Page 3 of Cold Silence
Claire Reed’s dream had been stolen. Right here, in the dark of night in her home away from home. She glanced at the sign on the exterior of the tall building. Bold black letters mounted on stucco painted a cheery yellow read:Army Research Institute.
Her sanctuary. Until yesterday morning when she’d discovered the theft.
She settled her foot on a concrete planter filled with swaying grasses and gently stretched her tight leg muscles. Music pelted from the outdoor speaker, a pop song referencing shades of winter.
Winter, right. Not in this eighty-degree temperature even at seven a.m.
She switched legs and put her weight into the stretch until stiff muscles eased, and she was ready to run. She pounded down the sidewalk, heat reflecting up at her.
Four-foot-tall sandhill cranes strutted across the road. She usually enjoyed the birds’ antics on her daily run through the campus. Not today. Today she needed to eliminate her frustration with the Army’s response to last night’s theft.
“Sit tight,” they’d said. “Don’t tell anyone about it, and we’ll get someone in place to help as soon as possible.”
Sit tight, my eye.Not when someone had stolen the software and one of her prototypes, putting six years of work in jeopardy.
Typical military response. Usually she was grateful to have such a prestigious job at thirty-one, and she loved working with this dedicated group of men and women. But today reminded her of the hassles of partnering with the military. The brass rarely told her what she needed to know until they believed she needed to know it. Aggravating to say the least.
Forget about it. Move on.
She tried to empty her mind. Reframe her thinking. Move into a better frame of mind to lead her team. She increased her pace beyond her normal routine and plunged into a secluded parking area with taller trees blocking the sun.
Good. The darkness matched her mood and her disappointment.
How many man-hours had she put into the helmet-mounted display and software to provide a fully immersive virtual training system? A system that simulated a variety of environments facing foot soldiers. Mountains, trees, deserts, jungles. Most everything they would face. All with the hope of saving lives with realistic training that was now endangered if the Army didn’t act fast and recover the prototype.
Her project killed before it even had a chance to live.
Angry, she rounded a corner and pushed herself until she neared the end of the loop and her lungs screamed for oxygen. She would soon complete the loop and be back at the institute.
Then what? Her thoughts were still a jumbled mess. She couldn’t face her staff this unsettled. They would ask questions, and she had to hide the theft for now.
She ran in place. Breathed deeply of the thick, steamy air. Stared over a small pond.
A hand came out of nowhere and clamped over her mouth. An arm snaked around her chest, pulling her back against a solid wall of muscle. Winded, she barely had the strength to breathe, let alone fight, but instincts kicked in. She jabbed an elbow to the man’s gut.
No response. Nothing. He didn’t even grunt.
She stomped on his foot and elbowed him again.
He tightened his grip, clamping her arm against her body and dragging her backward. She dug her heels in the thick St. Augustine grass trying to gain purchase and slow their progress.
No change.
Her heart thumped an irregular beat as panic skittered over her spine.
The man increased his speed, moving quickly down the slope toward the pond.
Alligators.No, no, no!Not this.
He drew her closer to the water. Step after step. The sour, organic smell alerted her to the pond’s nearness. Movement on the pond. In the distance. The telltale bony armored plates of a gator’s back so common in Florida. The creature glided through the water. Sending out ripples over the surface. His elongated head a forewarning of what was to come.
Oh, God, no! Please, no!
Fear twisted her stomach.
How could she have let this happen? Especially now?
She’d screwed up. Let her thoughts of the theft distract her. The colonel had warned her that the thief could be coming after her. The very reason she ran on campus with added security instead of at home this morning. But she’d relaxed. Trusted in security and failed to follow basic Self-defense 101. Prevention.
