“Yeah, I guess.” In the past year, two of his brothers’ girlfriends had been saved with a dog’s help. Maybe they do have their place.
“Wow, sounds like that was tough to admit. So, grizzly, tell me, since Matt is already involved, who else is he going to pull into this horrific snafu? I want to know who all I’m endangering.”
“You are not risking anybody’s life. We’re a family of cops. It’s what we do.”
“At least your ego hasn’t suffered.” Megan sat at the table after gathering her papers.
“One of my brothers has a better half who is a keyboard prodigy. She’s an expert on the dark web and hacking any place she wants to go.” Digging into Megan’s past would paint a better picture of how she’d react in a dire situation. He’d learned firsthand how she handled direct confrontation, but sometimes a jackass approached sideways. “My brothers will keep us abreast of everything they learn.”
“Tell me what happened to your leg.”
“No. I don’t need your morbid curiosity involved in my personal business.”
“I have medical training and I need to know your limitations in a fight, because we both know, there’s going to be one.”
Her logic was infuriating, and she was risking her life for a friend recently murdered. He’d do the same in that situation while demanding all pertinent information.
“My partner and I were ambushed. Apparently, his CI got a better offer batting for the pusher. Millner didn’t make it, I did.”
“CI?”
“Confidential informant.”
“Were you and Millner close?”
“Like family.”
Along with pity in her gaze, Luc witnessed a problem solver at work. The former caused his blood to boil. “I’m guessing you wanna see it? The scar?”
“Been there, done that. However, you came back with a more pronounced limp, which tells me you’ve aggravated the healing process. I haven’t spent much time working on people, but I know the basics. Let’s have another look.”
He could’ve gone to the bathroom and grabbed a towel to cover himself yet decided a little antagonism went a long way. Releasing his buckle and unsnapping his jeans, he watched her eyes, her stare meeting him head on with a screw you attitude.
“You could just roll up the hem.”
“Not if you want the entire view.” He smirked, yanking his jeans down to expose the long, jagged scar over his knee. The angry red tissue had faded to a puckered pink with dotted edges. “’Sides, since you’ve got medical training, you’ve seen it all before.” Maybe she’s a paramedic.
Using the table for support, he sat in a chair, waiting to see what she’d say. Long lengths of mahogany locks drifted forward to shield part of her face as she knelt and with a clinical detachment and removed his boot.
“Knee replacement?”
“No. Just mucking around inside. I have physical therapy exercises I’m supposed to do—”
“But you haven’t done them, have you?” Gently, she prodded at the puckered skin before placing one hand on his upper calf and the other over his ankle. Gentle pressure accompanied her look of concern. “Pain?”
“No.”
“There’s no swelling now, but you should prop it up. I’ll get you some ice. And the exercises?”
“I’ve done a few.”
“Nice boxers. Cartoon characters don’t seem like your style.” After an amused snort, she added, “You’re a walking contradiction.”
The part of him most interested in her curvy form paid strict attention, swelling with enthusiasm and nodding affirmation. Between her husky, velvet voice and soft touch gliding over his skin, he couldn’t control the normal response to a beautiful woman. “Sorry, it comes natural.”
“No problem. I’m sure it comes frequently. Judging by your ego, it’s not used to being ignored. If you’d like, we could have holy sex.”
“Holy sex? Haven’t heard of it, but I’m game.” He’d recognized the mockery in her tone and wondered what kind of man drew her interest.
“You stand at one end of the hallway while I’m at the other. We each yell, ‘Fuck You.’”
Lucas chuckled despite himself. “You give as good as you get. I like that in a woman.” Ignoring his tenting boxers was increasingly difficult. His guest, however, seemed unaffected.
“Huh, I think you just like being in a woman—any woman.”
“You complain about my social skills?” Jaw pain came from gritting his teeth. Even without knowing his past reputation, she’d pegged him for a hound. His days of screwing anything that moved were over. It hadn’t hit home until seeing his brother Ethan with Lexi that deep connections could change a person. For the better.
