Chapter Seven
The investor event was everything Bryn had expected and dreaded—sterile corridors, forced smiles, and enough corporate doublespeak to drown in.
Giles moved through it all with practiced ease, all crisp confidence and strategic handshakes.
After an insomnia-curing presentation, they were now on a tour in small groups.
Bryn trailed behind Giles, notebook in hand, playing the dutiful assistant while surreptitiously watching clinic staff.
He was hating every second and hoped it didn’t show on his face.
“And here’s our advanced neurological mapping department,” Dr. Elise Howard, the company’s medical director, announced, gesturing to a lab filled with equipment that to Bryn, looked like it belonged on a space station.
“Fascinating,” Giles responded, seeming impressed. “Bryan, make a note to schedule a follow-up discussion with Dr. Howard’s team. This is an area of specific interest for me.”
“Of course, Mr. Delacourt,” Bryn replied.
He dodged contact with an older businessman, hyper aware that he wasn’t wearing his gloves.
He was still fragile from taking Giles’ second purple capsule and didn’t want to exhaust himself further with accidental readings.
That damned pill may have gotten me past the scanners but I’m never taking one of them again.
Not even if Warden offers me an entire weekend off.
Dr. Howard was fawning over Giles. “We’re excited about the therapeutic applications. Our early trials show remarkable promise.”
When she turned to offer her hand to Bryn, he hesitated for a fraction of a second before accepting it.
The moment their skin made contact, glimpses of her future intent flashed into his mind.
Changing access codes. Altering data on a spreadsheet.
Fear and greed. Bryn maintained his neutral expression through sheer force of will as Dr. Howard released his hand and turned back to Giles.
He clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palm. The slight pain helped.
“Mr. Delacourt, if you’ll follow me, our CFO is eager to discuss the projected returns,” Howard said, leading them back toward the conference room wing.
Bryn gave Giles a brief nod to let him know he’d managed a read.
“I hope your notes are thorough, Bryan.”
“Yes, Mr. Delacourt.” I hope your hair falls out and you develop a severe gastrointestinal issue in a crowded elevator. Bryn gave him a fake deferential smile. Giles smiled right back, his eyes knowing. Why does he also seem to know what I’m thinking?
Back in a meeting room, the CFO, Harrison Fuller, silver-haired with a predator’s eyes, rose to greet them. “Mr. Delacourt, delighted you could join us today,” Fuller said. “Your reputation precedes you.”
Bryn fought down a snigger. I’ll bet it does.
But then Fuller clasped his hand, almost taking him by surprise.
Bryn zeroed in on intent and saw him shredding documents then putting a flashy Rolex around his wrist. He had an important meeting coming up and he was picturing Salvatore Russo.
Fuck, he’s going to meet with The Hammer.
Bryn released the handshake as soon as propriety allowed.
A small mallet began banging the inside of his skull and he was glad that his presence was immediately ignored.
Fuller’s attention was all on Giles and Bryn was happy to be invisible.
“Coffee, ladies and gentlemen?” offered a young server who had been circling the room and the small clusters of people gathering after their tours.
“Black for Mr. Delacourt,” Bryn responded.
“Nothing for me, thank you.” He didn’t need caffeine exacerbating his growing headache.
He wasn’t one of the fortunate people that caffeine helped.
He took the offered cup then handed it to Giles.
As the conversation progressed into financial projections, Bryn made a show of taking detailed notes while documenting which executives seemed least comfortable and who avoided eye contact.
A staffer approached to distribute presentation folders and when she handed Bryn a copy, their fingers brushed.
Packing suitcases. Planning a trip. Leaving after dark. She’s scared.
Bryn blinked, clearing his vision. When he glanced at her, the staffer was watching him with an odd expression but she soon moved away.
Giles had his coffee so Bryn went to fetch himself a glass of water from a carafe on a side table.
He reached for the bottle at the same time as a huge man in a dark suit and tie. He had an earpiece in one ear.
“Sorry,” Bryn murmured as their hands collided. It was a brief contact but what he saw spooked him more than anything else he’d seen so far. He jerked back, splashing water onto the carpet.
“Careful there,” the man said. “Ty Brunt, head of security.”
“Hi and uh, my apologies,” Bryn replied. “My fault. I’m so clumsy.”
