for today?”
Traynor leaned down. “Evan Grayson.”
Reece frowned. “But that doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “I mean, yes, Evan might want to get his hands on Nichols’s research.
But why leave behind maps and receipts?”
“I’m sure Evan had a reason—he always does,” Alex said. “He signed the EI log pretty late in the day; I don’t think he would’ve
had time to make it to the bank too. So he’s probably still got the key.” He glanced at Traynor. “I need you to follow Evan
tomorrow so we know when he’s got that drive.”
Reece’s stomach lurched.
No! the voice in his head shouted. No, Traynor can’t go anywhere near Evan. It’s not safe—
Reece slammed the metaphorical door on his feelings, too late. Alex and Cora looked at him.
“Traynor’s mine now,” Alex said. “He’s not going to hurt Evan, are you, Director?”
“No, sir,” Traynor promised.
“You’re just gonna follow him around Seattle,” Alex added.
“That’s right,” Traynor said eagerly.
“Those weren’t lies, so you know he believes it,” Alex said. “And I’m not even asking him to take that drive back once Evan
has it. Just to call us when he’s got it.”
“Yes, sir,” Traynor said fervently.
No. Absolutely not, it’s still not safe. What if something happens to set Traynor off the way Eton and Pelham were set off?
How can we be certain he can’t be triggered to attack—
Reece clenched his jaw, taking more deep breaths. What did it even matter? Grayson had just shown him tonight that he was
on EI’s side, on Stone Solutions’ side, that he would lock Reece up without a second thought.
They needed Traynor to follow him: If Nichols had research on how to enhance the corruption, then the three of them needed it. Not EI. Not Stone Solutions. And definitely not Grayson.
Grayson was the enemy too.
Reece mumbled something about needing a drink—which wasn’t a lie, so he could probably add dehydrated to his list of shortcomings—and went from the study into the kitchen. The big windows were dark, so he saw not the water
of the lake but his own reflection. He looked away from himself, instead pulling out his phone, only to discover Grayson had
texted.
Grayson: They weren’t with me.
Grayson: I know how it looked, but I didn’t bring Stone Solutions and I didn’t know they were coming. You probably don’t believe me,
but it’s the truth.
Reece tightened his jaw.
Call him, the voice in his head said. Warn him about Traynor.
No, Reece would not be doing that.
You can’t let Traynor follow him.
Yes, Reece certainly could.
There was silence in his head for a moment.
Okay, fine, the voice said. But if Traynor is going to be on Evan’s tail tomorrow, then you’re going to be on Traynor’s. Enjoy waking up at dawn for a
stakeout, asshole.
Reece raised his gaze to the ceiling. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered.