The Golden Couple (The Samantha Project Series, # 2)

by Karpinske, Stephanie

  “But they don’t know about Erik. Worthings and his guards were the only ones at the trailer, and they’re all dead.”

  “The guards wore listening devices. I could see them on their jackets. The communication on those devices is instantly recorded and sent to GlobalLife, kept on their corporate servers. I guarantee they know about Erik.”

  Before I could respond, the motel door behind me opened. It was Erik. “Dad, I’m going to bed. Brittany’s already asleep. You need anything else? Is Colin still okay?”

  Jack nodded. “He’s doing much better. You can go to sleep. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay. Night, Sam.” Erik didn’t sound angry anymore, but he wouldn’t look at me.

  “Night, Erik,” I said, hoping Jack wouldn’t pick up on the tension.

  But he did. Once Erik was back in his room, Jack spoke up. “What’s with him? You two have a fight?”

  “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  Jack paused. “Sam, I need to tell you something, just between you and me.”

  His tone was making me nervous. “Okay, what is it?”

  “Erik is not one to … what’s the word?” He stopped to think. “Well, he’s not one who easily opens up to people. And he’s never really been one to show emotion. And while he’s had some experience with girls, he’s, well, he was never serious with any of them. I probably don’t need to tell you all that but—”

  “What exactly are you trying to tell me?” I asked, begging him to hurry this along.

  “Just be honest with him, okay? I don’t know what went on with you two, or what was said, and I don’t need to know. But in the brief time that he’s known you, Sam, he’s changed. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. He lights up when you’re around.”

  I stood there in silence.

  “I can see that you have strong feelings for Colin, maybe even love him. But if you have any feelings for my son, which I think you do, then he deserves to be told. And if you don’t have feelings for Erik, then he deserves to be told that, too. I’m sure you would feel the same if the tables were turned.”

  Jack sensed my discomfort. “Well, I’ll go check on Colin again and then get to bed. Or I can stay up first if you want to get some sleep.”

  “Um, no, I’ll stay up with him,” I offered, relieved to be off the topic of Erik.

  We went inside to find Colin more awake. “Hey, there you are,” Colin said softly.

  I hurried over to him. “Jack and I are both here. We’ll be keeping watch on you all night.” He held my hand and I could feel a little more strength in his grip. “You already look like you’re feeling better, Colin.” I gently hugged him, trying not to hurt his bruises.

  Jack stood there waiting. “Let me check him once more, Sam, and then he’s all yours.”

  “Are you a doctor?” Colin asked Jack.

  “No. I just know a little about medicine.”

  “He’s being modest. He knows a lot about medicine,” I said, glancing up at Jack. Despite the lecture he’d given me, I couldn’t be mad at Jack. He had saved Colin’s life. “Jack is also a genius with computers. And genetics.”

  “Just like your Uncle Dave,” Colin said to me.

  Jack smiled. “Dave and I actually attended MIT together.”

  “Really? But how did you—”

  “It’s a long story,” I told him. “I’ll explain later.”

  “Everything still looks good,” Jack said. “Sam, you wake me up if you need anything. Any change in his condition, even if it seems small, you come get me, okay?”

  “Yes, absolutely. Thanks, Jack.”

  Jack went to sleep. I lay down next to Colin and listened to him breathe. He was finally breathing normally again. But in my head, I kept hearing the sound of the labored breathing he had earlier in the day. He’s better now, I told myself, moving closer to him. I felt his head rest gently on mine as he dozed off. I tried not to fall asleep, but the day’s events had wiped me out.

  “I’ve got some mail for you, Dr. Fisher.” A young man wearing a lab coat brought a small white envelope to an older man sitting at a desk. He, too, was wearing a lab coat.

  “Thanks, Brian. Hey, did you run those samples yet?”

  “Yes, I’ll have the report to you soon. I’m just finishing it up now.”

  “Great. I look forward to seeing it,” Fisher said as the young man left.

