“Then you know more than I do.”

“Are you saying that Samuel Verner is not behind this plot to suborn a member of the Renraku Special Directorate?”

Hart frowned. “I don’t like making your job any easier, Crenshaw, but Verner is someone I’d like to see out of the picture. He’s been a bit of trouble for me.”

Crenshaw found a falling out among the runners interesting, but not unusual. “Whether or not you admit to working with Verner, your own involvement is clear. I also know that you have turned Konrad Hutten, though we have yet to determine what hold you have on him.”

“If you have found a weak link in your corporate chain, why not just cut it out?”

Crenshaw found herself enjoying the interplay. A worthy opponent was so rare. If this play was to be the one to set her up for life, such admirable opposition would make it doubly memorable. “I have my own interests, Ms. Hart. As long as I am satisfied there’s been no breach of Renraku security, I can afford to wait and deal with each aspect of his situation in turn.

“At this moment, I am interested in Samuel Verner. You say you’d also like him out of your hair. Perhaps this is one time we can be allies rather than adversaries.”

Hart’s facial muscles tightened slightly, which Crenshaw took as a sign the Elf was considering the possibilities. She knew she was halfway home when Hart asked. “What do you suggest?”

“Since Verner is giving us both such a hard time from the shadows, perhaps we can coax him out into the light. I know he’s involved in an attempt on the Special Directorate, but you say he’s not part of your operation. Whatever the case, neither of us wants him to touch the project. You, because you want it for yourself; me, because it belongs to my corporation.

“If he were to believe he had a chance to get what he wanted and keep it away from you at the same time, wouldn’t he take it?”

“Possibly,” Hart admitted quickly. “But what do I get out of it?”

“The obvious. Your competition is eliminated.”

“While you shut down my own operation from the inside.”

Crenshaw smiled. “Oh, no. At least not right away. Doctor Hutten is still a vital member of the project. You will have other chances.”

“While you watch his every move.”

“I didn’t promise things would be easy.”

Hart’s operation had definitely become more difficult now that someone at Renraku knew about it. The Elf guessed that Crenshaw would let both her and Verner into the arcology to contact Hutten. Hart would anticipate Crenshaw’s trap, but her associate Verner would not. The Elf could throw Verner to the proverbial wolves, escaping in the confusion and trying to take Hutten with her. It was exactly what Crenshaw would do in her shoes. It wasn’t a sure bet, but what other choice did Hart have? Her big problem was Crenshaw’s knowledge of the operation to subvert Hutten. With security on full alert, Hart’s only chance to pull off the extraction would be during the confusion around Verner’s Capture.

“Crenshaw, your offer stinks. But you don’t leave me much choice. Verner has to go down, and quickly. There’s still the question of when.” Hart flicked a finger at the screen of the terminal on her desk. “Our man was to meet with… me tomorrow night sort of a progress report. Since you’re onto him, I suppose you’ll cancel it.”

Good counterthrust, Crenshaw thought. Hart was trying to rush Crenshaw’s own preparations, no doubt hoping Crenshaw would miss something or leave a loose end that would unravel the Renraku trap enough to leave her room to squirm free. Well, Sato was pushing for a resolution, too. Crenshaw would be equally happy to have Verner’s hide sooner rather than later. Besides, Hart might just rush herself into a mistake. “Not at all. Just what we need to draw Verner out of the shadows where we can squash him.”

“Aren’t you afraid our man will run?”

Crenshaw smiled to show her confidence. “The project’s made too little progress,” she lied. “If you pull him out now, you’ll get next to nothing for all your work.”

Crenshaw was certain that now Hart was guaranteed to try to pull Hutten out. If Hart believed she could catch Crenshaw off guard, the Elf would be less thorough in her preparations. Crenshaw’s trap would be ready to spring, and she’d be more than ready for the Elf. Once they’d smoked Verner, Hart was next. Whether the Elf were captured or killed didn’t matter to Crenshaw. Either way, Crenshaw would get the credit for exposing the traitor, eliminating the renegade, and stopping the notorious shadowrunner Hart.

“There is one small hole in your plan to be rid of Verner,” Hart said. “He can’t show up unless he knows about the meet.”

“Null difficulty,” said Crenshaw. I could just let you tell him, dear, but then I have to keep up the show of believing you. “That can be arranged.’

Hart was relieved when the door closed behind Crenshaw. The woman was a manipulator of the first water, but her twisted proddings confirmed Hart’s fears. Crenshaw knew too much, and it wasn’t likely that the rest of Renraku security knew any less. Time to cut the losses. She’d pull the thing out tonight if she thought it could be done.

Now Verner had showed up again. All her efforts had failed to locate him, and here was Crenshaw offering to lure him into the open for her. The woman seemed obsessed with the fellow, unable to accept Hart’s denial that she was not connected with the man. Crenshaw might even think Hart was lying to shield Verner. Well, that suited Hart fine. Let Crenshaw make all the false assumptions she pleased. That might give Hart all the slack she needed.

She knew Crenshaw would expect her to make an attempt to pull the thing out tomorrow night, though Hart wasn’t sure whether the woman knew about the thing they’d planted in her precious Special Directorate. Crenshaws force would be waiting to keep poor misled Doctor Hutten within Renaku’s warm embrace while also disposing of some troubleome shadowrunners. Hart had faced and beaten more elaborate, well-laid traps than this one, in fact, Crenshaw’s complicity would get her inside the security perimeter, After that, she only had to worry about herself. Renraku security would be waiting for her to grab her inside man, but she had no intention of doing so. All Hart really needed was the data.

That was now her big concern. She hoped the bitch Crenshaw was bluffing when she said the team hadn’t been too successful, because Haesslich would be very unhappy if his toy had nothing to give him. The doppelganger’s preliminary reports had all been optimistic, hinting at everything the Dragon hoped for. If Crenshaw was telling the truth, that thing might be playing its own game. Wilson had assured them of its complete loyalty, but he’d been wrong before. Hart remembered the terror as she hid in the shower stall with the thing lurking just beyond. It had nearly taken her instead of Hutten because Wilson had miscalculated the thing’s reaction time to the drugs. Haesslich had implied that he knew something about the doppelganger that old Doc Wilson didn’t, but the worm, hadn’t shared the secret with Hart. The Dragon only insisted that the thing would never betray him. So did that mean it might betray her?