Extrasensory (3 page)

“Perfect, boss. Just like you planned it. Did you get it all?” The man at the center of the conference table in the darkened room picked up a tiny microphone in front of him and depressed a button. “Every bit of it. What about pictures?”

“Oscar was busy snapping away. The miniature camera eye works great. Mike said everything went directly to the laptop. He’s sending the file to you right now.”

“Good job. Bring your guys back so they can wash off all that paint you sprayed them with.”

The man in black laughed. “I think they look kind of cute. A few paintballs never hurt anyone.”

“You’ve had your fun. Give them a break.”

“Okay. On our way.”

Chase Carpenter put down the mic. He was a tall man, lean, with sandy hair and dark brown eyes. His ready smile had fooled too many people, to their chagrin, into thinking he was easily led. But those people never looked beyond that “gee whiz” façade. Every line of his body shouted
power
and his eyes always blazed with fierce concentration.

“Lights, please,” he requested.

One of the other men got up and flicked the light switch.

“Well?” Chase looked at the other three people in the room. “Looked good to me.” Lucas Grant, his partner, nodded his head. “I agree. If Oscar’s pictures look as good as everything else, we’re set.”

“Impressive demonstration.” Ladd Tolbert, Chase’s personal attorney as well as the legal representative for Carpenter Techtronics, put the pen he’d been fiddling with back in his pocket, stood up and stretched. “I have to say, I wasn’t sure you could.”

“As long as the numbers prove out, we’ll be in great shape.” Paul Harrison, the company’s chief financial officer, only looked at things in terms of cost ratio and projected income. “But I have to admit, I’m impressed.”

The man at the light switch, Stan Forbush, Carpenter’s chief design engineer and the leader on the project, couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. “All accolades gratefully accepted.” He turned to Chase. “I’d like to tinker a little more with the microphone, see if we can get a little better reception.”

Lucas looked from one man to the other and shrugged, his thick muscles flexing beneath his shirt. He was dark to Chase’s light, thick to the other man’s lean body. Their personalities contrasted as much as their physical appearances. “Seems to me we’re doing okay as it stands. We got all the heat signatures, placed the location of everyone in the house and picked up the conversation. If the pictures are clear we’re good to go.”

“You know me,” Stan objected. “I’m always fine tuning.”

“Like I said, that’s fine with me,” Lucas stressed. “Just as long as we’re good to go next week for the press conference.”

“We’ll be all set,” Chase assured him. “No one else has been able to miniaturize a robot this much and still get all the data needed. This will be a hot commodity, not just for the government but for police departments, corporations and private security agencies. The press conference will go off as planned.”

“And then the bucks will roll in,” Lucas predicted.

“I’m counting on it,” Paul told him.

Chase’s face sobered. “I want all security on this double and triple checked, Lucas.

And biometric scans for the room where the prototype will be locked up. I invited Dan Romeo from Phoenix to the demonstration. He’ll be here a couple of days early so he can go over everything with you.”

Lucas’ face darkened. “I can handle it. I don’t need a nursemaid or a babysitter.”

“And I’m not giving you one. But Phoenix designed the biometric system and installed it, so they should give it a final check. And if we need to beef up security, they can help us with it. We can’t afford to take any chances.”

“I’m telling you, it’s all taken care of,” his partner assured him. “We’re tighter than Fort Knox.”

“It never hurts to hedge your bets. Too much has gone into this to have it blow up in our faces at the last minute.”

“Trust me.” Lucas’ voice had picked up just a tiny edge to it. “It’s done.” Chase raised an eyebrow. “Do you have some reason for not wanting Dan to check things over?”

Lucas grinned. “Nope. Sorry for arguing. I’m just a little uptight too. And you’re right. The more eyes on the prize, the better off we’ll be.” Chase looked around the room. “All right, then. Stan, let’s you and me meet in my office and go over whatever tinkering you think you want to do. Lucas, you’re also going to check with marketing to make sure everything’s set on their end, right?”

