Текст книги "True"
Автор книги: Laurann Dohner
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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Chapter Three
Jeanie opened her eyes, peering in confusion at the bedrails rising on both sides of the mattress she lay on. It came as a shock to be alive. The familiar sights of a hospital room assured her that she hadn’t died. The dull pain in her side when she shifted was also proof.
She tried to touch her face but her arm jerked to a halt as something pinched her wrist. She stared at the handcuffs securing her to the bedrail. Confusion instantly surfaced.
“Hello?” Her voice came out dry and rough. She swallowed, wishing for water.
A white-haired man sporting a pair of glasses appeared and stared down at her, frowning. “Hello. I’m Dr. Harris. You’re at the NSO Homeland in Southern California, Ms. Shiver.”
“Water,” she croaked.
He disappeared for a few seconds then reappeared with a glass and a straw. He lowered it to her mouth and she sipped the room-temperature liquid. It wet her tongue and throat, soothing away the soreness.
He drew it back. “Not too much at once. You can have some more.”
“Thank you.”
“How do you feel, Ms. Shiver?”
She swallowed. “It’s Shy-ver. That’s how you pronounce it.”
He blinked. “Fine. You’ll live. You may wish you hadn’t by the end of the day but I did my job. I’m sending in a nurse to help you get showered and dressed. The NSO wants answers. You’ll be escorted to the lower floor where your questioning will begin.”
Jeanie swallowed, taken aback at his words and cold attitude. “Why am I handcuffed?”
He hesitated but instead of answering, offered her a few more sips of water. She accepted.
“Do you know what NSO stands for?”
“Yes. New Species Organization.” She shifted on the bed a little to get comfortable. “I understand where I’m at.” She glanced down. “Am I okay? The bullet didn’t do any severe damage?”
He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “You’ll heal just fine but expect a scar. We had to operate to remove the bullet and you suffered internal bleeding. You needed a blood transfusion but it didn’t hit anything vital.” He paused. “Expect tenderness at the wound site for a while.”
“Thank you.” She was stunned the injury wasn’t worse.
She saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes and finally figured out what it was. For some reason the guy pitied her. She wanted to ask what was wrong but he turned abruptly and walked away.
“The nurse is here,” he said as he exited the room.
A tall New Species woman entered. She frowned when their gazes met but approached the bed, gripped the side rail and lowered it. “Sit up. You need to shower and put on clean clothing.” Her tone was icy. “You stink of medicine.” Her blue gaze remained narrowed, her manner unfriendly. “Your hair needs to be washed too.” She produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the handcuffs.
“Hello.” Jeanie smiled, happy to meet a free New Species despite it not seeming mutual. The pain in her side dampened her joy, though, when she forced her body upright. “Oh. That hurts.” She tenderly touched the gown over her injury, feeling a thick bandage under the thin material.
“Being shot causes pain.” The nurse stepped back. “Do you need assistance getting down?”
Jeanie pushed her legs over the edge of the bed only to notice how far her feet dangled above the floor. “These beds are pretty high.”
“They were designed for Species.” The nurse advanced, her touch gentle when she wrapped her arm around Jeanie’s waist, carefully helping her transition to a standing position.
Jeanie half expected dizziness to strike but she felt surprisingly good. The nurse released her after a few seconds, seemingly confident she wouldn’t fall.
“Follow me.”
“What’s your name?”
The woman growled. “I don’t want to make pleasantries with you.”
It stung but Jeanie tried not to allow it to hurt her feelings. After all, she’d worked at two places that had abused New Species. No matter the reason for her being there, some animosity might remain. That or the woman just didn’t like humans in general. She didn’t push for answers to figure out the exact cause.
The bathroom in the corner of the room was equipped with a sink, a shower stall and a toilet. She blushed while using the latter, knowing it was probably protocol for a nurse to remain present in case she fainted or needed help. The nurse turned on the water in the shower, bent and retrieved a set of clean gowns from a cabinet under the sink.
“You put one on with the opening in the back and one on with the opening in the front when you’re done, to keep you completely covered on both sides.” The woman paused. “No one enjoys their ass being exposed in those things once they are out of bed.”
“Thank you.” She wanted to say more but the stern look on the New Species’ face had her closing her mouth as she removed the thin gown after untying it in the back.
“I’ll stay in case you need help.” The woman clasped her hands together at her waist and leaned against the door.
