CAMERAS AN
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ld see them in the reflection-cameras stacked three rows
othly from the seat across from h
ibi
de her thro
clogged the street. Satellite dishes tilted toward the sky. Reporte
rrings-Georgia's pearls-a
ll. Smile, but not wide. Georgia L
he talking poin
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the co
s continued confidence. I've taken time to r
nce. Approval
oor o
expl
the SEC is reviewing
d you know Victor
r criminal in
composure. Victor Hale. The former CFO who h
teppe
lbs det
mile
crowd surged. A hand brushed her sl
e chaos, low and male,
uldn't b
lse st
rn. Georgia w
urent Tower swa
nce fell lik
voice followed her
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f he
ens were already o
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n Victor Hale's name was men
ess," another repli
t collect beneat
le. "This is good," he said to the
snapped. "The stock dropped
n shifted to
ill
rgia-three months ago at
thing wa
leaned
time
ted two w
she murmured before s
om wen
d toward her. S
use
meant-the angle
e lau
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two weeks ago... then who had Sha
r cleared his throat
other image o
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ghted in r
ar near he
dn't have
ras had
d began
hem. Calm. Controlled. "We
n could f
s weren't jusre tigh
ia's penthouse suite, city lights burning ben
e footage on he
us
om
it was
angar
nced the
orgia-was a man partia
on f
w that
it in tra
allw
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s Ba
imestamp
an
use lights
n
ic
hone
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ted before
ce whispered
e watch
blood tur
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rea
h
Geor
ne wen
laser dot appeared on the
ea
ave
d on he
did not
e skyline, someone
claimed to be the woman
ser do
p
er h
lights w
allowed the
er dot
Sharon thought sh
he hea
um of the motorized bl
tic lo
th layered security. Reinforced gla
eant on
detected a we
ned from hold
whispered
rd the interior hallway?
onal sniper, they wo
lickered on-low amber
hosted faintly a
rself to thin
Sh
ould not
would
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like walking thr
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split
d. Supp
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s almost
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forced, ball
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paparazzi
as exe
ully now-metal shutters slamming down ov
sealed
a
tra
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shook as s
an I hoped," the
sured. Co
ou?" Sharo
now wh
"If you were Georgia, yo
pa
ft, humor
you that,
heart s
man co
e. Northwest corner. Yo
you kn
ce said calmly, "I
hit like
d can't force a vote while I'm alive. Bu
ainst the marble column, s
re ly
"Check the hangar photo
stomach
saw
you recogn
me
the voice continued. "You're no
ed the space
stion that had been clawi
e are
her
answered, her
than you
e disco
urged back t
voice echoed thro
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rali
he control panel e
building's live p
level
: nothin
ncial district high
fl
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stamp wa
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was faint
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coming unp
leaned
tepped in
s Ba
d something Shar
ing happe
eo cut
se thundered
message
I'm alre
unknown
ame w
gia was
d Sharon alm
sounded
turned
in the doorway of
it. Calm e
ly arranged acr
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uth we
pped c
as I heard abo
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rch
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e it
te
ed her brea
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d hers a sec
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oo
one of the interior security m
drifted past
across the stre
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ing up a l
utomatically on f
age sh
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raction o
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kn
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dn't
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ked
aid q
upposed to acc
don't slo
ten the
upposed to acc
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disap
was
didn'
nly felt smaller
lock engaged with a m
lo
dram
t f
ing," she said careful
tudied
ng for
fe
onfes
ing," he obs
one just tri
anding between me
aw your contract
wouldn't say
ent would ti
ld remain u
traightened
he replied coolly. "A bull
flickered
ere
gu
ere
he said. "Most people
on't have rein
nother st
hreat
sur
dat
pting quick
ds land
pti
e were a
his wer
t silence
h
ived a
face
sli
age?" h
ne claiming
e it
ulated
a had contacted her, this
e di
ould
didn't
the mess
ed evenly, "that you wer
le
av
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didn't
ith a
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aid. "Stress fra
live?" Sh
on hung be
held h
smi
he said quietly, "is
omach
't deny
t confir
refra
r sh
es confidence. Markets drop. Shareholders panic.
ic narr
ring an
aging r
taging
the shot," Sha
e would test t
e
atte
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ill me," sh
lied calmly. "K
rds we
he was standing just i
ld. To the board. To the banks. To the prosecut
e it
irma
re inves
p cooperating
n't he
u stop e
ised
thr
t f
thundered
h
e vibrat
dropped inst
it," h
me unk
ifted it
on sp
le
h
rea
liar
sur
oman
am
ure in the r
taphor
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didn't
hardened beh
be calling this
c
ompo
?" the woman
s breat
isgu
mpt to
gia Laurent w
g instability,"
d to kill
ox
Sh
a wo
ass
the phone l
nderestimate wome
's min
wasn'
was h
as hist
e you?" J
rgia replie
aking thi
e said.
pa
orgia c
k the
ne wen
in the room buzze
ron
me
n flickered automatically
nner across
FO FOUND DEAD IN
stomach
didn't
ort con
Moreau was discovered late tonight. Sources suggest the invest
d cut a
y turned to
n was no long
ger pa
alculati
," he m
looked
y lo
lculating
uietly, "this is why
de
er a
eorgia
-public
ked onto one terr
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orgia w
Sh
pos
one vibra
anced
tened for th
Sharon d
answer i
, his voice
ed her primary bank authenti
d his ey
unt is biometr
erson coul
eal G
h me
n't jus
as mo
as taking
steppe
fting into
e said sharply. "Security will increas
toward
pau
Sha
na
Geor
ar
had crosse
aid quietly, "you tell me. Or I w
or unl
epped
ged again fro
stood
icker stil
de
s trem
gia activ
just confirmed s
ibrated one
w me
Geo
three
ille
tared at
er message
ou're
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