“Jesus, Chase.” He blew out a breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’re my partner, not my mother. Relax, buddy. I said everything would be fine and it will be.”

“This is the biggest thing we’ve done yet, the project that will bump our competitors off the map,” Chase reminded him. “I’m entitled to be a little overprotective.”

“Chase, why don’t we go to your office first,” Ladd broke in, “and you can take that fine old bottle of cognac out from its hiding place. We can have a toast and enjoy the prospect of our success for just a few minutes.” He looked from one partner to the other. “And the two of you can stop sniping at each other.” Chase allowed himself a small laugh. “You’re right. Sorry, Lucas. I’m being a horse’s ass. Let’s go get that drink.”

They filed out of the conference room, Lucas and Stan still deep in conversation.

“You’re the glue,” Ladd said in a quiet voice.

Chase gave him a sharp glance. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. The lynchpin. The one who holds it all together. This is the biggest thing this company has done yet. If you’re on edge, everyone else will be too.”

“I tell you, Ladd, I just have the strangest feeling. I can’t put my finger on it. Like something’s out of place but I can’t see it.”

“You’re also the chief worrier,” Ladd said with a chuckle. “Come on. Let’s go toast to the success of Carpenter Techtronics. We’ve all earned it.”

* * * * *

The Carpenter Techtronics building was lit up as if it was the middle of the day.

Teams always worked 24/7 in three shifts on the highly specialized electronic units that the company was famous for.

Standing at the elevator, Chase marveled at the success of the company bearing his name. Not so very long ago he’d quit his job at a large engineering design firm, cashed in his retirement fund and taken a chance on his own startup company. He began in an incubator building—a place created especially to nurture new businesses and provide them with assistance—with only Stan and two other employees.

Almost before he turned around Carpenter Techtronics had grown from a small boutique-type company to their current status as a leader in the world of specialized electronics. The expansion had taken a giant leap forward when Lucas Grant had joined the firm as a partner. Bringing with him a suitcase full of contacts and the ability to sell anything to anybody, he told Chase he was buying into a company that he saw on the verge of explosive growth. With the corporate and government contracts he’d negotiated for them, they’d had the capital to move to their present location and the reputation to attract the high dollar clients.

Sometimes Chase had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

He knew he was obsessive about security but corporate espionage was the crime
du
jour
, especially when the military, police departments and private agencies were hungry for the kind of electronics Carpenter was known for. The kind that could give them an edge in whatever war they were fighting. Carpenter was known for its security being unbreachable and Chase had no intention of changing that now.

Once a prototype had sold, production cranked into high gear. The units were manufactured on four floors of the ten-story building. Then they were sent to packaging and shipping in the basement. And every step of the production was carefully watched over by security guards and by a member of the design team.

Now, thanks to his idea and Stan’s genius at engineering design, Carpenter Techtronics was about to take a giant leap forward. He could feel the excitement hum throughout the building. Any time a new project was underway, the guards were doubled, just in case someone got itchy fingers or an outside source tried to breach the building. This time the project was so revolutionary security was even more important.

He thought about this as he biometrically unlocked the door to the vault where Oscar’s prototype was stored.

He stopped now in front of the Plexiglas block where the robot was stored, resting from the earlier demonstration. The pictures the team had received from Oscar’s miniature camera had incredible clarity. These were only of the exterior but they could detect any hidden sources of danger to a waiting team. And in a case where interior shots were needed, Oscar could be inserted into a building with no problem at all. The images the tiny camera could transmit to the computer might possibly save lives in a hostage situation or help prevent a mission from going south.

Chase stared at the small object for a long time, then left the room, locking the door after him using the special code.

Tomorrow he would double-check with Lucas on all the arrangements for the announcement and the reception following. Their division of labor worked very well for them. Chase was the engineer, the nuts and bolts man. Lucas was the glad-hander, something Chase felt uncomfortable doing. So far it had worked very well that way.