Jeanie entered the open stall. The bandage covered a four-inch section just below her waist. A film of plastic covered the entire thing so she didn’t hesitate to step under the water. She closed her eyes, sighing in relief as warmth soaked her from the head down. Just being alive and able to shower seemed a gift.
710 crossed her mind as she stood there. She’d dreamed of seeing him again, trying to imagine what she’d say, or what he would, after he’d discovered the work she’d done to help get him and his people free. It was too much to ask for him to be outright friendly after what he’d suffered. She’d always be a reminder of those hellish times when he’d been beaten and chained.
Hope that he’d be there and want to talk to her again rose but she pushed it back. She might be at Homeland but that didn’t mean he lived there or that he’d purposely seek her out. He could live at Reservation. He’d made a huge impact on her life but she’d just been another employee to him. She stepped back, reaching for the shampoo on the shelf built into the wall of the shower.
“Scrub well,” the nurse encouraged.
Jeanie glanced at her. “I plan to.”
“You really stink.”
She winced, glancing away. The other woman’s sense of smell would be acute and New Species were known to be blunt. She hoped she hadn’t smelled really bad to 710 but being covered in blood wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. Jeanie scrubbed her hair then washed the rest of her body with soap. They had stocked the bathroom with quality products, proof that they weren’t a standard hospital.
The warm water was missed when she shut it off and accepted towels from the woman who’d drawn closer. “Do I need a new bandage?”
“No. It looks like the plastic kept it dry. Just gently pat it with the towel.”
“Thank you. Do you know who will be at this meeting I’m going to?”
“I have no idea.” The nurse retreated to the door. “Two males wait in the hallway. You don’t want them growing impatient to get the answers they seek.”
Jeanie nodded, hurrying. Of course they want to talk to me. Some of the employees had to have escaped using the emergency exits. It’s imperative to track them down before they flee the country. She was just as eager to see some of them imprisoned. Jim Booth at Cornas hadn’t been as horrible as Dean Polanitis at Drackwood, but he was close. Both of those research facilities were partners with Mercile Industries and had to have gained access to the New Species through them before they’d been closed down.
The thin gowns didn’t do much to keep her warm but she was covered to mid-calf. “I don’t suppose I could wear scrubs?” She peered at the nurse with hope. “At least bottoms? I feel a bit indecent.”
“It will have to do.” The woman waved a hand down her body. “Most of them are in my size or larger. They wouldn’t fit. Follow me.”
“How about a pair of socks or even those paper footy things? My feet are cold.”
Jeanie translated the low growl as a no. She sighed, leaving the bathroom. Two big New Species wearing black uniforms greeted her inside the room by the door. It reminded her of 710 as she glanced at the white letters on their shirts. These ones didn’t wear vests. She studied their faces, disappointed that he wasn’t one of them. The primate was a handsome guy with unique brown eyes, the red hues in them fascinating. The slight reshaping of his flared nose and the bulkiness of his upper body gave her an indication he might have been mixed with gorilla DNA. She’d heard they existed but were rare. He was the first one of his kind she’d ever seen.
She glanced at the other one. He was feline with pretty catlike eyes and red-streaked hair. Neither one smiled at her, their expressions grim. Jeanie was disappointed they weren’t friendlier. The one with the reddish eyes offered his arm.
“I’m Jericho. You may hold on to me. Tell me if you experience any weakness.”
“We don’t want you hitting the floor. My name is Flame and I’m not a medic so I don’t want you injured on my watch.” He glanced at the nurse. “Are you coming with us, Midnight?”
“No.”
That caused the feline to frown. “What if she starts bleeding or something?”
“Bring her back here.” The female sailed out of the room.
Jeanie hesitated before curling her fingers around the offered muscular forearm. Jericho was really warm, causing her to shiver.
“I won’t harm you.” His voice was husky, a little scary and deep.
“It’s not that. I just took a shower and it’s chilly. I just didn’t realize how cold I was until I touched you.”
The New Species glanced at the other one. “Get her a blanket.”
Flame crossed the room and yanked open a cabinet. He shook out a fresh blanket and approached from behind her but paused. “What do I do with it? Wrap it around her and one of us carries her? You should do that. She appears frail.”
“Why me?” Jericho growled low. “You’re weaker than me and less inclined to accidentally crush something.”
“I am not.”
Jeanie released his arm and turned. “I can walk. May I have that?”
