He nods his approval and dismisses me to go upstairs because surely the others have arrived by now and I must be eager to begin our meeting. When I reach his office door, he calls out to me one more time. “Merci de prendre le temps de venir me voir, Locke. Je sais combien le temps est précieux.”

I turn and look at him, waiting an extra beat or two, just long enough to make him sit forward in anticipation, before I answer. “Personne ne sait mieux que moi combien le temps est précieux, monsieur.” And then I add in German for good measure, “Sie ist etwas, was nie verschwendet werden sollte.”

He smiles but I can see the defeat on his face. “A good lesson learned in any language,” he replies. “I’m glad to see you used your time abroad wisely.”

I just bought myself a little more credibility—and time.

But not much.

* * *

I emerge from the hallway with the nugget-head by my side. Apparently on my return trip the Secretary wanted to make sure I didn’t take any detours. Raine spots us, and smiles, but the worried questions are obvious in her eyes. She’ll have to save those for later. I give her the barest nod trying to reassure her.

The entire A Group has arrived, including two members, Brita and Carlo, who were absent at the other meetings because they were traveling. Introductions are made and we move to the living area where the newcomers are caught up on the proposed Virtual Collective projects.

Shane makes a point of sitting by Raine, hurrying to the empty spot on the sofa next to her before anyone else can take it. He smiles and stretches his arm out behind her, baiting me, obviously quite aware of my talk with the Secretary. I try not to let his antics bother me. I know Raine can handle him. One touch and she’ll humiliate him in front of the others—or worse. I’m almost wishing his arm would slip to her shoulder. But what I’m really wishing is that I could pop his head off and put it in the fruit bowl.

A better match? I suppose for a girl he’d be easy enough on the eyes—maybe someone even Vina and Cece would be all over if they didn’t know he already had his sights on Raine. And he and Raine do have similar backgrounds, similar educations … similar anatomies. Maybe even she would think they were a better match if she knew what was really inside of me. I’m not the flesh-and-blood person she thinks I am.

Ian doesn’t bother to keep the meeting on task. It’s clear he has lost interest in the official project, which will be decided at the meeting tomorrow night at Cece’s house once Brita and Carlo have time to read over the notes and weigh in. The unofficial project is never mentioned. The meeting devolves into chatter as Brita and Carlo share stories from their respective trips.

The Secretary makes an appearance, obviously checking on me to see if I properly absorbed his directive. I never glance in Raine’s direction and instead turn my attentions to Vina, who is more than appreciative. I hear the elevator door open and LeGru appears in the foyer. He silently shakes his head at the Secretary, whose face instantly reddens. He retreats back down the hallway, agitated, with LeGru following close on his heels. Something is brewing between the two of them and I don’t want to miss it. I excuse myself to make a call while Raine is occupied with serving the dessert that Dorian has brought in on a tray, and thankfully Hap has disappeared back into the kitchen with Dorian.

As Secretary of Security I can speed these things along. Which means I need to speed things along too.

Knowing the layout of the apartment is paying off, especially now that I know how far his office extends. Instead of following them downstairs, I turn left at the end of the hallway and find the stairway that leads to Raine’s domain—the roof. I walk up the stairs and exit quietly, gently easing the door shut behind me. Even in the dark, I can see that the roof is a paradise. Greenery that I couldn’t see from street level creates pathways, alcoves, and sanctuaries. Raine’s exquisite pieces of bonsai, miniaturized windswept trees, sit on rocky pedestals in nooks. Twinkling lights as small as fireflies hover in arbors. Whatever Raine does, whether fencing, bonsai, or scaling down ropes, she does it expertly and fully. I cross to the side of the roof where she lowers her rope ladder and search for it. It’s easily found in a burlap sack stuffed in a pot, which must mean she isn’t fearful of the Secretary invading this part of her world. I pull it out and take it to another corner of the roof. It holds Raine’s weight. I hope it holds mine too.

* * *

My plan plays out almost too easily, except of course that I’m dangling eight stories above the ground. I’m hidden in the shadows and have a made-to-order view into the office—and seeing the Secretary’s cool blown to hell completes the perfect perspective. He and LeGru are looking at something on his desk and I have a clear shot of their mouths. It’s only his anger and the occasional flailing of hands that makes me miss any words at all.

Tonight, dammit … running out of time.

We’ve done this a hundred times. We can’t get anything. He doesn’t know it himself.

He knows. He knows something.… Only eight days left.… I’m not letting this slip through my fingers now. Do you understand, LeGru?

What about his wife?

She’s been underground for years. We can’t find her.

… never should have let her go.

It wasn’t really our choice, was it?

LeGru walks to a leather armchair at one end of the Secretary’s desk and sits. There is some hopeful news. In five days we should have some promising new technology in place. I’m going down tonight myself to check on the details.