Page 112 of Mastermind

“Yeah. We need to keep all that pressure,” she replies.

I have no idea if what Theo said is true or not, but she seems to think it makes sense. Theo can be quite convincing with his bullshit.

He checks his device. “We’re good.”

“Are my power curves smooth enough for you?” asks Becca.

“I’ve seen better, but they’ll do,” he replies.

“Oh, you have, have you? I’ll take that as an insult.”

“Okay, fine. They’re the smoothest,” Theo says with a smile.

“Right answer.”

Hold up . . . have I been witnessing some kind of nerd flirting and didn’t realize it? “Do we need to check the sensors?” I ask.

“I think we’re good,” says Theo.

“Let me show you guys the way out. I’ll also give you my contact information in case you need another inspection or anything else,” Becca says.

I’m fairly certain that was directed entirely at Theo, or rather, Steven, the nerdy fire inspector with the square jaw. I wait until we’re out of the building before commenting on it.

Across the street, a man pushing a shopping cart loaded with garbage bags stops and looks at us for a moment, then continues on. He was there when we entered.

Theo looks past my shoulder and mutters, “Oh shit.”

There’s a sound of a blaring siren and the flash of blue lights as two all-black SUVs pull up on either side of our vehicle, blocking us in. Doors open, and footsteps rush up behind us.

“Hands in the air!” says a woman’s voice.

“By whose authority?” I shout.

“IDR,” says Director Vivian Kieren. “You’re under arrest for felony data theft.”

I turn around to face Kieren and the six men flanking her with their guns pointed at Theo and me. We both refuse to raise our hands. Kieren directs her men to apprehend us.

“Take a step closer and this isn’t going to end pretty,” I growl.

“This is going to end however I like. Search him,” she says, pointing to Theo.

Two men grab him, slam his head into the hood of the car, then cuff him behind his back.

I wince, wanting to jump in and stop it, but I know I have to wait for the right moment.

Kieren’s men go through Theo’s pockets and his bag, dumping everything onto the hood.

One of them holds up the device he used to check the power levels. “Got it,” he calls out.

Kieren walks over to inspect the apparatus. “Okay. Bag the IMT. Cuff her, too, and let’s bring them in.”

“This is a mistake,” I explain as they handcuff me. “I’m a federal agent in the course of an investigation.”

“You don’t know when to shut up, do you, bitch?” she says to my face. As her men hold me, she grabs me by the throat. Her nails claw into my skin. “You’re done. So done.”

I smile back at her, thinking ahead to when I get my payback.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN