Moving Target

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “I think it’s pretty safe to assume he’s crooked, because he’s the one who gave you the orders as well as facilitated the transfer and extraction of Dr. Odgers. But what about his boss? Can we trust him?”

  “I’ve never had much dealing with her so I don’t know. I don’t know who to trust at this point. I don’t have proof but I think Camille Stephens is working with Miles Jogan. I did recall a rumor floating around the office that those two were shacking up. If so, that would make sense of why she’s working with him.”

  “So we need to find out if Miles’s boss is crooked, too. And in the meantime we need to find where Miles would take Dr. Odgers. Do you have any ideas?”

  “Yeah, actually I do. There’s a top-secret military facility in New Mexico—sort of like Area 51—where Miles would have access to lablike facilities. He’s high enough in the chain of command that he could conceivably take over an area in the lab without anyone lifting an eyebrow.”

  Nathan frowned. “I don’t know of any top-secret military facility in New Mexico. Why don’t I know about this?”

  Jake smirked. “Different department. The DID does some interesting experiments, ones that explore the power of the brain, and it’s easier to hide underground what you’re doing rather than a building that can be picked up by Google Earth. Let’s just say the press are not invited for tours of this facility.”

  “Okay, so how tight is the security?”

  “Tighter than Fort Knox. It’ll be downright impossible to get into that facility.”

  “Nothing’s impossible. I learned that after my ordeal with ID. We just have to figure out what we need and then procure it. I’ll get James to master the security system and in the meantime we need to figure out if Miles’s superior knows what he’s up to. Something tells me Miles is the one who’s gone rogue but no one knows it yet.”

  “Miles’s superior is a real ballbuster from what I hear, but I can’t imagine that she’s part of this. She’s a real stickler for the rules. Her name is Michelle Rainier. She’s former army, also highly ranked.”

  “Good. So we’ll tap in to her emails, nose around and see if she has anything that might seem suspicious. If she seems clean we’ll make contact.”

  “I wish there was a way to get ahold of Kat to let her know that she’s not alone.”

  “I know, buddy. Hang in there. We’ll get her.”

  Jake heard the promise in his brother’s voice and for some reason it bolstered his flagging spirit. He shouldn’t be so dependent upon his older brother—he was an adult for crying out loud and a soldier just the same as Nathan—but it felt good to know that Nathan had his back.

  “Just for the sake of argument, how soon did you know that you were in love with Jaci?”

  Nathan sobered. “I know a lot of people say love at first sight doesn’t exist—that it’s all horseshit—but they’re wrong. I knew when I saw her she was different. It hit me like a thunderbolt. There was no one like her in the world and there never will be. Maybe that’s not how it works for everyone but that’s how it worked for me. And if I was confused at first and not willing to believe it, all of that went away the first time I kissed her. She tasted like mine. That’s how I knew.”

  Jake quieted, not trusting what might fall from his mouth. What Nathan had described was exactly how he felt about Kat. She tasted like mine. Kat Odgers was meant for him, even if neither one of them had seen it coming. But what to do about it? He supposed he’d figure that out later. First he had to save her ass—and his own.

  * * *

  Camille traced a lazy circle on Miles’s chest as they basked in the afterglow of their afternoon nookie session. Camille was an animal in bed and often he needed a moment to recoup. This was his favorite type of quiet time, with the sweat drying on their bodies and their thoughts resting after the explosion of their mutual satisfaction. But today, Camille wasn’t content to simply enjoy the moment as he was. “So how many buyers are lined up now?” she asked. “When can we start the bidding process?”

  “So impatient, my love. The word has already spread and there are many people interested in our little formula. If I were an ethical man I would say we should sell the formula to the most responsible person but thankfully my ethics can be persuaded by the top dollar.”

  Camille giggled, the little girl sound directly at odds with the hard, military persona. “I want a yacht. I’ve always wanted a yacht with a personal chef. That sounds so extravagant.”

