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“Lund wouldn’t tell me. Just said to drop you off. I’m hoping Monica will be there. Is she still in town?”
Roth arched his eyebrows. “Saw her yesterday.”
Jordan nodded his head enthusiastically. “Good to hear.”
His interest in Monica, and hers in him, was obvious. Roth always missed Sarina—but sometimes, like now, the loss was a bone-deep ache. He’d figured she was gone forever, but now he wasn’t so sure. He’d seen what Calakmul’s magic could do. Surely he could have cured her . . .
Even if she had survived the diabetic coma, though, Jacob might have killed her—and Suki—out of vengeance. He didn’t know. Couldn’t know. Sleep didn’t come easily anymore. He was worried sick that his actions would have consequences he wouldn’t be able to live with.
When the boys returned with breakfast, they chatted it up with Jordan about video games, sight-seeing in DC, and other small talk. After they were done, they went down to the parking garage and packed into Jordan’s Toyota Highlander.
Going up Third Street, they passed the US Capitol building with its huge dome, then turned left on Pennsylvania Avenue. There were so many famous buildings, huge stone structures like Greek temples. So different from the gray limestone of the Maya ruins in the Yucatán and the pyramid shapes of differing sizes and heights. That was the future facing DC. If Calakmul succeeded, the old buildings would be torn down and replaced with new ones. In a few minutes, they were back to the J. Edgar Hoover Building despite the rush-hour traffic. Jordan drove to a car entrance that led underground, and a security guard stopped him at the top and asked to see identification.
Jordan winced as he got out his wallet and showed the man his ID. The man triggered the security obstacles to retract so they could enter the underground parking structure. Monica and Lund and another agent were waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.
“Wonder if she’s dating anyone,” Jordan murmured, and the twins snickered in the back seat.
They slowed to a stop, and Jordan rolled down the window. “Miss me?” he asked Monica with a cocky grin.
Monica leaned down and glanced at Roth and the boys. “Welcome back,” she said, ignoring the question. “Agent Fields will park the car for you. Come with me.”
Jordan got out and tossed the key fob to the other agent, then looked around the gloomy parking garage. The sounds of squealing tires and engines resounded through the echoey space. Roth looked around, feeling tense and exposed.
“This way,” Monica said. She brought them back inside, through security, and to a bank of elevators.
“I wasn’t expecting to be back so soon,” Roth said to Lund as they boarded the elevator. “What’s up?”
The doors slid shut and Monica sighed. “The meeting with the director didn’t go very well apparently. Everything is business as usual until we get actionable intelligence proving otherwise. We’re hoping to get some today.”
“How exactly?” Roth asked.
Lund cocked his head. “The student who sent you the translation of the Dresden Codex.”
“Did you find her?” Roth asked. She’d proven difficult to track down. She hadn’t returned to her apartment since Roth had last contacted her, nor had she responded to any of his texts. The FBI figured she was staying with family somewhere in LA. But where?
Monica nodded. “She works for Dr. Estrada actually. UC San Diego lab, the Qualcomm one.”
“No way,” Roth said. The only identifying information he’d known about Illari was that she was a grad student somewhere in Southern California. He’d assumed it was UCLA, not San Diego, which was much farther south.
“She and her boss took the red-eye from LAX last night. Lund has someone driving them from Dulles right now.”
Roth looked at Monica. “Not the FBI?”
“We couldn’t risk it,” she confirmed. “It’s like we told you, Jonathon. Someone is overhearing our communications. They hacked the servers in San Diego to stop us from finding the data we need. Mr. Lund suggested, and Carter agreed—surprisingly—that it would be best if Lund arranged transportation instead of the FBI. They’ll be joining us later.”
“Wow,” Roth said. “I’ve never met her before. I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“It’s progress,” Lund said. “And totally not surprising that the director won’t take this threat credibly right now. We need more information. I think you can help us get it.”
“Me?” Roth said, surprised.
The elevator chimed when they reached the floor, and Monica led them through the offices to an empty conference room.
“Where is Carter and the other guy?” Roth asked.
Monica gestured for them to sit. The boys looked around and went to the end of the table. They both seemed bored. The first time they’d been to FBI headquarters, they’d been impressed and gazed around constantly. But they’d soon learned that conference rooms weren’t very exciting.
“EAD Brower works for the director,” she said. “He has a lot of responsibilities. Carter is in an interrogation room with Will Moretti and his attorney.”
