Moving Target

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “I’m not feeling very safe,” she muttered to herself as she shook out the bundle, which turned out to be nothing short of prison garb in lab coat–white. The clothes were functional, nothing fancy, without pockets. Definitely not a guest here. But at least the clothes were clean. She scooped them up and found her way to the small bathroom and after a shower and clean clothes she felt at the very least refreshed, if not still completely confused. Right on schedule, Camille reappeared an hour later to collect her. Camille gave Kat a once-over and without saying a word, directed her to follow.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? I think I figured out that what Jake thought was going to happen is not actually going to happen, so if you wouldn’t mind cluing me in that would be great.”

  “Miles will answer your questions.” Camille opened the door and pushed Kat through it. Kat scowled at Camille but the impressive-looking man sitting behind a large expensive desk in the room snagged her attention. Handsome, older—he reminded her of George Clooney with a couple more years on him—and for some reason she didn’t trust him at all. “Ahh, Dr. Odgers, so pleasant to finally make your acquaintance. I’m a huge fan of your work and that clever mind of yours.”

  “And what work would that be?” she asked, not charmed one bit.

  “Why that would be the work that’s going to change the world, of course.”

  “My work was a fiasco. MCX-209 was meant to improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients. The drug was a dismal failure.”

  “Yes, unfortunate that. However the applications for MCX-209 are imminently bigger than the application for its intended use. I’m sure you know that in the hands of the military, this drug could change the course of human history. Imagine all the good we could do with a drug like this. Take a minute to consider if we’d had a drug like this to use against Adolf Hitler. Imagine wiping out racism, genocide, dictators...we could completely eradicate all of the ugliness in the world with one simple drug. No side effects, no death, just desired results.”

  “Are you nuts? What about free will, Constitutional rights? You can’t wipe away someone’s memories just because they don’t follow the same rules as the rest of us. It’s a slippery slope and one I’m not willing to travel with my research.”

  Kat couldn’t believe she was having this ethical debate with a high-ranking government official. “How does someone like you get so corrupt?” she asked, curious. “Is it the power? The money? Did you start out bad or was it a gradual moral and ethical disintegration?”

  Miles smiled as if her question amused him but his gaze frosted over. “Careful. The questions we ask...we might not like the answers.”

  “Well, I already don’t like you, so I doubt anything you say could influence my opinion.”

  “For such a tiny, plain thing, you sure have a lot of fire.”

  Kat winced at the judgment in Miles’s stare but she lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed by old fears and insecurities. Even though she wanted to kick Jake in the shins—really hard—for what he did to her, it was his voice telling her that she was beautiful that gave her strength. “Let me take a guess...greed? Kinda cliché, though, don’t you think? Government salary not enough for you? Are you the faux Hollywood-type? Wanting to pretend you’re someone with lots of money so you can spend your dotage with bubble-headed bimbos young enough to be your granddaughters? So gross. I’d warn you that there’s no dignity in that but I think you sold out your dignity a long time ago.”

  “You have no sense of self-preservation,” Miles observed, then smiled. “It’s a good thing we’re looking out for you. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a dangerous situation.”

  “Oh, baloney. You don’t care about my safety and if I put my health and welfare in your hands, I’d be dead before morning. All you care about is my research. My guess is that you couldn’t figure out my notes, which is why you dragged me here.”

  “Clever girl. Why did you write in code? Were you worried about your coworkers stealing your research?”

  “No. There’s no glory in Alzheimer’s research. I created it in code because it kept my brain sharp. Having to decode the notes made my brain work harder to find the answers.”

  Miles chuckled, impressed and pleased, though it rankled that she’d put that look on his face. “You are going to do great things. I can only imagine the possibilities that could come from your brain.”

  “I won’t help you,” she said bluntly. “Unlike you, my morals and ethics are still firmly intact. Besides, MCX-209 had unintended consequences. Some of the monkeys tested had a complete memory wipe. They couldn’t even remember how to eat a banana whereas some of the monkeys only had mild memory loss. The drug is unpredictable.”

