She lay between the two orderlies, her hair in disarray, several strands caught between her lips. Her eyelashes were dark spikes across the paleness of her cheek, and she lay with her legs drawn up and her fists clenched in front of her, as if shed simply quit in the middle of a fierce battle.
Even after the ordeal shed been through, she looked beautiful and defenseless. Vulnerable. Ryans heart tightened.
Bloom stepped in front, blocking his view. Leave it alone, Ryan.
I cant leave it alone, Ryan said, incredulous that his former mentor would even consider asking him to do such a thing. Any way you look at this, its wrong.
Not according to the authorities, Bloom said. You tried to help her, and now her father is taking over.
Ryan stepped closer. Somethings wrong with that guy, Sid. Dont let him take her. Let me at least call a few friends, check things out. Im getting really bad vibes here.
Bloom waved a hand dismissively. Youre too emotionally involved with this woman to see things clearly. He climbed into the back of the limo. Perhaps your behavior today explains what happened in Boston. I advise you to get your act together before you find yourself looking for another job.
The door slammed and the limo shot down the driveway. A few seconds later, it roared off.
So not only have you gotten yourself beat up, youve alienated your boss. Not bad for a single days work, Cole remarked.
Ryan stared after the limo. Youre not much of a lawman, Cole, if youd stand by and let a bunch of thugs man-handle a woman like that.
Cole climbed into his car. Still trying to push buttons, huh, Doc?
I thought you wanted Tess down at the station for questioning.
Oh, I know where to find her if I need to talk to her. He tipped his hat back on his head. Now dont you be thinking about following that limo, Doc. Ill be trailing behind it to the airport and if I see that fancy little sports car of yours anywhere near it Ill be running your ass in. He started his cars engine and leaned an arm out the window. We understand each other?
I understand the sad fact that theyve bought you off.
Mans gotta make a living, Doc. But you didnt hear that from me. He put his car in Reverse and backed slowly down the driveway. He waved as he took off in the same direction as the limo.
Ryan glanced down at himself. He was covered with grass and dirt. He swiped a hand across his mouth, coming away with blood.
He needed to clean up and get out to the center. If he couldnt follow Tess, he could at least start making calls, finding out where her father was taking her. He still had a few contacts that would help him out.
Tracking Tess down wasnt going to be easy, but Ryan had no intention of leaving her in the hands of the man who treated her so brutally.
AFTER SHOWERING and dressing, Ryan ran to his car and slid into the front seat. He slipped his cell phone into its carrier and backed out of the driveway. As he jammed the shift into Drive, he dialed the center.
He paused at the end of the driveway, punched in the extension for the hematology lab and waited.
He heard the click of the transfer and a few seconds later an impatient voice snapped, If you people dont quit bothering me, I wont get anything done down here.
Relief washed over Ryan. His friend, Craig Freedman, the head of the hematology lab was exactly who he wanted to talk to. You sound a little stressed, Craig. He forced a touch of humor into his voice.
Donovan, Freedman growled, his tone warming a millimeter. Damn clerk called in sick again, and they didnt send me a sub. Ill be stuck answering the phone all day, and to add to the indignity, people keep sending me stupid lab requests on inadequate drops of blood. What the hell do you want?
The results on a stupid lab request, of course.
Freedman grunted. Whats the name?
Doe. Tess Doe.
Hang on and Ill see if its done. Ryan could hear the mans fingers fly over the keys of his computer as he searched the file. Got it. A BCC, Tox screen and drug panel, right?
Thats the one. Anything of interest show up?
Actually, yes. Your little lost lamb had a snootful of what you shrinks used to call a sleep cocktail.
Thorazine?
Yep. In addition to Nembutal, Seconal, Phenergan and Veronal.
Ryan whistled through his teeth. I didnt think anyone was using that particular combination anymore. Not since the sixties anyway.
Well, either youve got a Rip Van Winkle doc treating this patient or someone who didnt attend the lecture in med school that talked about the unethical use of certain drug concoctions.
Did you find anything else?
Thats not enough for you?
Come on, Craig. What else did you find?
Craig sniffed. Good thing your patient holds a certain fascination for me. I ran a couple of other tests to see what Id find and, lo and behold, I actually found something.
What?
Youve got me.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Exactly what I said. I have no idea what I found. Shes got some kind of new chemical compound swimming around in her bloodstream. An unknown. Its got some similarities to Thorazine, but its a total hybrid. In other words, a new drug.
Ryan gripped the wheel tighter. Youre sure?
Of course Im sure, Craig snapped.
