Page 17 of Resolution
Dr. Sharpton requested to meet with her right at closing. She and Tamsyn had been about to leave but the doctor was adamant he had to talk to her now so she sent Tamsyn on her way and followed him to his office. As they walked, she heard movement in one of the exam rooms. The doors were all closed, which was unusual for this time of day but it wasn’t important enough to make a fuss over. If there was someone waiting for Dr. Sharpton it wasn’t her problem.
“Have a seat,” he invited with rare cordiality as he allowed her to precede him into the office. When he closed the door and crossed to his desk, Melly forced herself to take a deep breath and try to relax. Being in the empty medical building and in his office made her unaccountably tense. She wished she’d asked Tamsyn to wait for her.
Playing with the data cube he’d been so happy about in the morning, Dr. Sharpton gave her a smile. “You’ve done good work here, Dr. Jericho. Very fortunate for me you arrived when you did.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now you’ve been given a rare opportunity to make an even greater contribution,” he said.
“I’m sorry?” Confused, she sat on the edge of her chair and tried to figure out where this was going.
“You’ve been requested by the research facility.” He spun the data cube on its point and the play of colors was mesmerizing.
“The one up north?” Thinking this might be the opportunity Jeff was looking for to learn more about the place, she slid back into the chair and put on an air of being intrigued “What would I be doing?”
“Oh, you’ll be involved in key research I’m sure. Integral to the success.” He shot her a glance and all her instincts went on the alert. Biting his lip as if to keep from laughing, he was full of repressed glee over a private joke.
“All a bit vague,” she said to buy time unnerved by the way the man was acting. “I’d need more details and of course I’ll have to talk to my husband about us relocating.”
“He wasn’t requested. Yet. Just you.”
“Flattering but obviously I’m not going anywhere without Jeff.” She rose. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight and perhaps we can meet with you together tomorrow to discuss the offer.”
“Sit down, Dr. Jericho. You mistake me—this isn’t an offer. It’s a demand, a command performance in effect and you will be going. Tonight.” His voice was flat, ugly. “Special transport has been arranged. They want to get their hands on you right away.”
Melly retreated, stumbling into the chair and quickly circling it, moving toward the door. “I’m leaving now.”
The door opened, causing her to gasp and retreat. Captain Briskinn came in and she saw several men in the hallway behind him. If Melly had had any hopes about getting help from him, they were quashed as he raised a stunner and shot her at pointblank range.
Jeff—!
In her mind it was a scream but as she fell to the floor, Briskinn catching her at the last second, Melly was afraid she hadn’t managed to transmit over the subaural com. Her mind was fuzzy from the stun blast and she had no control over her body. Dr. Sharpton left the desk as Briskinn deposited her in the chair, her limbs flopping uselessly and he had a medinject in his hand.
“This will ensure she’s out for the duration of the trip. Fewer problems that way,” he said as he pressed the tip to her arm. “I don’t think the researchers want her stunned more than necessary but they have approved the use of this drug.”
Warmth flooded her body and Melly could feel herself drifting away. Her terror and desperation were still there in her mind but she was spiraling into a black hole and there was nothing she could do to save herself from whatever these people had in mind. Her last conscious thought was of Jeff and the conviction he’d find her and save her somehow. He loved her.
Chapter Seven
Jeff’s day had been long and frustrating in various ways. Two small bands of refugees had arrived, which required his team to do battle with the infected to get the newcomers safely into the arrival space. The next phase of intake made him grit his teeth, as the battered and weary refugees were welcomed, tested and sent on their various paths to an assigned dormitory. Knowing what he did about Glastine now, plus what he strongly suspected. It was hard for Jeff to participate in luring new people into the place. He had to play his part until he and the two women were able to escape, however, and once the refugees were inside the perimeter it was already too late. Any warning he might give would be useless.
One man refused the blood test and demanded to leave so he was shoved out the gate with no further discussion or help and his weapons weren’t returned to him. Jeff and his squad provided covering fire as the man ran desperately toward the tree line but at the last second he stumbled and fell and the infected were upon him.
By the end of the day the only thing Jeff wanted was a shower to wash the grit of Glastine off his body and soul, dinner and Melly, not in that order. He was surprised to find the apartment empty as he was running late, but supposed his wife was probably still at the clinic, doing her charting or taking care of last minute patients. He took his shower in the communal showers on their floor of the apartment building and walked into their place toweling his hair and refreshed only to find Melly still not home. He tried to reach out to her via the subaural com but hit a blank wall, his signal not going through.
Hey, Tamsyn, he made his next attempt. Are the two of you at the clinic?
Her reply came through loud and clear. Gosh, no. I left right at closing time but Dr. Sharpton wanted to talk to Melly about something. I clearly wasn’t invited, doctors only, so Melly told me to go on without her. That was a couple of hours ago. She isn’t home yet?
No. I’ll head over to the clinic myself and see what’s going on. Thanks.
Jeff got dressed in a rush and left the building in a sprint. Unease ate at him and he hurried through the camp to the medical facility, only to find it dark and locked tight. There was no response when he pounded on the door and after a few minutes of this he stepped back to check the situation. No one was in sight so he used his Special Forces override code and unlocked the portal, stepping inside and easing the door closed behind him. He made his way through the dimly lit halls but couldn’t find any room labelled as his wife’s office.
Retreating to Dr. Sharpton’s office, he gained entry with his code and made a fast search of the desk and cabinets but found nothing helpful.
Slamming the door in frustration, he made his way to the rear entrance and ducked outside. Carefully he checked the front of the building and found a team of the camp’s guards deployed there, waiting for him, he guessed. Must have triggered an alarm. Taking evasive action Jeff retreated deeper into the shadows and worked his way around the waiting men. Once he was clear, he took off for the admin building at a jog and proceeded straight to General Quantike’s office. When he took out the two guards at the door and then pushed past the startled aide to gain entry to the inner office, Jeff found Quantike with Briskinn.
“Where is my wife?” he demanded, holding the two officers at bay with his blaster.