Flame handed over the blanket. She wrapped it around her like a shawl and took Jericho’s arm again. She fisted the material at her chest to keep the blanket closed in front so it didn’t slip off her shoulders. It helped a little but she still wished for real clothes. Her bare feet on the cool floor weren’t helping to warm her much.
“Thank you. I’m ready to go.”
Flame followed them. Jericho walked slowly at her side and she appreciated it. He towered over her with his much longer legs. The hallway was clear. They entered a large area with desks, a long counter, and she glimpsed buildings through the windows along one long wall. Curiosity about Homeland had her craning her neck to see more but they reached an elevator too soon to spot anything of interest.
The doors slid open and a tall guy stood inside, wearing the same uniform as the New Species who escorted her, except he was fully human. She studied his features closely to be certain. He frowned and examined her as well.
“Hello, Ms. Shiver. I’m Trey Roberts. I’m one of the team leaders of the task force here at Homeland.” He glanced at Flame. “I was coming up to see what was taking so long.”
He pronounced her name wrong but she didn’t correct him. It had been a common occurrence all her life. She’d seen some of the task force members on television in brief news clips but they usually hid their faces with caps pulled low on their foreheads and wore mirrored glasses to hide their eyes. He was an attractive guy in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties, but the way he looked at her in that unfriendly manner had her wondering why.
“She showered.” Flame crossed his arms over his chest.
“I see. Her hair is wet.” Trey glanced down at the blanket, arching an eyebrow in question.
“She was cold,” Jericho announced.
“Well, we can’t have that.” Trey sighed. “Don’t forget that she’s not a guest here.” He directed a pointed look at her hand, curved around Jericho’s forearm. “Where are the handcuffs?”
The primate growled. “They weren’t needed.”
“It’s still my job to point out protocol.”
“We’re not wearing any weapons she could steal and she’s had no access to anything sharp. Do you believe she is physically capable of endangering us?” He looked offended.
“No. Forget I said anything.” Trey appeared exasperated when he gave her his full attention. “Let’s get this over with. You have a lot of questions to answer.”
“I have one myself. Why was I handcuffed in the first place? You know who I am since you know my name.”
His mouth firmed into a tight, grim line before he jerked his head toward the open elevator. “You’re not the one who will be asking questions. Let’s go.”
Jericho steered her inside. She felt tiny compared to the three large men sharing the elevator. Trey Roberts stared at her in a way that had her dropping her gaze to the floor, a sense of apprehension knotting in her stomach. Something was wrong but she didn’t know what. Fear inched up her spine but there shouldn’t be a reason for it. It still remained. She chalked it up to a little nervousness about being around free New Species.
It had been a dream of hers to get them out of those cells and to the NSO but she had dealt with dangerous ones. They killed humans when given the opportunity, though it was totally justified. The difference between imagining standing next to them once they were free and actually doing it seemed a logical reason for her to feel a bit paranoid. She dismissed it as the cause of her uneasiness.
The elevator doors opened into a large windowless room with a few thick beams to support the enormous space. Jericho moved and gently drew her forward until she got a view of the other side of the room. Three rooms with bars for walls lined one wall, each set up similar to jail cells but with nicer bedroom furniture. Her gaze lingered on them, happy to see they were empty.
A chair had been placed in the center of the large room with one brighter light turned on above it. She was led there and Jericho nodded. “Have a seat.”
She sat, staring up at all three of them as they surrounded her. The mood was grim, their features were, too, and that uneasy feeling grew ten times worse inside Jeanie. She’d expected to be taken to an office or at least a real room with chairs, maybe a desk and a window. Instead she was in a dim, dank environment that left her wondering if anything lurked in the unseen corners. She hugged her waist and huddled in the seat as her gaze drifted to that darkness.
“What’s going on? What is this place? Why am I here?”
She heard a soft thump and turned her head. Two big men stepped out of the shadows to her left and drew closer. Movement from her right had her turning her head. 710’s blond hair almost glowed as he stepped into the circle of light. She couldn’t see his face but she knew it was him. A human stood next to him. Jeanie’s gaze lingered on 710 until a man in uniform stepped between them, blocking her view. He was human as well.
“New Species get upset when they hear women scream. This place has reinforced walls and sound is muted.”
“Easy, Chris.” Trey Roberts shot him a dirty look.
The implied threat slowly sank in and she swallowed, fear growing by leaps and bounds. “What?” She hoped she hadn’t heard right.
