By mid-morning, the quiet of the penthouse was broken only by the sound of the elevator arriving. Cole had given the building manager strict instructions to let only two people up, and a moment later, the door opened to let Elias and Gideon step inside.
Both men looked calm, but alert. They knew Cole well enough to understand that if he called them to this private place instead of the office, the matter was serious. No greetings were wasted on small talk; they walked straight to the living room where Cole was waiting.
“You sounded urgent,” Elias said, setting his briefcase down on the table. “What is going on? And why here instead of headquarters?”
“Because this stays off the books for now,” Cole replied. “Sit down. There’s someone you need to meet, and something you need to see.”
He g
