Page 110 of Sucker For You

A drain?

What if the bait balls he’d identified dissipating near BioPulse’s buildings on the beach weren’t really bait balls at all? Instead, could the turbulence he’d seen be the corporation pumping and dumping organic waste—dead fish, executed research subjects, offal—out into the bay?

Fuckers!

But he had to focus. Isabel was still in the lab with Brianne, was still speaking.

Breathe. Watch.

Click,click.

Listen.

“—that octopus, whose escape and welfare weren’t concerning to you?” Lightning flashed beneath her eyelashes. Her raised fingers clenched into a fist. “You should’ve worried. I found her in the ocean. I’ve cared for her and observed her for nearly two weeks. I have thirteen days of data documenting exactly how BioPulse’s illegal experimental activities have affected her brain, and—”

“Nothing about BioPulse’s work has been illegal.” Isabel’s recounting had been accurate, confident—and extensive; recovered now from her surprise, Brianne’s interruption was crisp. No more slack-jawed stutters. She gripped her water bottle and took a step to the right. Isabel shadowed her, edging over the leopard sharks’ Caution tape. The operative’s lips twisted in distaste. “Well, not until that ludicrous Welfare Act passed—”

“—and not even today.” Isabel blocked her escape route a second time against the prep bench. “Though it should be.”

“What?” again.

“The Act hasn’t been signed into law yet. I lied,” she explained. No trace of repentance. “Now, open your water bottle.”

“No law—andopen my—Oh, no.” This time, Brianne regained her composure much faster. Her short, mirthless laugh vibrated through Wes’s watch. She tucked a loose strand of hair back into her claw clip. “Clever. But no, I don’t think so. Besides, even if I did and you saw something inside, who’d believe you? I ran your background check. I know who you are. I know your connections. Do you think Dr. Chase Meyer will be happy about the accusations you’re making against BioPulse?”

“I don’t care.”

“Maybe not. Your medical condition came up in your check, though. I reviewed your records with the company.” Another nasty laugh. “Migraines can cause hallucinations. You’re taking one of our experimental drugs, which can have side effects. Brain damage—”

“Then you’re aware that some of BioPulse’s drugs have cognitive impairment as a side effect? Definitely the Hydromotinzate. The company’s aware, and it’s still preparing for human clinical trials. That’s interesting,” stated very coolly.

“No.” If Isabel was cool, however, the operative was ice-cold. “It isn’t interesting. It’s nothing. You have no proof. Thatthingyou fished out of the bay will be dead in a few days—if it isn’t already—and I’ll deny everything. It’s your word against mine. Who’s going to believe you?”

“Believe me?” Isabel’s tiny smile was diamond-bright and hard. Shaking her head, she extracted her phone from her pocket. “I don’t need anyone to just believe me. Not when Idohave proof.”

Audio Recording

“You sneaky, lying bitch—”

Brianne grabbed at the device. But Isabel dodged out of the woman’s reach, fast and fearless—practised—as she stepped past the Caution striping by the shark tank. Wes’s thumb switched on his flash even faster. When he depressed his Nikon’s shutter-release button, capturing the BioPulse operative in her attempt to snatch and destroy Isabel’s evidence, he aimed his lens straight through the institute’s windows.Click. Blinding light erupted against the glass. Cursing, Brianne skidded on the concrete and fumbled her attack. She collided with the tank’s knee-high concrete barrier, disoriented as angry, prismatic sunspots exploded across her corneas.

Isabel smiled wider through the blaze. “Did I mention that there’s a marine—”

“What thefuck—”

“—photographer outside? He’s documentedeverything.”

“You—”

But: “Excuse me.” Dr. Solomon strode back into the wet lab now. Mouth creased with irritation, she wove past the quarantine biofarm and advanced on Isabel and Brianne. “Dr. Mather wasn’t on the front line. There was no call waiting for me from her, or from anyone else. So why did you—oh.”

A sharp breath. She stopped.

She saw: Isabel with her phone, the BioPulse operative with her Stanley cup.

A pause, even sharper.

Then: “No. . .no, why are you—either of you—near my tank? I didn’t give permission.”