Whistleblower (3 page)

“What about the file?”

“She must’ve stashed it back at the lab. We’ll search. Either way, it will be destroyed with her. Just make sure you wipe any back door accesses to the computer as soon as we get back.”

“Already done.”

The door slammed followed by the sound of two others. The car bumped again over rough ground then up onto the road. It picked up speed then abruptly skidded to a stop, throwing her to the floor. A second later, the door was jerked open again. This time when hands pulled her out, they shoved her into the front seat.

Marley could make out Drew Jansen’s flat features leaning over her. His fat lips pulled up in a snarl. “Sorry, Doc, it could’ve been fun.” He patted her face roughly. Marley wanted to cringe from the stinging contact, but it helped to bring her more alert.

“We’d better hurry. She’s coming out of it.” The man grumbled back, studying her face.

“We want her out of it, so nothing shows up in an autopsy. Help me get this set before someone comes along.”

A swear word burst through the air.

“What happened?” Jansen called out, jerking back out of the car.

“Rock rolled under me, twisted my ankle,” Mills growled and swore again. “Help me to the car then you can push her over.”

Over.
Marley forced her head up and sucked in a deep breath. The dark clouds that hung over the valley below were not in her mind. She drew in more air and realized her car sat facing the curve in the road that dropped off several hundred feet. The motor was running. Her mind was still sluggish, but it didn’t take much to realize they were going to run her car off the edge, and there was no way she’d survive.

Her first thought was to drive away, but with one look in the rearview mirror and the sight of the car parked directly behind her and the cliff so close in front, even her foggy mind knew it was impossible. Forcing more air into her lungs helped push away the lingering effects of the drug, Marley knew she had one option, run.

Another glimpse in the mirror showed Jansen helping Mills into the passenger seat of the other car. Knowing it was as good as she’d get for a head start, she took another deep breath and swung her legs out. She felt a little shaky, but it steadied quickly.

“The Doc,” Mills shouted with his ever present swear words.

Fear and adrenaline burst through her, wiping away the last embers of the drug. Marley took off down the road. She could hear Jansen coming after her and forced herself to put on more speed, pushing back a hint of nausea that threatened to rise. If she could keep out of his reach, she knew she could outdistance him. She ran for pleasure, at least three miles every night and five on weekends.

The slope of the road was jarring, but she was putting more distance between them. Then she heard the roar of an engine behind her. Glancing back over her shoulder, she almost stumbled. Mills drove past Jansen who was bearing down on her.

Marley dodged, shifting directions at the last instant so the car missed her, but it cost her time. Jansen closed in. Mills put the car in reverse heading back at her. Taking the only direction open to her, Marley veered to the edge of the road, going over. The hillside was muddy from recent rain, but fortunately, it wasn’t as steep or as far down as where they were going to push her car over. Still it was too steep to run down, so she sat down and slid.

She used her leather clad arms to keep branches from whipping her face and control her path and speed. It was a terrifying, reckless flight, but the sound of a man above her kept her from trying to stop. Reaching the bottom, Marley stumbled to her feet and took off running again, dodging trees, and wading through streams when they were too big to jump. Blood pounded in her with each step. Her mind locked onto nothing but running.

Rain came down in torrents. She didn’t stop. Several times she slipped and fell, but after catching a couple breaths, she was back on her feet. Running again, without any conscious thought of where to.

Marley jerked back into awareness. The question slipped through her mind as she opened her eyes and stared out the window. Rain still came down, and the sky darkened with the approaching evening. She huddled into the soft blanket and wished she could remain there safe and warm forever. It wasn’t the house that made her feel that way though. Her gaze shifted unerringly to where the man sat at the counter, going over a stack of papers.

She didn’t know why he made her feel so safe, but he did. She bit the edge of her lip to hold back the urge to cry. Why did she have to meet him just when her life became a mess? Why couldn’t it have been a month ago or even a week, when she’d have a chance to maybe get to know him?

Yeah, she’d probably get all tongue-tied and mess it up, and he’d go away thinking she was a moron. But, at least she would have had a chance. Now, she couldn’t stay here and put him in danger. A wave of despair hit her. It would be dangerous for anyone that gave her aid.

***

Zan knew she was back with him, just as he’d known by grimaces and tightening in her features she’d been locked in some unpleasant memories. Curled up in a ball in the corner of the couch, her nose barely poked over the edge of the blanket. Her eyes followed him, but she was silent.

He wondered what was going through her mind. From her reaction, he judged that she wasn’t in trouble with the law. She’d been truly stunned by the thought that she might be.

She also made a comment that sounded like she had knowledge of the area, though she didn’t know his house was here. Few people did. He liked it that way. Still, that indicated she must live locally, so he’d say in town or in the town on the other side of the mountain.

It wasn’t much to go on. He’d just have to wait until she felt comfortable in confiding in him. Marley, he smiled, liking the unusual name then his thoughts turned pensive. Marley was in trouble, he had no doubt about that, just as he had no doubt he’d do anything to help her.

“You really should try getting some sleep,” he said, without looking up, knowing her eyes were on him.

“No.” It was said softly, and he waited for more to follow and it did. “I’m afraid to.”

“You don’t need to be.” He raised his head now to look at her. “I won’t hurt you.”

“I know.” She met his gaze from across the room. “It could be dangerous for you having me here.”

He would’ve smiled if she wasn’t so serious. “Who’s after you, Marley?”

She shook her head, eyes wide and watery. “You don’t want to be involved, Zan.”

“I think you better let me decide that. Besides, I’m already involved. I gave you my oath that I would keep you safe, and I don’t go back on my word.”

