His voice was frantic, the sound of heavy wind in the background.

“Aaron, where are you?” I asked.

“I’m at a payphone near the state line,” he said. “They’re coming for me, Grace.”

“Who is coming?”

“The firm,” he said. “Whitaker’s lawyers. They’re going to pin the whole breach on me.”

“What breach?” I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Someone accessed the secure server at the depot last night,” Aaron said. “They used my old credentials.”

“But you don’t have access anymore,” I said.

“They reactivated my token,” he gasped. “They downloaded three gigabytes of classified logistics data.”

My hand gripped the phone tighter.

“They’re going to say you stole it,” I said.

“They’ve already leaked it to the press,” Aaron said. “The FBI is going to have a warrant for my arrest by morning.”

“Aaron, listen to me,” I said. “Thomas was going to testify. He was going to clear you.”

There was a long pause on the line.

“Was?” Aaron asked.

“He’s in the hospital,” I said. “He collapsed. I think they poisoned him, Aaron. Or drugged him.”