Page 50 of Steinbeck
“Calm down, Emberly,” Steinbeck said.
Declan’s eyebrow rose.
“My name is Phoenix, and I willnotbe calm.”She rounded on him.“This is exactly why I was trying for the last eight months to get my hands on Axiom.”She turned back.“We can’t wait.The Russians who were chasing us in Cuba might already have a copy of the program.”
She stared at Declan then, her chest rising and falling.
And in case Steinbeck wondered, yes,Emberlyhad vanished.
Phoenix stood in her place, in her skin.
“Wait—you don’t think I gave it to them?”Declan.
“I think you’ve been doing some kind of dance with them for years, Dark Horse.Who knows what you’ve told them?”
Declan’s expression morphed right then into the operative he’d been so many years ago.
Steinbeck stepped between them.“Everybody take a breath.”
“We need that program, Stone.”Phoenix.
“I don’t carry it in my back pocket, Phoenix.”Declan.
“Okay, listen.”Steinbeck turned to Declan.“Where can we get access?”
He met Steinbeck’s eyes.“In my vault.”
“In Mariposa?”
“Montelena.I reactivated a bio-key and parked it back in the crypto vault.”
“Perfect.All I need is your phrase, your thumbprint, a sample of your DNA, and your eyeball.Happy to retrieve any of those?—”
“Phoenix!”Stein turned, put his hands on her shoulders.“He said yes.”He glanced at Declan.“Right?”
“Yes,” Declan said.“Except I have to be in New York City tomorrow to prepare for a military conference, and?—”
“I think saving the world from the Terminatormightbe more important,” Phoenix snapped.
“Hokay...”Steinbeck turned, put his back to her.“How do we get it, then?”
“I’ll meet you in Montelena.Give me two days.”
“In Montelena.”
“You want to create a virus that actually works—you’ll need the source code.And probably a roomful of programmers.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Phoenix said.“Don’t stand us up.”
Declan glanced at her, back at Stein.“Not sure whose side you’re on here.”
The words stung.“The world’s side,” Steinbeck said.
Declan nodded, his eyes hard, then he glanced at Austen.“Sorry you’re missing the concert.”
“Seriously?And miss all this?”She walked over to him, slid her hand into his, looked at Steinbeck.Then Phoenix.“You can trust him.”
Declan offered a grim smile.“Two days.See you there.”Then he walked out with Austen.
