"Mr. Helwart."

Linsy offered a respectful, professional nod as he passed her workstation. Michael did not acknowledge her, his stride unbroken as he moved with a predator's grace toward his office. Each step echoed in the cavernous space, a drumbeat of unspoken tension that pressed down on her. His tall, imposing frame seemed to suck the air from the room, and the grim set of his jaw was a storm warning.

She watched, perplexed, as he entered his sanctum without a backward glance. The silence ...