Poison

by Jordyn Redwood

  At the bottom of the steps, a tunnel loomed, the end of which he could not see. It was large enough for him to walk upright. It wasn’t the confinement of the tunnel that had him standing frozen at the center, but the myriad of spiderwebs. He rubbed at his neck. His skin prickled as he imagined hundreds of spiders preparing to sink their fangs into open skin.

  Shining the light forward again, he thought he could see an area where there might be a room to one side. Five steps would get him there. Holding his breath, he stomped in that direction, his arm in front of him as a shield to knock away the webs.

  He turned left and shone his light into the dark interior. Tables were filled with lab equipment and bookcases held medical texts. He entered the room, knocking down more eight-legged homes and annihilating a few of their residents with his steel-toed boots. Slowly, his heart rate calmed and his vision cleared. He neared the shelving and took in some of the volumes.

  Books on toxins, poisons, and neurological disorders. A refrigerator was in one corner. Lee stepped to it and opened it. Inside were stacks of Petri dishes, the red gel crystallized. He closed the door quickly, hoping time had killed off any virulent pathogens. How was it possible to get electricity down here?

  With the flashlight, he peered behind the old appliance. A cord snaked into an outlet. What struck him was that these items did not appear to be circa 1920. More like artifacts from the past twenty years.

  He neared the tables. They were metal desks from the ’90s. Lee yanked open the cabinet and pulled out several file folders. His posture stiffened as his eyes widened in the low light. After he adjusted the narrowness of his flashlight beam, an insignia solidified on the front of the report.

  An hourglass in front of an eight-pointed star, the celestial body like one a young child would draw from simple stick shapes.

  Like the ring Lucent wore.

  Like the mark carved into Ryan’s skin.

  Was it also like the partial mark found on Clay Timmons?

  NeuroEnterprises was the company. Lee hadn’t heard of it before, but there were several firms located in the Colorado Springs area known to provide services to the government. Several had gone defunct in recent years in the vacuum created by dwindling defense contracts.

  He leafed through the first several sheets. Pages upon pages of chemical diagrams. He flipped it closed as visions of his high school chemistry teacher berating him in front of the class for his lack of problem-solving skills played back in his mind.

  He pulled out the next folder. What resembled a personnel file. He found several letters on company letterhead. Refusal of severance pay. Refusal of health benefits. A letter of termination for “grievous acts resulting in the death of L. E. Donnely.”

  Dust from the ceiling dropped onto the paper in a steady rhythm of heavy boots on the ceiling above him. Lee gathered the files up in the crook of his elbow and entered the tunnel. His arms felt weak. He edged farther into the darkness. The sticky silk hugged close to his face and tickled the inside of his nostrils at each quickened inhalation. He flipped off his flashlight and returned it to his utility belt. He drew his sidearm, pointed it at the base of the stairs and waited.

  The sound of tiny appendages scratched at his ear drums. He sidestepped to one side of the tunnel and willed himself to believe it was the roots of trees poking through his shirt rather than the exposed fangs of poisonous spiders.

  A circular beam of light hit the base of the steps. Dirt cascaded at each thump of the brown canvas shoes. The stranger was dark behind the light. Lee backed up several more steps to keep out of the iridescent scope. The man was now fully inside the tunnel. Lee held his breath as his heartbeat pulsed wildly.

  Lee’s phone vibrated against his chest, the light from the cover shone through his shirt, a beacon to his position.

  The man also raised a gun and aimed it down the tunnel.

  “I know someone is here. I followed your footsteps to the house.”

  The voice. He knew it instantly.

  Why is he here?

  Lee dropped his weapon and pressed himself to the side of the tunnel in case the sound of his voice spooked the man into firing before he realized he was a friend and not a foe.

  Well, maybe friendly foe would be a more accurate description.

  “Nathan, it’s Lee.”