  The professor picked up the envelope. “No return address. That’s odd,” he said to himself. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper and the tiniest flash drive I’d ever seen. Fisher held the flash drive up in the air. “I haven’t seen one of these since—” A panicked look came across his face and he started scanning the room, as if searching for hidden surveillance cameras.

  He placed the drive in his shirt pocket and focused on the piece of paper that came with it. It was a note from someone and as he read it, he spoke some parts aloud. “Samantha Andrews. Make sure she gets … on the flash drive. Tell no one. Sincerely, Dave Osterman.”

  “What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?” Fisher was talking to himself again. “I need to call Dave. But the GlobalLife offices had to relocate after the explosion.” Fisher began typing on his computer. “There we go, temporary offices are at—” He got a piece of paper and wrote down some numbers, then picked up the phone.

  “Yes. I need to speak to Dave Osterman, please.” Pause. “What? He doesn’t work there anymore? But I just got a—” Pause. “No. Never mind. I don’t need to speak to anyone else. Thanks.”

  Fisher hung up, looking even more concerned. He nervously fished through his desk for a lighter, then took the piece of paper and a metal trash can down the hall and to the outside. He placed the paper in the can and lit it on fire, watching until it burned to ashes.

  He went back inside with the trash can, racing toward his office. “Hey, Dr. Fisher.” Brian, the young lab assistant was following Fisher down the hall. “Dr. Fisher? I have that lab report ready. Do you want to go over it now?”

  Fisher stopped abruptly. “No. Not now, Brian. I don’t have time. Something urgent came up.”

  As I lay in bed, still half asleep, the dream played out in my head again. If my dreams really did foresee past or future events, what did my dream about the professor mean? Was Dave trying to get a message to me? If so, I didn’t understand it.

  I looked over to find Colin sleeping soundly beside me. Jack was snoring in the other bed. I rolled over to see the clock on the nightstand. 7 a.m.! How did I sleep that long?

  My movement woke Colin. “Sam, did you sleep here?”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. “I meant to sit up in that chair all night, but I was so tired I fell asleep. How do you feel?”

  “Better,” he whispered back. “Still not great, but a lot better.” He turned on his side to face me.

  “Colin, you’re so bruised. You shouldn’t lie on your side.”

  “I don’t care. Come here. I want to give you a real hug. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” I hugged him lightly, trying not to hurt him.

  A loud beeping noise broke the silence in the room, startling us. It was the alarm clock next to the bed.

  Jack sat up, turning to see the clock. “It’s after 7! I set that thing to go off at midnight!”

  I got up to turn on a light.

  “Sam, you should have woke me up.” Jack put on his glasses and went over to Colin. “Tell me how you’re feeling. Any better?”

  “Yeah.” Colin tried to sit up. “But I’m sore, especially my chest.”

  “Well, you might have some bruised ribs.” Jack gave me a concerned look. Colin had been so out of it that we really didn’t know the full extent of his injuries. My hatred for GlobalLife flared again as I imagined what they might have done to him.

  “Colin, do you think you could tell us what happened?” I asked. “Or if you don’t want to talk about it yet, that’s okay.”

  “I don’
t really remember a whole lot. They drugged me with something and after that I was pretty out of it.”

  “When did they drug you, Colin? Back in Minnesota?”

  “Yeah. It was after school. I was on my way to talk to someone who said they knew where you were. I got some cryptic text message saying to meet at the park by Crane Lake.”

  I glanced at Jack. “And who sent the text? Did you get a name?”

  Colin held my hand. “No. And I didn’t care who it was. I was desperate to find you, Sam. Nobody knew anything. It’s like you just disappeared.”

  “So you went to the park, and who was there?” Jack asked.

  “I never made it to the park. On the drive over there, I had some car problems so I pulled over. As I was checking under the hood, this SUV came up behind me. These guys got out and started beating up on me. I tried to fight back but these guys were huge. Way bigger than me. I didn’t stand a chance.”

