Calculated Contagion Page 13

  “It was just. I mean, where Parker touched me on my wrist, that’s where, oh God, I can’t even talk about it. It’s just, it’s where, when they took me, they tied up my wrists for hours. I swear at night, sometimes I feel the zip ties on me and wake up screaming. My wrists burn, just thinking about it.” Dani looked into her mug and took another sip to keep from rubbing her wrists, now aching from the memory.

  “Well, that explains the nightmares.” Dani raised her head at Alexis’s matter-of-fact response.

  “You knew?”

  “Dani, I’ve been sleeping in your guest room for a week and my job is to protect you. If I didn’t notice when you had screaming nightmares, I deserve to be fired.”

  “Oh man. I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Dani, you’ve been through hell and back. Why wouldn’t it affect you?”

  Dani’s eyes began to fill with tears and she blinked them away. “It could have been so much worse. I wasn’t even hurt. I could have been killed or tortured or God knows what else, but I wasn’t. I was rescued by two men who shouldn’t have been there but put themselves at risk to save me anyway. I am the luckiest woman on the planet. I don’t deserve to feel sorry for myself.”

  “Dani, you’re experiencing post-traumatic stress, not self-pity. It’s extremely common, and you are skipping over the part where you were threatened, bound, and kidnapped. You are allowed to be upset. In fact, I think we just saw the effects of trying to pretend it didn’t happen just a few minutes earlier.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. You do need to talk about this, even if it’s not right now. What I need to know now is if continuing to help us is going to make you worse or better. If you aren’t up to helping with the investigation, we need to get you into witness protection so you can recover from a very traumatic experience. It isn’t a trick question, Dani. We’ll continue on with or without your help. Yes, you bring something really valuable to the investigation, but I’m not willing to let you help if you don’t think you can. Or if I don’t think you can.”

  While Alexis was in a completely different field of study than Dani, her tone and words were spoken in the universal language of a competent professional. Like Dani, Alexis excelled in her field, and her words meant something. Dani drank in her reassurance while battling with uncertainty. Putting the choice in her hands made everything harder somehow. Dani looked to Ree, knowing she had been in a similar situation before. Ree sat still as a stone and silent, two behaviors that didn’t come naturally for the high-strung professor. At least she had her mouth closed.

  “I think I can keep going. I just need some time alone to process. Thanks for the talk and tea. Just give me some time.” Alexis bobbed her head once and placed her hand on Dani’s shoulder. Dani took another sip of tea and Ree and Alexis filed out of the kitchen, giving her the time and peace she needed to consider her situation.

  * * *

  Parker rose from the couch when Alexis and Ree came back. Ree was shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, but Alexis seemed nonplussed.

  Mike asked, “She holding it together?”

  Alexis said quietly, “Barely, Mikey.”

  “She going to be able to hold it together?” Mike crossed his arms.

  “If I had to guess, yes. But we need to give her some time. It has to be her choice.”

  “We may not have time.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  * * *

  With little else to do in an apartment too small to hold four wired team members and a traumatized witness, Parker and Ree left to go to their separate quarters. It was still early in the evening, so they settled onto the couch to attempt to watch TV while they waited for answers. Ree put soccer on so Parker could tune out for a little while. She waited for him to talk, rubbing her fingers along the back of his hand. After half an hour of silence, Ree climbed into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against hers. Turning so she could see his face, she placed her palm on his cheek and asked, “You want to talk?”

  “Not especially.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Sure feels like it.”

  “She’s a kidnapping victim, Parker. I’m no psychologist, but I think we can safely assume that part wasn’t your fault.”

  “Yeah, but I should have known better. I knew she wasn’t comfortable around men. Man, she was on another planet.”

  “She seems okay around Cam and Tyler.” Ree winced after the words spilled out, realizing too late that he’d probably take the comment personally.

  “Yeah, but when one guy knocks out the person trying to hurt you, and the other one flies you out by helicopter while someone is shooting at you, it tends to build trust a little quicker than normal.”

  “Yeah, it’s hard to match that. Look, we’ll figure this out.”

  Parker pulled her a little closer. “I hope you’re right. Do you know what set her off?”

  “Startling her was the first part, but what really got her was touching her wrist. It’s where they tied her up.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “I know. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but you need to know so you don’t do it again. If it makes you feel better, I got an elbow to the gut from Alex because I was staring all fish-mouthed at her while she was panicking. Do you need to call someone or something?”

  Parker shook his head. “No, Alex does a nightly report. She’ll send it to the right people. For now, we wait.”

  “You know I go back next week, right?”

  “Yeah, I’ve enjoyed getting a little more time with you in the meantime, though.” Parker threaded a hand through hers.

  “You realize it’s probably some sort of workaholic red flag when we are enjoying the time we get to spend together on a stakeout, right?”

  “Sweetie, this isn’t a stakeout. It’s an investigation.”

  “You’re evading.”

  “Have I ever mentioned how hot it is that you don’t take any crap from me?”

  “You are incorrigible.”

  “Yeah, but you like it.”