  “A brilliant mind like yours needs only the room to figure out the kinks. I have complete faith in you.”

  “I don’t think you’re understanding what I’m saying—the drug isn’t safe. It isn’t safe for monkeys, much less humans. It would be unethical to release this drug into the general population.”

  “Absolutely. I completely agree. The general public has no need for such a drug and besides, it would never pass FDA approval, but there are people in power who would pay handsomely for a drug like this.”

  Kat felt the blood drain from her face. She hated being right. “You’re making a huge mistake. A drug like this is worse than anthrax. You can’t sell it.”

  Miles smiled—a perfect example of how such a handsome face could hide such evil—and said, “My dear, Dr. Odgers...it’s already a done deal, which is why you can understand why it’s imperative that you fix what I’ve promised to deliver. I have certain contacts who would be willing to pay an arm and a leg for something such as your drug, but they also wouldn’t bat an eye about tearing either one of us limb from limb if we renege.”

  She swallowed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have made promises before you knew you could deliver. You might’ve screwed us both with your greed.”

  “As I said, I have faith in you. You will figure it out. The formula was so close. All you need is a quiet environment, your tools and the right motivation.”

  “I had all those things the first time and I failed. What makes you think anything will be different the second time around?”

  “Because your life is at stake this time around and something tells me you have no wish to die a messy, painful death.”

  Well, he was right about that, but she didn’t know if she could live with herself if she succeeded in creating the world’s most dangerous drug.

  Miles sensed her consternation and seemed to enjoy it. “This is the spice of life, our choices. We don’t have to be enemies. I respect your talent and intelligence. I find brilliant people very stimulating.” He shocked her when he gave her a short, more assessing gaze that bordered on interested and she drew back with a scowl. “What? Although you lack the particular attributes I find attractive, I find your intellect arousing to a certain degree. You should be flattered.”

  “Go screw yourself,” she retorted, feeling the need for a shower after being eye-raped by a man old enough to be her grandfather. “You’re not my type. At all.”

  “Fair enough,” Miles said, shrugging off her insult and returning to their original topic. “The applications are endless and I’m eager to provide our buyers with the opportunity to test it out.”

  Fresh dread replaced her lingering revulsion. “You can’t do that. It’s illegal!” she protested, feeling much like a mouse caught in a trap. “I’ll tell the police. I’ll tell the media. I’ll tell everyone I come into contact with.”

  “Pipe down for a moment and listen to reason. I am willing to offer you a cut. I could set you up with millions in exchange for your help in perfecting the formula. I’ve seen your apartment. Not much to brag about. I know your feebleminded uncle is languishing in a state-run facility, drooling into his pudding
most days. Wouldn’t you like to see him spending the rest of his days in comfort?”

  Her eyes stung and she wanted to scream at him, Don’t you dare talk about my uncle!, but her lips refused to move. She was paralyzed by the horror of the nightmare she was living in.

  “You need time to process,” he said with understanding. “It’s a lot to take in and you’ve been through a terrible ordeal. I can give you the day to relax. Would you like a massage? A facial? Perhaps a pedicure? I can have that arranged for you. You are our guest, not a prisoner—at least not yet.”

  “Not yet?” she repeated numbly. “What does that mean?”

  “It means if you’re not of a mind to be helpful, I will no longer be of a mind to be a gracious host. I will have your cooperation, willingly or not.”

  “You can’t make me do anything,” she said. “I have nothing to lose. As you already stated, my one remaining family doesn’t even realize I’m alive, so what do I have to lose? You can’t make me. I won’t help you. This drug could ruin lives and I don’t care how much money you wave under my nose...I’m not budging.”

  Miles held her gaze as his narrowed and he pulled himself straight in his chair with a sigh. “What a pity. I was hoping for a good relationship between us. Camille, take Dr. Odgers to her room, please.”

