28 Dale ran down the barren hall. Elevator? No, he’d have to wait for it to arrive and the intruder was right behind him, just around the corner, seconds away and there was the stairwell, but he’d never make it down before someone caught him so he ran right past. Had the intruder glimpsed him going around the corner? Maybe he was going the other way around the loop. If Dale kept running, he might faceplant straight into the guy. No, Dale couldn’t keep running. His heart fluttered, and fuzzy grayness seemed to fill his temples—breathe. He had to breathe. Poison was a coward’s weapon. But cornered cowards get mean. Instinctively, Dale swerved to the next room. His head whirled, but his hand slipped the key card right through the lock. Maybe his database hacks hadn’t been good enough

