Page 85 of False Flag

“No allergies were listed.”

She let out a frustrated breath. “I never saw him with an inhaler.”

“Apparently, he hid his asthma, which only makes his sudden death look less suspicious. According to the ME, absent any evidence of foul play, this is likely a very rare case of first exposure lethal reaction to an allergen. The case is closed.”

“Are they releasing his body to you for burial? Can you get someone in the US to examine him?”

“I’m not his next of kin. His ex-wife is. She already signed off on having him cremated in BC.”

“Can you…put a stop to that?”

He lowered his head and leaned it against the doorframe. “She isn’t answering my calls. Probably pissed I didn’t reach out to her the day Lloyd died. I didn’t know they were talking again. Sure as hell didn’t know she’d remained his beneficiary after the divorce.”

His hand formed a fist, and he hit the wall with the side. He was holding back. She had no doubt he could put a hole in the Sheetrock, but he was in control. Barely.

She tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. His muscle was rock-hard beneath her palm. She didn’t know what to say. Words of comfort would be hollow.

Lloyd Burns had probably been murdered, but there wouldn’t be an investigation. His body would be cremated, destroying any potential evidence. There had to be a substance the ME hadn’t tested for. Would they retain blood samples, or was that moot now that the manner of death had been established?

In the living room, her cell phone rang. She crossed to it and checked the screen. “It’s Gerard. Should I answer?”

“Let it roll to voicemail. He was probably given the heads-up by the detective.”

“I bet he wants me back on the island.”

“Yeah.”

She cleared her throat. “We need to call NSWC. It’s time for someone to tell me why you were sent to Letora Island.”

He nodded.

“I’ll get dressed.” She stepped back into the bathroom and dried off, then pulled on the yoga pants, T-shirt, and underwear Jake had gotten her yesterday. A quick brush of teeth and hair, and she was ready.

She paused and took several deep breaths, reminding herself to slow down.

It would take time to set up a meeting. And NSWC might refuse to talk to her. She didn’t have Jake’s security clearance. She wasn’t even working for FMV. She was here because she’d landed the job with Gerard on her own.

NSWC knew she was here, and they knew what she was doing. Still, they sent in Jake with orders not to tell her that he wasn’t a fan of Gerard. His commanding officers had wanted them on opposite sides.

Why?

She’d been the source of the intel that Jake’s brother was on Gerard’s team. What did it mean that they didn’t trust her? Did they question the Truther attack that had set her on this quest?

Staci lifted her shirt and studied the scar on her ribs. She traced the puckered skin with a fingertip and remembered the burn of pain. The terror of the assault that had come from nowhere. The masked man with a jagged obsidian blade.

She hadn’t fought back. She’d just curled in a ball and held her side, trying to stop the blood flow with her fingers after her attacker turned the stone tool on Drew.

She’d done nothing to help him, even though the attacker had his back to her. At the same time, a second man attacked Professor Garrison. But all Staci had done was protect herself and scream.

Like a coward.

Staci felt awful that dropping out of school meant Drew had a mountain of student loans that would never show ROI. But he hadn’t quit entirely in that he made interesting archaeology videos for YouTube and he had a number of videos debunking pseudoarchaeology. He was so brave, challenging the Truthers who’d attacked them publicly, while Staci took the coward’s way and worked covertly toward the same goal.

Well, not so covertly given that Gerard had known who she was from the start, but she hadn’t known that going in.

She lowered her shirt, concealing the scar. Sometimes she considered covering it with a tattoo, but for now, it was her reminder of why she was doing this.

There was a reason Archaeology Truthers attacked students and professors who dared to push back against their lies and everyone who actively worked to debunk them. Gerard Campbell had a goal that could only be achieved through disinformation and inciting violence.