  Nathan raised the flashlight higher. Lee secured his gun and stepped fully into the light with his arms raised. Nathan mirrored his movements. Lee clicked his light back on.

  “What are you doing down here?” Nathan walked slowly in his direction.

  They met at the doorway. “I should ask the same about you.”

  Nathan rustled the dirt out of his hair. “This place seems to be the epicenter of all our current difficulties. I called El Paso County, wanting the run sheet, and they said you’d already asked for it.”

  “How did you find the house?”

  “It was easy with all your footprints.”

  “Could have called it in.”

  Nathan brushed dirt off his coat with a floral embroidered hankie. “I didn’t want anyone to know I was coming here, either.”

  Lee smiled. “I think I may have found something.” He motioned Nathan into the small room.

  Nathan ducked in, a low whistle escaped from his lips. “We knew John Samuals was somewhat of a mad scientist. That’s why he was charged with domestic terrorism.”

  “Scary we never found this.”

  “Anything interesting?”

  Lee set down the reports. “How are you with chemistry?”

  “Let’s just say I’m a cop for a reason.”

  “Ever hear of a company called NeuroEnterprises?”

  Nathan scratched his head. “Rings a bell. John had worked there, but the company had gone out of business a couple of years before he took his family hostage. There wasn’t a lot of public material available, and what we tried to get was housed under the guise of protecting national security.”

  “It’s hard for me to tell so far what they were into. The interesting thing is the reason John was fired was for involvement in a fatal injury to another worker.”

  “How’d he die?”

  “It’s not clear from the documents. However, the guy’s last name was Donnely.”

  “As in Gavin?”

  “Think there’s a relation?”

  “We better find out for sure.”

  Nathan grabbed his phone from the inner part of his coat just as Lee’s vibrated against his chest. He cursed under his breath at forgetting to check the previous call.

  The lab.

  “It’s a text from Lilly. I’m going to head up for better reception. See what’s up.”

  Lee nodded. His phone seemed good on bars so he dialed the lab as Nathan climbed the stairs.

  Lee heard the lab tech pick up the line. “What’s up?”

  “I’m beginning to have newfound respect for you, Lee.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “There’s DNA on the cap.”

  Lee chewed the inside of his cheek. “Male?”

  “Funny you should ask. Happens to be female.”

  An ache spread through Lee’s gut. “Do me a favor?”

  “Another one? You’re cashing in heavy today.”

  “Remember the DNA tests you ran to determine if Keelyn was related to the child found at the diner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Still have a sample of those?”

  “All three?”

  “Particularly the one questioned as the mother for the child.”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I need you to test it against the sample on the cap.”

  “You think Keelyn’s half sister is the one who handled this syringe?”

  “Guess we’ll find out.”

  The tech was silent for several moments. “All right, I’ll check it out.”

  If the DNA from Raven matched the DNA on the syringe, it proved Raven was involved in these mishaps. How would he tell
Keelyn of his suspicions?

  Lee raced up the steps. Nathan turned from where he stood in the kitchen. “We’ve got problems.”

  “What is it?”

  “Lilly’s at the hospital.”

  Again, Lee’s phone signaled. He grabbed it. Two missed calls.

  Drew and Keelyn. Not a good combination.

  Chapter 29

  KEELYN’S PANICKED CALL summoned Lilly to the ER Sunday evening. Nathan was MIA. As was Lee. With someone screaming in the background, she could barely make out Keelyn’s words as she tried to explain the patient they were bringing in.

  Now she stood alongside Keelyn outside the glass as the medical team on duty worked on the young man, his blond hair dirty and matted to his face. They’d placed him in four-point leather restraints just to keep him on the bed.

  The screaming alarmed her the most.

  He writhed so much the nurses couldn’t get IV access. Then two needles slammed into each thigh.

  A short few moments and the screams died as the man stilled. His clothes cut off, a quick examination of his skin, a sheet draped over, a calm washed over the scene.

