pull-up while I was clinging to his back like dead weight and he’d made it look and feel effortless. He wasn’t even breathing hard. I slid off him, pretty sure I was breathing harder than he was.
Ian quietly laid the panel back into place. I brought up my primary com’s display in time to see Mrs. Vignette slam out of her office and march our way. The video from Ada’s camera didn’t give me a good enough angle to see if I’d left any evidence behind.
I held my breath when she stopped at the very desk I’d been using. Apparently their sysadmins were even better than I’d thought. She peeked underneath, then brought up the display. “There’s nothing here,” she said, her voice cold. “You interrupted me in the middle of an important meeting for no reason.”
She listened silently for a few seconds before obviously speaking over whoever was on the other end of the call. “If you think someone is here, you’re welcome to come in and check. In fact, I insist. Have a report on my desk by seven.”
She ended the call, glanced around once more, then stalked back toward her office, where her husband and her lover were still arguing. I didn’t move until the office door closed behind her.
Ian eased past me and motioned for me to follow him. We met Loch and Ada in the main part of the maintenance crawl space where we could all stand.
“Do they have him?” Ada asked softly. “Did you find him?”
“They have him, assuming Riccardo wasn’t lying about his identity.”
“Where is he?” she demanded.
“Let’s discuss it once we’re safe,” I hedged. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t want to tell her the truth, either.
Her mouth flattened, but she nodded grudgingly.
We went out the way we’d come in. In the supply closet, Loch ripped the hotel manager’s camera out of the wall and crushed it beneath his heel. He picked up the pieces and handed them to Ada. Her smile was malicious.
Ada opened our room door and by silent agreement, we didn’t speak. We didn’t know if more bugs had been planted while we were gone. Ada and I changed back into our fancy clothes—after quickly scanning the bedroom. We packed everything back into the suitcases, I covered my face, and we left.
“I’m going to rain holy hell on them about this,” Ada said, holding up the camera Loch had smashed. “While I’m causing a scene, you two go ahead. We’ll meet back at the House. It looked like MineCorp might’ve been on to you, so it’ll be less suspicious if we’re leaving because the room is bugged than if we left for no reason.”
When we entered the lobby, Ada’s expression transformed into an exact copy of Mother’s when she was on the warpath. It was terrifying, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Customers and employees tripped over themselves to get out of her way, especially with Loch’s looming form following her like a scowling thundercloud.
Ian and I slipped through the lobby and out the front door in the wake of hurricane Ada. We turned right, walking away from MineCorp. At the next transport pickup, we ducked into the waiting vehicle. I swiped my identity chip over the reader and directed the transport to circle Rhys’s block.
Ian raised an eyebrow. “We’re not going back?”
“I haven’t decided,” I said, smoothing a hand over the gold fabric of my dress.
“Exactly how bad is it?” he asked. I stared at him for long enough that he frowned and said, “We have a deal.”
“I’m not sure our deal is going to survive,” I told him honestly. “You’re going to break your word and I will never forgive you.”
Now it was Ian’s turn to stare. “Fuck. He’s in Antlia. Tell me I’m wrong.”
I sighed and deflated against the seat. My head hurt, my heart hurt, and I was a breath away from betraying my sister in an effort to keep her safe. “He’s in Antlia,” I confirmed.
“Is he on XAD Six?”
“Are you going to leave me behind if I tell you?”
Ian leaned forward and met my eyes. “I will not break my word. But I will strongly discourage you from going. One von Hasenberg in Rockhurst territory is bad enough. Two is a disaster.”
“You can discourage all you want. I’m going. You promised and you need my help.” I trusted Ian, but I didn’t trust him quite far enough to tell him about my modified nanos. I couldn’t