The human guy in the uniform who’d stood next to 710 approached and crouched, invading her space when his hands gripped the sides of her chair. He frowned.
“I’m Jordan.” The man was in his mid-thirties and had frosty gray eyes. “You’re lucky to be alive, Jeanie.”
She nodded. “I know.”
Her gaze darted to 710. He stood about eight feet behind the man crouching in front of her. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lowered chin kept his features concealed in the shadows. Jordan moved his head in a way that completely shielded 710 from her view.
“Eyes right here, Jeanie. Look at me.”
She did as he asked, staring into cold gray irises.
“What was on the mainframe computers at Cornas Research?”
She hesitated. “All the files on the experiments they were conducting.”
“You poured coffee into the computer.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?”
She licked dry lips, wishing for more water. “They installed poison gas dispensers inside every room that held New Species. I knew they’d kill them if I didn’t take out the computer. Anyone in Security could have accessed the program and activated it from their desk terminals.”
Jordan frowned. “We didn’t find any poison dispensers. Their security was lax, if anything.”
“Check the fire alarms in each of the rooms where the New Species were kept. I spoke with the guy who installed them. He thought he was really smart and no one would look there.” She swallowed. “I guess he was right if you didn’t find them. The only thing I could think of on short notice was to pour coffee on the mainframe computer and fry it. I couldn’t risk just unplugging it in case someone noticed. It had to be something they couldn’t fix in time. I thought about smashing it but it would have made too much noise. I probably could have opened the casing and removed parts if I’d had more warning but I wasn’t told the raid was going down until the night before. I couldn’t exactly clock back in at work that night or show up early for my shift. It would have raised suspicion. I only had about two minutes to take out the computer and get to the lower floors to deal with the card-reader locks. It still wasn’t enough time since I wasn’t able to disable them all.”
Jordan didn’t appear convinced. “How did you know we were coming?”
His question stumped her for a few seconds. She wondered if the agent she worked with had bent rules to warn her in the first place. It didn’t matter in the end though. She wasn’t going to lie to the NSO.
“I read the text around nine the night before, telling me to call in sick the next day. He didn’t outright say why but it was implied that Cornas would finally be raided just after the morning shift changed.”
Jordan blinked. “Who warned you?”
She frowned, concerned since he should already know that information. “Agent Terry Brice.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “You can call and verify that with him.”
“I see.” Jordan leaned in closer, staring deeply into her eyes. “Who is Agent Terry Brice?”
Jeanie gaped at him. “You don’t know the agent handling this case? I’ve been working with him since last year. He was assigned to help me close down Drackwood in New Mexico and now Cornas.” She shifted in her seat, peering around Jordan to get a look at 710. “Tell him. You were there, 710.”
Jordan rose to his feet and one of his hands gripped her chin, roughly jerking her head upward until their gazes locked. “Don’t ever directly address him. Do you understand me? I’m the one dealing with you.”
“Jordan.” Trey Roberts stepped forward. “Reel it back a little.”
“Keep out of this,” the guy spat. “I got this job because you’re too soft.”
“Fuck you.” Trey took another step closer. “I just don’t think the heavy-handed approach is necessary. I doubt Tim would either if he were here.”
“I was assigned to handle her interrogation and I’m in charge. Stop interfering.” He leaned in even closer, glaring at Jeanie. “I want answers, Ms. Shiver.”
Jordan’s hand hurt where it squeezed her jaw. “I understand. Please let go.” She reached up to grip his wrists with both hands in an attempt to free her face. The blanket she kept around her shoulders dropped to spill over the back of the chair and drape across her lap.
The one who’d threatened to make her scream grabbed her wrists, yanking her back in her seat until her spine pressed against the metal chair. She hadn’t seen or heard him come up behind her from the darkness. Pain stabbed through her wounded side at the sharp movements when her arms were held behind her. They didn’t handcuff her again but they weren’t needed with his tight grip. She twisted her head and stared at him. The uniform with NSO on it obviously meant he was another task force member.
“Eyes on me,” Jordan harshly demanded. “I’m in no mood for games, Ms. Shiver. I won’t play them.”