He checked his watch. His fiancée, Joy Rivers, was sure to be waiting for him in his office. Lately their quality time had been in short supply. As excited as she was for him about Oscar, the demands on his time had begun to wear thin with her and she hadn’t been shy about letting him know it.

People were fooled by her appearance. Tiny, with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes, she looked like an angel made of spun sugar. But she had a core of steel that gave her strength and determination. The very thing that had drawn him to her in the first place. Joy knew what she wanted out of life and she was going to get it. And he, Chase, was going to give it to her.

After the announcement I’ll have more time. Maybe we’ll go away for a long vacation, make
some plans for the wedding. If I can just get past next Friday.

The guard nodded to him as headed down the hall. “Good night, Mr. Carpenter.”

“Keep a close eye on Oscar,” Chase told him.

“Don’t you worry,” the guard grinned. “The little fellow’s safe on my watch.”

“We have a lot riding on him,” Chase reminded him.

All the guards on all shifts had been briefed on the importance of the project.

“He’s in good hands,” the guard assured him.

He’d better be. This is our crowning achievement.

When he let himself back into his office, Joy was standing at the picture window overlooking downtown San Antonio. From this vantage point the lights and colorful attractions of the city’s famed Riverwalk were clearly visible. Off to the left was the building where the movie,
Cloak and Dagger
with Dabney Coleman had been shot. When he’d first pointed it out to Joy, she’d insisted they rent the movie and surprisingly it had become one of her favorites. It wasn’t along the lines of her usual tastes.

When the door opened she turned toward him, a smile on her face. “Put the baby to bed yourself?”

“You know me. I always need to check things with my own eyes.” She came over to him and slid her arms around his waist, tilting her head back to look up at him.

“How about going home and putting this baby to bed?” she teased.

Heat flashed through him. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Mia turned the deadbolt on the front door and tossed her keys into the bowl on the hall table. Traffic had been a bitch and her headache was worse than ever. But home was a sanctuary, one she was always happy to be in.

The house itself, on San Antonio’s northwest side, was an unexpected gift, left to her by her maternal grandmother at a time when she was searching for some direction in her life. She’d just received her doctorate and was casting about for the proper way to use it. She didn’t want to go back to Florida where her entire life would be conducted under family scrutiny. Then like a bolt from the blue, someone on her thesis committee called to let her know about a position at the DeWitt Museum in San Antonio.

“You’re perfect for it,” the professor said. “Exactly the kind of person they’re looking for. I’m sending a letter of recommendation right now, so call and set up your appointment.”

It seemed like an omen. She interviewed for the job, was hired and took possession of the house, all within a week’s time.

Located in the upscale suburb of Alamo Heights, the exterior of the building was a deep red brick that had faded to a soft rosy patina with age and weather. The interior, with its glistening hardwood floors, wide windows and soothing earth tones, provided just the respite she needed from the images that bombarded her and made her unsettled.

The ones that had taunted her earlier still lingered in her mind. Once again she cursed the precognitive abilities that had plagued her all her life. Ignoring them when she thought she might be able to help made her feel guilty. Trying to carry forward whatever message she deciphered often got her in hot water. It was a no-win situation.

And the one with the tall, dark, very sensual man? That had never happened before and she wasn’t sure she wanted it to happen again.

I want to fuck you.

And just like before, her body responded instantly, fire streaking through her veins and her pulse ramping up to almost jackhammer intensity. Startled, Mia shook her head and blinked her eyes. She couldn’t have this. She just could
not
have this strange man popping into her head and driving her to the brink of orgasm this way. Or any way.

Her head was pounding now, well past the bath and wine cure stage.

Aspirin. That’s what she needed. She headed for the downstairs powder room where she usually kept a small bottle. But when she stood at the sink, looking in the mirror, the image of her face dissolved to be replaced, not by the man, thank goodness, but by the stupid little rock. Only this time it was surrounded by Plexiglas and the hands were opening the door to the enclosure. And across the image, just a brief flash, a sign bearing the word “carpenter”.