  19

  Dani placed her empty mug back on the small table in her kitchen and closed her eyes. She made her living solving intractable problems, and this was merely another problem, albeit of a slightly different flavor. It was all about balancing risks and benefits. The risks on this project were higher than anything else she’d been a part of. Or were they? Lives hinged on her decisions in small ways every day. Of course, this project was more immediately life-threatening. However, the risk of failure would be higher without her involvement.

  Back in her comfort zone of analysis, Dani felt just a little bit stronger. She wasn’t magically cured, but in some small way, working through the terror and coming through to the other side in one piece meant she might be able to see this through. Dani steeled herself to explain her decision to the crowd, but when she entered the living room, only Alexis was sitting on her couch. Dani asked wryly, “Did my drama scare off the other agents?”

  “Nah, I think you’ll find they don’t scare too easily, but we do need to talk about how you are doing.” Alexis patted the couch next to her, and Dani sat with her arms pulled tight against her stomach to rein in the tension usually reserved for presenting at a conference. As if she could read her mind, Alexis said gently, “You haven’t done anything wrong, Dani.”

  “I know. It just seems like it.”

  Alexis put her elbows on her knees. “Dani, we have a couple of options. Even if you’re willing to go to the lab as usual tomorrow, we can’t guarantee your safety. So, one option is that we keep using you as a resource and an active member of the team, just not in your office. We continue to stick to you like glue, but it could put you in a dangerous position, physically and mentally. Alternatively, we can put you in witness protection and allow you to visit with your friends and family when this is all over. Objectively, witness protection is the safest option for you.”
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  “Are you saying I can’t handle it?” Dani said, a spark of warning in her tone. It was one thing for her to fight a battle against herself, but another thing entirely to have to defend her choice to someone else.

  “I’m saying you don’t have to. As much as you act like you’re okay, anyone in your situation would have every right to say you didn’t sign up for this and you’re done with it all.”

  Dani’s eyes narrowed. Couched in the offer to let her out of helping was the implication that Alexis was giving up on her. And she was worth fighting for. “I’m not going to sit back and let you guys muddle through the science without an expert you can trust. Where are Cam and Tyler? Bring them back. If this was their idea, I’d like to talk with them too.” Dani was on a roll and Alexis’s mouth twitched.

  Alexis patted Dani’s shoulder. “No need to bring in the boys. I’ll let them know, and we’ll figure out where to go from here. Look, if we fill you in, your involvement in this could be anything from sitting in one of our offices staring at paperwork to being nearly as involved as the rest of us. Are you sure–”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I had my moment, and I’m done.” Alexis raised an eyebrow and Dani raised her hands in surrender. “Look, I know I’m not well. I know I need counseling, but I also need closure. Let’s catch whoever did this, and then I’ll focus on me.”

  “Okay, if you say you’re sure. I’ll talk to the rest of the team.”

  * * *

  Alexis finally relaxed when Dani closed the door to her room and the apartment went quiet. Alexis slipped an earbud into one ear and called her boss to provide an update. This assessment was too complicated to send in an email.

  Sandy answered the phone. “Agent Thompson. I got your update this afternoon. Do you have more news for me?”

  “Not exactly, sir.”

  “You know what this means, Alexis.”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “I’m going to suggest that your team stays stateside, but the CIA has some evidence they want to chase down in the next couple of days. I’d expect to see your new friends disappear soon. They may want the scientist to come with them. It’s unconventional, but as you know, not unheard of.”

  “Have you found out who could be responsible?”

  “We have it narrowed down to three people who entered the lab when the last vial went missing: Ms. Christensen, Dr. Fabian, and a lab assistant named Bruce. Unfortunately, the first vial was stolen some time ago, and the surveillance footage only goes back a week. For now, it’s reasonable to assume the same suspect since it’s unlikely two people are working independently to steal the same thing.”

  “Dani and Dr. Fabian don’t get along very well. Would he do it to make her look bad?”

  “It’s possible, but it’s also a felony,” Sandy said. “I ran it by our profiler–Scarlett, obviously–and she thinks it’s unlikely a guy like Dr. Fabian would be willing to make someone else look bad if there was a chance of it impacting his record. Doesn’t mean he’s not guilty. It’s always possible there’s another motive we haven’t thought of yet. We’ve traced some unusual calls to Bruce that put him at the top of our list. The NSA is tracking down his most recent phone records, and we’re waiting for the results to come in. They should be in by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I want someone staying up tonight to be on the safe side–keep an eye on entrances and exits. I don’t think I need to explain to you why the daughter of a prominent businessman can’t get hurt on our watch.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How is she holding up?”

  “She’s going to need some serious therapy when this is all over. She had a small breakdown today, which I’m going to write up in my formal reports. She’s got residual mental trauma from being kidnapped but I think she’ll pull through. I suggested we bench her and that lit a fire.”

  “I’m concerned about her mental health.”

  “You and me both, sir. I think she’ll get through it, but we need to keep her with Ree and me or with Cam and Tyler. Parker and Mike scare her half to death but Tyler and Cam get a pass. I think because they rescued her, they don’t trigger the fear response.”

