Pied Piper (Modern Wicked Fairy Tales Book 14)

by Selena Kitt

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Will found himself almost breathless with rage. “That’s how you’re going to play this?”

  “Now, if that’s all, Dr. Pfeiffer...” Ratte turned back to his computer.

  Will, usually so in control of his emotions, slammed both fists on Ratte’s desk. Pens and pencils rolled to the floor and a photograph of Ratte’s wife—Will didn’t know what the woman saw in the man—fell flat.

  “That is not all!” Will exploded. “My secretary’s daughter is in a coma, you dumbass! And it’s all because you hid data from me!”

  Ratte recoiled, shrinking in his chair. He liked to act tough, but the man was a coward at his core.

  “Admit it. Just admit it. You jeopardized the lives of children because you wanted to push this device through as fast as possible.”

  Ratte straightened in his chair. “Did I withhold data from you? Well... yes. I did. But I only did so in the interest of the company. My intention wasn’t to hurt anyone. I only—”

  “Fuck your intentions.” Will leaned on the desk, towering over the man. “I am going to sue this company into the ground.”

  Ratte crossed his arms and gave him a slow smile. “You could try. But to do so, you’d need to violate your nondisclosure agreement. And then Hamlen would sue you, Dr. Pfeiffer. You’d never see another penny from your patents. No royalties. And your medical license will be suspended until a court decides whether or not you get to keep it.”

  Will stared at him, aghast. “You wouldn’t—”

  “Oh, believe me, Dr. Pfeiffer, I would.” Ratte stood, facing him. “I will act quickly and decisively. Your case against Hamlen, on the other hand, will take years. It will drain your bank account. So even if you win, you’ll lose.”

  Will’s hands clenched into fists, but he didn’t move.

  “Now, Dr. Pfeiffer, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Ratte came around his desk and opened his office door, motioning for Will to walk through it.

  After a moment, he did, knowing he didn’t have much choice in the matter.

  Chapter 9

  Will sat at his desk, staring out into the gloaming through glass and steel. There was nothing about the sunset he could enjoy, not today. Piper was in the hospital with a malady he had caused and Dr. Ratte had kept information from him that could have prevented it. His own guilt was eclipsed only by his anger at Ratte.

  Resisting the temptation to sweep everything off his desk, he splayed his hands on it, trying to clear his mind. He could have used his father’s piano now, although he might have banged the keyboard to pieces, the mood he was in.

  He took slow, deep breaths, doing his best to narrow his attention, down to the minute, the second, the fraction of a second. His computer screen was dark, reflecting the orange glow of the setting sun. He focused on the dead, blank surface, letting his mind go where it needed.

  His hands hovered over the keyboard, a different one from the piano, although both could endure a great deal of pounding for great reward. In high school and college, Will had spent an enormous amount of time at one of these keyboards, in spite of his father’s desire for Will to pursue music.

  So ironic, most of his fraternity brothers had parents who wanted them to be lawyers or doctors, wanted to dampen in them any desire to pursue the arts, but Will’s parents were the opposite. Will loved music, but he was relentlessly a man of science. And while he couldn’t bring his brother back, he could help others like him. Like Piper.

  Will was as familiar with this keyboard as he was with the piano. This one made its own kind of music—information, data, statistics...

  Like the data Ratte had hid from him.

  He knew he had to get his hands on that raw data, and not just the memos where it was referenced. It was imperative. But how? Ratte had refused him access.

  Will knew he could do it. He’d spent hours in college learning how to code. To him, it was no different than learning to read and write music. It was just like learning another language.

  He’d helped secure the research department’s server in med school. Security had always been his interest when it came to coding. He had spoken to the tech department a few times about the lax security of Hamlen’s servers. They had metal detectors and security guards at the front door, the guise of security, but a bright eighth grader could have hacked into their computer system.

  And Will was far better than a middle schooler at hacking. He had generally used his powers for good over the years—unless you counted the one time he’d changed a girlfriend’s chemistry grade from a D to a B in college—but he didn’t consider his motivations to be nefarious, even if what he was about to do was unethical. It had been unethical for Ratte to keep the information from him in the first place.

  And he needed the data. The raw data. It was the only way he could help Piper. The thought of that bright, energetic little girl so still and quiet, her light dimmed, brought a lump to his throat.

  Will woke his computer from its sleep and went to work.

  The sun had long set and the moon had risen high above the skyscrapers outside his office window by the time Will had hacked into the system and recovered all of the missing data. After going through all of the information carefully and crunching the numbers, he was gratified to discover exactly what he had suspected—there was compelling evidence of neural pathway anomalies caused by an echo effect in the device.

  He was almost certain that this is what had caused Piper to slip so suddenly into a coma. This explained the other neurological symptoms that other children had experienced. And it seemed it was only the children who were experiencing any issues at all. The adult subjects from previous studies had experienced no such issues.

  But the important thing was, the device could be easily adjusted to correct the problem.

  Piper would wake up again. She would laugh and talk and ask him to play piano for her.

  Only this time, she would be able to hear the music.

