Hell & Back
Racing to lock down the CDC's deadly virus samples from terrorists, ex-Special Forces medic Henry Lee partners with Ruby Toth on the Outbreak Task Force. But the terrorists always seem one step ahead. As they work side by side, Henry's taken with how Ruby accepts and respects him, instead of pitying him for all he lost overseas, including his leg. Ruby's hiding something, though, and Henry fears she's been leaking sensitive information. Terrorists have kidnapped her brother, and now microbiologist Ruby Toth faces a horrible choice. If she doesn't give them a vial of Small Pox as ransom, her brother will die. She knows her prickly—yet very hot—boss, Henry, could provide the help she needs. But she joined the CDC to root out insiders plotting to unleash a bio-engineered pandemic, and she can't trust anyone. Not even Henry. |
Hell & Back
Chapter One
Sunday, May 5, 7:05 p.m.
“I feel like we’re playing a twisted version of that board game Clue,” Ruby Toth said to her family as she examined the list of names her father had just sent to her encrypted-up-the-wazoo phone for the impossible job her parents wanted her to do. Dinner eaten and pushed aside, her parents and her brother, Nate, all sat around the dining room table in the house Nate and she rented.
They were also looking at the same list with a variety of expressions on their faces.
Her mother’s mouth was pinched with irritation, while her father’s eyes had tightened in concern. Nate would have looked bored if his fingers weren’t tapping out a complicated rhythm on the table.
“Only the murder weapons are bombs, bullets, and biological pathogens,” she continued. “And if this list is correct, everyone is a suspect.”
“That’s an oversimplification of the situation,” Nate said, frowning at her. He never was one to pass up the chance for an argument, and Ruby was in the mood to give him one. If only to vent her frustration.
“The problem with finding terrorists and or spies embedded in an organization is that they’re good at deflecting suspicion,” her mother said. She should know—her mother was an analyst for the NSA, while her dad headed up the organization. They ate suspicion for breakfast, skepticism for lunch, and distrust for dinner. “The FBI and Homeland Security have supplied some information on their people’s movements, but we don’t entirely trust it. There have been too many times the Outbreak Task Force’s movements were not only tracked but anticipated by Free America From Oppression.”
The FAFO had already killed dozens of people and tried to start more than one outbreak of a deadly disease. They’d also targeted the CDC’s Outbreak Task Force, injuring and killing people as a result.
“This list represents all the people with access to, or knowledge of, the CDC’s activities,” her mother continued. “We’re not expecting you to investigate them all, but we need you to take a closer look.”
“I’d already eliminated some of the people on this list,” she said. “Why are they back on it?”
“Because information is still getting out,” her father said as he leaned forward. “The longer it takes to uncover everyone feeding the FAFO information,” he continued, “the more likely it is that they’ll do significant damage to the country and everyone in it.”
“How do you know the FAFO is still active?”
“One of our assets in Africa let us know they have put out a call for mercenaries who might have a grudge with the United States. He doesn’t know if anyone responded, but that alone tells us they’re not only active, but planning something substantial.”
“There are always assholes out there with grudges against the United States,” Nate said. “It’s practically written into the Constitution.”
Spying might be the family business, but how would her coworkers react if they found out she was looking for a traitor among them? Especially her mentor and supervisor at her new job, Henry Lee.
Acid ate away at Ruby’s gut. “I hate this,” she muttered.
“Why?” her mother asked.
“Because I like my job. A lot.”
“Sweetheart, the only people who will be angry with you are the ones we’re trying to find.”
Ruby snorted. “Trust is a funny thing, Mother. I work with a few folks whose trust is hard to earn and impossible to repair if it’s broken.”
“Discovering a traitor in their midst would be doing them a service,” her dad said.
Ruby wanted to tear her hair out. “It’s not that cut-and-dried, Dad. Some of the people I work with were in the military, and they’ve got strong opinions about how a team is supposed to work.” Henry, in all his gruff, grumpy, gorgeous glory, was one of them. His team mentality was all for one and one for all. “My looking at them all as if they’re all guilty until proven innocent isn’t going to go over well.” If he found out he was on her list of suspects, she’d be on his shit list permanently.
“They won’t know you’re looking at them.” Her mother waved that argument away.
“They’re already hyperaware of everyone’s behavior, and we all know I’m not that good of an actress. They’ll figure it out.”
“You do get too attached to people,” her mother said with a sigh. “Empathy is a wonderful trait to have, but in moderation.”
“In moderation?” Irritation sharpened her tone. Sometimes she didn’t understand her family at all. “Like changing your diet so you eat less junk food?”
“That’s not what your mother meant,” her dad said with a roll of his eyes.
“I can’t just shut it off.”
Her mother gave her an encouraging smile. “Compartmentalize, dear, that’s all you need to do.”
