"How soon can you get there?" Lenora ground out.
"Twenty minutes," Rogan said. "Sooner if you stop asking me things every thirty seconds."
She glowered at him.
"Sir," Bug said. "I have an incoming call from Alexander Sturm, sir."
"I want complete silence," Rogan barked, his voice snapping like a whip.
Everyone froze. The room turned so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Rogan glanced at the doors leading to outside where Adeyemi danced. They slammed shut, smothering the drumbeat.
The entire workstation pivoted on its axis toward the kitchen, the only thing Sturm would be able to see. Rogan strode to the kitchen counter. A coffee mug shot out of the cabinet and landed in his hand. He leaned against the counter, mug in hand, and nodded at Bug. He appeared completely alone in an empty room, just a man enjoying a late cup of coffee.
"Rogan," Sturm said from the screen. "Did I wake you?"
"Yes." Rogan's voice was nonchalant. "I was having the best dream. I was wrapping my hands around your throat, and you were begging. I was embarrassed for you, actually."
There was a momentary pause. "I had no idea you devoted so much time to thinking about me."
"Not really. What do you want, Sturm?"
"What I always wanted. Olivia's files."
Rogan pretended to consider it. "No."
"Why do you have to be so tedious? What do you want for them?"
"Nothing you have."
Sturm sighed. "I have a lot of things you don't want. History shows that when our Houses fight, yours loses."
Rogan smiled. The hair on the back of my neck rose.
"Try me."
"I intend to," Sturm said. "There will be enormous losses in personnel and property, and at the end, I'll win. I have one simple advantage, Rogan. I can direct the destruction, while you just emanate it. It's clear I have the tactical advantage. Why don't we skip all that and discuss our options?"
"You have no options," Rogan said, his voice harsh.
"Let me guess, you have a Boy Scout plan. You'll crack the cypher and then what? Turn it over to Jordan?"
"The thought crossed my mind."
Sturm laughed. "Come on. Even if I humor you, and we suppose that I'll sit on my hands while all of this happens, even you can guess about the caliber of people involved. Nothing will happen, Rogan. They will bury it, and if Jordan tries to hold on to it, they will bury that uppity bitch with it. They've been talking about cutting her down to size for months."
I slapped my hand over my mouth, so nothing would escape.
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
"Except my reputation. Which is precisely why I won't be sitting on my hands. While your geeks are trying to break the cypher, I will be demolishing Houston."
"And this helps you how?"
"By the time I'm done, there will be no city left. Do you know what happens in the wake of a natural disaster of such proportions? There is no law and order. There is no accountability. There is only chaos. By the time they get around to sorting out who may be responsible for what, nobody will be able to implicate me. Weather spells can't be traced. In fact, credible proof may surface that you were responsible for the destruction of the city. Of the two of us, you're the one with the cute nicknames, Huracan."
"I had no idea my powers expanded to atmospheric manipulation," Rogan said.
"Perhaps you hired a storm mage, and used the storm as a cover to level the city. Whenever something like this happens, people look for a narrative, Rogan. And a former hero, who never came back from the war and finally snapped, makes for a great story. I'll even shed a tear for you."
"You do realize that I'm recording this call?"
"Good. Play it back and listen to it until you realize I don't care. I'm not concerned. I'm not worried about you. Ask yourself why. When you figure out the answer, call me. I'd wish you good night but I doubt you'll be sleeping."
"He hung up, sir," Bug reported.
The workstation turned toward us, the top right screen dark.
Rogan tossed the cup aside-it floated into the sink-and nodded at Lenora. "Did you catch all that?"
"Yes," Lenora Jordan said, her voice cutting. "I did."
"He's playing for time," Rogan said.
"Do whatever the hell you have to do to stop that tornado from hitting Houston. I can't evacuate the city in an hour. We'll see you there. And Rogan? Sturm is mine. I'm the law. Nobody is above the law."