  Will glanced out the window and then checked the time on his phone. It was late, but he didn’t care. He would call Libby to assist him and head to the hospital immediately.

  ~*~

  “Amazing.” Dr. Olafsen looked at the encephalogram printout in wonder, showing it to Will once again, as if he had to present any more proof. There was plenty of that in the room they were standing beside, where Piper sat up in bed, her mouth clownishly red from the popsicle she was eating, Haley beaming by her side.

  “I’m pleased that it worked,” Will told him. “It was an easy adjustment. Turns out we didn’t even have to remove the device. It was just the frequency.”

  “This M-TiME device of yours is a miracle.” Dr. Olafsen shook his head in amazement. “That little girl was completely deaf?”

  “Yes.” Will smiled when Haley looked his way. She gave him a tentative wave, biting her lip. “Thanks for taking such good care of her, Sven. I appreciate it.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” the older man protested. “If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have known what was happening. And this explains the other cases you told me about?”

  “Yes.” Will pursed his lips. He’d recruited Libby to make calls to the other study participants who had been having similar issues with the device. They would need to make the same adjustment for them, and then they’d be just as healthy and happy as Piper eating her Popsicle.

  “All’s well that ends well.” Sven clapped Will on the back and Will nodded, although the first thought that came to him was this isn’t over.

  “Dr. Olafsen?” A nurse showed up at his elbow. “Dr. Porter wanted your opinion on the Levin case.”

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Sven said to Will, who nodded and took a step back to let him pass.

  When he turned to go back into Piper’s hospital room, Haley stood in his way.

  “We need to talk.” She spoke in a low voice, pulling him away from the open door, now that Piper could hear them. “Will, listen... I’m so sorry
I got so mad at you. I know it wasn’t your fault. I mean... I was the one who sought you out. I wanted this for Piper. I shouldn’t have blamed you like that. Can you ever forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive.” Will reached for her hand, squeezing it in his. “I don’t blame you for blaming me, Haley. I blamed myself. And I’m not even her mother. You were afraid for your daughter and you thought that the device was hurting her.”

  “Oh, but Will, the way I treated you...” She took his other hand, her gaze shifting down to where their hands were joined. “I shouldn’t have asked you to leave. Just when I needed you most...”

  “Do you mean that?”

  She lifted her eyes to meet his. “Yes. I needed you. I wanted you here. I just... I was so afraid...”

  “Oh Haley...” He put his arms around her, and she let him enfold her. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt Piper or any of the children.”

  “Of course you didn’t, Will. I know that. Everyone knows that.” Haley sniffed, tucking her head under his chin. “You’re an amazing doctor and what you’ve given those children is such a gift.”

  “Well I think you’re an amazing mother,” he said, stroking her hair. “An amazing woman. I’m so glad I met you.”

  “Not as glad as I am.” She lifted her face to smile at him. Her breath was warm, her eyes bright with tears. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Will Pfeiffer.”

  “I love you, Haley.” He whispered the words and then kissed her, feeling her answer in the press of her body, her hands moving over his back, her mouth opening under his.

  “Mommy!” Haley pulled back at the sound of Piper’s voice. She’d been speaking more since the device had been installed, although she still naturally relied on signing a great deal.

  They both rushed into the little girl’s room, finding Piper sitting up in bed, grinning at them.

  [More Popsicle?] Piper signed, tilting her head in question.

  “Oh I thought something was wrong.” Haley laughed. “I’ll ask the nurse.”

  Haley picked up the call button and pressed it. It wasn’t long before the nurse came in to check on them and, as if she’d read Piper’s mind, she brought a grape Popsicle with her. Piper accepted the happy bribe, letting the nurse take her temperature and blood pressure beforehand.

  “But that’s the last one,” Haley warned. “Or you’ll turn into a Popsicle.”

  Piper rolled her eyes. She was on to her mother’s sarcastic jokes.

  “Are you sleeping here?” Will asked, seeing Haley curled up in the recliner beside her daughter’s bed, a hospital blanket over her.

  “I can’t leave her,” Haley said, looking up at him with longing in her eyes, her voice dropping low so Piper couldn’t hear over the television, tuned to the Disney channel. “As much as I’d love to go home with you tonight.”

  He smiled at that, knowing Piper had to stay the night for observation. He would have loved to take Haley back to his place. Or hers. Anywhere he could take her to bed. But Piper had to come first. He understood that.

  “But you go home, Will,” she urged, glancing at the clock. It was almost midnight. “You have work tomorrow.”

  “Work. Right.” Will thought instantly of what had happened with Ratte.

  Haley perked up. “You’re angry. Why? What’s wrong?”

  He sighed, glancing over at Piper. She had finished her Popsicle in record time and was nodding off watching Chip and Dale. It was far past her bedtime.

  He’d told Haley that there was a problem with the device and that he’d discovered a solution, but he hadn’t told her about Ratte. About how he’d discovered the missing data.

  Haley patted the chair beside her, and he took it, finding the words to tell her about the whistleblower, about hacking into Hamlen’s system, about Ratte’s threats to his career and reputation.

