“You think Russia’s behind all of this? Trying to make China look bad?”

“I might,” Morse said. “Except that still doesn’t explain those Chinese ops. Or our photint showing that China’s fishing militia probably helped take the ship. Or President Tsao coming within an inch of accusing Stalwart of espionage to POTUS.”

Leo looked at her. They had to get back to Little Wing’s feed.

“It could be Russia. It could be China. It could be both or neither or somebody else,” he said. “We got all these pieces of a puzzle and don’t know how they fit together.”

Morse nodded. “We’ll find out, Leo,” she said.

“Won’t bring Ki back.”

“No,” she said. “It won’t.”

Silence.

Morse started to reach her hand out toward his, caught herself, and just looked at him, realizing he’d noticed. It could have been an awkward moment. She knew it would have been if she tried to pretend it didn’t happen. Or if he tried. But they weren’t going to fool each other. They had been married for fifteen years.

Morse nodded almost imperceptibly. He nodded back. It was an unspoken acknowledgment. She was another man’s wife now, the mother of his children.

They turned their headsets on and raised their eyes to the screen.

The drone was getting close.

It was a small, quiet space tucked away down at the end of a long, branching fifth-floor corridor. A hundred years ago it might have been used to store maintenance supplies. The walls were exposed brick. There was a desk with a computer, a couple of wooden chairs, and a table under a high skylight. Someone had put a bamboo plant in a white vase on the table and it was thriving.

Kali had found the room on one of her first visits to the Terminal and liked its solitude. Once or twice, she had freshened the water in the vase.

She entered now, sat down at the desk and turned on the computer. Natasha Mori followed her through the door carrying two brown cardboard cups. She set one in front of Kali and stood near the desk with the other.

“Thank you,” Kali said.

Natasha said, “It’s sucky pod brew. Your punishment for letting me tag along.”

Kali switched on the computer. Natasha looked at her.

“It’s probably none of my business,” she said, “but I figured you’d head out with your guy.”

Kali turned to face her as the monitor brightened up.

“He isn’t my guy,” she said.

Natasha grinned. “Then, how’d you know who I meant?”

Kali looked at her silently. Natasha hesitated.

“Moving on,” she said, “what are we doing in here?”

“A search,” Kali said.

“Of?”

“I’m starting with Jinggu Technologies. A Chinese official, Deng Yannan, is listed as the owner. It’s a parent company of Seven Winds.”