Chapter 4
JUSTIN
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At the light change, I kick my motorcycle into gear and surge forward.
Weaving in and out of early morning traffic, I head toward the mall where I’m meeting Kane.
He requested the meeting last week. Despite my still-queasy stomach, I’m feeling the thrill of anticipation. Finally, he has a job for me.
Although Kane often holds my age against me, I figure I’ve put in my time.
From the age of ten, I was taught to glue the security locks of research facilities, dismantle the billboards of fast-food outlets, and creatively etch furriers’ windows.
But no more small-time stuff. I’m ready to enter the sanctum of serious, direct action.
I park the bike and make my way toward the juice bar, spotting Kane seated at a remote corner table. He’s not alone. A woman sporting a tight ballet bun sits opposite him. I have great admiration for ballet dancers and their...flexibility.
I place an order for a wheatgrass shooter and pull out a chair next to Kane. The sight of him momentarily distracts my attention away from Dancer Lady. “I like the beard,” I say, grinning at the spread of dark growth covering Kane’s jaw.
“You’re late,” Kane replies, dropping the hand that’s testily scratching his beard.
I peel off my jacket and hang my helmet on the back of the chair. “Traffic.”
Kane’s brows pull down, but he doesn’t take the bait. Picking up his half-drunk smoothie, he gestures to Dancer Lady sitting opposite us. “Justin, this is Heather. Heather Walker. The two of you will be working together.”
Pleasure blooms inside my chest. Kane’s secured me an assistant. It’s about time.
Kane formed Animal Freedom Defenders, an animal rights activist group modeled on the Animal Liberation Front, five years ago. Like the ALF, AFD has no formal structure and no centralized headquarters.
I joined AFD roughly two years ago. Wondering what triggered Heather to sign up, I glance over at my assistant.
Disappointment pricks me on closer inspection.
Her black-rimmed glasses overwhelm her deep brown eyes and the hairstyle that seemed so balletically elegant from the back now looks.
..bookish. In fact, everything about her screams uptight librarian.
Trust Kane to hire someone solely for her brain. With this one, the only traits I can find to admire are her creamy skin and lovely smile. A smile that’s directed at Kane and that disappears the moment she looks my way.
“Pleased to meet you,” Heather says politely.
“Likewise,” I reply, matching her tone, while calculating how soon I can replace her.
“Kane mentioned you were ill yesterday,” she says, clasping a cup of what smells like ginger tea in her hands.
“Puking my guts out,” I confirm.
“I believe there’s a nasty gastric bug going around.”
“Yep. Visited me Saturday afternoon.” Wearing a strapless dress and no name, but the kiss sure was worth it.
“How are you feeling now?”
Judging by the frown on her face, I translate her question to, are you sure you should be here?
Before I can answer, the waiter arrives with my shooter and I knock it back, along with my reply. Turning to Kane, deliberately excluding her, I ask, “How’d it go yesterday?”
Leaning back in his chair, watching the exchange, Kane gives me a slight shake of his head, and I know not to pursue that line of inquiry, that Dancer Lady turned Dragon Librarian knows nothing of the kidnapping. Not that I was privy to all the details. I was given a stakeout role, but that was it.
I spent most of yesterday alone, my roommates deserting me at the sound of my first heave.
Even with my head hanging over the toilet, I wondered how the kidnapping played out.
If this operation involving Hutchinson’s daughter succeeds, it will be AFD’s greatest coup.
Unless I can pull off something bigger with the job Kane has in mind.
“What’s my assignment?” I ask Kane, keeping my voice low.
Kane shifts forward in his chair. “We’re going undercover at a product-testing lab.”
A spike of adrenaline courses through my veins. “SolomiChem?”
Kane nods.
SolomiChem Laboratories is a contract research organization that conducts toxicity tests on behalf of the agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.
From general research, I know that every year this secretive facility experiments on thousands of animals.
Animal rights organizations have campaigned for years to shut the place down.
Failing that, they lobbied the government, as well as SolomiChem board members, to replace animal experimentation with alternative testing procedures.
That attempt also fell flat. In the end, they simply demanded transparency in SolomiChem’s laboratory dealings, but the company wouldn’t even concede to that demand.
For a while now, AFD has been attempting to get someone inside SolomiChem to expose what they suspect is going on in there. Now that someone will be me.
“When do I go undercover?” I ask Kane.
He frowns. “You’re not going undercover.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Heather has applied for a job as an assistant animal technician at SolomiChem. Her application was accepted.”
“What!” The word explodes from my lips. “She’s as green as the lasagna strips I was hacking up yesterday.”
