Part 17 (1/2)
”Has she told you anything about who is hunting them?”
”No. She's stalling for some reason.”
Lydia sighed in frustration. ”Lee believes this isn't the only facility where this work is going on. We've tried to maintain secrecy, but non-disclosure clauses are only as good as the people who signed them. Someone out there's throwing a lot of money around and it's only a matter of time before we lose people. I've had offers myself from mysterious sources. No one would offer that kind of money unless they were on to something really big. There's a firm in Florida that manufactures blood products, lately there's been a lot of activity.”
”All this c.r.a.p she's telling us is worthless. Maybe if we put our two lovebirds together they'll start to sing.”
”Lovebirds are highly territorial, aggressive little monsters, Joe. I raised them as a child. They may look all cute and cuddly but put one in a cage who isn't part of their flock and they'll tear it to bits. Lee's adamant about keeping them apart until she gets here.”
”Sounds to me like it's personal.”
”We've been through this a hundred times.”
Joe scowled. ”We're playing a dangerous game here.”
”You've never been one to back down from a challenge.”
”Speaking of games, Kurt wants to play chess with me next time we meet.”
”Do it tonight! For goodness sakes Joe, he's showing receptivity. I still can't find anyone who can get past the firewalls in that computer of his. Get him anything anything he wants. We need that data.” he wants. We need that data.”
”I'm tired Lydia, give me a f.u.c.king break. I'll go see them, but right now I'm going to sleep for a couple of hours before I go to her.”
”Get those discs!”
Lydia stalked out as Joe stretched out on the sofa. Jean stuck her head in. She was dressed in street clothes. ”You almost ready?”
s.h.i.+t, he'd forgotten they were supposed to see a movie and have dinner. ”Can we do it tomorrow night? Lydia just ordered me to go in and bug Mia about some data they've promised.”
Jean's wide mouth formed a tight line. ”Last time it was something else. Forget it. I'll go myself.”
”Jean... ” But she was already out the door.
A few hours of sleep later, Joe handed Kurt's latest letter to Mia. She sat quietly, reading it as he sank into his usual chair.
”Lydia is meeting with Lee Brooks tonight and asked me to come in and talk to you, even though we're not scheduled until Friday. She's coming here in a few weeks. I'll get the chance to finally talk to her. None of us have ever seen her. Only Lydia ever speaks with her. I tried e-mail, voice mails, but she never returned my messages. It's not Lydia doing all this. It's her and I can't figure out why.”
Mia looked at him for a long time, saying nothing.
”Kurt wants to play chess with me.”
The slightest smile crossed her face. ”He'll beat the pants off of you.”
”I don't care if I win. He's interesting to talk to- when he talks.”
”I'd give anything for a walk under the stars with him.”
”You know the rules.”
Her dark gaze turned fully upon him, an attractive edge of malice lighting her up. ”I live to break rules.” She went into the bathroom to destroy the letter and flush it.
”Lydia asked for some discs.”
”Discs?”
”Don't f.u.c.k with me, Mia. You promised to deliver things you haven't.”
She just shook her head.
”So, I guess you're not going to tell me where they are?” He knew from her resolute expression she wouldn't relent. ”But you said your house was wrapped up in scientific research early on?”
”I didn't know to what extent as Ethan kept me in the dark.”
Joe sighed. ”Well, since I'm here we might as well get on with this ridiculous profile.”
”Your girlfriend looked p.i.s.sed off when she came in to remove those beastly censors from my head when I woke up.”
”I told you the subject is off limits.”
”You're not the first man with a bit on the side.”
”I'll thank you not to refer to Jean in that manner.”
”Been that bit myself.”
”Mia. We have work to do!”
”Jeeze. Don't bite my head off.”
”Just tell me about what Brovik was up to.”
”I didn't hear anything for a long time- then he sent another emissary.” Her expression grew soft. ”That second summer in Italy was the most beautiful I'd ever seen- roses covering the villa, cascading over the terrace in falls of deep crimson. Breezes off the bay cooled the air, making the heat less h.e.l.lish than the daytime hours when we slept, the perfect time for amore amore.
Ethan was inside on the phone and I on the terrace cutting roses, laying them in a large wicker basket, singing a canzone di Napoli canzone di Napoli, when a pebble hit the terrace. Ethan had schooled me to call him at the slightest disturbance in the night. I tried to ascertain where the pebble-tossing intruder was, when a boy's voice called out from the shadows, ”Mee-ya?”
One of the rats rats from the beach, I figured. Backing slowly toward the house, I a.s.sumed a fighting stance as Ethan had taught, brandis.h.i.+ng my shears as a weapon. ”Ethan is inside. I'll scream. He'll be on you like a bat out of h.e.l.l.” from the beach, I figured. Backing slowly toward the house, I a.s.sumed a fighting stance as Ethan had taught, brandis.h.i.+ng my shears as a weapon. ”Ethan is inside. I'll scream. He'll be on you like a bat out of h.e.l.l.”
A slight figure vaulted lightly onto the bal.u.s.trade. Moonlight fell on a face as delicately white as the Dresden statue Selena kept on the mantelpiece when I was a girl. Huge star sapphire eyes caught the light. I froze, thrilled and shaken by this serendipitous pleasure.
It wasn't an arrow that did it. That sort of rude a.s.sault was never his way. Eros, that diminutive G.o.d of love, roused this drowsy Psyche abruptly from her slumber with a small, sad smile.
His feet touched the pavement noiselessly as he leapt down beside me. This was no rat. His honey-colored curls were well tended and he was dressed in a fine, blue s.h.i.+rt, open at the neck with spotless buff trousers. He was also somewhat older in mortal years, small, but fully-grown. No, this celestial apparition wasn't cast-off, but someone's beloved possession.
”I had to see you just once,” he whispered. ”I'll go round front- no trouble.”
He was everything Philip had said, and then some. I gasped, ”Kurt?”
He nodded solemnly. ”A message for Ethan. Brovik doesn't trust the telephone.”
Questions flooded my brain faster than this silent creature could have possibly answered them. ”Where is he? Is he coming?”