  “Fear response? What happened, Alexis?”

  “Parker touched her wrist. It wasn’t inappropriate, but there’s some PTSD lurking underneath the surface. Apparently, it’s where they tied her up. Parker’s pretty torn up about it, but I think Ree is talking him down.”

  “Noted. Let’s see how things play out, but keep me informed. I’m trusting your assessment. We’re getting a lot of scrutiny from the higher-ups on this one. I’m worried about our witness and we can’t make the wrong call.”

  “Agreed, sir.”

  “It goes without saying that I’ll back your opinion. It also goes without saying that you need to be right.”

  “I understand, sir. I stand by my assessment for now, but I will let you know if the situation changes.”

  “Thank you, Alexis. Stay safe up there.”

  “Will do, sir.” Alexis ended the call and rose to make sure the apartment was secure for the night.

  20

  Tyler’s phone beeped at the same time as Cam’s, but Tyler was a quicker draw. “We got him. Bruce from the lab had a phone call from a burner phone this week. Correction–many calls. Phone has since been disconnected, but within an hour of the call he answered, we have surveillance of him in the restricted lab, badging in with Dr. Fabian’s keycard.”

  Cam swallowed his mouthful of protein bar. “Beautiful. Catch him stealing the vial?”

  “No, the camera isn’t at the right angle.”

  “Is it enough?”

  “We’ve done more with less. Even better, Morgan got us permission to go talk to him.” Tyler slapped his friend on the back and placed his weapon into its holster. Tyler sent a quick message to Parker with a vague description of their task and checked the clock. Both he and Cam hadn’t adjusted to the time zone and were up well before dawn. Bruce should still be home and they could take care of the problem before Dani even woke up. Neither of them liked to wait for a situation to get worse, and no further discussion was necessary. They left the hotel room ten minutes later.

  As Cam pulled into a short driveway, Tyler aimed the thermal scanning equipment at Bruce’s house. There was only one person inside, not moving, in the bedroom. The camera showed a warm body. Hopefully no one had shot him–they wouldn’t get much information out of a dead man. Tyler hopped out of the car, felt for his gun, and approached the suspect’s front door.

  Cam’s voice in Tyler’s earpiece broke through the silence of the pre-dawn. “You’re clear, Eagle.”

  Tyler cracked his knuckles and slid the tiny tools into the lock. While he had begun his military training as a pilot, his stint in the CIA had taught him a number of other skills. Picking a lock without waking up the occupant of a house turned out to be one of the more useful ones today.

  Tyler wasn’t close to many people, never had been. He’d grown up in the foster care system and he was one of the lucky ones. He had come out determined not to let people down the way that his parents had let him down with their poor choices and addictions. His career gave him the opportunity to try and make the world a little better for everyone else as a way to pay it forward. The thought of someone trying to hurt Dani bothered him in a way not much else did. He wasn’t one to sentimentalize a situation–it was merely a point of fact that he’d take a bullet for her if he needed to.

  The lock opened with a click and he eased the door open. There was no squeak and he closed the door gently behind him. The house was small and messy, and a light in the living room was still on. Dirty clothes were draped over a futon, but there was a small kitchen table that would serve his purpose. The bedroom door was closed, but there was a slight stirring, loud sniff, and yawn from behind it as he passed. He placed himself at the table, back to the wall, gun in hand, and waited.

  * * *

  Bruce startled awake, gasping for air. He listened f
or a repeat of the noise but it was just the nightmares again. He only wanted a way out. It had begun as almost nothing and ended with him committing a felony. Just going to work made him feel like he was slowly drowning, waiting for the truth to find him and swallow him whole. Fighting the urge to stay in bed or call in sick, he padded to the kitchen for a glass of water, still wearing his boxers and a plain white t-shirt. He screamed when he saw a muscular man sitting at his kitchen table dressed in all black. The gun in his right hand was aimed at Bruce. His eyes were black in the dim light. It was not the weapon in his hand but the expression on the man’s face that convinced Bruce the man was willing to kill him. He’d done everything they’d asked. And still, he was going to die. Unable to speak, he met the man’s eyes, but their intensity made him take an involuntary step backward.

  “Hello, Bruce. Why don’t you have a seat? We have some things we need to talk about.”

  “Oh, no. You’re with them. I want out. I didn’t want to do anything wrong and I will die before helping you again. Shoot me if you have to. Just don’t hurt one hair on Dani’s head. She had nothing to do with this. I don’t know what you want, but I’m done. I don’t want your money. Just take it back.”

  * * *

  Well, that was unexpected. Recalibrating his speech and grateful the conversation was being recorded, Tyler continued, “Who do you think I am, Bruce?”

  “You’re with–them. I don’t even know, the guy who said he had a technology he wanted to show to Dani and the people that put the money in my account that I couldn’t get rid of. And the competitor who made me steal the vial, I don’t know. You’re together, right? Just shoot me. Get it over with. I can’t live like this.”

  “Bruce, I think we are going to end up being friends, of sorts.”

  “We are not friends! Stop saying that! I’ll just call the police and turn myself in.”