  “Then you shall have one. When this deal is closed you will have your heart’s desire.”

  Camille sobered, drawing attention to the dangerous game they played. “If we’re caught...our lives will be over.”

  At that Miles laughed. “My dear, if we’re caught we’ll have no life to worry over. We will be killed. The stakes are very high. You knew that when you went in on this with me.”

  “I know. Jake is still out there. What can we do about him? He’s a loose end we can’t afford.”

  Miles knew that. The dilemma of Jake Isaacs plagued him every night, though it wouldn’t help to have Camille worrying about it, too. “I’ve got the situation with Jake under control. As far as everyone else is concerned, he’s gone rogue. Someone will see him and bring him in. I have a plan for good ol’ Jake.”

  “Are you going to tell me this plan?”

  “And ruin the surprise? Of course not. You’ll just have to wait.”

  “It makes me nervous having him out there. He has the power to take us down. And I don’t like that. I don’t like being threatened.”

  “I would never let anything happen to you. Trust me when I say that everything is going to plan.”

  “And what about Dr. Odgers? What happens to her when she’s finished making the last batch of MCX-209?”

  “Another regrettable loose end.”

  “Won’t it be hard to make her disappear? Someone at Tessara Pharm is likely to notice she’s missing eventually.”

  “As far as Tessara is concerned, she left for greener pastures. I have someone on the inside of Tessara. And they’ve already submitted her resignation paperwork.”

  “You think of everything, don’t you?” Camille asked, a coy smile wreathing her lips. “I knew there was a reason why I found you insanely attractive.”

  “And here I thought it was only my good looks.”

  “Well, those don’t hurt.” Camille climbed on top of Miles, giving him a glorious view of her full breasts and tight body. “So where did you get the test subjects?”

  “Homeless people with little to no family to care about them. Offer them three squares a day, a bed and the promise of a little pocket change, and they’re willing participants.”

  “Brilliant,” Camille said, approving. “And if the initial tests don’t go well?”

  “No one will miss them,” Miles said. “And besides, I’m doing the city a favor by thinning the herd of homeless.”

  “Yeah, well, the liberals might not feel the same.”

  “Yes, well, I’m not asking for their opinion.” Miles reached up to cup her breasts. “Enough about that business. I’m far more interested in round two.”

  “Feeling frisky today?” she purred, rubbing against him in the way she knew drove him mad. “Are you sure?”

  He answered by driving himself into her, effectively shutting her up.

  Sometimes Camille talked way too much.

  Chapter 20

  Kat’s hands shook as she removed her sample and prepared the syringe. Please don’t make me do this. Please don’t make me do this—that was the plea running through her head, but she knew no one was going to come save her and prevent the monstrosity that was going to happen. It was one thing to experiment on monkeys; they were cute but ultimately animals, a step below human beings. And while at times she felt a twinge of
regret for a failed experiment that had undesirable side effects on the animal, she was always thankful that a human hadn’t undergone testing. But not this time. This time her test subjects were human and she wanted to barf.

  Miles Jogan appeared, the hated devil himself, wearing a satisfied and very smug smile. What she wouldn’t give to rip out his nostril hairs one by one. “I’ve heard you were ahead of schedule,” he said, pleased. “I knew you were a good investment.”

  “I don’t think this is a wise decision,” she said, trying for reason. “The formula is unstable and the effects are inconsistent. I really have no idea what it’s going to do at any given time.”

  “Well, we can’t have that. We need a stable formula, so figure it out. You’re a smart one. I have faith in you.”

  “If I knew how to fix it, I would have prevented this from happening in the first place. I don’t know where I went wrong,” she said, her voice rising. She was operating on forty-eight hours without much sleep and even less food. Unless cookies counted as food. “You’re making a terrible mistake. You don’t have the right to mess with people’s lives like this. This is so wrong on so many levels...” She stopped in midsentence because she knew her words were wasted and she had little energy to spare. Her shoulders drooped as she tapped the syringe and squeezed out the air. “Bring me the first subject,” she instructed dully, just wanting this nightmare to be over already.

