Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“And the only reason for that to happen is if someone wants to keep the medicine from ever getting to market.” He rubs his beard thoughtfully. “You have your part?”
“Right here.” I pat the duffel I haven’t let out of my sight.
“And I assume you have a plan?”
I lean in. “It requires your trust.”
“And you can trust Shane,” Talia assures the older man. “I’ve known him practically my whole life.”
Jonah scowls. “I don’t trust anyone. Well, very few people, anyway. But if he’s kept you safe, he has my thanks. What do you need from me?”
I lean closer to the older man. “We need the first part of the formula. And that means we need to go with you to your cabin,” I say. “Look, I work for McKay-Taggart Security in Dallas.”
“I’ve heard of them,” Jonah says, his facial expression less harsh now that he thinks I am legit.
“Eventually, whoever’s after Talia is going to realize I sent them in the wrong direction this morning, or they have someone following Talia. Either way, we might have a tail as we go to your cabin.” I place a hand behind Talia’s chair, my fingers brushing against her back as I speak to the doctor.
“I want to give my people your address and set a trap for whoever’s been after her,” I explain. “The cops can take over dealing with the bastards from there.”
“And the formula?” Jonah asks.
Talia places a hand on the man’s forearm. “I want you to reach out to Sheila. If we can get this into her hands, her company can take over from here.”
Jonah shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”
“I don’t believe she hasn’t tried to reach out,” Talia presses. “The only reason you two aren’t together is because you decided withdrawing from life was what you wanted.”
“Yeah, I hear from her,” he mutters.
She blows out a long, relieved breath.
“Good. So can you call her and set things in motion?” I say. “Because we’ll need to transfer the formula to her quickly. Call her and—”
He shakes his head. “I don’t have her number memorized.”
“Of course not,” I say. “Just take out your cell and—”
Talia clears her throat. “He doesn’t have a cell phone.”
“Excuse me?” Surely I heard wrong.
Jonah shrugs. “I don’t like extra equipment on me. Nobody needs to reach me, and if they do, they know how.” He tips his head toward Talia, as if to say, you see? She found me.
“Fuck me.” I rub a hand over my face. “Guess we’ll handle that when we get to your cabin. Can I at least have the cabin’s address to send to McKay-Taggart so we can set up an op?” I ask the eccentric man. “Otherwise we’re going up there with no backup, and trust me when I tell you, somehow they will figure out how to tail us. They’ve been one step ahead of us the entire time.”
Talia frowns at the reminder. “He’s scanned me. We tossed my mother’s locket. I don’t know how else they’ve tracked me.”
“Hmm.” Jonah narrows his gaze, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “You get your annual shots at the lab? Flu? Birth control? Anything like that?”
She nods, her eyes wide. “What are you saying?” she asks, but from the dawning awareness in her eyes, she is beginning to figure it out, I think.
“That they injected you with a tracker, the bastards,” Jonah says.
“What?” she asks, horrified.
My feelings are about the same. “Motherfuckers. And we’d never find it with a basic scanner.”
Jonah spreads his hands wide as he explains. “An RFID chip injected under the skin that can be used to track you. You have a problem with one of the shots? It take longer, or something hurt that shouldn’t have?”
She manages a slow nod. “Yes. My hip was sore for a while after the flu shot this past November.”
“If you even got a flu shot,” Jonah mutters.
“Those bastards! This is such a violation!” Talia’s cheeks flush red. “And to think I threw out my mother’s locket for no good reason.” Tears of frustration fill her eyes. “Get it out.”
“What?” I ask.
“Get it out now.” She begins scratching at her hip where she must have her injections.
I thread my fingers through hers. “Talia, we’re in public, not to mention it’s going to hurt. It needs to be done by a professional. A doctor. Not me.”
“I want it out,” she insists, chin lifted in stubborn determination.
Shit. I glance at Jonah, silently pleading with him to back up what I am saying.
“Girl knows what she wants. She always did. That’s why I admire her. I can’t remove it myself though.” He holds up his hands, which I now realize hold a fine but noticeable tremor. “But I can walk you through how to do it.”
So much for backing me up, I think in frustration.