Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I have all the documents you’ll need,” Arden chimed in, smiling at the man. “Is there someplace we can go over them?”
“Yes,” Yadav said, gesturing deeper into the hangar, where I saw an office. “Please.”
As they left, I looked to the woman in the suit, and she held out her hand to me. “Dr. Annika Lens.”
I took her hand in both of mine. “Jared Colter. Thank you for accepting my invitation on such short notice, Doctor.”
“It felt more like a summons from Mr. Hawthorne,” she said with a gentle smile. I noted the honey-blonde hair in a messy bun that I suspected had been pristine when she’d left home, wherever that was. “But as he’s both generous and protective of my time, I know this is an emergency. I’m a bit jet-lagged from the overnight flight from Brussels, but otherwise none the worse for wear. You can count on my best.”
“Good.”
Dr. Lens wore no makeup, her nails were short and uncolored, and the only jewelry she wore was a plain gold wedding band and gold studs. The no-nonsense demeanor was grounding, and I immediately warmed to her. I would have my answers. She was, I was certain, one of the best forensic investigators in the business; otherwise Darius wouldn’t have sent her.
“Come,” she said with a tip of her head. “I’ve created a makeshift lab in the back of the hangar. Mr. Lee provided me a DNA sample of Mr. Moss.”
I glanced at Lee, who shrugged.
“How?”
“It’s us,” he said, like I should know better. “Darius said Owen’s DNA was needed, so we got it here. You think you’re the only one who can get things done?”
I did. Often. And that wasn’t fair. There were a lot of people out there just as capable and competent as I was. My hubris got in the way sometimes, as well as my ego. I got into the habit of thinking that if I wanted something done right, I had to do it myself. But that wasn’t the case, and my friends, all of them, though with many different skill sets, were more than ready, willing, and able to help me.
What I appreciated even more, in that moment, was that Dr. Lens didn’t say “the subject in question” or some such, as a doctor who didn’t know me or Owen might have. She’d said Mr. Moss, and that must’ve been Lee’s doing.
“Are you done staring at me?” Lee asked. “Shall we accompany Dr. Lens?”
“Yes, I—” I couldn’t stop looking at him. I’d never known him to be thoughtful.
“He’s not some nameless person,” Lee began slowly. “If this is Owen, I’m here to assist you with whatever’s next. If it’s not, and this is some sort of ruse, then this man, whoever he is, needs to go home as well, does he not?”
I nodded.
He turned from regarding me and gave his attention to the doctor. I did as well.
“It was a good reminder when Mr. Lee corrected me earlier,” she explained. “I don’t interact with the living much, and I tend to forget at times that these are people, loved ones, and not merely bodies to be inspected.”
I took a breath. Between her professionalism and Lee’s surprising humanity, I found myself calming. Her direct manner was to be expected. And though Lee had apparently corrected her earlier, Darius wasn’t paying the woman for her empathy, but for her expertise.
Following the doctor and Lee to the rear of the building, we passed through a set of double steel doors with small windows in the centers. Out of habit, I looked through them before entering and saw a large laboratory built into the hangar bay, dominated by machines and computers. All the shiny, sterile steel brought to mind every morgue I’d ever been in. Going in, Dr. Lens had all of us—me, Lee, Jing, and Arden, who had rejoined us—stand off to the side while the ground crew placed the body bag on one of the steel tables. Needing a moment, I turned away.
Dr. Lens glanced at me sideways. “How much sleep have you had in the last two days?”
“Three hours, give or take.”
“That’s inhuman, even by my work standards,” she scolded me gently. “I have everything I need here to get started. Let’s get you to your hotel where you can get some proper rest.”
“Really, I’m fine,” I assured her, trying to smile but unable to. I was exhausted, and there was no hiding that.
Dr. Lens put up her hand. “Really, Colonel, there’s nothing you can do here. And I don’t need you hovering.”
I wanted to argue but took a deep breath instead.
“It’s okay, boss,” Arden soothed me, her eyes filled with worry, reaching out to take hold of my hand. “I’ll be here with the doctor, and I’ll call the moment we know anything.”
I glanced at Dr. Lens.