The building in Washington DC was nondescript, a mid-rise office building in a busy commercial district that appeared to be a consulting firm or a tech startup. Willy walked into the lobby, and a security guard immediately directed him to an elevator without asking his name or verifying his identity. Everything had been arranged in advance.
On the ride up to the twenty-third floor, Willy thought about his mother. Catherine had faced something similar to what he was facing now. She had encountered the network and chosen to fight rather than submit. She had paid the ultimate price for that choice. Willy hoped that he would be able to achieve what she could not.
The elevator doors opened onto a conference room that occupied the entire top floor of the building. Floor-to-ceiling windows disp
