Chapter 27: Night At The Palace
GRACE’S POV
At the palace of Aonite, Grace was sipping a scotch spiced with honey and herbs on the rocks. It was her second drink. Okay, her third. She sat in the sofa chair of a lobby sitting room, a lap desk resting on her legs, holding her computer, books, folders, and notebook. Her finger clinked the tip of the glass.
She looked out the window—at the pelting rain and wind and lightning—but was not worried about the storm. Grace knew her godchild could handle himself in the field.
Her worries were closer to home, and her gut told her not to sit on them alone. She unwrapped her air-gapped telephone and dialed a memorized code. The phone rang.
And rang.
Finally: a click, then silence.
“Mr. Dugan, it’s Grace. Oh—clearance code 442. Listen, Charles is out of pocket, and I think things have progressed here faster than your file described. Maybe we should discuss it. Please call me. This is com-device 001.”