“Here's an idea for you,” he said, chewing his gum lazily. “Instead of blaming America first for everything that bugs you, why don't you consider some other possibilities? If it's not too much of a strain.”

“Like who?”

“How about the mullahs in Tehran, for a start? You wouldn't believe the shit they're up to.”

Sarah knew he was baiting her again and tried to stay cool. She wanted to say, I'm American, you fucking racist, and I hate the mullahs, but knew that's what he wanted, he wanted to make her angry. After that, he would tell her she was just being emotional, adding sexism to the list of qualities she already loathed him for.

“Absolutely,” she said, channeling her anger into sarcasm. “Let's make sure Iran is on the list. After all, every country with a GDP the size of Finland 's is a grave threat to our national security. I mean, did you see it on the news? Two Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated last week in Istanbul.”

“Really?” Ben said. “I must have missed it.”

“Yes, and their bodyguards, too. Even though we have a law-Executive Order 12333-that prohibits assassination.”

Ben shrugged. “What can you do? Iran has a lot of enemies.”

“Sure, and maybe we subcontracted the job to one of them, just like we used to subcontract torture to get around our laws against that. Until we started doing it ourselves. You see what happens when it's okay to break the law a little? It starts getting broken a lot.”

“I admire your idealism,” Ben said, with a paternalistic smile that made her want to punch him.

Alex said, “You mentioned a third possibility. What is it?”

A moment went by while Ben examined a cuticle. Then he said, “You don't want to know about that one. It's the one that doesn't have a happy ending. And right now, it's looking the most likely. I get the feeling you two are going to keep your heads in the sand until someone shoots your asses off.”

How could he talk that way about his own brother? How could he care so little? Was it an act? After all, he was here, that must mean something.

“What about the police?” she said.

Ben looked at her. “What about them?”

“We could tell them about the missing files.”

“Sure you could. What do you expect they would do at that point?”

“I don't know. Recognize something really is going on here, just like we have. Devote additional resources. Protect us, maybe.”

Ben shrugged. “Well sure, then do it.”

She glared at him. She wanted to slap that insouciance right off his face.

“Okay,” she said after seething for a moment, “tell me what I'm missing.”

Ben sighed. “You're not looking at things from the other side's perspective. Here, the other side is the police. Alex already ran his conspiracy theory past them, isn't that right, Alex?”

“Well, I wouldn't call it that,” Alex said. “And anyway, that was before-”

“Before what? Before you claimed some files went missing? They'll think it's a stunt. They'll think you're trying to find a way to be taken seriously. They'll start to take a very close look at you in a way you do not want to be looked at.”

“But my files are missing, too,” Sarah said.

“Right. They'll think Alex took them so you would corroborate his claim.”

“They wouldn't think that,” she said, realizing she sounded petulant. She just didn't want him to be right.

“How many police do you know?” Ben asked. “Do you know how they spend their time, how they look at the world? Let me tell you what a San Jose homicide detective is focused on. Gangs. Teenagers dead of gunshot wounds. Witnesses afraid to cooperate. Trying to keep a lid on all that. That's his world. The shit you've gotten mixed up in? That's what he goes to the movies to see. That's as real as he thinks this kind of thing is. And even if he did believe you, what then? What do you think-you're going to get a protective detail from the San Jose police?”

Damn it, he was right. But…

“Someone took those files from our offices,” Sarah said. “How did they get in?”

“I can think of several ways,” Ben said. “Why?”

Alex sat forward in his chair. “Right-the key cards. They're all individually encoded. So if you wanted to, you can tell who's been coming and going, and when.”

Ben shook his head. “Even if they had help on the inside, you're not going to find out who with a key card.”

“Why not?” Sarah said.

“Everything else they've done has been too thorough. They're not going to make a mistake that obvious.”

“How else could you get in and out at night?” Sarah asked.

“Look, you wouldn't have to be Houdini to slip past the receptionist during business hours and hide in a bathroom or wherever until the place had emptied out. There wouldn't be any electronic evidence of that.”

“But they knew exactly which offices to go to,” Sarah said.

“Your names are on the wall outside them. Not that anyone would need even that. This wasn't planned overnight. They've been studying your firm's filing system, they've been watching you, for months.”

“Even so,” Alex said, “I think we should contact security.”

“No,” Ben said.

“Why not?”

“First, like I said, it's a waste of time. Second, you've introduced me to enough people in your firm as it is. I don't want the attention.”

Sarah, pissed, started to say, Sorry to put you out, but managed not to.

“You trust your boss?” Ben said. “The cowboy?”

Alex wanted to say, I don't trust anyone. Instead, he said, “Why? You think he's involved?”

Ben shrugged. “He was here early this morning.”

“He keeps odd hours. Anyway, why would he do it?”

“How should I know? He's your boss.”

“He's making seven figures a year. I don't think his motives would be financial.”

Ben laughed. “Is it ever enough?”

The room was quiet for a moment. “All right,” Sarah said, “option two. What are we talking about exactly?”

Ben looked at Alex. “Can you work with that backup file?”

“Of course,” Alex said.

“Then do it. Grab a few days’ worth of gear, find a secure place to hole up, forget about everything else, and figure out what's so special about this technology.”

“It doesn't sound like much,” Sarah said.

“It's not. But it beats Alex waiting around for someone to put a bullet in the back of his head.”

She realized he was only talking about Alex holing up. What was she supposed to do? Two people were dead. Someone had stolen something from her office. They'd hacked the PAIR system, they'd broken into Alex's house. The thought of the only two people in the world who understood what was happening just leaving her was frightening.

“Yeah?” Alex said. “What's Sarah supposed to do?”

Sarah was so grateful she had to force herself not to smile at him.

“The same thing you're doing,” Ben said. “Lay low. Wait for you to figure out what the technology really does.”

“I can figure that out faster with Sarah than I can alone.”

Sarah blinked. Did that just come from Alex Treven?

Ben shook his head. “I think it would be more secure if-”

“If what?” Alex said. “If we separate? I don't see how. And you said it yourself: the thing that's ultimately going to make us secure is knowing why someone wants this technology badly enough to kill for it.”

Ben scratched his cheek. “All right. Suit yourself.”

Alex looked at Sarah. “Can you disappear for a few days?”

She let out a long breath. “Maybe if I were sick… you've been sick, right? The flu?”

“Until this morning, anyway,” Alex said. “Osborne saw me on my way in.”

Sarah tried to smile. “I guess I could catch what you had. And you could have a relapse.”

Alex looked at Ben. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

Alex sighed. “Can you spend a little more time on this? A little more time with Sarah and me?”

“I don't think you really need me.”