say - "
"They're not all-knowing," Simms said.
"But you don't know what they do know, or when, right?"
Simms shrugged. "Eidolon has more than twenty psychics feeding them predictions. Some of those may sense what you're about to do. But I think they'd likely discount this because it is so stupidly confrontational."
"Hey!" Jazz cried.
Lucia patted her on the shoulder. "Stupid is good. Clever would get us killed."
McCarthy smiled, briefly. "Not you, apparently."
"Shut up."
He cocked an eyebrow. "You and Borden, wanting a piece of me today. What's that about?"
"I have better reasons."
The color drained out of his face when she said that, and she wished she hadn't; it wasn't like her to rub it in. The shock of those obscene photographs was still vivid. She'd taken them to Manny's shredder and reduced them to a pile of thin crosscut strips, then run them through an acid wash to destroy any chance of reconstruction. Manny's idea, when he'd finally rejoined them, although he hadn't asked what was on the photos. It seemed likely her expression had told him enough.
McCarthy was mutely waiting.
"Work first." She had more than enough to think about. She wondered if she dared ask Manny to run a pregnancy test for her, or if she wanted to wait until later, until this was over and she was free to walk into a store and have nothing but a normal woman's anxieties. "I'm sorry. Cheap shot."
"It's not like I don't deserve it."
"Guys, wallow in whatever you're wallowing in later," Jazz snapped. "Focus, already. This is serious."
Lucia sucked in a deep breath. "We go in through the front door, take the device to the server room and position it. Meanwhile, Manny's guy - " Manny knew guys who could do just about anything " - hacks into the off-site data storage facility and arranges for a system crash there. They may have redundant backup systems - we have to watch out for that. Manny's guy will be monitoring and will kill any off-site systems they try to bring online. Meanwhile, we set off the EMP in their server room. In and out, fast, in the general confusion."
"You're going to get yourselves killed," Borden said. He was sitting at the far end of the table, with his hands handcuffed in front now, not behind. "Jazz, don't do this. You have no idea what you're getting into, you don't. Really."
"You have no idea what we're getting into, either, Borden," Lucia said without looking up. "We've tried it your way. It hasn't worked. Time for a new approach."
He was rubbing his head furiously now, handcuffs clinking together. "Jazz, I'm begging you. Please."
Jazz said, "Manny, you're going to keep him secured, right?"
"Absolutely," he agreed. He sounded depressed. "But I don't like it. I don't like any of this."
"You think I do?" she snapped back, and covered her eyes with her hands, pressing. "I'm sorry. Tired. I want this over, dammit."
"And I want everybody out of my house," Manny said. "So yeah, I'll watch him. I'll do what you need me to do. But when this is over, everybody gets out. And you pay me for my time. And we go back to the way things were."
"Fine," Lucia said. Jazz started to protest, but Lucia overrode her. "Fine. I have no objection to that. Jazz, you'll be okay here for a while? I need to go home."
Jazz immediately looked alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Everything. "I just need a shower and clean clothes and a nap. Plus, the item's being delivered to me there. I'll bring it here once it arrives."
"I don't like you going out," she replied.
"She's perfectly safe," Simms said.
"See?" Lucia pushed back from the table and had to brace herself. She felt light-headed from too much caffeine, not nearly enough rest. God only knew how much abuse her body had taken in the past few weeks, but it was starting to make its displeasure with the situation very clear. "A nap is all I need."
"Take it here," Jazz said. "We have an unbelievable bathroom, too. Seven showerheads. Marble tiles. Whirlpool." It sounded, literally, like heaven, but she needed something that she couldn't get here. Silence. Peace. Solitude.
She shook her head. "I'll go," she said. "Everybody else stays." Jazz opened her mouth. "I mean it, damn you. Follow orders, for once in your life." McCarthy snorted. "Manny, can I - "
He tossed her the keys to the Hummer before she'd even gotten the words out. She nodded in gratitude.
"Gas it up," he called after her. "And