“It is,” Hudson confirms.“That’s why we’ll be looking into your employees’ finances.”
“I do pay them well,” he says.“The salary is commensurate with the high expectations we place, with the hope of diminishing the likelihood of anyone accepting a bribe.”With an exhale, he looks to the senator, the victim at the table.“Alicia allowed me to examine the materials in her office.There was no sound.Out of curiosity…”
“There’s no audio in what I received.”
“Interesting,” Adrien comments.
“Why?”Alicia prompts.
“Because.I would think the most valuable source of information, this day and age, derived in our club would be audio.First and foremost, especially in our restaurant and in the bars, it’s a social club.Deals are brokered.This effort.”His finger flicks at the copied threat.“It’s amateurish.”
“You say that without knowing anything about the Perimeter Defense Oversight Amendment,” Senator Crawford says.“Do we have a plan?”He checks his watch.“My chief of staff is waiting outside for me and he’ll be full of questions.”
“You haven’t brought your staff up to date?”Alicia asks.
“No, not yet.I don’t know how much I want to involve them,” the senator answers.
“Do you trust Marcus?”Alicia asks, referring to Marcus Webb, his newly appointed chief of staff, brought in after the previous one was indicted on charges of treason.
He exhales.“I do.And as I told you Alicia, I plan to read him in, but I haven’t had the right moment.”
“It will be helpful to have an additional point of contact,” she says with enough force that it’s clear this isn’t the first time the topic has arisen between them.
The senator pushes up from the table.“This weekend.I’ll read him in.”
As he’s backing away, Alicia adds, “And let me know your thoughts on our proposal.”
He grimaces, gives her a quick nod, and says to the room, “Thank you.Thank you for your time in addressing this issue.You’re doing important work.This is bigger than me.”
With that, he exits the room.
“Proposal?”Hudson asks Alicia, voicing the question we all have.
“Simple preparation should these materials wind up published.”
“Right,” Hudson says.
It’s decided that our team will visit The Sanctuary on Monday.We wrap up by discussing the logistics regarding our meeting next week.Adrien asks next to no questions about KOAN, which makes me suspect he was briefed beforehand.
A knock on the door sounds, and the receptionist from earlier peeks in, saying to Alicia, “Your ten o’clock’s here.She’s in your office waiting.”
“Thank you,” Alicia says, then to us, “Are we done here?”
“I believe so,” Hudson answers.“Until Monday.Once we get the personnel files, we’ll dig in.”
“Ms.Anderson,” Adrien says, addressing me, “Why don’t you accompany me back to my office?I’ll get you everything you need.”
“An electronic file—” Hudson begins.
“Oh, I wouldn’t email employee records.”Adrien’s smile is knife-thin.“Besides, I haven’t seen Ms.Anderson in years.Isn’t that right?”
Noah hears it too—the jab.I keep my expression neutral.“It has been a while,” I say evenly.“I’ll go, Hudson.I’ll deliver everything to Quinn.”
We exit as a group together, filling the space with small talk about weather, weekend plans, anything to mask the silence pressing between us.No mention of the case, no names.We know how to play the game.
At the lobby doors, Hudson gives me a pointed look.“Brie, touch base later.”
“Yes, sir.”Old habits, drilled into me by my father, snap out in the automatic reply.
