The heat in the van was unbearable, and the driver opened both side windows and the back doors. The parking lot they chose was wide open to a relentless sun.

"Can't we move to some place that isn't like the bloody Gobi Desert?"

"We might if I could find out where the hell they disappeared to. This was Lyle's orders, not mine."

"Then tell Lyle to get his ass out here and do his own listening." He kicked angrily at the ground.

"Right." Dripping sarcasm. "It isn't your neck on the block here. I was given twelve hours, and they have come and gone."

"You expecting company?" The driver pulled a gun from his belt and moved behind one of the rear doors as a black sedan turned onto the lot and drove straight toward them.

"Nobody I want to see."

The car stopped a length away and the door opened. The thin man climbed out and came around to the back of the van.

"Do you have eyes on them?"

"Lyle!" The man tried a smile, swallowing hard at the glare. "We uh, we followed them from Union Station."

"I asked if you had eyes on them."

"Well . . . right at this moment--"

"We lost them," the driver said, complacently.

His partner made a squeaking sound, as his mouth fell open. "Lyle! No!" He gasped as the gun came out and fired, ending his dismayed plea."

The driver was too shocked to react, and he felt a muzzle against his cheek as he surrendered his weapon.

"You will dispose of our friend and this van so nothing remains. Do you understand?"

"I- but where . . .?"

The muzzle jammed against his cheek painfully. "Somewhere you'll wind up if you fail."

"Got it. Right. No trace." He sagged onto the bed of the van as the man returned to the sedan and drove off.

******

Sheridan set the large pot of fresh coffee on the table in the living room, joining the three men for Devon's discussion.

"This will be complicated, but it is how I understand what is happening." Devon poured himself a mug and took a sip. "Before I start, just what were you going to tell me in exchange for Matt bringing you in?" He looked at Arthur.

"Oh- well, that's all pretty academic now. I mean, we all know what's happened."

"I believe the phrase was - everything you know about your people."

Art looked to Matt and back at Devon. "Well, it was about how I delivered what I found from the stuff Matt was discovering . . ."

"That's it?" Matt spread his palms. "You had me make contact for that?"

"No- it- I mean there's more, it's uh, times and locations, and the contacts I dealt with." He rubbed his thighs, watching them watch him.

"Sher, I think Mr. Tate should be excluded from our conversation for the moment. You want to keep him company elsewhere for a bit."

"What the hell." Arthur began to protest.

"Without any fuss, Mr. Tate." Sheridan slapped the barrel of the suppressor in her hand, pulling Arthur's attention to the large gun attached.

Matt watched with interest the apparent familiarity she showed with the weapon.

"What's that all about?"

"I'm just not fully at ease with your friend. I don't believe that fumbling innocence he just showed us."

"You think he's spying on us?"

"I don't know, but I'm not about to tell him anything just yet." Devon tapped Matt's knee. "You have a problem?"

"Nope. I'm beyond joining dots here. Just tell me what the hell this is all about, and how we get out of it.

Devon poured himself another coffee. "Okay. I told you about Zero, their business and a bit about their members. They are big, and no insurrection, uprising, coup, or whatever, is too small. They are more than happy to provide all sides with whatever they need to get it on." He paused to swallow some coffee.

"Most of what they sell is stolen military equipment - and not just ours. It took a while, but a department in the military security finally got a line on one of the members and they began a counteroffensive immediately. The Icecap programme was created. You were activated for Icecap once they learned how the data thefts were being passed through outsourced design companies. Trouble was, you never identified the courier in your company. No reflection on you, Beatty and Spiers ran a very tight ship."

Matt poured a coffee for himself, absorbing Devon's story. "So, where do you come in?"

"Whoever it was inside military security that was passing the data, tipped Zero off to Icecap, and that's when the breach occurred. As soon as that happened, I was activated. I belong to a secret Pentagon programme designated, signature reduction."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You'll never know, Matt, and you don't really want to. What matters now is Zero is undertaking the eradication of Icecap, and everyone connected. They want it never to have existed."

"And that includes me."

"Afraid so."

Sheridan came back in the room looking for a coffee. "How is it going?"

"It's going. How's Tate?"

"Pouting, but it doesn't feel real."

"Excuse me, but I have questions yet." Matt interrupted. "Like, why isn't your secret army--"

"Devon! How much have you told him?" Sheridan snapped.

"Relax, Sher, it's necessary. They tried once already to kill him. They aren't going to stop. We need all the advantage we can get."

She gave Matt a look of frightening scrutiny. "Everything he told you, you file away and don't bring it up again."

"Hey! I am on your side."

"I think Mr. Tate should be interviewed more thoroughly." She said, directing her attention back to Devon.

Devon closed his eyes and took her arms. "Sher, there will be time, if necessary, to interview Tate. Right now we have to keep this little group together until we can figure out a plan."

"Can't your people help?" Matt said, regretting it instantly as Sheridan's eyes flared. "I mean they must know what can be done. No?"

Sheridan took a step toward him, and Devon stepped between them. "Sher. Go bring Mr. Tate out here, and let's calm down." She turned and walked quickly down the hall.

"You better start thinking about your words before blurting them out, Constable. She isn't joking, and don't think she can't back up her warnings."

Matt was about to argue when they heard a door bang, and Devon was down the hall like a shot. He looked in the bedroom door, then continued on to the back of the house and into the yard.

"Sher!"

"He's gone." She swore and kicked at the ground. "He must have gone the minute I left the room. Damn!"

"We have to get out of here," Devon grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the house.

"What happened?" Matt stumbled back to get out of their way as they burst into the hall.

"Tate's gone."

"Gone? Where?"

Sheridan's look was pitying.

"No time for questions, we need to move - fast." Devon rushed to the living room and pulled a chair away from the wall. Kneeling down, he tapped a section of baseboard and it popped open. Matt stood helplessly, gaping, as he watched Devon pull out a thick envelope then close the panel and replace the chair.

"Hold this."

"What is--"

"There's no time, Constable!" He ran to the kitchen. "Got everything, Sher?"

Sheridan handed him the bulky satchel while she replaced the floor tiles and pushed the stove back in position.

"I'll grab a few clothes. You get the car."

Matt blinked as he watched them. "Car?"

Devon nodded and dragged him by the arm out the door and across the lawn to the house next door. He took his little gadget from his pocket and waited as the garage door swung open.

"Inside. Quick."

"You're stealing your neighbour's car!" Matt grunted as he was shoved into the back of the vehicle. The engine started, and in an instant it was on the street, barely stopping, as Sheridan jumped in the passenger door. Matt saw the garage door closing, then fell over as the car took a corner at warp speed.

5753 WP word count to this point