“DARKNESS IS HARD TO DEFEAT.” The gray-haired man stood by a bank of windows overlooking the black Pacific. A dimmed antique chandelier imprisoned the shadows and barricaded dawn"s arrival. Polished, paneled walls reflected Tiffany lamplight. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases exuded first-edition mustiness. His minions, five silent figures sitting in a circle of plush chairs, weighed his remarks. “The others will be here soon,” he said. “We need to find a successor for our dearly departed.” His undisguised disgust darkened his pallid complexion. “His office has been searched and secured. They were thorough. No signs have been left.”
DARKNESS IS HARD TO DEFEAT.“Do you have someone in mind?” asked the youngest of the group, a former corporate founder who took his money and ran.
“That"s why we"re
