D.E.A.D. Till I Die: An Action Thriller (GlobaTech Book 1) by James P. Sumner Page B

someone had flipped a switch and turned her into a completely different person. She was more relaxed, comfortable… confident. He couldn’t deny being impressed with her fighting abilities, despite his anger at being deceived by her, and by the people who had spent the last thirty-six hours asking for his trust.
    She turned into the compound, slowing to a stop in front of the security barrier guarding the entrance. On the other side of the roadway, a team of three men were replacing the barrier they broke the day before, during their escape. Two guards came out of the hut in the middle and approached the car. Jericho recognized them both from the large group who had tried to stop him, before Julie’s intervention.
    They moved to the driver’s window, which Julie buzzed down, resting her arm on the frame as she leaned out. “Hey, fellas… we’re here to see Mr. Winters.”
    They exchanged an uncertain glance, ducking slightly and staring at Jericho. Julie spotted their concern. “It’s okay, guys, he’s with me.”
    Both guards relaxed and walked back into their hut. A few moments later, the barrier lifted and she eased through, heading left toward a large building in the far corner—a tall glass structure that wouldn’t have looked out of place against the skyline of any major city.
    She navigated the network of roads as Jericho gazed out the window, looking at the industrious citadel that surrounded him. Although he’d seen it from inside the conference room a little over twenty-four hours ago, he hadn’t really appreciated just how big the place was.
    Small, six-person transport vehicles with the GlobaTech logo emblazoned on the sides whizzed by in every direction, carrying people wearing a mixture of suits, fatigues, and overcoats to wherever they needed to be.
    The roads formed a large square, and branched out to the corners of the compound. In the middle was a helipad, a large SAM site, and units of troops all kitted out in hi-tech uniforms running drills.
    “How can you afford all this without any government funding?” asked Jericho, genuinely curious and impressed in equal measure.
    Julie laughed. “Don’t ask me, I just work here.”
    He glanced across at her. “Yeah, about that… who are you? Really.”
    She smiled. “I’ve worked here for the last six years,” she said. “I did a lot of security work in South Africa for the first eighteen months. Then I was brought in to work for Robert Clark.”
    “He’s the guy who died in the terrorist attack, right?” asked Jericho, recalling his brief conversation with her yesterday.
    She nodded. “He was a good man, and deserved better than that. We had a… bit of an issue a few years back with internal security. Someone who worked in our Finance and Logistics section—something Jackson, I can’t remember his first name—tried to sell land that GlobaTech owned to a terrorist cell. Robert headed up the investigation following Jackson’s death, and uncovered corruption at the highest level. I was part of the unit that took out the trash. Once that was behind us, the company restructured its hierarchy, sought investment from reputable, private sources, and was able to quickly turn itself into what you see today.”
    Julie pulled over beside some steps that led up to the main entrance of the building. As they got out of the car, the doors slid open and Josh Winters appeared. Jericho looked over, and then raised an eyebrow at Julie.
    “Be nice,” she said. “He’s here to help.”
    “Whatever…” he muttered in response, before setting off up the steps.
    Josh greeted him with an extended hand, and Jericho stopped, looking first at the hand, then in Josh’s eyes.
    “Let me be clear,” he began, “I don’t like being lied to.” Careful to keep his left eye closed, he took Josh’s hand, shaking it firmly. He tightened his grip as Josh tried to pull away, holding him there. “I told you before I wanted you to be straight with me, and you