She looked at him, confused. “I—”
“That wasn’t a question. It was me laying down the law. Perhaps you don’t understand your situation so allow me to fill you in.” He bent, glaring at her. “Your ass belongs to the NSO now. You don’t get a lawyer, or a jury of your peers, or any legal rights. You’re going to truthfully answer my damn questions or I’m going to make you do it. One way is going to be painless but the alternative won’t be if I decide you’re lying.” He crouched, gripped her seat at the sides again to balance his weight, and got close to her face until they were eye level. “I don’t give a shit if you have breasts. You’re no better than a terrorist to me.”
Jeanie knew her mouth dropped open. A terrorist? What the hell was going on? She was too stunned to form words, probably a good thing since the man making threats looked as if he wanted to hit her.
“I like New Species. I call some of them my best friends.” He leaned even closer until she could identify the odor of mint on his breath. “Every day I’m willing to die in the line of duty to protect them.” He glanced down at her chest with a sneer before holding her gaze. “I’d like nothing better than to gut all the assholes who tormented them and treated them like shit. It pisses me off and makes me see red. That means I won’t hesitate to draw some blood if you don’t stop screwing with me. What the hell was on the mainframe computer that you were protecting?” He took a breath. “Answer me.”
“I was protecting the New Species. There really are gas dispensers hidden inside the fire alarms in all the cells.” Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. “Have someone check. They’ll find them. I don’t know what kind of poison they used but tell them to be careful.”
One of his hands lifted and he gently cupped her side. His thumb pressed against her bandage, rubbing it through the gown. “Do you know how much it will hurt if I apply pressure? It will tear the wound open. I checked your chart and they removed the staples. Do you want to need them again?”
“Fuck, Jordan,” Trey Roberts grumbled. “Reel it back, damn it.”
“I said stay out of it, Trey. You don’t have this job because you have lines you won’t cross. The information is all that matters and we don’t have time to for your good-ole-boy charm to get it out of her. Either shut the hell up or I’ll have you escorted out. You’re not my team leader today and have no authority to tell me how to handle this situation.” He glowered at Jeanie. “Nobody is going to save you.”
“Oh my god.” She was terrified when it sank in that he somehow didn’t know what she’d done for the NSO. He treated her as if she were a criminal instead of an informant. He meant the threat. “You need to find Agent Terry Brice. I contacted the NSO last year when I was assigned to the lower floors at Drackwood and saw they had New Species there. I left a message and a phone number on the tip line I saw on the NSO website about any information anyone had about missing New Species or people being sought for crimes against them. The next day I got a call back from that agent.”
She was talking fast but fear motivated her toward babbling. They needed to believe her. “He flew in that night and I met him. I shared information and smuggled out evidence to help him get a warrant so the building could be searched.”
Jordan cocked his head. “Really? Tell me more.”
He wasn’t hurting her. That had to be a sign of getting through to him. “Agent Brice told me that was how I could help the most. He said they’d know I was telling them the truth and they could get their search warrant for the New Mexico facility if I gathered evidence. I finally got enough proof that he was able to get them freed. I did that at Cornas Research too. He sent me there.”
“How did he know about Cornas?”
“He had an informant already stationed inside but she was too afraid to smuggle out anything. I don’t know her name. He said he couldn’t tell me that because she’d be in danger. He worried I might accidentally blow her cover.”
“What kind of information and evidence did you give to this agent?”
“He wanted pictures but that was impossible. They take our purses and do a pat down when we go in and out of the building. They have a no-cell-phone policy so anything that could take pictures or record images was kept at the front desk where we had no access to it during our shifts. I’d sometimes stain my clothes with New Species blood I had drawn so I could give it to him for testing.” She relaxed a little. “Sometimes it would be saliva samples from one of New Species or hair samples. I also swiped some test pills, which I smuggled out by hiding them inside my bra.”
“Hair?”
“Yes. I’d cut a lock of hair from somewhere it wouldn’t be noticed. It was difficult to do but occasionally they’d have an injured one drugged unconscious so I could get close enough to them when we were left alone. I wore my hair in a ponytail a lot. It was easy to tuck some of their hair in with mine if it closely resembled my color. The guards never checked that. They’d just run a scanner over my head.”
“So you’d sneak up on some knocked-out bastard and defile his body?”
Jeanie wasn’t sure how to answer that. It sounded awful when he put it that way. “Agent Brice said they could do DNA testing with blood and saliva. Hair samples can be used to test for drugs and chemicals. He needed those to prove New Species were there. I never hurt any of them. Ever. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Fuck,” Chris swore from behind her, his hold tightening on her wrists. “Do we even want to ask where she took it from? You sick bitch. Were you molesting them too when they couldn’t fight back?”