  Lilly eased Keelyn into a chair as Dr. Tucker came through the door. The two doctors stepped a few paces down the hall.

  “Do you know this guy?”

  “Conner Watson?” Lilly asked to verify.

  “That’s what his ID says. This is one of the strangest cases I’ve ever seen.”

  “High blood pressure? Sweating all over? Severe muscle cramping?”

  Tucker ran his hands through his hair. “How did you know?”

  “It’s just like Ryan Zurcher.”

  He glanced back at his patient. Still quiet. “The SWAT officer?”

  “Exactly.”

  “What was wrong with him?”

  Lilly glanced at Keelyn who was furiously texting. “They don’t know yet. What we know more is what’s not wrong with him. He hasn’t had a heart attack. There was nothing in his belly even though his abdomen was hard as a rock.”

  “This guy’s is, too.”

  She turned back to her coworker. “Zurcher’s major vessels looked good. He didn’t have a dissecting aorta or anything fitting those symptoms.”

  “Sepsis?”

  “Initial cultures from Ryan’s blood show a gram negative bacteria. Final culture and sensitivity reports are still pending but he’s not responding as he should to the antibiotics, either.”

  Tucker pushed his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. “Then we’re in the toxin category.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What about Zurcher’s drug screen?”

  “Nothing illegal. No cocaine. No pot. Nothing.”

  “Not surprising, though. Considering his profession, he’s probably marked for random drug screens.”

  Lilly shrugged her shoulders. “Did you find any marks on him?”

  “He’s clearly using. He’s got track marks. Heroin maybe. We’ll send off a drug screen to check for sure.”

  “What did you give him to knock him out?”

  “Ketamine.”

  Lilly walked closer to the window. “It’s not going to last very long.”

  “I just need him still long enough for the nurses to get their lines in, get him cathed, and get everything sent off.”

  “Anything else?”

  He eyed her suspiciously. “As far as marks?”

  “Anything unusual?”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “Ryan had some strange markings on him. An hourglass.”

  “Haven’t seen anything like that.”

  Lilly leaned against the wall and pointed to Conner. “Their presentations are so similar. What is affecting one is probably a clue as to what is affecting the other.”

  “A drug addict and an upstanding police officer?”

  “They live in the same vicinity,” Lilly offered.

  “Yes, but totally different circles. Do you know if this patient has any family?”

  “I know who his brother is . . . Lee Watson. He and Nathan are—were working together. He was with Ryan when he became ill.”

  “What you should do is have a talk with the brother after we fill him in on Conner’s condition. See if he has any suspicions about Ryan not being on the up and up. Maybe he was earning a little extra cash on the side. Someone from the upper echelon possibly didn’t like what the two of them were doing. Decided to take both of them out.”

  Lilly shook her head. “That’s quite a theory.”

  “Isn’t life stranger than fiction?”

  That was one thing Lilly knew to be true.

  Chapter 30

  LEE STOOD WITH LILLY outside the door of his brother’s room in the ICU at Blue Ridge. Nathan was inside with a member of the CSI team collecting Conner’s prints to compare with the weapon found at the Freeman murder scene. Conner’s face was a bloodless land of slackened muscle. His lips were parted by a large plastic tube connected to a breathing machine. A man in ceil blue scrubs adjusted the dial. Conner’s chest rose and fell at the steady beat of the machine’s desire. Lilly laid a soft hand on his shoulder.

  The anxiety that tore at his soul was unbearable. Where was Keelyn? He’d called her several times on the two-hour drive back to the city. Either she wouldn’t answer or she couldn’t answer.

  He didn’t know which he dreaded more.

  “What wrong with him?” Lee asked.

  Lilly dropped her hand. “We’re not sure yet.”

  “Why’s he on the ventilator?”

  “He started to seize in the ER. After they loaded him with drugs to stop the seizure, he stopped breathing.”

  “What caused the seizure?”

