"Nothing," came Patrick's surly response.

All I heard from Henri was a rapid tapping of computer keys and knew that he too had nothing.

I kept walking about the fourteenth floor and then, when I'd done a full circle and come up empty, found the stairs to ascend to the fifteenth. I took the stairs two at a time and stopped when I reached the landing. Up on the fifteenth floor, I stepped out into a wide hallway lined with closed wooden doors.

We didn't really know what to look for aside from Randall Walker himself. Undoubtedly, there was some legitimate business going on here—most likely tied to Scorpion, but legitimate nonetheless. It was difficult to distinguish between the legitimate conversations and the ones that we really needed to pay attention to.

Voices sounded from around the corner and I put my head down as a couple of business-type looking people rounded it. One was holding open a folder and showing the contents to the other person. Neither paid me any mind as I side-stepped them and kept going.

"I've got him," Henri said suddenly in my ear.

There was a woman's washroom a few feet in front of me. I ducked in, checked that it was empty, and said, "Where?"

"Seventeenth floor. He just stepped into a conference room. Room seventeen-forty-three. There's about twenty people in the room. I've got the video feed up."

My heart lurched in my chest. I responded an affirmation that I was on my way. Max and Patrick would be heading up as well. I all but ran to the staircase and took the steps two at a time up towards the seventeenth floor. Before I left the concrete stairwell, I double checked my weapons and made sure that my guns were easily accessible. There was no chance that I would be going in there vulnerable.

I took one necessary minute to compose myself before I exited and went in search of room seventeen-forty-three.

"A few people just left the conference room. Walker wasn't one of them. He's still inside without about ten other people."

"Copy that," I muttered.

The heavy metal door slammed shut behind me as I started to pad delicately down the hallway. As I turned a corner, I came face-to-face with a small cluster of people. Up ahead, I could see a door swing back toward its closed position. I couldn't be sure from this far away, but I would bet that it opened into room seventeen-forty-three.

"Mel, do not engage alone. I am almost there." Max, of course.

Patrick was quiet but there was a sound of calm, steady breathing in my ear that I assumed belonged to him.

I edged closer to the room and, sure enough, saw the digits imprinted upon a plaque beside the door that told me I was in the right place. "I'm in position."

"One minute," Max said.

"More people are getting ready to exit," Henri said. "Do not engage. Walker doesn't seem to be getting ready to leave. Hold tight."

I walked past the door and moved so as to go into another room just as the door opened behind me. A few people glanced over at me but I was otherwise ignored. Those leaving laughed and chatted. It was hard to believe that such friendly faces could give way to such terror.

"Max, Pat, where are you? I need backup. Getting ready to enter the premises now."

Patrick turned the corner and nearly ran into me just as I finished speaking. He grinned a smile that used to make me knees feel weak. Now, it had no effect. "Here," he said cheekily.

"There's a door on the other side of the room," Max said in my ear. "I'm going to wait over there and act as sentry. I'll come in when you need me." I heard the unspoken warning in his voice that neither Patrick nor Henri were listening for. I'll come in, Max was saying, if Patrick turns against us and you need backup.

"Okay," I said to them all. "Henri, is Walker alone?"

"Not yet. But it's only him and one of his, uh, associates."

"Roger that."

Patrick and I stared at each other. "You ready to go in?" he asked. He had a hand on the butt of the gun that was tucked into the waistband of his pants.

I took a measured breath and pulled the gun free. "Yes."

He nodded at me, all dark hair and sharp features. There was a bleak smile on his face. There was no humour in his expression. Patrick reached for the knob on the door and pushed it downwards.

Let's go. It's time to finish this.