it as a sign that the darkness from the early morning would clear and a bright, glistening dawn was on the horizon waiting for all of us and ready to deliver a bright new day.
Keaton returned. “Ladies, you may unfasten your seatbelts if you want to move around. It’s a good practice to keep them buckled when seated. The bedroom suite is available, and I’ll have your breakfast in another fifteen minutes. Would you like to eat up front?”
When no one responded, finally Araneae did. “Thank you, Keaton. The table up front would be perfect.”
He grinned. “Very well, Mrs. Sparrow.”
The way Araneae cringed at that title made me snicker.
“Madeline,” Araneae said, “have you been on this plane before?”
“No,” she said with a grin. “I can honestly say, I’ve never flown in a big bird before.”
“Let me show you the suite. Maybe you and Edward can rest.”
When Araneae began to unbuckle Edward’s car seat, Ruby intervened. “What? You’re pregnant. If you don’t have weight limits, you should.”
Araneae smiled as she stepped back. “I’ll need you around when this one is born.”
Ruby lifted the car seat. “Deal. Show us this fancy bedroom.”
Once we were alone, Laurel turned to me. “I don’t like any of this.”
My somber mood returned. “Me either. I am scared.”
“Mason has never fully explained the organization he worked for while he was Edgar Price. I have picked up on a few things, I know the name, but mostly, it sounds unbelievable and dangerous. I know it’s dangerous because I watched the dean of my university campus die in front of me. I saw Russ.” She took a deep breath. “I’m scared too.”
Araneae came from behind us. “They’re going to settle in the suite for a while. I told Keaton to take their breakfast in there.” She looked from Laurel to me and back. “If you’re up here spreading negative thoughts, I’m going to say, as Mrs. Sparrow” —she enunciated the name in a mocking manner— “I command you to stop.”
Laurel nodded. “You’re right. Our attitude plays an important part in our decision process. We need to believe our men will be safe and in turn so will we.”
“A little prayer wouldn’t hurt,” I said, thinking of my grandmother.
“That’s better,” Araneae said. She laid her hand over her midsection. “I’m carrying a little princess or prince and he or she will know their daddy. I refuse to believe otherwise.” She looked my direction. “And I followed your directions, Lorna.”
“Mine?” I asked confused.
Araneae reached for one of the chairs as the plane wobbled and hummed. “I don’t think I’d been in the tower for long. Shit, it might have been day one or two. Anyway, you mentioned that you always tell your man you love him every time you part. I think I responded with a comment about not really knowing Sterling and that love was a strong word.” She shrugged. “That’s probably not exact, but I have pregnancy brain and am allowed a little creative liberty. Anyway, that as well as many other tidbits of advice you’ve offered over the years stuck. I told Sterling how much I loved him before we went to the apartment level. I told him again before I got on that stupid elevator. I may have said a few other things in the penthouse, but the important thing is that he knows I love him.” Her light-brown eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “Nothing is going to happen to any of them. I absolutely forbid it.”
Reid
The program watching the power grid appeared as a series of boxes and light. I understood it better than I could explain it. The important factor was that the number of lit boxes was decreasing exponentially. That meant that Morehead or Jettison was getting closer and closer to the right combination and the ability to shut down the building’s power supply. It wouldn’t be for long, but long wasn’t needed.
“To make sure we’re on the same page,” I said, “when the power is interrupted, they won’t physically need to enter our building or floors if they can install a backdoor entry allowing them access in the future.”
“Essentially,” Mason replied. “I fully expect and hope to God that they make the physical entry soon. If they don’t, we’re left in limbo. Unless, with such a small opening of time, between the three of us, we are able to locate the intruding counterprogram. Now, if it’s a virus, that changes things.”
“A counterprogram is a virus,” Patrick said. “And our