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ChapterEleven
ELSY
I pull my hair up as I make my way inside the building, and I know he’s watching me the entire way. Keaton has no idea how tempting the offer to work for his family was. It’s not the Lone name that draws me to the idea; it’s Keaton. When we were in school, we did everything together. I believed we’d grow up to work together one day.
You really never know what life is going to throw at you, and I’ve had so many highs and lows already. I also want a chance to see for myself what’s going on with him. I might not have much to offer, but his father is one of the smartest men in the world, and I would love to be able to see what’s really happening inside of Keaton. I find it interesting that when he’s around me, he’s calm, and that could change their research. It has to mean something.
“Ma’am.” A guard greets me the second I step into the building. “We’ll need your purse, cell phone, and ID.”
“Right.” I dig into my bag and pull out my ID and phone before handing everything over. They shuffle through it before handing me my bag.
“Elsy Harbor,” the man says as he scans my ID and then hands it back. “You’ll need to wear this at all times.”
“Okay.” I clip it to my shirt.
“You’ll get your phone back at the end of the day or if you choose to leave for lunch.”
“All right.” They really aren’t messing around here. I was sure I’d be working on some low-level stuff, but maybe this is how they treat all their employees.
When I first started college, I was interested in exploratory science. I wanted to boldly go where no one has gone before. The problem was that exploring was never really focusing on the outcome or impact of each project. It was more about handing off the next piece of a puzzle of scientific understanding and knowledge. I was always trying to find the flaws when I was supposed to be pushing the boundaries.
Because of that, my professor suggested that I might be better suited to be an investigator scientist. I wanted solid answers and outcomes. In fact, I couldn’t stop until I got them, and that often got in the way of my exploring because I was always searching for the flaw that could end badly. I have this innate need to make sure things are working as they should. A lot of these projects can be a matter of life and death out there in the world.
I can become a bit obsessive. I have to know what’s next and if it’s good or bad. Oftentimes when I find the bad, I’m still working toward whatever it is being used for good somewhere else. Then I realized it can still be satisfying to hand over those findings to someone else that might be able to use them.
I was sure I was going to be sent down to a lab and given a project wherein JM Tech already knew what the flaws were. I thought it could be a test to see if I could find them. That should be intimidating, but it’s not. I had lots of practice with the women I went to college with. It was how we spent our Saturday and Sunday nights. We would show what we’re working on and let people pick it apart. Or if they couldn’t, explain to everyone why it was impossible. It was our favorite game, and it trained us well.
“Ms. Harbor is here,” the guard tells someone on the phone. “Dr. Harlow will be down shortly.”
“Thanks,” I say, taking a step back to be out of the way of other people coming in. They scan their badges that are the same as my new one. Each person drops their cell phone as they enter past the main guard desk toward the elevators.
I make a mental note to ask Keaton if this is how it’s done at most places. I’m probably reading too much into it. Jade and now Keaton have me a bit on edge. I don’t want to be working for a company that is developing things that could end up in the wrong hands. Though, being here, maybe I could find something out.
“Ms. Harbor,” an older woman calls to me as she steps off one of the many elevators and walks toward me.
“Call me Elsy, please.” I take her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Harlow.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” She nods for me to follow her back to the elevators.
“I hope it was all good.” Dr. Harlow scans her badge. She doesn’t have to hit one of the buttons before the doors close and I feel the elevator go down and not up.
“Professor Hoover and I go way back. She told me you can be ruthless in your findings.” Oh shit. “That’s a good thing. I want ruthless. If something isn’t making sense or isn’t adding up, I want to know so we can perfect it. Only perfection comes out to JM Technologies.”
“Yes, I can be a bit of a dog with a bone when something isn’t adding up.”
“Good.” The doors slide open to reveal a long hallway with labs on both sides. Each one is encased in glass, but I can see what everyone is doing.
I can’t help but glance into each room as we walk down the hallway. I think I might be throwing myself into the deep end already. Labs that are under the build feel a bit more serious for some reason. Dr. Harlow stops at one of the labs and scans her badge and the door slide open. Standing there is Gray Malice as if he’s waiting for me.
When he turns my way, he audibly inhales and doesn't try to hide it. He sniffs again and then moves closer to me. It’s then that I realize how truly big he is and that he and Keaton are evenly matched in bulk.
“Who have you been with today?” he asks as he takes another deep breath. “And I don’t mean Keaton Lone. There’s someone else.” I swear his eyes flash in a way I’ve seen in Keaton’s.
“Your guards upstairs and the driver of the car that brought me here.” He leans in closer and sucks in again.
Okay, Gray Malice is weird. Jade might be on to something.
“Are you lying to me, Ms. Harbor?”
“Oh, I saw my friend this morning too. What is this about?” I don’t know what Jade is to me at this point, but I feel a need to protect her. I step away from him, and he closes his eyes. Then he pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.
Am I already getting fired?
“Get her started,” he orders Dr. Harlow before he strides out of the lab. The doors open for him automatically, and I watch him quickly stride down the long hallway.
“Am I in trouble?” I ask Dr. Harlow.
“Honestly, I have no idea what that was, but let's get started.” I nod, grabbing a lab coat that’s hanging on a nearby rack.
I think Jade might be right. Why else would Gray Malice have been waiting for me? The new nobody, who I suppose isn’t a nobody after all.