“Not a problem, it’s only water.” Brunt’s tone implied any further misadventures would be rewarded by a life-limiting experience. He radiated hostility and barely contained violence.
Bryn caught Giles’ eye and returned to his side.
Brunt was watching him and he felt like a bug under a microscope.
“Sir, could you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the restroom.” Giles gave him a dismissive nod and Bryn left the room for the reception area where the staffer with the folders was hovering.
Bryn gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
“Tough crowd, huh?”
“Uh, yeah… You’re not really Delacourt’s assistant, are you?” she asked, her voice low.
“I’ve been with Mr. Delacourt for almost four years now.” Stretching the truth but not really a lie.
“Then why did you look at the quarterly report upside down for ten minutes without noticing?” she challenged. “And why do you keep searching everyone’s faces like you’re memorizing them?”
“Miss, I’m not sure…”
“They’re planning something terrible,” she interrupted, whispering.
“In the sub-basement labs here and at other sites. Gene-affected test subjects who haven’t signed proper consent forms. Drugs that don’t have government clearance.
Falsified data.” She glanced around. “I’ve been gathering evidence, but they’re watching me. ”
Bryn made a split-second decision. If she made me, who else did? “If you have something to show me, now would be the time.”
“I’m Mira.” She pulled a USB from her pocket. “Tell me I’m not wrong about you.”
“You’re not. I thought I was doing a better job of staying under the radar.” Bryn took the drive.
“On there are two sets of clinical trial results. The real ones show severe neurological side effects in sixty percent of participants. The published ones that they’re planning to submit show only three percent.
There’s also a list on there of drug manufacturing sites. Uncontrolled, unlicensed ones.”
“You’re taking a huge risk giving me this.”
“You’re taking a huge risk too. People are dying,” Mira said. “My brother is lupine. I don’t want him to be next.”
“I need to get back,” Bryn said. “I’ve been gone too long. You’re planning to run. Do it.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “How did you…”
“Call in sick tomorrow and don’t come back.”
She gave a brief nod. “Where can I find you?”
“The GCR.” Telling her was a calculated risk but Bryn wanted to give her a lifeline.
She might need it. “Now point me at the bathroom because I think we’re being watched.
” He was aware that Ty Brunt was looming in the conference room doorway but didn’t think he’d arrived there early enough to see Mira pass him the USB.
He waited to make sure no one followed her as she walked away then spent a few minutes in the men’s room before returning to Giles’ side in the conference room.
He caught Brunt watching him and avoided eye contact.
Being the subject of that man’s attention is not comfortable.
We need to get out of here. How can I get Giles to stop talking?
He leaned in close to Giles, his voice a low murmur, “We need to go. Now.”
Giles wound up his conversation as if nothing had happened. “Quite fascinating projections,” he said to Harrison Fuller. “I’ll be in touch but for now, I have another engagement to get to. Bryan, is the car waiting?”
“Yes, Mr. Delacourt.” Bryn noticed Ty Brunt move to position himself closer to the conference room’s exit.
As they moved toward the door, Bryn tried to keep his posture relaxed, notebook tucked under his arm.
The USB drive was deep in his inner jacket pocket but to him it was broadcasting a tornado warning.
“Mr. Delacourt,” Fuller called out as they reached the threshold. “A moment?”
Giles turned, his smile perfect. “Of course.”
By the time Fuller released them, after some irrelevant, suck-up pleasantries, Bryn was sweating.
“Keep walking,” Giles murmured.
Three more steps. The sunlight beyond the lobby doors was blinding after the conference room’s subtle lighting.
Bryn blinked despite his dark glasses. Outside the clinic, several expensive cars were lined up.
Gunnar was leaning against their ride, his eyes locked on the clinic’s entrance.
His jacket was open, his holster visible.
Bryn caught his gaze. A slight nod. Nothing more.
They were feet from the car when Bryn heard a radio crackle behind them.
He glanced back to see Ty Brunt speaking into a walkie talkie and had to resist the urge to run to Gunnar.
Gunnar opened the rear passenger door of the car like a professional chauffeur. Bryn slid across the seat and Giles followed, pulling the door shut. Gunnar got behind the wheel.
“Drive,” Giles ordered.
Gunnar shot him a look in the rear view but didn’t ask questions. He pulled away and merged into traffic without hesitation. “I’m guessing you got something,” he said.
“Several reads from different people, and this.” Bryn pulled out the USB drive.