“My social skills are just fine, it’s the tolerance when dealing with grumpy wankers that tries my patience.” A smile hiked up one corner of her mouth.
“I’m not grumpy.” But it’s exactly how I’ve behaved.
“Hmm, I’ll remind you to keep you on track.”
“Gee, thanks. And I thought my brothers would be the biggest pain in the ass. Do you have a large family?”
“No. I was an only child. My parents are gone, but Jackie has three sisters and two brothers who kind of adopted me. I used to love hanging out with them. I haven’t seen any of them for a while.”
“Huh. Sorry. I have four brothers and a sister. I’m sure you’ll be meeting the rest of them soon.” Luc stood and pulled his jeans over a fading erection.
“Is your family close?” Her gaze slid away as her shoulders drooped.
“Yeah, very.”
Luc couldn’t stand the sadness in her eyes. “I’m wondering who our uninvited guest worked for. From what you’ve said, someone could be after either of us.”
“I’ve no idea. But it’s time to figure it out. Maybe one of the companies is government funded.”
It doesn’t make sense for the drug traffickers to come after me now, unless there was a special bond with the CI I shot.”
“Tell me specifically what happened. We’re in a piss-poor situation and two minds are better than one.” It wasn’t a morbid curiosity that lined her expression, more of a need to understand.
Except for debriefing, he hadn’t referenced that night since it happened. For the breadth of a heartbeat, he pondered why he wanted to tell Megan. Perhaps because of her inherent strength, she’d understand.
“Millner and I arrived at an abandoned warehouse to meet his informant. There was a car parked down the street, and I wanted to check it out before going inside.” Luc closed his eyes against the memory of Millner’s reply. “C’mon partner. You’re bullet proof and I’m invincible. That’s why we’re such a great team.”
“But he didn’t wait?”
“No. Not even to circle the building. He just strode right in like he was made of steel.” Luc blinked several times to clear the excess moisture from his eyes. “We walked into an ambush. The bastard shot him in the chest and neck. If I hadn’t already drawn my weapon, I’d have died, too.” Again, the sound of gunfire echoing in the hollow confines sent a shudder through his frame. “Afterward, I held him in my arms while he gasped for air. Pink foam bubbled from his mouth.” Luc’s words ended on a hitched breath. “He said it was his fault and to tell his folks and brother that he loved them.”
Luc’s breath came in short gasps, struggling around the lump forming in his chest. “Then—his eyes were open, but he wasn’t there anymore.”
Without warning, Megan advanced until standing face-to-face. “That kind of pain doesn’t fade quickly.”
The feel of her hands sliding up his chest and circling his neck didn’t compare to the warmth of her body pressing against him. She didn’t complain when his fingers bit into her waist and he bent his head to nuzzle against her neck. It wasn’t sexual. More of a need for the human connection. One he’d thought to deny for the rest of his life.
Her scent wasn’t exotic or spicy, but a clean bouquet he could neither define nor ab
andon. There were no words, just a giving and accepting of comfort. The new and foreign sensations created a calm within his soul he hadn’t known since Millner’s death. The interlude defied clarification, and as such, he wouldn’t examine his reaction, for it wasn’t a sexual response. It was something deeper.
“I’m sorry you went through that, Luc. You may be obnoxious, but no one deserves that. No one.”
When a heavy sigh fell from her lips, he released her and stepped back.
The absence of her warmth brought a return of their previous perspectives, as if the respite had never occurred. She was complicated, responsive, and empathetic, a total package.
“I’m gonna go to the office and make some calls. Keep furface inside.” He wanted to say more, to address the sincerity in her gaze, but the sensations bombarding his system wrought a confusion he needed to untangle.
“We wouldn’t have known about them if not for Leyna.”