“I’m not as green as you think I am,” Heather retorts. “I’m going into my second year of study for a diploma in veterinary nursing. I volunteer at an animal shelter, which means I’ve had a fair amount of experience working with animals.”
I cock an eyebrow at her. “You think one year at college qualifies you for this kind of work?”
“One year is better than none,” she says pointedly.
A sneer twists my lips. From the moment I sat down, you had me tagged. The motorcycle helmet, the too long hair, and tight T-shirt all point to Loser Troublemaker in your mind. And I haven’t even shown you my tattoo.
“I’ve been to college too,” I say, pinning her with my eyes. “I’ve poured paint stripper over vehicles that transport animals to university research labs. Tell me, does that count?”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Kane orders, shooting me an irritated look.
“I won’t do anything illegal,” Heather informs Kane. “I was very clear about that.”
“You won’t be breaking the law,” he reassures her. “All you’re required to do is keep a diary and, whenever you can, take pictures and video footage of what you see. Exactly as I explained to you.”
Taking in Heather’s worried expression, I stretch back in my chair and fold my arms with satisfaction.
Yep, had you pegged as well. All I need do is add up that tightly buttoned shirt and that dishwater brown hair trapped in its rigid bun and I get the teacher’s pet.
Daddy’s little girl. All-round do-gooder.
“Why her?” I question Kane. “Why can’t I go in?”
“Justin, you know that most job applicants to research labs have to undergo security screening. You wouldn’t pass.”
“I’ll use a fake ID.”
“And you know the cops film protests so they can identify who’s active. Guess whose face is most likely to feature on their footage?”
“Aahh, c’mon!”
“I don’t believe you’re ready for this kind of assignment.”
My body stiffens with the insult. “Not ready!”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been involved in animal rights since I started walking.”
“Which is why you take it for granted.” Kane ticks off the points on his fingers. “You’re too angry, you’re not punctual, and you failed us yesterday. You’re too immature.”
“I’m nineteen,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’m at my peak.”
“What peak is that? The immaturity one or the one marked for hotheads? Because you’re climbing both right now.”
I press my hands flat on the table. Better there than bunched up in Kane’s face. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. The man I admire more than anyone is sounding exactly like the father I hate.
When Kane speaks again, his voice is gentle, as if he’s picked up on the shattered sensation I’m trying to shrug off. “When you prove to me you’re ready, I’ll gladly hand over to you the assignments you want.”
“What do I have to do to prove I’m ready?” I ask bitterly. “Abolish factory farming?”
“It’s not what you do, it’s what’s going on in here.” Kane taps the side of his head.
I jerk a thumb in Heather’s direction. “What about Little Miss Innocent over here? She’s what, sixteen, seventeen—”
“Nineteen!” Heather interjects, looking annoyed.
“And you think she won’t crack under the strain of what she’ll see in there?”
“I’ve prepped her,” Kane says.
But I sense doubt, glimpsing a look of...what? Guilt maybe...wavering across Kane’s normally inscrutable face and I zero in on that hesitancy. “You’ve got one shot at this and you’re wasting it on her.”
Kane rubs the back of his neck in an aggravated motion. “Justin, even if I managed to get you in, you’d no doubt end up punching some of the scientists and trying to free as many animals as you can. Which won’t serve our purpose.”
I open my mouth to argue but shut it as soon as I realize Kane has a point.
Kane sighs. “Even if I want to change things, it’s too late. Heather’s in. And the reason she got in is because her background’s clean.” He looks at me, as if willing me to understand. “I know it’s not perfect, but she’s our best bet.”
I sit back in my chair. After a moment, I give a curt nod. “Okay. Whatever.” It grates me, but I’m learning to bide my time. “When does she start?”
“Wednesday.”
“So soon?”
“SolomiChem are short-staffed so the sooner she starts the better.” Kane turns to Heather. “Heather, you’ll be reporting to Justin every day for debriefing.”
Up until now, Heather was silent while we argued over her capabilities. Kane’s statement, however, causes her to look at him and burst out, “I thought I was reporting to you.”
“I’m afraid I’m working on something else. Something equally important.”
“I’d rather report to you,” she insists.
“It’s not possible. Not right now. Justin can handle his part in this.”
“But—”
I stretch lazily across the table and grasp her hand. “Now, Heather, I realize we have some personal differences”—like inhabiting two different planets—“but for the sake of the animals I’m sure you can put them aside.”
Despite the fact that this is nothing more than a glorified babysitting job, I have the grim pleasure of seeing alarm streak across her face as she snatches her hand out of my grasp. I make no effort to hide my grin. Maybe I’ll enjoy this assignment after all.