Page 57 of The Lazarus Protocol

“Panels on the top. Greater range. Maybe it will run for hours, or days.”

“You could send it anywhere.” Adam sipped his drink.

Ash tapped the corner of his desk.

Adam looked at him, and Ash tipped his head toward where Steph stood at the screen. He mouthed, Talk to her and, She just lost everything.

As if Adam didn’t know that?

Technically, she hadn’t “died”—but being burned as a spy wasn’t so different than being captured, held for months. Tortured. Having his life threatened and finally finding rescue. Being offered a way out.

Adam wasn’t going to be her savior. But he figured he could help.

He wandered to where she stood. “Up for a field trip? I’d like to see if we can find Johannsen.”

Even if Jay could find evidence of what happened, and a conclusion could be drawn as to his fate, Adam’s oath meant he still had to do whatever he could to find the guy.

Steph tapped the screen on the corner of the woman’s image. “If she’s involved, he’s in real danger.”

“You think she might be gunning for Earthnet, trying to stop what they’re doing?”

She turned to him. “What are they doing?”

“I wish I knew.”

She flushed. “Maybe you should find out.”

“That wasn’t the job, but since they stiffed us on the final payment, I guess we could find out now.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ice.

“I’ll call Marina.”

“Thanks,” Adam said. “You wanna stay here and get some rest while we do this?”

“I do!” Ash called across the room.

Adam waved the guy away with a hand but didn’t take his attention from Steph. “Your feet probably still hurt.”

She shook her head. “If this is all connected to why I was burned, I want to be there to figure out what’s going on.”

“And if we have to go up against this Vesper?”

Determination flashed in her expression.

“You’ve got a bone to pick with her?”

“You could say that.” She put one hand on her hip. “But first, I seem to recall you promised to explain how it is that you guys have a genuine British butler in your French castle.”

Adam grinned, scratching his jaw. “I did promise that, didn’t I?”

“So spill.”

He’d rather find out how far she would go to get him to talk. That could be interesting. “Winston sent his résumé.”

“You advertised for a butler?”

“Nope. We told no one we…acquired the castle. Three days after we moved in, he contacted us and offered his services.”

“Someone knows you own this place.”