“But seriously, how are we getting out of here when dawn comes?”
FIVE
Cooper
BODY HEAT
She absorbsmy limited information with the same intensity she probably applies to ancient language patterns. She scans my face, cataloging details, searching for additional data.
“My colleagues who were killed—Sarah Williams, David Kim, Lisa Parker—did Phoenix murder them?”
“Yes.”
“Can you answer anything with more than one word?”
“Obsidian protocol.”
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes, puffing out a breath that moves the hair falling across her forehead.
“Great. Two words. One more than one.”
Despite the circumstances, watching her get riled up is entertaining as hell. The way her cheeks flush with frustration, the spark in those green eyes—I’m getting a kick out of pushing her buttons.
“I know that word. Obsidian. It appeared in several of the coded files I found. I thought it was a codename, but it’s not. What is it?”
“It is a codename.”
“For what?” As her exasperation grows, my interest increases. There’s something sexy about her the more frustrated she gets. She’s smart. Too fucking smart for her own good.
“Phoenix kill protocol.”
“How many people has Obsidian killed?”
“Nobody knows.”
She’s quiet for several minutes, processing this information. The basement’s mechanical systems hum around us—heating pipes clicking, ventilation fans cycling, electrical systems humming their constant background noise.
Above us, the fire alarm finally stops. Emergency vehicles arrive on campus, sirens wailing. Phoenix teams will blend into the chaos, pose as concerned security personnel responding to the threat.
Professional. Disciplined. Patient.
“Cooper?”
“Yeah.”
“Are we going to die down here?”
The question comes out small and vulnerable. She’s finally hit the wall—the moment when the reality of her situation penetrates her academic curiosity and hits pure survival instinct.
“No.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because I’m very good at keeping people alive.”
She shifts against the tunnel wall, trying to find a comfortable position that doesn’t exist.
“Can you tell me about Cerberus? How did you know how to find me? Why are you helping people fight Phoenix?”
