Valerie Creed moved through the afternoon crowd like she wasn't even on a job. She looked relaxed, just another person out for a walk. Eli stayed thirty paces back, keeping his steps normal while his eyes flicked everywhere—checking shop windows for reflections, spotting every security camera, and noting any face that showed up more than once.
The Helix Capital Network building rose up ahead, all glass and steel. Valerie didn't go in the front door. She walked right past it and headed down the stairs into the subway entrance, her fingers brushing the railing as she went. Eli waited a full minute before following. He already had her walking rhythm memorized—three quick steps, two slow ones, the kind of pattern someone uses when they're watching for tails.
