Alexei couldn’t sleep. The memories of a young Dahlia Verk haunted him. Every time he closed his eyes, another memory pierced his heart.
He awoke to the sound of his phone.
How long was I out? I don’t think it was long. I still feel exhausted.
How long was I out? I don’t think it was long. I still feel exhausted.“Da,” Alexei said.
Da“Hello, Alexei. I see that you rang our special drop box,” Dahlia said. “I had an alert set up. It was a bit delayed, but the important thing is that I got your message. What is so urgent that you broke the silence after all these years?”
“Has any of your infrastructure been hacked or otherwise compromised?” Alexei asked.
Dahlia said nothing. Instead, she said, “Why do you need my help?”
She was good—always answering a question by asking another: a commo
