They sat in the room, waiting. They did not know for who they waited, but that didn’t matter. The appointment had been made by the home office. They would be as patient as they needed to be.

Weldon needlessly straightened his gloves. On someone in any other line of work, it might have been a sign of anxiety. But they hardly got anxious. It was simply important to look one’s best.

After an unspecified amount of time, the door opened. Crocker, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up, almost eager to see who was coming. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Sir,” Weldon greeted.

“Sir,” Crocker said with a polite nod of the head.

“Gentlemen. Crocker, have a seat.” The man suited his actions to his words and took a seat opposite from Weldon. Weldon had no idea who the man was, exactly, and he doubted that Crocker did, either. But the stainless white of his gloves said it all. It was only worn by Corporate Management. It said that this man did not get his hands dirty. That, obviously, was why he had summoned Weldon and Crocker.

The man opened his briefcase, and as soon as Crocker had taken a seat next to Weldon, he handed them both a stack of papers and began to speak.

“You are both familiar with our Prodigy program at the Academy.”

Weldon nodded. “I have been fully briefed to level blue clearance. Mr. Crocker visited the Academy itself to assist in the investigation into the allegations of a mole.”

“Yes, to quite satisfactory results, if too late to do more than simply limit the damage.” Weldon raised an eyebrow, and suppressed the urge to look at Crocker. The official company line had been that there had been no such thing as a mole in the company, and he had never heard differently from his partner. Not that he would have expected to have heard—that was part of their job.

“Sir,” Crocker asked, “are we to understand that access to the Prodigy program information has been downgraded in regards to clearance level?”

“Most certainly not. Exceptions, however, have to be made. These are unique and trying circu