Several cars turned into the paved drive close together, depositing their occupants under the lighted portico. Inside, coats were whisked away by silent maids and the owners directed to the vast, lavish living room where Rebecca Davenport sat, throne-like.

"Help yourselves to drinks and find a seat. The meeting will start in ten minutes, precisely."

The group automatically followed the suggestion and in exactly ten minutes, Rebecca spoke.

"Icecap is finished and will be dismantled, and all references, in any form, erased." She sipped from her cocktail glass, sharp eyes roving over the assembly. "We discovered their incursion with our own breach of their program, and to continue would be a foolish risk. Zero will continue as always, but we will not be using previous sources. Understood?"

"It's not going too well so far." A rough voice from a man to her right commented.

"Thank you for your observation, Mr. Carra. We are correcting that as we speak. I believe our hit-and-run victim has since succumbed, and the others have been located and will be dealt with. It is important to note that each of you will be responsible for your own associations - there must be none left that might connect Zero to any of this."

"What about pending deals, are we supposed to just throw that money away?"

Rebecca stood and strolled to the massive fireplace, setting her glass on the mantle. "Anton, this gathering is to preserve a business that has provided all of us with a very lucrative living. To quibble over a few lost transactions seems rather petty and unbecoming to a member of this committee."

"Petty or not, it's bad business to renege on deals." Anton looked around for support. "Are you all sheep? We are not given these opportunities, we have to make them, and reputation is the dealmaker."

No one spoke in support, and Rebecca smiled benignly. "Anton, let's take a stroll for a few minutes." She turned to the silent man standing behind her chair. "Lyle, will continue the briefing while I'm gone."

"Talk and stroll all you want, you won't change my mind."

"Let's see." She led him from the living room to a smaller den, closing the massive doors behind them. "Anton, we have done an audit of the Zero accounts, and I'm rather embarrassed to point out that your contribution is, well, let's say lacking."

"Well it won't get any better shutting my customers down."

"The committee disagrees."

Anton scoffed, flapping a dismissive hand. "I'm not concerned with what those idiots think. I have deals on the table, and commitments to honour."

"And what of those deals and commitments already made? We have not received the agreed upon contributions?"

"It takes money to make money," he sneered.

"Indeed, and yours is not providing that for us." She went to a desk and pressed a buzzer. A moment later a man entered the room. "Rolph, Mr. Decker will be leaving, would you see to that please."

Rebecca turned and left for the living room, hearing behind her, the blow that silenced Anton Decker.

"Anton has agreed to our proposals." She strode to the mantle and retrieved her drink. "Now, are there any more concerns? No? Then let us proceed with haste in dissolving Icecap."

******

"What was that all about? Into the subway, out of the subway. Changing platforms." Arthur sprawled on the hotel bed while Devon stayed by the window.

"Constable, come here." Devon moved aside and told him to look out at the street. "What do you see?"

"A couple of pedestrians, some parked vehicles . . . I don't know. Stores. Buildings. What am I supposed to see?"

"The black van, it was on the street at the park, and when we came out of the subway."

"You mean we were followed?" Arthur joined them.

Matt moved away from the window. "Okay, Devon, I think we need to know everything. Just who the players are and what the hell we're supposed to do."

"I agree, but it can't be now, or here. Not with them following us."

"Where are we supposed to go?"

"I have a place. A safe house, but we can't go together or at the same time."

"So, what do we do?" Matt flapped his arms, at a loss.

Devon laid out a plan, made sure they understood and agreed, and then they synchronized watches, shook hands and left.

******

Matt was the last to arrive, and once inside he just stared at Devon.

"Did you follow all the instructions?"

"Yes, mother. Is this is your idea of a safe house? We're in the middle of a subdivision!"

"Correct. It's a cul-de-sac. Every house on the block is identical. The neighbours all know one another, and there is no street parking allowed."

"And whose house is this?"

"Mine." All three turned to face the kitchen door and the young woman leaning on the frame.

"Gentlemen, this is Miss Sheridan Wylie." Devon announced.

Matt's brows rose as he took in the young woman. The careless ponytail of copper coloured hair seemed to make her skin glow, and his eyes trailed down past the loose jersey, over the grey tights to the bare feet. When they returned to her face, his pinked at the hard stare.

"Uh, a pleasure, Matt Constable." Matt offered his hand, acknowledging the firm handshake and the grim mouth.

"I'm Art Tate, thanks for this." His handshake was brief.

"I've got food ready for all of you." She turned and went back into the kitchen.

"I'll take first shift, Sher," Devon waved them off.

"What's first shift?" Art asked as they were shown to the table.

"Thirty minutes. He'll watch for any trackers." She sat at the end of the table with a coffee. "Eat up, I don't cook every meal."

Matt dug in, surprised and pleased. He complimented her, hoping for a sign he didn't get.

"Are you a part of Devon's team?" Art asked.

"We don't talk about things like that." Her expression was bland.

"Sorry."

"Actually," Matt cut in, "Devon is going to fill us in on all the players - it's why we're here."

A line appeared briefly between her brows, and she took her coffee to the living room.

"I don't think she knew that, Connie."

"I think you're right."

He scraped his plate and set it on the counter, then walked to the doorway.

"Uh, you want me to watch while you two talk?" His expression made them concede his observation, and Devon told him briefly what to watch for, then followed Sheridan down the hall.

Sheridan closed the bedroom door. "You're telling them everything?" Her jaw jutted slightly.

"There isn't any choice, Sher. Constable was a target the other night, and Beatty is dead. You know what that means."

"What about the other one?"

Devon glanced away. "I'm still holding fire on that one. Look, if there was another way- I'm wondering about my own skin now. That breach was a shock to Icecap, and now they're all scrambling to plug holes and salvage what they can."

Sheridan crossed her arms and sat on the edge of her bed. "They'll have to stay here then. What are you going to do?"

"I have to get to Arctic, he's my only contact. If I can't then I don't know what. Protocols for being blown are pretty clear."

"I'll do what I can from this end, just be careful, Devon."

"So you're okay if I fill them in?"

"Tate too?"

"I can't really leave him out, can I?"

"I guess not, but you can be somewhat enigmatical, as we were trained." She stood and squeezed his arm, her quick smile spoke uncertainty.

4441 WP word count to this point