Fury and Flame | 3

1 | 3

R I L E Y

When I heard footsteps approaching, I didn't bother looking up from my book. With Kane watching silently, Arlo and I had been bickering all afternoon, our words had gotten significantly more vulgar as time went on. Finn eventually had enough and practically dragged Arlo away so he wouldn't have to hear another word of it. I took it as a personal victory.

      "What do you want, Damari?" I asked.

"I'm insulted you think I'm Arlo."

Then my gaze did snap up. Jake stood before me, glaring downward. "I have another job for you, Traversa."

I gave a loud sigh and threw my book onto the arm of the chair. "Do you remember what happened last time you asked me to do something for you?"

"It worked perfectly and you got the paperwork I needed from Hundsen."

"You left out the part where Kane and I almost got shot by one of his men."

He waved a hand. "Minor details. The point is, you were able to do it. I need you to do it again. And this time, I think you'll be motivated to do it without me bribing you with Shires' company."

I didn't look at Kane, though I knew he was focused on his computer and trying very politely to look like he wasn't eavesdropping. "What is it?"

      "I need you to poke around the ONNT building and find out what they're hiding. Krasowski won't disclose what was on the microchip I stole from Imperium. They're hiding something."

      I blinked. "Are you insane? The ONNT building? I can't break in there, their security is higher than ever after what happened with Benny and Gigi."

      "Don't be stupid, you wouldn't break in." I scowled, but let him keep talking. "You go in with an excuse to see Krasowski. Once you're done with her, you give her the slip and double back to those conference rooms on the second floor. There are always meetings in there; people were going in and out earlier. Do whatever you have to do to stay hidden. Once you find adequate information, slip back out and find the soldiers. After you give them an excuse, they'll bring you back here."

      A moment went by. "You are insane."

      "I'm a visionary." His face didn't change. "Don't you want to take something from Krasowski? Don't you want her to suffer?"

      I scoffed. "Yeah, more than anything else at the moment."

      "Then do it. She won't suspect a thing if you're as good a liar as you've proven to be in the past." That was a jab at my dealings with Benny.

      Two could play at this game. "You're not a bad liar yourself, as we've seen with the secrets you kept about Benny's power," I returned. "Why don't you go?"

      "Must I explain myself to everyone?" He sighed and began to speak to me as if I was a petulant child. "She's already suspicious of me. If I went there again, she'd call her men on me in seconds. It has to be you."

I let his statement hang in the air for a moment. Then a slow smile grew on my face. "Alright." I got to my feet. "Alright, I'll do it."

With that, I left—after notifying her office to send transport—and went up to my room and opened a cabinet. Inside I had poisons and mixtures of every type and color. It had become both a hobby of mine and a backup plan after the attack on the compound.

I ran my finger over the various bottles until I found the one I needed. As I pulled it from the shelf, I smiled down at it. This would come in very handy.