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“Three.”

“Let’s split the difference, shall we? Five.”

She swallowed audibly. “All right. But I want something from you in return.”

“This really isn’t that kind of negotiation, but I can’t help but ask. What is it you want?”

“Lazarus’s real name.”

Tilting his head slightly, he stared at her as if she were a strange new species he couldn’t quite comprehend. She repaid the stare with a hard one of her own, refusing to blink.

“I’ve seen you look up at the cameras in your bedroom. I know you hate them.”

His statement came from left field, but she knew exactly what he was doing. He thought he could offer her something else instead. And yes, she despised the cameras and would love to get rid of them, but if she could get something more significant, she could live with the cameras.

She remained silent, but her stare was pointed.

Unmoved by her silence, he said, “No deal. You haven’t earned anything, especially not the name of our current Lazarus and not the gift of removing the cameras.”

But he had given her something. He had confirmed that Lazarus was a title, rather than a specific person. She had already assumed that, but the confirmation helped.

While she wasn’t surprised, she was disappointed at not getting a name. Sending that kind of intel to her team this early in the mission would have been a major victory. Hopefully, she could revisit her request later. Taking a breath, she solidified her resolve and said, “I’ll need to use your laptop.”

“You can tell me the code.”

She gave him her own condescending look. “It’s at least a hundred lines of code.”

He stared at her for a long moment. He didn’t trust her, which was no surprise. And he shouldn’t. However, she couldn’t do what she needed to do without using the laptop herself.

“Very well,” he finally said. “But if you betray me, there will be severe consequences.”

Oh, she knew that, but she was confident her plan would ensure the consequences befell only her, not her loved ones.

The wheelchair moved forward. She hadn’t realized that Smith was still in the room. Once he’d positioned her at the desk, the bands on her wrists flipped open. Kingsley pushed the laptop in front of her.

She took a bracing breath and began to click keys. It was intricate work, requiring a massive amount of concentration. Thankfully, Kingsley seemed to understand that and said nothing as she worked.

Half an hour later, she finished. Nausea roiling in her stomach, she pushed the laptop away. Five people were now in the Wren Project’s crosshairs, and she was the one who’d loaded the gun. And if Kingsley discovered too early what else she’d done, thousands of lives would be at risk, including those of her loved ones. Bile rose into her esophagus. Her arms and legs still secured, she could do nothing more than turn her head to the side and throw up the small amount of breakfast she’d managed to down earlier.

“Oh dear.” Kingsley grimaced. “That’s a shame.” He looked at his laptop, his eyes moving rapidly over what she’d downloaded. A moment later, he breathed out a half laugh and said, “Oh, Serena, this is most excellent.”

She knew what he was seeing—what she had planned for him to see. It didn’t lessen the anger. “You’ll burn in hell for this.”

The smile he’d lost when she’d vomited returned full force. “Aw, Serena, I know you’re a woman of faith, and you believe in all that hocus-pocus. I, however, do not.”

Lifting his gaze from hers, he looked over her shoulder. “Smith, please take Serena to her room. Once she’s recovered, she’s to be given access to the gym, pool, and sauna.”

Showing that her condemnation made no impact on him whatsoever, he returned to looking at the screen. She doubted he knew when Smith wheeled her out of the room. He had gotten what he wanted, and nothing else mattered.

Behind her, Smith said softly, “The first time’s always the hardest. It will get easier.”

Surprised at his show of humanity, she wanted to question him. Had he been forced to do something similar before he’d become a minion to a monster? Did he have loved ones out there he was protecting? She kept silent, though. Maybe she could make use of his compassion in the future. Right now, her brain was a scrambled mass of fear, regret, hope, and dread.

The instant she was alone in her room and the bonds lifted, she ran to the toilet and emptied the contents of her stomach. Knowing she’d had no choice in the matter didn’t help.

Leaning against the door at her back, she gave herself a few moments to come to terms with what she had done. And then she did something that those who knew her well would not be surprised to see. She got up, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and dressed in yoga shorts, a T-shirt, and running shoes. On the way to the door, she grabbed a swimsuit from the dresser drawer.

The instant she opened the door, Smith was standing there, waiting for her. His smile genuinely kind this time, he said, “I’ll show you the gym, the pool, and the sauna.”