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“Verifying the presence of unexploded ordnance,” Sean replied.
Roarke’s face went blank. “Huh?”
Sean sat up. “Take a look,” he offered. “There’s plastic explosives around the gas tank. A wire around the driveshaft. Could be a decoy, though. Somebody could be watching with a remote detonator.”
“You’re kidding.” Roarke’s face went an odd, purplish shade.
“I wish I were. I suggest you evacuate this block right now.”
Roarke yanked his walkie talkie out of his belt. Sean turned, and found Liv standing in the street, way too close to her car. Miles, too, was wandering closer than he should, goggle-eyed and slack-jawed.
“Detonator?” she echoed faintly. “You mean…a bomb? In my pickup? But I drove it this morning. I parked it here at five AM. It’s been right out here in public, all morning. How on earth—”
“Get the fuck away from the car, Liv. You, too, Miles.Move!” Weird, to hear his father’s drill sergeant voice coming out of his own mouth. It had no discernible effect on Liv, though. She didn’t bat an eye. Sean spun her around, and shoved.
“Get your hands off her.” It was Madden, his voice shaky and high. His face was wet with sweat. He grabbed Sean’s arm.
Sean just towed the guy along with them. “Let’s have this pissing contest out of blast range,” he growled.
“I’d like to know how you knew about that bomb, McCloud.”
Sean’s gut clenched. A lot of people were going to be unpleasantly curious about that.I had a funny feelingdidn’t get you far when people were casting around for a scapegoat, and he made a kick-ass scapegoat.
He braced himself. “I had a hunch.”
“I see,” Madden’s voice heavy with scorn. “A hunch. How convenient and timely. You’re so obviously an expert, I’m surprised you’re not defusing this so-called bomb all by yourself, on the spot.”
“I probably could, but I won’t.” Sean kept his voice even. “Not without equipment, and backup. I’d do it off the cuff if somebody’s life depended on it, but given the choice, I’d rather call the EOD techs.”
Patrol cars began to pull up. People were trickling out of nearby buildings, scurrying away. Miles was hunched over his phone, ratting him out to his brothers. Then he saw Roarke and two other officers, marching towards him with grim purpose in their synchronized step, and an unmistakable look in their eyes. Oh, great. This rocked.
So he was ending up behind bars today, after all.
August the fucking eighteenth. It never failed.
“Will it hurt?”
Dr. Osterman threw a reassuring arm around the shoulders of the girl he was steering into his private examining room. He flipped on the lights, enabled the video. “Not at all. X-Cog 10 will just enhance your neural activity, and the electrical stimulation will augment blood circulation to selected portions of your brain,” he lied smoothly.
Caitlin’s eyes widened, intrigued. “Cool.”
Osterman gave her a smile brimming with charm. “Basically, we’re trying to use more of your already remarkable brain potential.”
Caitlin gave him a world-weary smile. “There are lots of drugs that help you use more of your brain,” she said. “I’ve tried a bunch already.”
He chuckled. “No doubt, but my approach is more systematic. I hope to develop ways to treat learning problems, enhance academic performance, and ultimately, contribute to human evolution.”
“Wow,” she whispered, her eyes big.
Osterman experienced a flash of doubt as to whether this was worth the risk. Caitlin’s test results were only borderline. Off the charts compared to a normal teenager, and extremely talented artistically, but she was more or less mediocre by his own standards. On the plus side, her family profile was perfect. She was a product of the foster system. Behavioral problems, drug problems, no nosy parents to ask awkward questions when she disappeared. And he’d been waiting so long for a suitable test subject. Helix Group needed results, if he was to keep getting this lavish funding. Demonstrable, profitable results.
Osterman tilted her face up, noting the lovely bone structure. She had big, startled brown eyes. Her lips were shiny with flavored lip gloss.
“You’re special, Caitlin,” he said gently. “This project is important. I can’t trust the others the way I trust you. Do you understand?”
She blinked in the bright light. “Uh, OK.”
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You’re lovely,” he said.
