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“Wait. Wait just a minute. Who is we? You two?” Bryn laughed a little desperately. “The three of us don’t make much of a mastermind conspiracy, guys. I’m just saying. ”
The two of them exchanged a look, and McCallister said, “For security purposes, I can’t answer that. ”
“Which means it’s not just the two of you?”
“Bryn—”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this? Warn me?”
“Wouldn’t have done any good,” Joe said in a neutral, calm voice. “Warning you doesn’t mean you could do anything to prevent it. Once a protocol gets invoked, you’ve got no choice. And no resistance. It would have just made you paranoid, not safer. ”
She downed the rest of the Scotch in a fiery burst, blinked away tears, and said, “You’ve got no idea how this feels. First I’m dead. Then I’m hooked on your stupid drug, and now I’m some kind of mindless robot zombie freak. What if he’d ordered me to screw him? Would I have done that, too?”
They didn’t answer. McCallister looked down into his glass, but she saw how tight the muscles were in his jawline, and remembered the raw burst of fury she’d seen in him. So that answer was definitely a yes, then.
“There has to be something I can do about it. Anything!”
“We’re looking into it. ”
“So until then, if some asshole comes up and talks about sapphires, I’m a slave? That’s all you can do for me?”
“There may be something else,” Joe said. “Give me a day to look into it. ”
A day. The prospect made Bryn shudder, going out into the world again with that kind of astonishing vulnerability. “I can’t,” she said. “I can’t wait that long. I need help now!”
“One of us will stay with you at all times,” McCallister said. “You’ll be safe, Bryn. And we will find a way to neutralize the protocol. ”
Fideli nodded. “But, Pat, this changes things. It either means the leak ain’t the same guy as the one who knows about the protocol, and someone inside Pharmadene is trying to use her freelance, or—”
“Or the leaker knows about the protocols as well. That’s a very small pool of knowledge. And suspects. It may help us. ” McCallister finished his Scotch and put the empty glass on Fideli’s desk. “How’s your security here?”
“Damn good. Blocking technology built right in for data and physical surveillance countermeasures. And as you can see, firepower’s up to the challenge. ” Fideli shrugged. “As panic rooms go, it’s all right. ”
“And you can get the family here in an emergency. ”
“They know the drill. It’s as safe as anyplace we could go. We’ve got internal sources of food, water, sewer, medical supplies. ”
“Airflow?”
“Three sources, one damn near impossible to block. Plus oxygen for emergencies. ” Fideli’s usually cheerful expression went suddenly cold and blank. “You think they’re going to come after Kylie and the kids. ”
“I think if this heats up, we’ve all got bull’s-eyes on our backs, from both sides. So watch out for trouble. ”
Fideli inclined his head, just a little. “What about her?” Meaning, of course, Bryn. “Her apartment’s not exactly a hardened bunker. ”
“I’ll do personal security tonight. Tomorrow, it’s your turn. And, Joe—check on the progress of our consulting friend. I think our time line’s been moved up. ”
“Affirmative on that; I’ll see if I can get an update. You two crazy kids have fun. ”
With McCallister?
Bryn was fairly certain that nowhere in the universe was that possible.
Chapter 6
McCallister drove her home, and they didn’t talk. Not at all. He cast her glances occasionally, but he seemed to understand that Bryn wanted silence more than comfort. She did like that about him; he wasn’t afraid to just let her think, and having him there soothed the constant roil of terror inside her.
Except that he can make me do anything he wants, she thought, and shivered, even in the blast of the car’s heater. Anytime he wants it.
