Page 25

“Simple. The agency deletes all data obtained from my systems. Once I’ve confirmed the deletion, Ms. White will be released unharmed.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Then I suggest you reconsider your priorities.” I let a moment pass. “You seem concerned about her, Mr. Mercer. More concerned than a handler would be about an asset. Is there something I should know?”

The silence that follows is different from the others. Mercer didn’t expect me to notice, or he didn’t expect me to comment on it.

“She’s a valuable member of our team,” he says carefully. “Her safety is important to the success of the operation.”

“Of course.”

I don’t push further. I’ve learned what I needed to learn from this conversation. Mercer cares about Davina White more than he should. He’s not just a handler protecting an asset; he’s a man with personal investment in her well-being.

That’s useful information.

“I’ll give you forty-eight hours to consider my offer,” I say. “After that, the terms may change.”

“You can’t just—”

“I can do whatever I want, Mr. Mercer. You’re the one who sent her into my territory. You’re the one who put her in this position. If you want her back, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

I end the call.

The room is quiet. On the security feed, Davina has moved from the couch to the corner of the room—the one spot that’s almost outside the camera’s field of view. She’s sitting with her back against the wall, her knees drawn up, her arms wrapped around her legs.

I turn back to her file.

There are hundreds of pages, which is more than I expected for someone so young.

Travel records that show a woman who doesn’t go anywhere without a reason. Almost every aspect of her life revolves around work.

By the time I finish, it’s late afternoon. The light outside my window is starting to fade, and the security feed shows Davina lying on the couch again, staring at the ceiling with an expression I can’t quite read.

She’s not what I… anyone would expect, and that makes her dangerous.

I call Andrei.

“The guards on Ms. White’s room. Tell them to keep their distance. Don’t enter unless necessary. Don’t speak to her unless she initiates. Don’t scare her.”

There’s a pause. “You’re concerned about scaring her?”

“I’m concerned about seeing how she behaves when she’s not being pressured. I want to observe her natural responses, not forced reactions.”

“Understood.”

Chapter Nine - Davina

I figure it out on the third day.

Or maybe I figure it out on the first day, but it takes me until the third to accept it. The meals that arrive on schedule.

The Mercer and whatever agency he works for sent me into Gromov territory. Gromov caught me. Now Gromov is using me to get something from the agency.

It should make me feel better. If I’m leverage, I’m valuable. If I’m valuable, they won’t hurt me. Except it doesn’t make me feel better at all. It makes me feel like a thing, a tool passed between two groups of men who are playing a game I never agreed to.

I spend the morning pacing and trying to work out the angles. The agency has data they stole from Gromov’s systems. Gromov wants it back. I’m the pressure point he’s using to get it.

What if I’m not as valuable as he thinks?