Send me up a copy of the findings, all right?
Theyre on their way to your office as we speak. Youll find them on your desk as soon as you get your hide in here.
He wrapped the conversation up a few minutes later and replaced the phone in its cradle. He sat back, a sense of unease niggling at the back of his neck.
An unknown compound. A new drug.
Something was definitely going on and he wanted to know what.
THE ROOM WAS STERILE WHITE. A combination of glaring white walls and steel, a dazzling white-tiled floor and stark, whitewashed furniture with shiny steel knobs and hinges.
General Flynn clasped his hands behind his back and settled into a comfortable parade rest. Staring through the stretch of glass that separated the control room from the examination room, he considered the form stretched out on the stainless-steel table in the middle of the room.
Tess lay on her back, her arms and legs secured to the table with leather fleece-lined cuffs. She was dressed in a pair of thin green hospital pants and a white tank top.
A strap across her forehead kept her head from moving from side to side. Not that it was necessary at the moment as she was unconscious and totally limp. A pair of high-tech headphones were clamped over her ears, sealing out all noise from the room.
Flynn knew that a preprogrammed tape was being filtered through the headphones-a tape with his voice on it. He knew the prerecorded message was telling Tess what he expected of her. A job to be carried out in less than a week.
So little time. So much to accomplish.
A technician, dressed in a white lab coat, stood near the head of the table and Flynn watched as the woman efficiently injected the end of a needle into a small glass vial and drew up a liquid. When she withdrew the needle, she used one bright-red-tipped finger to flick the barrel of the syringe, eliminating any air bubbles.
Turning, she swabbed an alcohol pad over the rubber stopper on the IV tubing connected to Tesss arm. She removed the cap on the syringe and then stuck the needle into the rubber diaphragm of the IV tubing, pushing in the plunger.
The medication slid effortlessly into Tesss body.
Youre sure shes totally unaware of anything going on around her? Flynn asked, not bothering to turn around.
Yes, Bloom said from somewhere behind him. I find that she responds best to your voice when shes in a deep trance. If shes in a light sleep, she fights too much.
Flynn glanced at the TV monitor mounted over the glass. It framed a close-up of Tesss face. Her skin was startlingly pale. She hadnt gotten much sun these past six months, not when shed been locked up deep within the top-secret basement of the center.
She was indeed beautiful. Untouched almost. Flynn understood well Ryan Donovans desire to be her champion. But the young doctor had no idea what hed stumbled into, and if the good doctor didnt watch out, he wouldnt be stumbling into anything ever again. Hed be dead.
It was a good thing that Bloom seemed to be somewhat in control of the young mans curiosity. Flynn had a strong feeling that in any other situation, Donovan would be someone to be reckoned with. Thankfully, the low-level researcher had no knowledge or access to this part of the research facility.
Flynn turned back toward Bloom. The doctor stood over the shoulder of a technician who was monitoring one of the computers giving him a readout on Tesss physiological reactions to the medication.
What happens if shes not ready in time? Flynn asked.
Shell be ready, Bloom said, not bothering to look up. Ive already planted the trigger word in her memory. A few more sessions and Ill be able to reintroduce the memories we had to wipe clean earlier.
And if shes not ready? What then?
There was no missing the flicker of impatience that slid across Blooms face. But Flynn had to give the man credit. Before lifting his head, he carefully composed his face. Well do what we always said wed do. Well use McCaffrey. Hes her backup.
That has the potential to cause more problems at this late date. He doesnt have the connections with Starling that Tess has.
No, but we planned for that possibility. McCaffrey is on the guest list as Tesss date for the reception. Hell have the access he needs should Tess not be able to fulfill her duty for whatever reason. We agreed from the start that Tess could get the closest, but that McCaffrey was our ace in the hole.
The technician interrupted by pointing to the monitor. Bloom nodded and reached down and flicked a switch. Marsha, give her another five ccs please.
The nurse inside the examination room nodded and drew up the medication, injecting it into the IV tubing.
Flynn turned halfway around and studied his stepdaughters body strapped to the examination table. Is it safe to increase her dosage like that? I mean, shes been without the drug for an entire day and then some.
Bloom ignored him and reached over the technicians shoulder to tap the tip of his pen against the monitor screen. Run a comparison on that reading with her initial EEG. He straightened up and glanced at Flynn. This time he made no effort to hide his irritation at another interruption. Perhaps, General, youd prefer to wait in your suite. Im a tad busy at the moment. Ill meet you later to give you a rundown on the results from this reprogramming session.