  “Is that when they drugged you?” Jack asked.

  “No. The fight knocked me out. I woke up in the SUV with the guys who beat me up. And there was this other guy there—tall, dark suit, really blond hair—and he said that he was from GlobalLife. He said something about Sam being their property? It didn’t make sense. Maybe I heard him wrong. But he said they needed me in order to get to Sam. I started fighting, trying to get out of there. Then those guys beat up on me again. I don’t remember much after that. That’s when they must’ve given me the drugs.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Colin,” Jack said. “But we’re going to get you healed up and back to normal. Are you feeling hungry yet?”

  “Yeah, actually I am kind of hungry.”

  “Sam, help me get some food from the van.” Jack went to grab his jacket.

  “Sure. We’ll be right back, Colin.” I put a coat on over my sweats and headed outside where Jack was waiting.

  “That text message,” Jack said. “It had to be from GlobalLife, luring Colin to the park.”

  “I don’t know, Jack. I’m thinking GlobalLife was following Colin, waiting for the right time to take him. Colin always takes the back roads to that park and those roads are pretty isolated. When his car broke down, that would have been the perfect time and place for them to get him. I don’t think GlobalLife would attack him at the park. There are too many people there. I think the person who texted Colin was actually trying to help him find me.”

  “Who would do that? Who would take that risk? Unless you think it was Dave.”

  “No, it can’t be Dave. GlobalLife has him. Or at least they did when I left. It had to be someone else.”

  “Who else would put their life on the line like that?”

  I thought for a minute. “Jack, I didn’t tell you everything about my escape from GlobalLife.”

  “You said you found an escape tunnel near the underground room where they held you.”

  “Yes. But I only made it into that tunnel because of Hannah, the lab assistant. She was working in my room that day. She did something to knock out the guards. And then she gave me her badge, which opened the doors.”

  “What? Why did she—”

  “I don’t know,” I interrupted. “I only know that she was involved in a larger plan to get me out of there that day. And I’m sure she never made it out of the building.”

  “Why do think there was a larger plan?”

  “She said if I didn’t escape, it would have all been for nothing, like there was some big master plan that had been in the works for months. And then when I got out of that tunnel, there was a backpack waiting for me with clothes in my size and a pair of shoes.”

  “I thought Dave was the one who helped you. But you’re saying there were other people involved in your escape? Sam, why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “There’s been so much going on that I didn’t even think about it.”

  I could see Jack’s mind working. “What are you thinking, Jack?”

  “I’m thinking that there must be other people who want to take down GlobalLife as much as we do. And they seem to be organized. At least organized enough to carry out an attack, like they did at the lab in Minnesota. They’re acting as some type of rebel force out to destroy GlobalLife, or at least limit their power. That woman, Hannah, was working from the inside. There must be others on the inside as well.”

  The door next to us opened. Erik walked out, already showered, dressed, and looking perfect as always. Sandy blond hair, tan skin, stunning blue eyes. I tried not to stare but I couldn’t help it. “What are you guys doing out here?” he asked. “How’s Colin?”

  “Colin’s much better,” Jack answered. “Sam and I were just talking. We’re going to get some food from the van. Are you hungry?”

  “I am.” Brittany walked up behind Erik. She was wearing his gray hooded sweatshirt which was so big that it hung like a dress on her. I was instantly jealous, thinking of her in a room with Erik all night. And the sight of her in his clothes was making it even worse.

  “Brittany, what happened to your pajamas?” I asked.

  “I couldn’t find them so Erik let me borrow his sweatshirt.” She grabbed his arm and smiled up at him. Now that she didn’t have her straightener, her hair was naturally wavy like mine, making us look even more identical.

  “How are you feeling today, Brittany?” Jack asked.

  “I didn’t sleep well. But it helped to have Erik there with me.” Brittany inched up closer to him, making my skin crawl.

  Jack shot Erik a look, unsure what Brittany’s comment meant.