  Camille appeared at Kat’s side and grabbed her arm with a hard pinch, causing Kat to bite back a yelp. She skewered Camille with a dark look, which went unnoticed by Camille as she practically dragged her back to that tiny cell of a room.

  “For a genius, you aren’t very smart, are you?” Camille said with a smirk. “You think you can wait Miles out? He’ll find your weak spot and then he’ll dig both thumbs into it without mercy. Do yourself a favor and agree to help.”

  No one asked for your advice. “Where’s Jake? Does he know about this?”

  Camille checked her watch. “By this time, Jake Isaacs is likely dead. He was a loose end that Miles couldn’t afford to let swing in the wind. Pity that. He was wonderful in bed.” Kat reared back as if she’d been slapped and Camille laughed. “Oh, you poor thing. Were you seduced by his hard exterior and sad story? Don’t feel bad. He’s reeled in more than one pretty face with that story. Although in your case, he must’ve made an exception to the pretty face. Consider yourself lucky. He died before he could break your heart.”

  Camille’s laughter followed her out the door. As soon as Kat was alone, she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face against her kneecaps. It was all a lie. Everything. Jake had used her. Having confirmation was more painful than the wondering had been.

  But even worse than the knowledge that she’d been used was the possibility that Jake was dead. Fresh pain skated across her heart and she sobbed hard.

  She cursed the day she’d created that drug.

  She cursed the day Jake Isaacs stormed into her life.

  And she cursed her stupid, broken heart.

  Chapter 18

  Jake drove hard to Los Angeles, needing to get to Nathan’s place as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure where to start and he was afraid to make the wrong move, but each second that passed felt like the graze of a blade against his nerves. The old Camaro ate up the miles admirably and he supposed for as many times as he had to stop for gas, he was still making good time. But he only had cash to work with because he was certain now any credit card would’ve been tracked and he couldn’t take the risk.

  He should’ve listened to his gut because it’d never steered him wrong. His intuition had kept him alive over the years. Why he’d decided to ignore it this time was beyond him. No, that wasn’t entirely true; he knew why’d he’d ignored it, because there were feelings involved—feelings he shouldn’t have for Kat. Maybe he’d thought if he pushed her away the feelings would stop but now he was driven by a near insane pressure to fix what he had broken. The question was, could he? He’d done something terrible to Kat—taken something precious from her and given her pain and heartache in return. Kat could call him every name in the book if it meant that he could save her.

  By the time he reached Nathan’s house, it was dark and late. He went around the back so as not to attract attention and rapped on the sliding-glass door. Nathan’s girlfriend, Jaci Williams, appeared, her eyes widening with surprise when she saw him. She opened the door and gestured for him to come inside. “What are you doing here, Jake? Is everything okay? Nathan told me that there was something going on but he didn’t go into detail.”

  “I wish I could say everything was okay. But everything’s pretty much fallen to shit. Where’s Nathan?”

  “He’s in the garage, tinkering with his latest project. I’ll go get him. Are you thirsty or hungry? I just put away the dinner stuff. I could fix you something really fast.”

  His stomach growled. “I could eat. Thanks. I’ve been eating MREs for so long I’ve forgotten what real food tastes like.”

  Jaci smiled and began pulling items from the refrigerator. “While I’m doing this why don’t you go to the garage and get Nathan. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

  Jake smiled and nodded in appreciation. His mouth was already watering. “You’re a doll, Jaci. Thank you.”

  Jake went into the garage through the small hallway near the laundry room and found Nathan working on an engine. Nathan looked up and frowned when he saw Jake. “Well, if you’re here it must mean that things are pretty bad. What happened?” he said, going straight to the point. “Where is your target? The scientist?”

  “She’s in custody but I think that’s the problem. I think there’s a rat in the department.”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “The agent who tried to put a bullet in my gut during this bogus paperwork drop.”