The longing in her eyes was more than he could bear, and he stood to go to her, stopping when she shook her head.

“Is the phone working?”

The pain in her voice pulled at him, but he changed directions to pick up the phone. He wasn’t surprised when there was still no reception. He didn’t have to say it. He knew she got the message by the way she pulled the blanket tighter around her.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” He tried again, only to receive the same shake of her head. “You know we can’t get out of here, and whoever is after you can’t get here. So, at least for now, you’re safe. You can get some sleep.”

She gave a weak smile, and the blanket dropped a little. “What are you working on?” It was an obvious change of subject.

“Just some plans for something I’d like to build.”

“You’re an architect?”

“No, I actually have a degree in electrical engineering. This is a gadget I’m thinking up. Just tinkering my grandfather would say.”

“You said something about building your house.” She shifted on the couch.

“I did, from the solar on the roof to the flooring, with the help of my brother. I’m pretty happy how it turned out.” He felt a surge of pride.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. We’re working on his house now. It’s about a quarter mile from here.” A look of alarm creased her face, so he added. “He’s not here right now.”

“He lives here too?”

“He stays here when he’s around, but he plans on retiring in four more months and coming back here. We’ll get serious about his house then. We might be twins and a lot alike, but we have different tastes. We couldn’t take living together for very long.” Actually it wasn’t quite the truth. He and Zac could live together quite easily and tended to stay close. They just chose separation so they could each remain their own man.

Somehow she read that. “You’re close.”

He grinned. “Yeah.”

“I have a s-sister, but we’re nothing alike.”

“She’s younger?”

“Yes. Julie is gorgeous. People always said I got the brains, Julie got the looks.”

Zan had a problem believing that. Marley was beautiful. “So you were a smart kid growing up.”

She looked almost panicked at his question. “I-I.” She closed her eyes tight. Her face blazed with color.

Zan realized immediately when she stumbled over words before it wasn’t just plain nerves. He waited for her to continue but she didn’t. She sat there with a look of utter mortification on her face. Zan decided he almost preferred the fear. “I don’t know whoever told you, you weren’t pretty, but they were wrong.”

Her head shot up. She gaped in surprise.

“Don’t look at me like I’m nuts. I mean it. You’re beautiful.”

“I don’t ev-ven wear makeup.”

“You don’t need it.” He came back with the simple truth. “So you were smart in school. Did you graduate early?”

She nodded. “High s-school when I was fourteen.”

“Ouch, talk about an awkward fit at college.”

“I was a c-classic science geek, gawky with braces and glasses.”

“Not to mention, at least four years younger than everyone else. Still the teeth look great, and I didn’t notice the contacts.” He wondered if that’s what made her eyes such a striking color.

“I had corrective surgery last year.”

He nodded, relieved that her eyes were her natural color. “So you’re a scientist at Derrian Labs?” He should have figured it out sooner. It was a large research place on the other side of the hill.

“It’s-s not that boring,” she put out defensively.

Zan guessed she got that a lot. He knew a lot of guys that way. They would like the looks but couldn’t handle a woman so much smarter than they were. Luckily, he didn’t have a problem with that. “I take it college life was difficult for you?”

She shrugged. “Classes were okay. I always had the best schools since they first tested me. My parents couldn’t have afforded it, but tuition, housing and a living expense was always granted so I’d attend.”

Zan wondered if she noticed her stuttering was getting less as she relaxed. “So you went to private schools?”

She nodded, and he could picture her. She’d have been tall and thin, with braces and glasses, her head tilted down, painfully shy. Her mind going so fast, she was in her own world. There would always be a stack of books in her arms, other kids, all older, pushing past her.

She would have never fit in. A lot of guys would make her the brunt of jokes if they even noticed her. She wouldn’t have been at the same maturity level with other girls, even if she far surpassed them in intelligence. She would have been an oddity, and different was never accepted well.

“What did you graduate in?”

“I-I finished my undergrad at sixteen. I have duel doctorates in s-science and chemistry, a couple masters and minors. I specialized in bio-science and infectious disease.” Her words petered out, and she looked embarrassed.

He figured she usually didn’t tell people that. “So you are going to cure the common cold?” He tried to make it sound teasing, and it worked.

She smiled. “Close, I’m working on a wide based flu vaccine that will counter most of all the changing strands and help strengthen the immune system so we won’t be as susceptible to other diseases.”

“Wow, you didn’t take on anything easy, did you?” He was thoroughly impressed.

“I wanted to do what I could to help. Since I was blessed with this mind, I figured I’d better use it.”

He wondered if she always felt it a blessing. “I can understand that. So when did you take up running?”

She looked surprised. “How did you know I run?”

“Several things. Your shoes are a better than average running shoe, well worn. You’re in good shape. You’d obviously been running quite a while when you hit into me but weren’t wiped out from it.” He arched an eyebrow at her, daring her to disagree, but she didn’t.

“When I started on my upper level classes, I had a roommate who was in sports medicine. Jackie kind of took me under her wing. Got me running, tried to de-geekify me, which didn’t work real well because I still didn’t fit in, but the running took. It helps center me.”

It was his turn to nod. He shifted his image of her to how it would have been in grad school. She’d been jail bait. Even if any guy wasn’t intimidated by her intelligence, he wouldn’t have dared come near her because of her age. She sure wouldn’t have had interaction with guys her own age. No wonder she seemed so self-conscious.

“You’re very observant.” For a second, he wondered if she’d read his thoughts then realized she was talking about her running.