polished wooden cane, but his post

ly toward the

to the Department of Defense and a l

use her family's connections to get into his exclusive a

vanished, replaced by a

asped, stepping forward. "Wh

you have to hear this. This woman is sitting here lying, claiming

e professor to destro

e old man, trying to distance

ven look at Carolyn. He

ssed them entirely and l

tened into a look

ed her chair back, squared her shoul

Cilla said, her voice ringi

armly. "It has been far

e air like a phy

silent. You could hear the ice

ood drained from her face so

darting between the frail old man

under him. His breath caught in his throat. He sta

ned his head to look at Car

iar, young lady?" Finch demanded,

ep back. "I... I just meant...

the rubber tip of his ca

itary Academy," Finch announced loudly, ensuring every person i

d through th

r senior thesis on autonomous drone combat is curren

tables began whispering, shooting looks

shoes, his face burning

chable persona she had built her entire life

nds shaking. He reached out,

s voice trembling with panic.

f-step backward, comple

with eyes as cold

aid softly. "And you would

cating realization crashed over him. He had throw

shoulder. "Come visit me at the Pentagon when y

Sir," Cil

handed him a black credi

They walked past Jace and his friend

andle of the restaurant's front door, a