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Annoyance ran through her. He obviously still believed she was somehow linked to Jack. That her actions, her reluctance, were an attempt to protect him. Maybe she’d have to shoot Jack again just to get Gabriel to believe anything else.
The thought shook her. Jack was her friend. She refused to believe anything else, even if the mounting evidence was to the contrary. At the very least, he deserved the chance to explain his motives—and to explain why his
clone had tried to kill her. Gabriel was here only because he wanted to find out more about her ability to sense the kites. To do that, he had to keep her out of prison. Friendship certainly didn’t enter into the equation.
“Let’s get out of here,” was all she said, as she pushed past him and headed for the car.
Two gray-clad SIU officers greeted them with polite nods. One handed over a key-coder. That was it. No questions about what had happened to the previous car, and no forms to fill in. Jack was right. SIU was a law unto itself—and, through Gabriel, it was a world she was getting sucked into deeply. And something told her only death would now free her from its grip.
She climbed into the car and crossed her arms, trying to ignore a sense of trepidation. In one respect, Gabriel was right. They had to find out what was on those disks, and Jack’s computer might be the only one capable of reading them. But Jack would know by now that she’d taken them. He wouldn’t take a chance on her not knowing about the apartment. He’d anticipate it and be ready.
Gabriel started the car and drove away smoothly, heading for the city. She watched the bright lights draw closer, and with every mile that passed, the sense of danger grew.
They arrived too soon for her liking. She climbed out of the car and looked up. The building was little more than a wall of black glass that acted like a mirror, reflecting the myriad lights of Federation Square. Black marble steps led up to the foyer doors, which were also black glass with gold fittings. The whole place reeked of money. How could Jack afford to own an apartment here? He earned the same salary she did, and she wouldn’t be able to rent a closet in a place like this. Hell, she could barely afford the council rates on her Brighton apartment, and that was only on the outskirts of Melbourne, so how could Jack afford this place, right in the city’s heart? Besides, he’d been having trouble keeping up with the payments on his Mulgrave home. If he owned this, why would he even bother?
Gabriel headed up the steps, and she reluctantly followed. A doorman, dressed in gray and gold, nodded politely and keyed open the huge glass doors.
She shook her head. How could anyone at State have missed this? If SIU had known about the apartment, surely State must have known—and that, in itself, suggested the apartment was legit. Anything shady would have been investigated.
Their footsteps echoed sharply in the cavernous foyer. The huge reception desk was actually manned, rather than having the usual hands-on computer help. The tall blond woman smiled as they approached, and her smile didn’t falter when Gabriel flashed his badge.
“Could you tell me if the occupant of apartment eight-eleven is currently in?”
The woman looked at her monitors. “No, he’s not.”
“Good. We need you to open it up for us.”
“I can’t do that, sir.”
“Yes, you can. I have a warrant.”
He pulled out his cell phone and pressed a few buttons. The woman studied the screen for a few minutes, then nodded. “I can use the cleaning code to give you access, but the time will still be limited to half an hour. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that—I haven’t got the clearance to change the programming.”
“Half an hour will do.”
The woman pressed a white button near the monitor. “I’ve called the elevator. It will take you straight to the eighth floor. Mr. Kazdan’s apartment is on the right.”
“Thank you for your assistance.”
The woman nodded. “I will, of course, have to call Mr. Kazdan and inform him of your warrant and search.”
“And you will, of course, inform us when Kazdan enters the building.”
The blonde nodded a second time. Sam walked over to the elevators. Once the doors slid open, she stepped inside. Gabriel followed.
“I thought you didn’t want Jack to know we’re here,” she said, as the elevator began to rise.
He shrugged. “All we need is enough time to see what’s on those disks. I doubt whether Kazdan will actually turn up.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” she said softly. “He has a mind as fast as his temper. He’ll be ready for a move such as this.”
His eyes were a subtle green under the elevator’s soft light. Green and cold, she thought.
“I don’t underestimate anyone,” he said.
Including her, obviously. While his distrust rankled, she understood it. Hell, even she wasn’t certain where her loyalties should lie.
The elevator came to a smooth halt on the eighth floor. He looked out and then motioned her forward. The door to Jack’s apartment slid open as they neared. She hesitated in the doorway, her stomach churning as she stared down at the line where the hallway’s plush gray carpet met the rich burgundy carpet of Jack’s apartment. If she stepped past that line, what she discovered might forever alter her relationship with the one person she’d ever allowed closer than arm’s length.