  “There’s my girl,” Miles said, beaming. He gestured and Camille ushered in an older gentleman with a frizz of white hair and a weathered face. He shuffled in, eyes darting from side to side, clearly confused as to where he was or what was happening and Kat’s heart broke for him. Was he someone’s father? Was he someone’s beloved uncle? They’d never know, at least not after she poked him with her syringe. Miles addressed the older man. “Hello, sir, what’s your name?”

  “Adam,” the man answered. “I was told I could have a drink.” His eyes shifted, clearly discomfited by the lab setting. She didn’t blame him. If he had the sense God gave a goose, he’d run screaming in the other direction. But she could see how his hands shook, likely caused by years’ worth of alcohol addiction, and her hopes sank. This man could no more recognize danger than a baby. A perfect victim—a perfect subject.

  “Yes, yes, you will get your drink. Are you a Scotch man? As soon as you get your injection you can have your drink.” He gestured to Kat. “Dr. Odgers, if you please?”

  Kat approached Adam nervously. “This might pinch a little,” she said, wanting to add “this might turn you into a quivering ball of Jell-O” but she didn’t dare. Whispering a tiny prayer, she administered the drug. When Adam didn’t immediately fall to the floor convulsing, she exhaled a small, relieved breath. “How do you feel?”

  “I feel okay. Do I get my drink now?”

  Kat nodded, although she didn’t have a clue whether a drink was coming his way but she wanted to offer this man something for the cost of his compliance. She had no idea how Miles managed to get his test subjects but Kat suspected honesty had not been part of it. She looked to Miles and said, “Please get this man his drink.”

  Miles nodded slowly, his gaze narrowing at the test subject as if watching for any immediate adverse effects. “Of course. How soon will we know the drug has taken effect?”

  “With Auguste, it took eighteen hours. I don’t know if it will happen sooner or later with a human subject,” she said, adding with a glare. “There’s a reason we don’t test on humans.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to see what the next eighteen hours brings. Camille, could you please escort this gentleman back to his room? Oh, and get the man a Scotch. I think he may have earned it.”

  Camille took Adam away and Kat sat heavily on her stool, still shaking. “You’re an evil man. You’re the kind of person who can stab another in the back while smiling. Your soul is likely a shriveled-up husk by now.”

  Miles tsked. “That’s not very nice. For someone as brilliant as you, you are very narrow-minded. Innovation, exploration and change always come at a cost. You are simply learning that lesson. I think you’re missing the bigger point—and surprisingly, it has little to do with the money I’ll earn from this venture. There are bigger applications, with a more humanitarian bent to this type of drug. Imagine if you could modify it to perhaps erase a terrible memory from a child? So that they wouldn’t have to grow up with the stain of that one horrid event in their life. Wouldn’t that be worth what we’re doing today? I’m not a terrible man but I am a practical man. My pension will not support me and I have no wish to die at my desk. Working poor does not appeal to a person like me. I confess, I’ve become rather fond of tailored suits and those don’t come cheap. Why should I continue to sacrifice my needs? I’ve done my duty, served my country and the best I can hope to gain is a worthless medal and a lousy pension with dwindling health care? No, I’m sorry. I’ve given too much to receive so little in return. I’m a man of action and I will have my compensation, one way or another.”

  “You don’t have to eat off gold plates to live nicely,” she said, glaring at his selfishness. “Most people would feel very fortunate to have a government pension like yours. It may not be millions but something tells me you wouldn’t starve.”

  “That’s not the point, is it? I have needs that unfortunately, the U.S. government’s retirement plan does not fulfill. Rather than moan about it, I found ways to diversify my income. Is it so wrong that I don’t wish to live in poverty?”