  Nathan whistled. “Yeah that would’ve tipped me off, too. So start from the beginning and don’t edit—I need to know everything if I’m going to help you.”

  Asking for help ground against Jake’s every raw nerve but there was more at stake than just his pride—Kat’s life might be in the balance and he’d sacrifice anything for her safety. “Kat created a drug—a real bad one—by accident. She was trying to create a drug to help Alzheimer’s patients. The drug was supposed to help heal the damage done by the disease and restore memory but, in fact, it does the opposite. MCX-209 wipes the brain clean without any damage.”

  Nathan stared, almost uncomprehending. “Are you kidding me? That’s a seriously bad drug. In the wrong hands...this could be monstrous.”

  Jake nodded. “Yeah, I know. That’s why the Defense Intelligence Department thought it would be best to bring her in for her own safety. It was my assumption that we would bring her into custody and debrief her to explain how she would have to change her life, take on a new identity and never go into science again in order to save her life, but once I turned her over I got a real bad feeling about how things were going to go down. And then it was something that the agent said that tipped me off. She called Kat a ‘national treasure,’ which didn’t seem right. I should’ve listened to my gut. Because about an hour later someone was trying to take me out.”

  Nathan scratched an itch on his head with dirty fingers, oblivious. Jake knew Nathan was thinking about the ramifications. He didn’t blame him. It was mind-blowing information. “So you think someone within your organization is going to sell her research for money?”

  Jake shrugged but it was a good theory. “I don’t know but it’s possible. Corrupt governments would pay lots of money for this kind of drug. It would change the way wars are fought and won.”

  “Damn straight it would. Your girl is in a heap of trouble if it’s true.”

  Jake stiffened. “She’s not my girl. But I feel responsible for her. It’s my fault she’s in the wrong hands. I handed her over in spite of my misgivings.” Jake ignored the sizzle of pain when he pictured Kat
’s crestfallen expression when she discovered his betrayal. He couldn’t think about that right now. He had to focus on what he could do to save her. “I need to know what contacts you have that can help me. I don’t know what else to do.”

  Nathan grabbed a rag and wiped his hands. “Well, first let’s get you some food. You look like hell. Let me guess, you’ve been eating MREs morning, noon and night.”

  “They’re perfect fuel,” was all Jake needed to say. “But I have to admit I’m ready to eat something else. Jaci’s cooking me up some leftovers.”

  “Well, you are in luck. We had tacos, your favorite.”

  Jake scowled, hating any reference of their shared childhood. “Yeah, I guess,” he muttered. “So who do you have who can help me?”

  “What I think we need to do first is find out if there’s been any intel put out on you. Chances are whoever put the hit on you has already discovered that you got away. So that means you’re a loose cannon that they’re gonna want to get under control right away. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve declared you rogue by now. The best way to deflect attention from themselves is to put it on someone else. And you’re a perfect target.”

  “Do you think you can nose around and find that information out? We’re pretty tight with our security.”

  “No government agency is immune to security breaches if someone truly wants to find information. Let me ask around first and if that doesn’t yield any results I’ll put James on the job. That man can hack into anything, including the DID.”

  Jake wasn’t sure of that. Their security was second to none but at this point he was desperate. If Nathan thought Jaci’s friend James could unlock some doors, then so be it. He was more than willing to try.

  “Now tell me what’s the real story about your scientist. What’s really going on between you two?”

  Jake stared at his brother, caught between the urge to lie through his teeth and confess his sins. “I promised her she would be safe. I never go back on my word.” Except that he had. He had bald-faced lied to her and he didn’t know if he could live with that. It felt like a knife stabbing him in the heart each time he replayed the conversation with her. He was haunted by her wide, vulnerable stare and later the way her lip trembled when she realized the truth. He was such a bastard. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Just stay alive. Be smart. “She didn’t deserve any of this. She was just trying to make the world a better place. It’s not her fault that a lab mistake has completely derailed her life.”