Chapter Four #2
“I’ll get Mina on that so the guys can get back and forth from here to town without taking the two we have.
” Cal reached into his pocket and pulled out a small button.
“This is a panic button.” He pushed it toward her.
“We all wear one. Put it somewhere that’s easy to activate but won’t be accidentally pressed.
It’s waterproof, so wear it at all times.
If you ever get in a situation where you need immediate assistance, press it.
It’s a GPS locator, so it’s silent but tells us where you are. ”
“Got it,” she said, swiping the button off the table and tucking it in her pocket.
“Are there sleeping accommodations here in the facility?” Cal asked, addressing her again.
“Not many,” she said with a shake of her head. “I have a small apartment where Iris can rest, but there isn’t room for multiple people.”
“What about the storage room off the loading dock?” Declan asked. “It’s nearly empty, so there’s room for several cots, which is all we’ll need if we’re running shifts.”
“That would work,” Bec agreed. “There’s a bathroom and a decontamination shower just outside of that room as well. “There’s a small break room with a microwave and fridge on that floor. There isn’t much to cook with, though.”
Cal chuckled. “We’re all used to MREs when in the field.
Food is the least of our worries.” He pointed at Declan and Zac.
“Head out and get those exits secured. We can’t risk the kidnappers returning when we aren’t prepared.
Once I know who will be coming in to help you cover, I’ll radio in.
We’ll bring the needed supplies for bedding down along with extra food. ”
“You got it, boss,” Declan said. “Safe travels. Danger, out.”
“Zulu, out.” Zac saluted his boss and followed Declan, leaving just the three of them.
“Danger?” Bec asked.
Cal bit back a smile. “His call sign in the service. Let me reiterate that when I say don’t call the police, I only mean if you can avoid it.” He glanced between them. “If one of my men is hurt, the place goes up in flames or one of you is in trouble, then you call the police.”
“Understood, boss,” Iris said. “Not that it would matter. The police are so far away that by the time they arrived, we’d be dead anyway.” Bec gasped, immediately noticing Iris’s grimace. “Sorry. I should stop talking.”
Bec shook her head as her shoulders slumped forward. “Iris, you didn’t say anything that isn’t true. It just took me by surprise when you pointed it out.”
Bec felt terrible that she’d upset Iris and made her feel she had to stop talking.
That was the very last thing she wanted.
The woman was captivating in her beauty, knowledge and matter-of-fact way of seeing life.
She could appreciate someone who wasn’t afraid to say it like it was, whether by choice or not.
Life was short, and trying to dance around important subjects was never an effective way to communicate.
However, what surprised her most about Iris was how quickly she calmed her with just one touch.
A warm hand on her shoulder or brush of her fingers across hers, and Bec’s heart rate slowed.
While she didn’t interact with anyone much, that wasn’t the reason she was comforted by the woman’s touch.
Iris Knowles was intriguing. In any other scenario, she’d ask her out for dinner and drinks, but they were in a fight for their lives, so the last thing she could do was distract her from her job.
“We have a built-in system for fire suppression,” Bec said to cover her momentary lapse into silence. “She’s right about the police. Sinlis Park only has one full-time officer and one part-time, so the closest force that could help is over thirty minutes from here.”
“Which is why I’ll be setting up a command post in Sinlis Park,” Cal said.
“It keeps us within a few miles of the facility, allowing us to monitor everything closely. To do that, I need to get back to Secure Inc. Since the kidnapping occurred only a few hours ago, I’m confident that you’re safe here with Declan and Zac.
If you need anything, you know the protocols,” he said to Iris, who nodded.
“Get after it then,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Charlie, out.”
He spun on his bootheel and strode from the room, leaving the two women facing each other. “That was a lot,” Bec said as Iris ducked her head to stare at the table. “Do you need a breather?”
“I’m okay. I’d rather get started if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s absolutely fine,” Bec said, motioning her forward. “Where would you like to set up your machines? Let’s avoid Dr. Hoerman’s office for now. If we have to call the police, they’ll want it untouched.”
“I’d like to be wherever you are,” Iris said, and Bec glanced behind her to catch Iris’s eye for a second. “I get nervous in new environments and don’t like to be alone until I know where everything is and—”
Bec turned and took her hands. “You’re safe here with me, Iris. Please, don’t feel you have to justify anything to me, okay? Just know you’re safe, and I’m here to help you, whether you need coffee or have a question about the system.”
Iris smiled and held her gaze momentarily, which she took as a solid win in her column. “Thank you, Bec. I appreciate that you don’t think I’m weird like most people do. Well, not the people I work with, but everyone else.”
“Sweetheart, it upsets me to know others make you feel that way. We’re all different, but wouldn’t this world be boring if we weren’t?
Now, we could pull one of the empty tables over to sit next to my desk.
That way, as you work, you will also have easy access to my computer. Does that work for you?”
“That would be a good idea,” Iris agreed, staring at the floor again. “I’ll call Declan to come move the table. My foot drop makes it hard to push things around.”
“I got this,” Bec said with a wink. “I can do the heavy lifting with this since you’ll do the heavy lifting that matters.”
Forcing herself to turn away from the woman who had charmed her so quickly, she prayed Iris had the skills to fix this mess before mankind suffered unimaginable pain and loss.
She was betting on the quiet, unassuming woman who thought she didn’t matter to prove just the opposite was true.
Bec vowed to make sure Iris understood her worth, or she’d quite literally die trying.