  “You’re a narcissist. You don’t care about how this drug will affect the world. All you care about is how it affects you. Don’t try to sell it to me as anything other than that.”

  He exhaled and shrugged as if he were caught. “Smart girl. You’re right. I don’t care about other people. I care about me. Start administering the sample in the other test subjects. We need to be able to compare results.”

  “Ruining one man’s life should be enough until we figure out if it works. Don’t you realize that this drug could literally disintegrate a person’s brain? Don’t you care? Wait, don’t answer that, I know you don’t care. But I find it hard to believe that you could be that bad of a person. Didn’t you have parents, anyone who taught you right from wrong?”

  Miles found her questioning amusing. “I will return in eighteen hours to check on Subject A. Word to the wise, Dr. Odgers. You’re looking a little worn. Perhaps a short rest would do you wonders. Even a ten-minute nap can clear the mind of the cobwebs.”

  “A nap isn’t going to make me feel better about what you’re making me do,” she snapped.

  “Temper, temper.” Miles tsked but his stare snapped with a warning. “I’d hate for poor Uncle Charlie to suffer on account of your stubbornness. Starving to death is a terrible way to go.”

  “Don’t you dare hurt my uncle,” she said, tears stinging her eyes. “I know you think you have all the cards right now but I swear to you, if you hurt him, I will go to my grave trying to find a way to kill you. No one is untouchable forever.”

  “You ought to turn all that passion toward your work— it’d be far more productive. Rest up, girl. You’ll need it.” He paused at the door. “And another thing, do us both a favor and stop trying to insert your morals and values into the current situation. They are neither appreciated nor appropriate and my patience has begun to wear thin.”

  Kat wanted to scream as Miles let himself out of the lab. His so-called concern for her welfare was a mockery. The bastard. But she was exhausted. Her eyes were crossing, and her stomach was cramping. Not enough sleep and too much sugar—a recipe for disaster. She groaned and stumbled to the small bathroom adjoining the lab. This was hell, she was pretty sure of it.

  And Miles Jogan and Camille Stephens pinch-hit for the devil.

  * * *

  “You Isaacs boys really know how to piss people off,” James said as he entered the roo
m carrying his laptop. He paused to shake Jake’s hand, a big grin on his face. “I gotta say, when one of you comes knocking I know I’ll have one heck of a challenge—but I love a challenge. I’ve got information for you.”

  Jake allowed a relieved smile as James set up his laptop. James Cotton was a hacker in his free time and a blogger by day. Jake first met James a few months ago when all hell broke loose with Jaci and Nathan as ID imploded with wicked corruption. James had been Jaci’s roommate for a time, which is why Nathan tolerated the man. It baffled him that a man could get paid just for writing stuff on the internet but James had made it lucrative. The blogging gig also gave him a pretty good cover for the hacking business that he did in his spare time. In fact, James was a bit of a nuisance on the internet, but he never tried to rip people off, so Jake gave him a pass. And thank God for that. Because he needed James’s skills right now. “I’m happy to hear that. What do you got for me?”

  “According to the information that Nathan gave me, I was able to bust into the Defense Intelligence Agency pretty easily. Your security is basic as far as government agencies go. I find that curious—do you think when this is all over I can get a side gig there as an IT guy? They sure as hell need one. Anyway, I was able to hack in to your boss’s account and Miles Jogan doesn’t leave a paper trail, if you know what I mean. Nothing in his email to suggest that he’s up to no good. So that doesn’t really help us. However, I did find quite a few cell phone text messages to Camille Stephens that suggest they’re having a hot and heavy affair. I don’t know what your policy is on interoffice dating but whoa! Some of those texts were downright disgusting.” James stopped to give a lecherous grin and Jake had to smother a laugh even though he found the idea abhorrent. “Okay, now as to your big, big boss, her emails are equally clean and if she’s involved she certainly isn’t leaving a paper trail, either.”

  “So what do we do?”