  “Oh my God, Will,” Haley breathed when he was done with his tale. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Now?” Will smiled darkly. “Now I let the rest of the world know what a rat Ratte really is.”

  Chapter 10

  Will glanced into the auditorium on his way to the men’s room, seeing it alive and bustling. Press crowded the room, adjusting microphones and cameras, the place buzzing with rumors and scandal. Someone had leaked a lead to more of the media than Will had initially contacted. Will could thank Libby later, he decided, as he ducked into the men’s room to check his tie and make sure he was presentable for all of the cameras.

  Once he was satisfied, hair smoothed down and the tie Haley had chosen for him straightened, Will checked his watch and decided it was time. Out in the hallway, he spotted Ratte moving red-faced through the crowd. Then, Ratte spotted him and rushed over.

  “What in the hell is going on here, Pfeiffer?” Ratte asked, stopping short in front of him. “Why are they all here? I didn’t call a press conference.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Will couldn’t help the smile that crept over his face. “If you’ll excuse me, Dr. Ratte, they’re waiting to hear from me.”

  “You…” Ratte’s eyes went wide in understanding. “You didn’t… you wouldn’t dare…”

  “Wouldn’t I?” Will’s spine straightened like it was made of steel and he turned on his heel to head into the auditorium, leaving Ratte sputtering behind him.

  When Will took his place alone at the podium, cameras began to whine, followed by flashes of light. He saw Haley in the audience, sitting to the side, and her presence calmed him. He knew what this meant for his position at Hamlen. But he also knew what was important. What was right.

  His presentation was brief and to the point. The press sat spellbound through it, murmurs of shock and disgust growing louder toward the end as Will told them that Hamlen Laboratories had been testing prototypes of the M-TiME device on children when significant data, which had been withheld from him, had shown the devices were not yet safe for testing.

  He revealed the fact that the devices had rendered several children unconscious and they had slipped into comas. The murmurs and even shouted questions grew louder at that. But Will’s story had a happy ending. He told them, due to the data he had recovered, all of the children had been revived with no ill-effects, and the devices were working perfectly, allowing the previously deaf to be able to hear again.

  “Where is Dr. Ratte?” asked Lynn Taylor from CNN, glancing around the large space. “As the head of the project, shouldn’t he be here?”

  “Indeed.” Will rocked back on his heels, glancing toward the door, knowing Ratte was too much of a coward to come in and face this music. But the man was standing there, watching, his face nearly purple with anger. “I saw him in the hallway a few moments ago, but he wasn’t aware that I’d called this press conference.”

  Lynn frowned. “But… why?”

  “Because Dr. Ratte is the man who admitted withholding the data from me.”

  A collective gasp went through the room and the same questions peppered him from every direction.

  But Lynn Taylor had the floor. Lynn asked, rather breathless, “Can you prove this, Doctor Pfeiffer? About the withheld data?”

  “Well, I do have this.” Will reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a small, transparent plastic box containing an M-TiME device. “I had one of these in my pocket when he admitted it, and as it happens, it recorded the entire conversation.”

  There was a murmur of excitement in the room. Will saw Haley beaming at him, proud of him for doing this, in spite of what it might cost.

  Will saw Ratte standing in the doorway, his face going from purple to white almost instantly. He turned and fled, but Will didn’t care. The man could run, but he couldn’t hide.

  Now, the world would know the truth.

  Epilogue

  Will breathed in the sweet scent of Haley’s hair as he got into bed and pulled her in, spooning her against him under the covers. He had just finished tucking Piper into bed, dutifully reading her a fair
y tale. Tonight it had been the one about the piper who lured the children out of the village. She liked it because she got to hear her name so much.

  “I love you, Will,” Haley murmured, already half-asleep as she pulled his arm over her and tucked it against her small frame.

  “I love you, too.” He’d said it hundreds of times by now, but it never got old.

  “Do you want to make love?” she asked, not opening her eyes, her words barely audible. She was nearly asleep. She’d been exhausted lately, and it was no wonder. He hadn’t been fired from Hamlen, as he’d expected. Instead, Wesler had rewarded him with a promotion, and Haley along with him. It was Ratte who had been fired.

  But he suspected their grueling research schedule—they were working hard toward FDA approval, testing more of the M-TiME devices—had less to do with her sleepiness than something else. Something more… medical.

  Will put his hand over the slight swell of her belly, smiling to himself. Haley hadn’t even noticed yet, he didn’t think. Or if she had, she wasn’t ready to tell him. Either way, he knew they were going to have a baby of their own before long. And the thought made him happier than he could ever say.

  “Sleep, darling.” He kissed her hair, burying his face in it, breathing her in.

  Then, from the bedroom next door, a child’s voice called out, “… and then what happened…?”

  Haley snorted a laugh, but her eyes didn’t open.

  Will and Haley both replied, almost in unison. “They lived happily ever after!”

  “I heard that!” said Piper.

  They both laughed at that.

  “Good!” called Haley. “We love you, Piper. Now go to sleep, young lady!”

  “I love you, too, future Mrs. Pfeiffer,” Will said, pulling Haley even closer.

  “I heard that too,” giggled Piper. “Goodnight!”

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