Free The Tomorrow Heist by Jack Soren

clear vision. Not enough to endanger things but enough to be annoying. She hit the disconnect button and leaned back in her chair. She didn’t think she was showing it, but Tatsu wasn’t the only one tired from the past few weeks. And the illness ravaging Umi’s body, despite her medication, wasn’t helping things. Umi was keeping that hidden from everyone, as well. She’d even kept it from Mikawa as his illness had triumphed over him.
    â€œShe seems unsure,” the woman standing just out of sight of the webcam said. She spoke with a slight British accent. Her name was Maggie Reynolds, an ex-­MI6 operative with a checkered past. Now she was Umi’s head of security and had only recently taken the position. Umi knew her loyalty only went as far as the money given to her, but in her experience, Umi found the simplest motivations were often the best. Umi’s money had lured the British spy away with very little effort. But after spending over twenty years in intelligence—­ten of those in a Russian gulag—­it really hadn’t taken much convincing.
    â€œLet me worry about Tatsu, Ms. Reynolds, you worry about your end. Has everyone been vetted as I requested?” Umi asked. She had let Maggie know that Tatsu was abroad on an assignment associated with the coming event, but she hadn’t revealed any details, and she had no intention of sharing them now.
    Umi still routed all security concerns through her head guard, Mr. Morgan, and had instructed him to keep Reynolds out of the loop. Umi had only wanted Reynolds for her recent MI6 credentials—­credentials that would help convince certain guests that it was safe and viable to attend the conference. The “vetting” was another ruse, simply meant to put Reynolds’s face and credentials in front of the right ­people.
    â€œAbout eighty percent, so far. The rest should be—­”
    â€œMs. Reynolds, you assured me that you could handle this. I could have hired several younger agents for what I’m paying you.” The dig wasn’t necessary, but it made Umi feel better. She’d expected the disgruntled agent to be a lot easier to manipulate. But Umi supposed that was her mistake since her experience with other MI6 operatives on her payroll was not all that different.
    â€œI am handling it. Perhaps we’d be done by now if the security staff you saddled me with didn’t spend most of their time elsewhere, and you didn’t keep changing the guest list,” Maggie said. Her tone was even and matter-­of-­fact, but Umi got the message. Her new security chief wasn’t like the rest of her staff. She didn’t cast her eyes down when Umi passed or stumble over herself in an attempt to please her.
    â€œI’ll keep your limitations in mind, Ms. Reynolds,” Umi said. She took pleasure in the effect the words had. Reynolds didn’t say anything, but the smolder in her eyes was plain.
    â€œI’d best get back to work if there’s nothing else,” Reynolds said after a long silence. “Oh, I almost forgot, Captain Tanaka wants to see you on the bridge. Something about the defense system.”
    â€œThank you, when I have time I’ll—­”
    â€œAnd I wanted to ask you about Crystasis,” Maggie said, stopping in the doorway as she tapped on her tablet computer.
    Umi’s scalp tingled at the mention of Harcourt’s company. She can’t know.
    â€œWhat about them?” Umi asked, her external demeanor unchanged. After a few more taps on her tablet, Maggie looked up.
    â€œMost of the guest list is very specific—­scientists, venture capitalists, et cetera, but Crystasis seems to have a blanket invitation to the conference. Everyone from lab assistants to administrative staff. Was that an error?” Umi searched Maggie’s features but could see nothing veiled there.
    â€œJim—­Mr. Harcourt,