“Just work. No bigdeal.”
The push and pull continued. She asked him to confide in her. He told her he was happy to help her. She crossed her arms. “I’m not leaving until you spill. What’s goingon?”
Knock, knock,knock!
Decker burst into the room. “The bugs are performing perfectly. Like that epic fucking fail neverhappened.”
Alexandra whipped her head around. Crockett’s phone rang. “I have to take this.” He hit the talk key, pressed the phone to his ear. “Wilde.”
As he listened, he pushed out of his chair and strode to the window. “I understand,” he said. “What do youthink?”
Decker sidled over to the conference table, removed his suit jacket and tossed it on the chair. His face was pale, he couldn’t hold still. Jittery hands paired with darting eyes made for a very nervousDecker.
“Thanks for your honesty.” Crockett hungup.
“Well?” Deckerasked.
Crockett eyedher.
“This is where I’m supposed to leave,” she said. “But I’m not. You two look likehell.”
“Close my office door.” Crockett waited for Decker to shut it. “That was Danny.” A chill swept through the room. “Three of the attendees thought our demo was brilliant. They liked how we included the fail-safe.”
“What about the others?” Decker asked, fiddling with his man-bun.
“Not so much. And one is convinced something went wrong. Danny isn’t sure we’ll make it to RoundThree.”
“Oh, no.” Alexandra knew how important this was to Crockett. “Whathappened?”
Without getting into the weeds, Crockett told her about the Spy Fly failures during both FBIdemos.
“You’ve never experienced anything like this before?” sheasked.
“No.” Both men responded inunison.
Crockett opened his top drawer and rifled through it. Then, he punched his phone console. “Ellen, I need aspirin, three coffees, andfood.”
The door flew open and Ellen set a bottle of pain relievers on his desk. She shot Alexandra a tight smile. “Be backshortly.”
“I’d like to help,” Alexandra said. “But I need more information. Can I ask you somequestions?”
“She can be objective.” Decker shoved his hands into his pockets. “I think we should tellher.”
An hour later, the sandwiches had been devoured, the coffee long gone. Alexandra had learned enough to make a brash conclusion. “This reeks of foulplay.”
“I reviewed everything,” Crockett said. “There’s been nobreach.”
“I’ve double and triple checked,” Decker said. “No one has hacked into oursystem.”
“Who, here, would gain if Wilde failed?” Alexandraasked.
Up went Crockett’s eyebrows. “Noone.”
Decker snickered. “That’sabsurd.”
Alexandra pushed out of the chair and leaned against the windowsill. “If these incidents aren’t coincidental—and it doesn’t sound like they are—then someone wants you tofail.”
Crockett’s jaw ticked. “We’ve been so busy reacting, we haven’t gone on theoffense.”