“Possibly.” The shadow returned and she kissed him lightly. “Principles have kept my standards low.”

He ran a finger down her arm. She lay back. Soon his finger retraced itself and found a more distracting path. She had fingers of her own, of course. She kissed his chest, and then slowly moved her lips to investigate what they had discovered.

Klay felt the familiar pressure, their time together always less than enough.

Hungry sat up first and pulled the sheet to her chest. “You can’t embed, not officially. If anyone even suspected we’d given foreign journalists access to our files, we’d be finished. Our enemies are everywhere, Tom.”

“Wait a second,” he said. “When exactly did you make this decision?”

She smiled. “I’m a multitasker, remember?” She turned to him, her face serious. “You’ll visit our office. Meet our people. You are journalists doing a story on Ras Botha. That’s fine. You have a track record investigating him, and everyone knows The Sovereign. I can share things with you quietly and point you in the right direction. Anything concerning our investigation into the president, you cannot be present for, not even in the building.”

“Chinese wall. Understood.”

“If you want to share what you find with me, that’s your decision. You’re under no oblig—”

“I’d do it anonymously.”

She waved away his interruption. “You’re under no obligation,” she continued. “Nothing you learn from my office goes public before his trial.”

“Understood.”

“You trust this person you brought with you?”

“He’s good with computers. I’m taking this beyond rhino horn, Hungry. I want Botha to pay for what he did.”

“Of course you do,” she said. “They fired Vance?”

“Why do you say that?”

“You said you have a new editor.”

“Right. Vance retired. He has cancer.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Tom. I know he’s meant a lot to you over the years. He’s been like a father, hasn’t he?”

“Thanks. Not exactly a father. But a good man. He seems to be doing all right so far. He did most of his work here back in the day. Mandela is his hero.”

“And now you have a new owner now, I read.”

“We do,” he said. “Perseus Group Media. You’re well-informed.”

“Terry Krieger has done a lot of damage in this country. Have you met him?”

“Not exactly.” He told her about the hologram presentation.

“Does he know you’re here?”

“I wouldn’t think so. He wouldn’t know any more than I’ve told Sharon.”

“Which is?”

“The minimum: ‘I’m investigating Ras Botha, a South African kingpin I believe is behind the killing of my friend, not to mention attempting to murder me.’ She was salivating so much over a ‘revenge piece,’ she agreed. But I made clear my safety depends on total secrecy.”

“She’s close to Krieger?”