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now. He doesn’t become partner until his birthday.”
    Jill’s face filled with a smile. “You just get me access. I need an empty house to work in and a password that will get me to an interface. I’ll do the rest.”
    Fifteen hours after Jill spoke those words, Nicky gently laid Art on the floor, taking extra care with his head. She was worried about him. Patrick’s concoction was supposed to loosen up Art so he would do what Nicky told him to. It wasn’t supposed to knock him out.
    Nicky checked his pulse. It was slow but strong. His temperature was fine. His breathing was deep and regular. Deciding Art was okay for now, Nicky slipped out of her wildly uncomfortable boots (a loaner pair from Jill’s collection that were a full size too small) and ran to the coat closet by the front door. She found her handbag on a shelf against the back wall. She pulled out her phone and called Jill.
    “He’s out,” Nicky said, “but wait where you are. I’m gonna pull the car to the back side of the house.”
    “Is someone out there?”
    “Yes, I’ll explain later. Just sit tight.”
    Nicky ended the call and grabbed her car keys from the bag. Then she went through the foyer, past the kitchen, and into the hallway that led to the back door. There were two cars and a Jeep parked out back already, but there was still plenty of room for the BMW Nicky brought. Strolling leisurely around the side of the house and out to the front, Nicky found her car in the center of the circular driveway, right where she’d parked it.
    Her two followers were still where she’d left them. They had parked their green station wagon behind the mulberry tree down the street.
    Nicky shook her head. Whoever these spies were that Melissa had sent to follow her, they were about as subtle as a rhinoceros. Two teenage boys in a junker of a car who made only a minimal effort to hide themselves. Clearly, Melissa didn’t think professionals were in order, and why would she? If Nicky was her slave now, the worst that Nicky would do is report back to Melissa that two kids were following her.
    It would have been easy for Nicky to lose these jokers on the way to Art’s, but she figured it was better to let them tag along. On the face of it, there was nothing suspicious about what she was doing. Art had come to her after-party last night; she was coming to his house tonight. So long as the spies reported that Nicky came here alone, there wasn’t much for Melissa to worry about.
    Nicky pulled the car around to the back side of the house, parked next to the Jeep, and did a final check to make sure there were no cameras or spying eyes nearby. Confident that no one could see her, Nicky opened the trunk and let Jill out. Together, they went back into the house and found their way to Art.
    “He’s just laid out in the middle of the floor?” Jill said. “I thought you were going to put him in his bed.”
    “We never made it that far,” said Nicky. “The drink that Patrick made—Art started tripping out a few minutes after he drank it, and then he was gone. I didn’t even get to use the Addonox.”
    Nicky looked at the lace bandage on her little finger as she spoke. A needle was hidden inside that bandage, meant to prick Art’s neck once they had what they needed from him. The needle was coated in Addonox, a knockout drug that Ventigen invented to subdue anyone the immortals wanted taken away, including jackals kidnapped off the streets.
    Nicky still remembered the horrible nightmares she had when a dose of Addonox knocked her out, and was glad for Art that she didn’t have to use it yet.
    “You mean the drink just put him to sleep?” Jill said. “Please tell me you were able to get his password.”
    “Screw you dad,” said Nicky.
    Jill looked at her, confused.
    “That’s the password, I think” said Nicky.
    “Screw you dad is his password?” said Jill.
    Nicky nodded. “Either that, or he had to get something off his chest before he went