The dog had earned her place in the house. In grudging respect, Luc reached out to offer his hand for a sniff and ear rub before heading to his office.
Quiet and solitude was what he’d craved when leaving the country, time to re-evaluate his life. His return to Oregon brought more chaos, confusion, with the added bonus of sexual tension.
Before he could sit at the desk and reflect, a popular dog-theme jingle filled the room. The call was expected. The timing wasn’t. “Well, I have to admit, this meddling is coming a bit sooner than expected.”
“You’re in deep shit, Luc.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Okay, try this on. I see two possibilities,” Matt paused, his deep sigh warning of a complicated situation. “The house you rented before you were shot was broken into several nights ago—while the residents were home. The place was ransacked by professionals. I don’t know if it was related to your partner’s murder. Any idea what they’d have been looking for?
“How the fuck would I know? What makes you so sure pros were involved?”
“The parents each woke up in the morning with fuzzy memories and a hangover. Their doc found traces of drugs in their systems.”
“Past history?”
“No drug use. No suspicion of drug history. Both were clean, professionals.”
“Damn it. And behind door number two?”
“This is the tricky part because your injury occurred weeks ago…anyway, I might’ve hinted to Lexi that you might have stepped in something. Also, that I had taken some photos on my phone, which of course I couldn’t share, and that they may be highly dangerous to any snoopers who were caught.”
“So, of course she ransacked all our files. What’d she come up with?”
“Your non-bimbo guest is actually a veterinarian, licensed in the state of Oregon. Adult record is clean, except for a lead foot. She does have a sealed document attached to her name, which of course I couldn’t access.”
“What did Lexi find in her juvie record?” Luc sighed over Matt’s cautious wording.
“She and another girl, Jackie Milburn, were picked up for trespassing. They were sixteen and caught outside the neighbor’s house, recording the neighbor beating his wife. Charges were dismissed in court.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t shoot him instead.” Lucas snorted, picturing Megan as a kid with dart gun in hand.
“That’s not all—about these companies. I don’t have much yet, but apparently there’s a lot of back channel chatting between ClickChip and CVS pharmaceuticals dating back well over a year, right before ClickChip erected a brand new, state-of-the-art building.”
“Damn, Lexi’s fast.”
“Yeah, from what I understand, there’s a ton of information to delve through, which will take time.”
“So, someone is looking for me, and my uninvited guest is hiding something big.”
“Either one of you could be targets. Watch your back. Oh, and it seems Lexi got the idea to either scramble or scrub your location to anyone searching.”
“Since I haven’t purchased this place yet, the previous owner is still listed on public records.”
“Damn, Luc. You don’t step in small heaps of shit, you go for the elephant piles. Be careful.”
Chapter Seven
Megan sat cross-legged on the couch working with her laptop when a decidedly grouchy, Lucas-shaped shadow limped to tower over her.
“Well, Dr. Chauner, what have you learned so far?” Luc closed the lid of her computer.
Megan sighed. “Should have figured your stubborn streak ran as deep as the obnoxious one. Sit down and I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Good, ’cuz from what I’ve learned, if this is related to your mess, I’m now just as much a target as you. Thank you for that, by the way.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I’d been taken by a shyster in renting this cabin until you showed up.” Megan squinted in Luc’s direction. In their short acquaintance, she’d gotten a handle on how he used distraction. His current petulance was a diversion, something adopted to make her spill her secrets.
“How much of that shit do you understand?” Lucas nodded toward the folder on the couch.
“Not all of it. This stuff delves into nanotechnology combined with chips and controlled stimulation of certain endocrine glands.”
“English please, for those of us without DVM behind our names and not pretending to be empty-headed twits.”
“Here, it’s easier to show you.” Megan opened her laptop and clicked on a minimized window. “Sit down and cushion your brain so it doesn’t get overtaxed.”
“I’d say the same about you, but you don’t have enough ass to support much gray matter.”