  “She was having nightmares about what happened,” Erik said. His vague response left me wondering what had really gone on over there.

  “I’ll sleep in your room tonight, Brittany,” I offered, not wanting her alone with Erik again.

  “So we’re staying another night?” Erik asked his dad.

  “We have to. I want to see how Colin does today. If he keeps progressing like he has overnight, then we’ll leave tomorrow. We’ll get an early start.”

  “I’m gonna go clean up,” I said, not able to take another second of watching Brittany hang on Erik.

  I went back in the room to find Colin sitting up and watching TV. He looked so much better. His skin had color and his warm brown eyes had life to them again.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” he said, smiling at me. I loved his smile. I always had. It was sweet and sexy at the same time. And whenever I saw it I couldn’t help smiling back, even if I wasn’t in a smiling mood.

  “I’m gonna go take a quick shower. I’ll be right out.”

  His eyes followed me. “I need a shower. Mind if I join you?”

  “Colin!” I went over and kissed him. “Now I know you’re feeling better.”

  Later that morning, Jack went over our plans for the following days. Our next stop would be Dana Point, California, where we would get a DNA sample from Erik’s now deceased brother, Luke. Then we would travel north to Stanford University, where Jack’s professor friend would loan us his lab. There Jack would use DNA samples from Luke and Brittany to slow the timer in Erik and me.

  Colin didn’t hear about our plans, but that was intentional. We talked while he was asleep. I didn’t want Colin to know everything that was going on. At least not yet. I hadn’t told Colin about the timer or anything else that had happened to me since I left Minnesota. All that could wait. He needed to get better first.

  I spent the rest of the day at Colin’s side while Jack continued to monitor him. Erik hung out with Brittany, who still refused to discuss what had happened at the trailer.

  After dinner that night, Erik, Jack, and I went into the van to talk. Jack told Erik my theory about a rebel group trying to take down GlobalLife and how Colin might have encountered someone trying to help as well.

  “Sam, it’s got to be your Uncle Dave,” Erik insisted. “He’s got to be the one who texted Colin. Who else would it be?”

  “No, it can’t be Dave. Back at the trailer, Worthings said that D
ave wouldn’t be going back home. That means they took Dave somewhere. He’s probably not even in Minnesota anymore.”

  “Even if Dave’s being held somewhere, that doesn’t mean he isn’t able to send someone a message,” Erik said.

  His words reminded me what I’d forgotten to share with him and Jack. “Wait. What you just said. I had a dream last night. It was one of those dreams I get. Like a premonition. It was about Dave. I think he was trying to tell me something.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Surprise

  “What happened in this dream?” Jack asked.

  “I saw this guy getting a note from Dave. The guy looked really familiar. Anyway, he had an envelope and inside there was a piece of paper and a flash drive. The flash drive was weird. I’ve never seen one like it. It was super thin, small, and oval-shaped.”

  “A finger drive,” Jack said. “We used those when I worked at GlobalLife. It’s meant for files that are only to be seen by one person. That person’s fingerprint is the only way to access whatever’s on the drive. It’s one of those delayed technologies I told you about, Sam. You probably won’t see that on the market for five or 10 years.”

  “Well, I wasn’t able to actually see the note, but the guy reading it said a few parts out loud. He said my name and something about the flash drive. And it was signed with Dave’s name.”

  “Your dreams show past and future events, so did you get the feeling that this had already happened?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah, I think it just happened.” I imagined the guy in my head again, certain that I knew him somehow.

  “As in yesterday or—“

  “Sorry to interrupt, Jack, but that guy from the dream. I do know him. He was at my parents’ memorial service. I remember him now. After the service, everyone came to my house and it was so overwhelming that I went in my dad’s office to get away. Then this guy followed me in there, saying he wanted to talk. He told me how my dad got him a job at the university. Dr. Fisher. That’s his name. He’s a genetics professor. In my dream, he was in his office at the university.”