Before he could answer, the heavy magnetic lock on the door released with a sound like a pistol shot.

The heavy steel door began to slide open, moving slowly along its tracks.

A draft of freezing air rushed into the room, smelling of ozone and wet asphalt from the parking garage below.

A tall silhouette stepped through the threshold, silhouetted by the fluorescent lights of the hallway.

It wasn’t a tactical team or a masked intruder.

It was Marcus Vance, Damon’s head of personal security, holding a slim electronic tablet.

He didn’t look surprised to see us standing there in the dim light of the auxiliary terminal.

“Mr. Vale,” Marcus said, his voice completely flat. “Mrs. Vale.”

Damon didn’t lower his gun. “You used a medical database bypass to override my security mainframe, Marcus.”

Marcus took a slow step into the room, his boots clicking softly on the polished concrete. “It was the only key your system wouldn’t automatically flag as a threat.”

“Who gave you that clearance?” Damon demanded.