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Please don’t hate me, Raf. I can take anything but your hate.
* * *
Noelle put on a pleasant smile as she watched the latest supplies being loaded off into the facility. It was close to the end of the program, so as she marked off the latest crate on her inventory, she nodded at the workers.
“Good job, everyone. You can go home now.”
People gave her a salute as they trickled out of the storage facility. When she was the only one left, she quickly glanced at her watch, noting she had a quarter of an hour before the guards made their rounds.
Still keeping on her smile, she got her keys, going to the lab. Opening the door, she snuck inside, turning on the light and surveying the area.
She’d purposefully messed with the numbers on the inventory, so they wouldn’t realize that some of their batches are missing. She’d been doing it for weeks now, and considering that no one had signaled any error in the numbers, she supposed she’d done a good job covering her tracks.
Aware that time was of essence, she quickly went to the refrigerator where the doses of the drug were being stored. It was a huge, industrial sized refrigerator split into two. Since Sergio had declared he was going to focus on two drugs, those were the only ones currently being manufactured and stored.
The right row was with the stimulant, while the left was with the sedative.
Noelle opened her bag, placing five vials inside.
So far, she’d been able to amass about fifty, which should help Raf wean off the drug once they were away from the hacienda. With a little luck, he wouldn’t need as many, but she didn’t want to take any chances, especially since the ingredients were so hard to come by.
The lab team had experimented with different types of scopolamine in their attempt to create the perfect compound, and depending on the plant and region where it was synthesized from. Only some were able to create the desired effect—affect memory while still maintaining proper brain function.
The added elements only regulated behavior. But because of the particularity of scopolamine, Sergio had signed contracts with some local cartels from Colombia to provide him with the best merchandise. While she could get the other ingredients, she doubted she’d ever be able to secure the same type of scopolamine used at the hacienda.
Once she got what she came for, she turned off the light and sneaked out of the room.
“Senora? What are you doing here?” A voice called from behind as she tip-toed towards her office.
Noelle’s eyes widened as her hands reflexively tightened around her bag. Turning, she put on her haughty persona as she regarded the guard with condescending boredom.
“I work here.” She raised a brow.
“It’s after hours. El Señor told us no one is allowed to stay after hours, including you,” he suddenly said and Noelle did her best to mask her surprise.
That was… news to her.
Worry churned inside her as she wondered why he would have done that if he wasn’t suspicious of her. Had he questioned the guards about her comings and goings from the facility? Had he been investigating her?
She thought she’d taken all the precautions necessary, bribing the night guards and ensuring no one would speak about her activities. Yet that one statement made her reconsider everything. Dear God, had she been careless in any way?
“For your information, not that I have to giveyouany account of my activity, we just finished the inventory. That’s work last time I checked, no?” She smiled sweetly at him. “So you see, it’s not after work hours since the work isn’t done.”
“Senora…”
“You can tell my husband if you wish. I’m not stopping you. You can also check my work sheet and see I’ve been signing off on the new crates of merchandise. There are even time stamps to prove my words.”
The guard pursed his lips, clearly unsure of what to do.
“I understand,” he sighed. “Just don’t wander after hours.”
“Why would I?” She shrugged. “It’s not as if there’s anything interesting to do. Good day.” She gave him a nod before she turned, ending the discussion and walking confidently out of the facility.
The moment she was out, she headed around the building, going to the car she’d stationed there and storing the vials inside a mini fridge.
Yet as she made her way back to the hacienda, she couldn’t help but sense that something was wrong. Had she truly been discovered? The thoughts continued to plague her for the rest of the evening, and after confiding her suspicions to Lucero, she decided she couldn’t take any risks—at least for now.
“The banquet is only in a few more weeks. Please have patience, Noelle,” Lucero told her.