Jeanie twisted her head, staring up at him, aghast. “No! I took it from their heads near the base of their skulls. What is wrong with you? I said I tucked it in with my own hair. Ewww! I didn’t take pubic hair. New Species don’t even have any.”
Jordan gripped her jaw again and painfully jerked her head to face him. His fingers dug into her skin enough to make her cry out. “Shut it, Chris. How do you know that, Ms. Shiver?”
She glared at him, beyond fear. “You’re hurting me.”
“Too damn bad. Answer the question. How do you know they don’t have pubes if you weren’t molesting New Species?”
“Everyone knew that. They also have fanglike teeth and some calluses on their palms and fingertips.”
“You can see that with their clothes on.”
“I was in and out of the treatment center where they kept some of the injured New Species. I’ve tended to them and changed bedding when they were heavily drugged. I didn’t molest them or do anything sick. I wouldn’t be here if I had. They would have killed me.”
“Not if they were drugged.”
She jerked her face out of his hold but the man behind her kept her immobile in the chair from the shoulders down. “They’d have smelled me on them when they woke up if I touched them wrong. I’m not stupid.”
She tried to calm down but it really pushed her buttons, being accused of the hideous things they’d implied. “Do you know what I could do to you right now if I were a New Species and you were this close to me?” She clenched her teeth and took a calming breath. “I could bite into your mouth and tear your lips off or butt you with my forehead and break bones. I was this close to them all the time when I had to take samples. None of them hurt me because they realized I would never hurt them. I gave them my trust and they gave me theirs in return. They knew I cared.”
A vicious snarl echoed around the room, making it impossible for her to tell from which direction it came. She figured it out fast, though, when Jordan was shoved out of the way and 710 took his place. His dark-mahogany irises were clearly visible in the harsh overhead light when he crouched, staring at her. Anger lines around his mouth clued her in to his bad mood.
“You admit you worked to gain our trust to use against us?”
“Let me handle this.” Jordan gripped 710’s shoulder. “I’ll deal with her.”
710 bared his canines and growled. “Back off. She’s mine.”
Jordan released him, taking a step to the side. “Okay.”
Jeanie frowned. “I never used anything against you.”
“Why gain our trust? Why make us feel as if you cared?”
“I wanted you to know I was in your corner. I couldn’t exactly say I was there trying to get you free. There were cameras everywhere and if I ever whispered that fact to you, what if you let it slip to the guards in anger or told another New Species to give them hope? I couldn’t risk it. Our lives were at stake.”
“We need to find out what was on that mainframe,” Jordan stated. “Focus on that.”
“Shut up, Jordan,” 710 snapped. “Don’t interfere.” He leaned in closer. “Do you want to spill my blood now?” His gaze dipped to her lips and he revealed his sharp canines again. “Do you need a reminder of who has the worse bite?”
It wounded Jeanie’s feelings, seeing 710’s bitterness. “You would win.” She didn’t think he’d use his teeth on her though. He could have while he was chained at Drackwood if the urge had ever surfaced. “I don’t want your blood, 710. I never did.”
“What was the purpose of gaining our trust?”
“I told you.”
“What did Polanitis hope to gain? What kind of information were you trying to get from us? What was the angle?”
“There was none. I just wanted you to have hope and not give up in that hell. I wanted that for all of you. I was fighting for you whether you knew it or not.”
“Are there backup files of the ones you destroyed?”
“I don’t know.” She slumped in her seat, disheartened by his lack of confidence in her word. “That was way above my paygrade. I only fried the computer to keep the New Species alive until the SWAT team arrived.” She peered into his beautiful eyes. “I’m telling you the truth. I was working with Agent Terry Brice. You need to call him and clear this up. I was working with the NSO this entire time.”
The team member still holding her wrists snorted. “Lady, stop now while you’re ahead. You’re digging a bigger hole to get buried in.”
She didn’t bother to glance at him, instead keeping her focus on 710. He rose to his feet and backed away. “Take over, Jordan. I don’t want to lose my temper and I’m about to.”
Jeanie wanted to wake from the nightmare but it wasn’t a bad dream. 710 thought the worst of her and it didn’t matter that it would be cleared up in time. Agent Brice would hear about her arrest and show up to set things right. It still hurt. The task force team member crouched down in front of her again.