  “He had a lot of illegal substances on his drug screen. They’re not sure if it’s that mixture or some sort of toxin.”

  Nathan neared the bedside. He’d instructed Lee to stay in the hall until they were done collecting Conner’s fingerprints.

  Lilly cleared her throat. “Keelyn was following Drew when he found Conner. She knows Conner’s the one who approached her in the diner. She knows he’s Lucent.”

  “I’m sure Nathan told you he suspected that.”

  She didn’t disagree.

  “Were you here when he came in?” Lee asked.

  Lilly nodded. “Shortly after.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  “Screaming mostly. A nurse found a note in his pocket when they were looking for identification.”

  “From?”

  “Someone named Ariana.”

  Lee unbuttoned his collar and closed his eyes. Icy dread zinged along his nerves.

  “Do you know this name?” Lilly asked.

  “What did the note say?”

  “That she wasn’t done. Everyone needed to die who knew her by that name.”

  Lee pressed his thumb and forefinger across his cheeks and down his jaw line. “It’s a message to me. Anything else?”

  “Do you recognize the name, Lee?”

  Nathan exited the room. To Lilly, “I’ve got to go.”

  “What’s up?” Lilly asked.

  He eyed Lee. “I got a call from Derrick Vanhise.”

  “Who’s he?” Lee asked.

  “The psychiatric consultant I hired to look through all the mental health files for Raven.”

  “And?”

  Nathan shrugged. “He wouldn’t specify over the phone. All he says is there’re big issues he’s uncovered with her treatment.”

  Lee’s phone vibrated.

  The lab. He touched the screen to answer. His breath heavy in his chest, his head light.

  “Lee?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know something I don’t know?”

  “Probably.”

  “The DNA from the syringe cap. It’s a match.”

  He remained silent.

  “There’s one more thing.”

  “Still here.”

  “The substance inside one syri
nge was spider venom. Another syringe held Benadryl.”

  What should he say with Nathan and Lilly staring at him? Should he tell Nathan everything?

  The voice in his ear filled the void. “Do you want me to notify anyone of these findings?”

  “I’ll get back to you.” Lee disconnected the call. “Lilly, what does Benadryl do if given IV?”

  “We give it that route for a lot of different reasons.”

  “Could it knock someone out?”

  “It does have a side effect of drowsiness. Most patients fall asleep after an IV dose, particularly if given quickly.”

  Lee turned to Nathan. “I’m going with you.”

  Nathan surprisingly acquiesced. “Okay, but you’re looking into the situation with the officers who have fallen ill in the last six months connected to the Samuals hostage situation. I’m on Freeman’s death. Understand?”

  “Fine. Whatever it takes.”

  “On one condition. You let me in on the phone call.”

  Lee pressed his lips. “I searched Ryan Zurcher’s home on a hunch.”

  “And?”

  Okay, he’d let him know partially.

  “Found a plastic bag with some IV supplies in it. There was DNA on the syringe cap.”

  “Who did you test it against?”

  “It was a match to the sample we presumed to be Raven’s from the search of her house.”

  “Who’s Ariana?” Lilly pressed.

  Nathan looked knowingly at Lee. Was it his way to force him to start speaking the truth? Lee forced himself to look Lilly in the eyes.

  “Ariana is Raven’s legal name.”

  Chapter 31

  KEELYN SAT ON HER LOVESEAT after she settled Sophia into bed. She picked up the mug of steaming tea, drinking the hot liquid and not caring that the first few sips deadened the end of her tongue. The lick of the gas flames fueled her rising anger. She kicked her crossed leg furiously and watched as the liquid sloshed over the side of the cup and circles of fluid dotted her black pants. The wind howled at her window and shook the panes against the wood.

  Her mind was a jumbled mess of incoherent thinking.

  One thing she detested was secrecy. A relationship could only be built on trust. At the very least, Lee had lied to her. He’d suspected Conner was the elusive Lucent. Hired Drew to find him.