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Z

ara Hightower stepped into the town car with tinted s, sliding along the leather seat, positioning her briefcase at her feet on the floor She gave the man who slid in beside her a s the way her heart wanted to accelerate It was always this oal, when her body wanted to betray her She never let it Never She was very, very good at staying in control Breathing Keeping her heart rate perfect, adrenaline at bay

The car moved forward, and her head went up alertly "Wait I need my interpreter She always travels with me"

The car kept ave her a shtower, you do not need an interpreter I speak English""I', but I requirewhen he invited reed to speak with his people I've turned down his request four times, and will do so this time as well if you don't stop this car iet her"

She kept her voice smooth and even She had a certain reputation to uphold She never lost her temper She never raised her voice She was always polite She cut people doeetly, so sweetly they al the as how she was considered one of the world's leading ence, those around her should expect that she could hold her oith anyone, but they always took one look at her and judged on appearances Like now Zhangher a look that said she was nothing in his eyes before turning away fro out the

In her head, she went through the moves that would end his life and then the driver's She would use one hard-edged chop to the throat, hard enough to drive through the trachea Or she could just scratch his arize Then, when he sluoodthe driver in the back of the head, shooting Zhang to be certain and then taking control of the car One, maybe two seconds was all she'd need

Zara sat very still, appearing as she always did She looked like a beautiful e slate blue eyes and long red gold hair that fell down her back, thick and unusual, sheets of it falling below her waist, looks thaton when they should be listening to what she had to say Still, her looks enabled her to get her work done She shouldn't complain It was her looks that often kept her alive

She turned her head and looked out the , resisting the i, superior attitude They probably had a ca of the direction they were taking her She knehere Cheng's lair was He was faovernave theht and sold secrets and shared theovernment to buy their protection

Once at the facility, the car pulled into the underground parking garage, went through three guard stations and pulled right up to a private elevator Zhang got out first and went around to her door For a split second, Zara debated whether or not to have it out with the to move from the car She knew they would force her, but she also knew they wouldn't kill her

Cheng needed her He wanted the infor the price each tiive her talk on the VALUE system, as she called her project, and its uses in the business world He thought he had bought her with his enerous offer, the one that would set her up for life if she accepted it--or get her killed

She slid out of the car without looking left or right, and followed Zhang into the elevator Neither spoke as they hisked up to thewaited for her She was stopped as she stepped off Two guards with automatic weapons took her briefcase and pointed to a door She stepped through it into a narrow cubicle I devices, weapons and ca in any way

Zara knew Cheng was paranoid, and deservedly so He had his hand in every criuns, drugs or political secrets He had topall kinds of weapons that he sold on the black market What he didn't develop, he stole She knew every paper in her briefcase would be scanned and copied before it was returned to her She'd co Those papers were "encrypted" No one could break the code because there wasn't one In reality, the code was nothing but sheer gibberish, but it would give Cheng's people so to keep them busy

She was taken froh an open floor where there were several desks leading the way to Cheng's office He stood in the doorway, all sh he'd broken their rules

"Miss Hightower, how good of you to coreeted

She stopped uards to stop as well "My interpreter?" She didn't s, soood at it

"I' didn't sound in the least remorseful "You must understand I have many enemies I don't, as a rule, allow any outsider into these facilities There are always industrial spies We won't need an interpreter"

Stubbornly she didn't move an inch "Don't you think you should have let ed the conditions? I'hai, I always use her and have grown used to her"