Tia drove to the Michelangelo and paid a guy fifty bucks to let her park in his spot. She didn’t think Marcus would recognize her company car, not having seen or ridden in it. Her long, red hair was pulled into a tight bun and hidden under a stylish, wide-brimmed hat.

Tia had to walk three blocks to find a payphone with Kirk Trundle in tow, two steps behind her and looking furtively around. Tia looked up the hotel number on her smartphone and then called in the bomb threat using the coin-operated phone. After that she took a brisk walk back to her car, hoping that the hotel staff wouldn’t be quicker to evacuate the whole hotel before she could get back and take her position. It was vital that she be there when he stepped out of that hotel to verify his identity and give the final go.

“Ms. McBride?” Tia stopped and turned to see a familiar, pretty blonde hitting her with a surprised smile. “It’s me, Barbara Mortonson…Agent Mortonson, from the IRS.”

“Oh, right,” Tia said, nervously looking around. “Agent Mortonson.”

“Please, call me Barbara.”

Tia’s imagination burst with images of that government agent hearing later about the bomb threat just around the corner from where she’d stumbled on a woman already under investigation, now traveling with a man of obvious but dubious distinction. That payphone wouldn’t be hard to trace, and Tia had left prints without thinking about it. There was little to do but put up a good front and hope to end the happenstance meeting as quickly as reasonably possible. “Um, how are you?”

“I’m well, thanks. You? You seem…out of sorts.”

“Oh, um, no, I was just…on my way somewhere, no big deal.”

Barbara nodded, taking a step closer to Tia and glancing around. “S’funny I should bump into you like this.”

“Is it?” Tia asked, trying to disguise the nervousness in her voice. “Why’s that?”

“Well, I…um…” Barbara chuckled nervously, looking around again with a sheepish smile, head sinking down a bit. “I was thinking…about what you do…”

“Yeah, well, it’s just an entertainment company, like I said.”

“No, I-I know that; we get that. And I think your records are in good order.”

Tia glanced back toward the hotel, around the corner behind her. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“It’s good news,” Barbara said, taking another step closer and noticing that Kirk was doing the same thing behind Tia. “Is this a new…what do you call them? Performers?”

“Service providers, actually. And, um, yes, he’s…he’s on the payroll.”

“I see.”

Tia tried to smile. “Okay, so, nice bumping into you. Thanks for the good news.”

“It really is,” Barbara said, “but that’s not what I wanted to say.”

“Oh? Well, feel free.”

“It’s about…your company. Um, how much is it? For a…a session, I mean?”

“Oh, I see.” Tia tried to be as casual as she could, sensing the minutes ticking away, knowing her only chance to save her company was fast slipping away. “It depends, y’know? How long, how extravagant, what the location is, how many service providers are required, car rentals, and the like. There’s a lot to factor in, but, um, it starts around five thousand.”

“Five grand? Wow, that’s pretty steep.”

“Yeah, it’s…it’s not for everyone. But I’ll tell you what, we sometimes offer discounts.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, um, not that I’m trying to bribe you or anything, I’d never try to do that.”

“No,” Barbara said, looking around again, “of course not.”

Tia smiled. “Well, I’ll tell you what; give my assistant Shin Lu a call, we’ll see what we can do.”

Barbara looked Kirk over, big and beefy. “Is he going to be…available?”

Tia glanced back at her bodyguard. “No, actually, he’s…he’s on another project at the moment.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Barbara pouted, disappointed, but her smile returned quickly enough. “Anyway, maybe I’ll give you a call.”

Tia nodded and extended her hand. Barbara took it. “Nice bumping into you.”

“Yeah, you too,” Barbara said, “real nice.” With that, Barbara turned and headed farther down Sixth Avenue, Tia taking a few steps in the other direction before jumping into a sprint to get back to her car, Kirk on her heels.

By the time Tia got back to her car and climbed in, Kirk waiting out in front of the car, a crowd was already gathering in front of the Michelangelo, tall, black John Tyler standing out in the crowd. She picked up her phone and swiped until she got to Robbie’s phone number, then placed the call.

“Yeah,” he said immediately, “we’re out front.”

“Have you seen him?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Your car’s ready?”

“Blake’s got his van.”

“Good,” Tia said, sliding down a bit in her seat, eyes fixed on the hotel entrance.

Marcus stepped out of the hotel, glancing around the crowd. Tia could see that he was skeptical, doubting the truth of the threat, sussing out her plan. But he didn’t have a choice and she knew that; she knew where he’d be and when and she was ready.

“That’s him,” she said, “in the gray suit. You see him?”

“Yeah,” Robbie said, “got him.”

“Okay, now, now!”

Tia swiped the screen and set down the phone, her heart practically stopping in her chest while she watched. Everything hinged on that moment—their one and only chance—and any number of things could go wrong.

Robbie, short and powerfully built, sidled up to Marcus, attracting his attention just enough so that the third man, redheaded Blake, approached very casually from behind. Tia’s heart paused, her blood ceasing to rush in her veins. Marcus flinched and fell into Robbie’s arms, John closing in. Tia could almost feel the electrical jolt shoot through her own body. The three men surrounded Marcus, obscuring him from sight while they led him without resistance to a van parked only a few feet away. Once the van pulled away, Tia stabbed her keys into the ignition and turned the engine over. She waved Kirk over to dismiss him for the day.

A car screeched to a halt behind her as Tia pulled out onto 152nd Street, inches from a crash. With a hard gulp and a panicked gasp, Tia hit the accelerator to speed back to her room at the Wellington.