Scott didn’t even grace him with a disapproving glare. His eyes stayed on Michael, expression blank, but Michael had no doubt there were a million unwelcome truths hiding behind the man’s look. He reminded himself that this man represented everything Weber stood for.

“Why in the world did you just step out of a wardrobe?” Michael asked, feeling surreal.

Agent Scott turned and gave a passing glance to the closed doors, then faced Michael again. “Yes, I’m sorry for the theatrics. We have a secret location hidden under this farmhouse. It’s a place we feel no one would ever come looking for us. This wardrobe just happens to be one of the ways in and out.”

Michael’s heart thumped heavily, his adrenaline racing. Helga had been right. He willed his mind to come up with a sensible line of questions, stay in control of the conversation.

“I thought your systems were wiped out,” he said. “I thought you were crippled for months. We saw your leader’s…heartfelt confessional.”

Scott seemed perfectly happy to continue along this path. “That’s why we’re here, Michael,” he said. “We are crippled. Very seriously. Since you were the ones who did it to us, I’d think you’d know that.”

Michael sensed Bryson’s temper stirring. He quickly reached out and grasped his wrist and shook his head. “He’s just trying to bait us,” he said to his friend. “Or maybe they’re recording our reactions. Don’t fall for it. We’ll get our answers, don’t worry.”

Bryson shook himself free but didn’t say anything. As for Michael, he swore he wasn’t leaving that farmhouse until he got some information out of Weber’s subordinate.

He returned his attention to the VNS agent. “Why’d your boss do it? Why the whole setup? Why trick us into thinking she’d Squeezed us into Lifeblood Deep? And the Lance. I mean, couldn’t there have been an easier way to accomplish all that destruction?”

“Did you guys set up that entire purple ocean of broken-down code, too?” Sarah asked. When she spoke, Agent Scott didn’t even glance at her. His eyes stayed riveted on Michael.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the man said calmly. “You came to us, remember? You were the ones who decided where to go, where to attack, how to do it. You tricked us. Why would we, the VNS, purposely—voluntarily—assist you in bringing down our entire firewall and security network? It just doesn’t make sense.”