Page 67 of Silver Fire

Sophie nodded.

“Are you sure they did not get them?”

“Unless they have my eyes, they couldn’t” Sophie replied. “But just to be sure, I’d better check on them. You can follow me, gentlemen.”

Sophie nodded at Stephen, who was silently observing from the lab. They were about to get into an elevator when Viktor’s phone rang.

“Baran…Fucking Hell…Are they alive?…Good. Take them to AGS. I should be there within the hour.”

Viktor turned to Sophie. “Guardians found Becker and his wife tied up in their house. They have a six-month old son. They’ll be taken into AGS.”

That explained how Nash Becker got coerced, Derek thought.

The group got into the elevator. Sophie looked into a retinal scanner and when her bio-stats were accepted, she punched the floor for the basement.

“I never knew there was a bunker,” Derek said.

“Only me and Stephen,” Sophie replied shortly.

Derek did not say anything. He hated that there were so many things he didn’t know about Sophie. Not that he could complain; they’d been together for less than a week.

They entered a sparse looking room. Sophie made her way to a shelf that held another safe. This one was extremely high-tech and also had a retinal scanner. She opened the compartment and revealed three grapefruit-sized smooth rocks. Weaponized zefinium.

Sophie exhaled deeply and closed it. Her mouth twisted in derision. “End of the line.”

“Who’s your composter?” Viktor asked. Composter was a slang the defense industry used for companies that destroyed extremely dangerous materials. These companies were frequently vetted by the CIA or FBI depending on scope.

Sophie told them.

“I’ll have to cancel my meeting with Christopher,” Sophie told Stephen absently.

Viktor scowled, while Derek couldn’t help laying it into Sophie. “Damn it, Sophie. Are you telling me you’re in negotiations with Blackstone to build the zee bomb?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why are you meeting him?”

“It’s none of your business,” Sophie retorted.

Before Derek could stop him, Viktor had Sophie pinned to a wall, his forearm across her neck.

Derek detonated. He charged Viktor, yanked him off Sophie and swung at him. Viktor blocked his right hook and the two men ended up in a deadlock. Derek slammed Viktor into the wall and growled, “Do not fucking lay a hand on her.”

Viktor regarded him coldly. “Get her in line.”

“I do not answer to you, Mr. Baran,” Sophie said acidly.

“Sophie, shut it!” Derek warned.

“Or what? I’m not building the zefinium bomb. Christopher is a family friend. He’s probably going to bug me about the cores but—”

“You told him about the cores?”

“I thought I told you.”

“No, you did not,” Derek replied darkly. Damn woman, what had she gotten herself into now? Viktor was getting ready to lock her down. His friend gave him a meaningful look.

“Are we done here?” Sophie asked, eyeing the two men warily.

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