JD opened the top drawer in the desk and found a VR eyemask. He pulled it on over his eyes, rested his hands on the controls embedded in the chair, and leaned back. His body remained in the office but his mind was transported to the stars.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“I told you to wait in the truck,” Enda whispered harshly as she and Soo-hyun entered the building’s lobby.
“And I told you and JD that I’m in this ’til the end.”
Enda sighed. “Fine. But can you stay in the lobby?”
“Sure thing, I’ve got half a bottle of vodka and some forgetting to do; I’ll be fine.”
Enda opened her mouth to speak, but Soo-hyun cut her off.
“I’m joking. I’ll be here if you or JD need me.”
“Thanks,” Enda said.
Soo-hyun peeled away to plonk down on one of the plush lounges splayed, worryingly, beneath the massive constellation chandelier.
Enda approached the reception desk. “I’m here to see David Yeun,” she said, interrupting the overlong polyglot greeting. “He’s expecting me.”
The receptionist bowed, and reached for the phone. He made a call, speaking in a hushed apologetic tone. After listening for a few long seconds, he hung up, bowed again to Enda, and said, “I’ll take you to him.”
The receptionist came around from behind the desk, and led Enda past the bank of elevator doors into a well-lit but plain corridor—the ostentatious corporate wealth of the lobby left well behind.
They reached a pair of elevators, and the receptionist took his personal security card from his pocket and held it to a small panel by the doors. One of the elevators opened, and the receptionist stood aside, letting Enda enter first. He hit a button, but instead of ascending, the elevator dropped.
Nine meters below ground level, the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto another barren hallway. The receptionist walked quickly, stopping at a door of translucent glass. He tried his pass on the security panel, but it bleeped in protest. He knocked.
The door opened and Mohamed stood in the gap, his suited bulk blocking the view.
“Mohamed,” Enda said. “How’s the throat?”
Mohamed nodded to the receptionist. “I’ll take it from here.”
The man bowed deeply and retreated. Mohamed motioned Enda forward.
She stepped through the door and found herself in the executive gym. Mirrors lined one wall of the wide space filled with top-of-the-line treadmills, exercise bikes, and rowing machines, along with racks of weights and various other devices Enda couldn’t name. The only exercise tool she used was the sidewalk. The air was tinged with a mix of body odors and the sharp chemical scent of window cleaner.
“Raise your arms,” Mohamed said.
Enda did as she was told, biting down on the pain that arced along her right arm. Her jacket pulled open, revealing her holster. Mohamed took the pistol and inspected it quickly, before slipping it into the front pocket of his well-cut designer blazer. He patted her down—quick, firm, and utterly professional. He found the experimental datacube in her jacket pocket, inspected it, and returned it.
“If you try anything, I’ll be ready.”
Enda smiled. “Sure you will, big guy.”
Mohamed glowered, but Enda ignored him and approached Yeun. The executive was on a treadmill, wearing the sort of tight, overpriced running gear that Enda loathed, his neat hair artfully mussed by sweat and exertion, his cheeks tinged red with effort.
“Annyeong haseyo,” he said, without a hint of breathlessness. Enda was almost impressed.
“Don’t tell me you live here.”
“I appreciate your concern for my work-life balance, Ms. Hyldahl, but I assure you there is nothing to worry about. I sleep little, wake early, and aim to be at my desk in time to watch the sun rise.”
“Whatever it takes to stay on top, huh?”
“Now that the pleasantries have been dispensed with, can we talk about the business at hand? I am displeased with these delays, Enda. You should have brought the data to me immediately.”
“I was dealing with the group that shot up your people at the apartment. They had a hostage. Now they don’t.”
“Do you have the data with you?”
“I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Yeun pressed a button on the treadmill and it wound down to a stop. He wiped the sweat from his face with a white towel and stepped down to stand before Enda. His face was a mask, but Enda could see the gleam of excitement in his eyes.
She retrieved the cube from her pocket, and paused for effect before offering it