She walked up to the montage, her mouth open. It was true. Her theory.

“Congratulations, Avery. Rubicon has a lot of agents. You figured it out faster than anyone else.”

She felt a moment of pride as she studied the photos and logos. “What is this?”

“A new kind of terrorism. These people aren’t religious idealists. They’re not zealots, foaming at the mouth, waving AK-47s in the air. They’re scientists. Technologists. Rational people. Extremely intelligent. Working in the shadows, diligently, planning.”

“Planning what?”

“We don’t know. It’s big, Avery. Change-the-world-forever big. A device called the Looking Glass. The companies you’ve been investigating are creating the pieces—pieces that will be assembled at a later date.”

“Like the Manhattan Project.”

“Exactly.”

“Who are they?”

“Technically, they’re the modern incarnation of an ancient organization called the Order of Citium.”

David walked to the bookshelf, took down a folder, and handed it to her.

“We know the organization was founded two thousand three hundred years ago in the Greek city of Citium by a philosopher named Zeno. History books cite him as Zeno of Citium. People came from all over the civilized world to debate with him. Those conversations grew into something more. A movement. That’s what they were back then: a group of philosophers. Thinkers.”

“What were they thinking about?”

“The meaning of the universe. The purpose of humanity. Why we exist.”

“Pretty deep stuff for two thousand years ago.”

“They were ahead of their time. They applied themselves to three disciplines: truth, ethics, and physics. And they were persecuted for their beliefs. They watched as polytheism, then monotheism, swept the world. They went underground. Stayed there. Waited for the world to catch up. It never did. Apparently, they’re tired of waiting. They’re going to do something about it.”

“The Looking Glass.”

“That’s right.”

“And what is the Looking Glass?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

Avery frowned. “Okay. And when we find out, what are we going to do about it? What is Rubicon Ventures, really?”

“Rubicon Ventures is a front. One of several used by the Rubicon program. We’re a covert organization—funded by the US government. Only a few people in government even know we exist. We have one mission: stopping Citium.”

“People in government—like… what? CIA?”

“No, Rubicon isn’t run out of any official government organization. We don’t have ID cards with a three-letter acronym. No paper trail, no risk of leaks. But every month, seven very highly placed members of our government meet to discuss the Rubicon program. Only they know the truth of our activities. They provide funding and help when needed.”

“So how do we stop the Citium?”

He smiled. “That is the question. I’ll tell you the answer when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.”

“No. You’re not. Your real training begins today, Avery.”