Once the gun had vanished into the lake, she uncovered the SUV’s license plates and got back on the road.

Satisfied that she did not have a tail, she motored sedately across the 520 Bridge, heading toward the bright lights of downtown Seattle. It was after midnight and there was very little traffic. Seattle was a boomtown these days thanks to the tech industry, but it was still a relatively quiet place in the wee hours of the morning. That worked out well for her because a lot of her business was conducted during those hours.

She drove straight to an alley in Pioneer Square, the old, historic section of the city. The narrow lane between two brick buildings was lit only by a weak yellow bulb over an unmarked door. It was the sort of location sensible people intuitively avoided, especially at night.

She parked directly in front of the unmarked door. A burly figure dressed in a dark jacket and a knit cap detached itself from the shadows of the vestibule and ambled around to the driver’s side of the car. He opened the door.

“Valet parking, Ms. Raines?” he asked in a voice that had been dug out of a rock quarry.

“No thanks, Brick. I won’t be here long tonight.” Sierra grabbed her pack and the leather bag and jumped down to the pavement. “I just need to drop off a return and then I’m going home to get some sleep. It’s been a long night.”

She handed over her keys and a few bucks.

“No problem,” Brick said. “The car can sit right here until you get back.” He glanced at the black bag. “A return, huh? Mr. Jones won’t be happy.”

“Neither am I.”

She followed Brick up the three steps to the entrance. The door was clad in wood and covered in peeling paint. Looking at it, you would never know that under the veneer was a solid steel plate. Of course, looking at Brick, you wouldn’t know he was wearing a holstered gun under his jacket.

Okay, maybe you would have a hunch about the gun.

“How did the date with Deandra go?” she asked as she watched Brick open the door.

Brick lit up like an LED sign. “It went great. Did the old-fashioned thing like you suggested. Dinner and a show, and afterward we went somewhere and talked about the movie. Deandra knows a lot about films. Got another date lined up this weekend after we get off work here at the Vault.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m so glad things went well.”

“Thanks to you pushing me to ask her out,” Brick said. “It took all the nerve I had. When she said yes, I could hardly believe it.”

“I had a hunch the two of you would get along together. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Brick ushered her into the shadowed hall. The two men running the security scanner were lounging in a couple of folding chairs. One was middle-aged and bald. The other was much younger and on the twitchy side. They got to their feet and grinned in welcome.