“That’s because I don’t sit on mine. Here, look at the skull’s structure.” Megan moved the mouse to point out different landmarks on the skeleton. “This pea-sized gland helps regulate vital body functions. It’s called the pituitary, or master gland, because it controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands. Look at its proximity to the sphenoid sinus, the open space here.” The pointer flicked to the area behind the bridge of the nose.
“Which is why we call people empty headed?”
She ignored the jibe. “Modern surgical techniques use a transnasal approach to remove tumors at the base of the brain. Using an endoscope, or long lighted tube, an ENT doc makes an incision in the back of the nasal passage and then hands off to a neurosurgeon. It’s minimally invasive, less risk, easier recovery, etc.”
“All through the nose? These assholes are physically messing with peoples’ brains by shoving things up their nostrils?”
“That’s the simplified version, yes. But there’s more to it.”
“There always is.”
“It looks like they’re embedding specialized chips that stimulate the gland which in turn stimulates other, specific glands.”
“How?”
“That’s where the nanotechnology comes in. Once they’ve breached the wall of the nasal cavity, they implant a chip. The chip releases nanos. Specific nanos are built to target certain areas for precise purposes.”
“Nanos? Like microscopic, metal…things?”
“No. Not metal, but some are synthetic. Look, researchers at MIT are investigating deliverance of vaccine by nanoparticles. Researchers at the Wyss Institute are testing the release of drugs by sheer force, such as going through a clogged artery. There are tons of applications currently being investigated. It’s just that these assholes are bypassing federal regulations, moral and ethical concerns, etc.”
“Are they trying to alter memories and shit?”
“No. Nothing like that. These stimulate the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, etc. They’ve even developed a method to latch onto the optic chiasm.”
“Wait. You lost me at hippo…”
“Hypothalamus. It’s a gland that governs things like temperature regulation, thirst, hunger, sex drive, sleep, and the release of other hormones in the body.”
“They’re g
onna make everyone horny?”
“Jeez. Leave it to a man to zero in on that one piece of info. By altering your temperature, you could either freeze to death or fry your brain in seventy-degree weather—their choice. With this technology, they could drive you to extreme rage without you knowing why you’re furious. Kinda like you when you first arrived.”
“Christ, and there’s a chip somewhere out there in unknown hands.” Luc’s indiscriminate gesture indicated the outdoors. “What could be worse?”
“Hmm, maybe this. If I understand it right, they can lock onto the optic chiasm. It’s the proverbial X where the visual nerves partially cross. When I first started reading, I thought maybe they were trying to blind people, but there’s a memo, written to someone here in Portland talking about a receiver net.”
“What? They’re gonna relay what a person’s seeing? That’s crazy.”
“Hmm, I don’t think so. Think about this. You’re looking at a computer screen that’s relaying nothing but electrical impulses. You see pictures, graphs, and colors. The brain isn’t so different.”
“Holy shit. They could spy on someone using a standalone computer with top-secret information, then transmit the information to the other side of the planet within seconds. Not to mention spy on tech-free meetings, military and private businesses.”
“I don’t know what the range is. To figure it out, we’d have to know where and how close they’re setting up receivers for this net.”
“Son of a bitch. We’re gonna need a shitload of help.”
“From people who haven’t been infected, for lack of a better phrase.” Megan straightened her legs and stretched her back, stiff from remaining immobile.
“How’re you gonna tell the difference between the normal and the infected?”
“Several ways. Physically, there won’t be much to go on after the initial bruising and swelling go down. But the person will have a hell of a sinus headache and will have lost a chunk of time. They’re also reporting some balance problems and visual memory deficits. I don’t know if the balance and visual problems are short term or permanent. If the symptoms are temporary, we might not know without tests.” Megan narrowed her gaze on Lucas. “What time did your plane land and what was your flight number?” Not accepting his word entirely, Megan pulled up flight schedules as he spoke.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Volume Two Page 6