My stomach’s in knots, tightening further every moment that passes. It’s amazing I’ve managed to hang onto my lunch. What am I going to do?

I’ve paced the floor of the lab so many times, it’s amazing that I haven’t worn through the rubberized industrial tiles. I have to figure out a way out of this. I can’t let Ryland and Dad get away with it. No way. They’re the bad guys, and the bad guys shouldn’t win.

I’m not a child. I know the bad guys win sometimes. Maybe even a lot of the time, since they have the resources and all that jazz. But it won’t be like that this time. Not if I have anything to do with it.

I should go to Lincoln and tell him about Ryland, but accusing his best friend of corporate espionage is no joking matter. I’d better be damn sure of the truth of my accusations before I take them to him. What happens if I’m wrong? What happens if I drive a wedge between them? Neither would ever forgive me, and it would be impossible to continue working here under those conditions. I need proof of some kind.

That, combined with the fact that they might find out whose daughter I am, leaves me with very little choice. I can’t go off half-cocked on this. It’s too important that I get it right.

An idea starts forming in my head. Sketchy, but maybe worthwhile. Is there a way I could mix up my findings somehow? I haven’t saved any of my files yet, haven’t returned them to the shared folders for access by others. “Others” meaning Ryland, Lincoln, or the head of security. Even Lou doesn’t know the specifics of what’s wrong with the original design. I know because Ryland told me so.

I stop in the middle of the lab. How do I know I can believe anything he’s ever told me?

I carry on pacing. I have to take a chance, anyway.

If Ryland doesn’t know the specifics of my ultimate solution, I might be able to sabotage the information he leaks to my father. I left the real plans in Lincoln’s office earlier. I could always go in and change the file, or even pretend I made a mistake…

Yes. That’s the way. Can I pull it off? I need to get myself together, otherwise he’ll know something’s up right away. I can’t let Lincoln down by screwing up something so important. I can’t let Ryland know what he’s done. I have to pretend nothing happened today, that I’m just as enamored of his skill and talent as I was when we last spent time together on Monday morning. We’re friends, pals, conspirators working together to bring Lincoln’s ultimate vision to life.

What a crock of bullshit. What would Lincoln do if he knew the truth? I don’t need to think about it for too long. I stop pacing, calm myself, and to put myself in the right headspace. I have to be casual. If my father can pretend to be innocent and free of betrayal, so can I.

I go over to my computer and make two small changes to the design. One obvious and another not so obvious. Then I save the design on a USB stick and slip it into my pocket.

“Knock, knock,” I murmur when I reach the open door to Ryland’s office. He must have ordered lunch in. I can smell the onions on his sandwich from across the room. I wrinkle my nose, waving my hand in front of my face.

“Yeah, yeah,” he laughs, shrugging. “I like ‘em.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t share this office with anyone.” I chuckle. “That smell is obnoxious.”

“I wouldn’t get onions on it if I had to share my office,” he assures me with a grin.

Aww… what a nice guy, but you’d stab your best friend in the back for money. I grin back.

“What can I do for you?”

This is it. It’s now or never. “I wanted to pop my head in and confirm what I replicated this morning,” I explain. “But I can come back if you’re busy with your lunch.”

“No, no, not at all, but that won’t be necessary. Lincoln already sent me the files.”

I frown. “He did.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, I made a little typo in my report,” I confess, grimacing. “But I fixed it.”

“A typo? That’s not going to help anyone,” he chides, but gently and with a smile.

And I see it then. The slimy smile. I walk over. “I know, I know. I was so excited—”

“Yes, yes, it is very exciting. What’s the problem?” he asks, pushing his smelly sandwich to the side and beckoning for me to come closer.

Yeah, I’ll bet he’s more than happy to shove what’s left of his sandwich to the side in favor of getting more information from me. The creep. The liar. He used me. He probably doesn’t have any higher an opinion of me than my father has. Have they laughed together over how easy it is to lie to me? How easy it is to lie to Lincoln?

I hand over my USB stick.

I have to hold my breath over the scent of onions hanging heavy in the air, or maybe I just don’t want to breathe in the scent of him.

He slots the USB into his computer and opens my file.

“See? I accidentally typed a one-point-two-five instead of point-one-two-five in the measurements of the new fan vent. I mean, that would be way too much. The whole thing would fall apart for lack of a properly-placed decimal point. I’d never forgive myself.”

He shrugs. “No big deal. You caught it in time. Well done. I’ll let the Big Boss know about it. Don’t worry he won’t be upset over this.”

Oh, yes, you cretin. That’s exactly what I’m worried about. Lincoln getting angry with me over a perceived mistake. If my calculations are correct, the openings in the vent will still be much too small to allow enough heat to exit the body of the drone. When Arcane polishes up their prototype, it’ll crash during the demonstration. I hope.

It’s my only hope. The only thing I can hang onto.

I flash him what I hope is a grateful smile. Exactly the sort of smile I would’ve given him if I didn’t detest him the way I do now. “Thank you, as always. The last thing I need is for him to get on my case about yet another thing, you know?”

He sighs, folding his arms. “I’ve told you already. I don’t want to be any part of the issues between you two. It puts me in a very uncomfortable position. I have a lot of faith in you, Sam.”

Oh, sure, you do. You have faith that I’ll be stupid enough to let you keep using me until my father gives you what he’s promised. Whatever that happens to be. I want to ask him so badly. I want to know what could be important enough that it convinced him to betray the oldest friend he has, someone who trusts him like a brother. Judas had his thirty pieces of silver. How many pieces did Dad buy Ryland for?

“You’re right, you’re right,” I mutter. “You know him better than I do. I bet the two of you have shared just about everything over the years. I can’t come in between that.”

“Nothing ever could,” he replies, his face unsmiling.

“Right. Catch you later,” I say walking away. I glance back at him as I reach the door.

He is watching me with a smile.

What a liar. I wonder how he can live with himself, how he can sleep at night.

Then again, I’m a liar, too. I just lied to him. I think of feeding the false information to my father as I walk back to the little office. I let the locks engage behind me before I allow myself to lean against the door, suddenly shaking from head to toe.

The tech conference is next week. One full week until the Arcane prototype fails in front of a crowd. I honestly don’t know how I’ll be able to wait that long, but it’ll be worth it when I have real, irrefutable proof to take to Lincoln. Without that, it will be no more than my word against Ryland’s, and as my boss just told me, he and Lincoln have shared everything throughout their lives.

A bitter smirk shows itself on my face when I reflect on the one thing they don’t share—integrity.