“I’m no good at that, either. Maybe I just missed out on the sneaky gene.”
“Isn’t everyone at the CDC a little paranoid by now?” Nate asked. “I don’t think you’re going to stand out.”
Ruby sighed and briefly covered her face with both hands. “That’s probably true.” She looked at her brother and parents. “The stress is so thick I need a machete to cut my way through it to get from the door to my desk.” She studied her family, noting the determination on their faces. “What’s the plan if I find evidence of a traitor?”
Her father leaned forward again. “You call me,” he said in his dangerous voice.
There was only one answer she could give. “Yes, sir.”
***
Monday, May 6, 9:45 a.m.
The conference room was packed with people. CDC lab tech Ruby Toth stretched up on her tiptoes in the doorway in an effort to see around or over the sea of lab coats, but it didn’t help much. At just over five feet, she was too short. And while she often used her petite size to her advantage against an opponent in the dojo, it didn’t help her to see when she was at the back of a crowd.
The bodies in front of her shifted, and the drill sergeant, or DS, as he preferred to be called, surfaced out of the crowd like a scarred, grizzled great white shark. Ruby guessed he was in his fifties, and though he’d retired from the army a couple of years ago, his graying hair was buzz-cut short. His slightly shorter than average height, five foot eight, should have made him seem less threatening than taller men. It didn’t. She wasn’t sure if it was something in his eyes or the way he held himself, but one look told you messing with him would be a big mistake.
“What’s going on?” she asked him. “It seems like everyone from the lab is here.”
“They better be,” he replied, his voice a rough rumble. He claimed it was the result of yelling at too many stupid people when he was a drill sergeant. “This meeting isn’t optional.” He took her by the arm and poked at the people in the doorway until they moved. He pointed at the far side of the space. “That piece of wall over by Henry is open.”
It was the only unoccupied spot in the entire room.
Ruby squeezed past everyone between her and her objective and managed to claim the slim strip of wall before anyone else did. Although, looking at Henry’s face, his eyes narrowed and mouth tense, maybe it had been empty for a reason.
“Am I okay here?” she whispered. “Am I in the way?”
He shook his head and met her gaze. “You’re fine.” His stare was intimidating, and it made her stomach flip and her face heat. She was glad to have the excuse of turning, giving him her back, so he wouldn’t wonder why she was blushing. Again.
Maybe it should have bothered her that he was standing only inches away, so close his arms brushed her back when he crossed them over his chest. Henry was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a danger to her. Maybe if she’d done something stupid or dangerous, he’d growl at her. He growled at other people, but he’d always treated her like she was his kid sister.
Handle with care. Watch your language. Touch her and die.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to get him to see her as anything else, but she’d tried several ways already. Because he wasn’t her older brother, and she wanted his big hands and hard body to touch her. A lot.
As a scientist, she didn’t believe in love at first sight, but lust at first sight…oh hell, yeah.
The moment she’d met Henry, she’d wanted him. At six foot two or three—she didn’t dare ask exactly—he towered over her; his shoulders were wide and heavily muscled, stretching the lab coats he wore. His brown hair was a little too long most of the time and always messy, but his mustache and beard were neatly kept. His eyes drew her, a bright blue-green that never failed to snare her gaze.
She’d tried small smiles, but he’d told her to stop daydreaming. She’d tried to find out what he did on his time off--sleep—what his favorite food was--cooked—and where in the world he wanted to travel—a tiny town called waste of money.
For a few days after that, she’d thought he didn’t like her at all and worried he’d ask for a different mentee. She’d mentioned her concerns to the drill sergeant, who’d explained Henry’s behavior was a kind of armor to keep people away. That she understood. She had armor, too—she just didn’t like using it.
She’d tried to stay purely professional and managed it…mostly.
Now, with him standing so close to her, she had to fight the urge to fan herself.
She shouldn’t be indulging in fantasies with her mentor at the CDC, since she had a job to do and it was a dangerous one. Still…he was a brooding wall of muscle she’d love to come into complete contact with. The fact his brain was just as fit as the rest of him was the cherry on top of her sundae.
DS moved to the front of the room, followed by John Dozer, who’d just left Homeland Security to work for the CDC full time. Dozer was now a member of the security team that accompanied the scientific members of the Outbreak Task Force. He worked directly with Dr. Rodrigues, the Outbreak Task Force director, and coordinated the security team’s assignments.
The conference room wasn’t large, and most of the floor space was occupied by chairs and the people sitting on them.
“All right,” DS said. “Quiet down.”
The low hum of conversation around the room died.
“Take it away, dump truck,” DS said, waving at John to take his place.
The former agent rolled his eyes as a ripple of laughter went around the room, significantly lowering the tension level.
“Thanks for coming, everyone. I know you have busy schedules, but we have some news and new directives for you.”
News and directives? Ruby glanced around to see if anyone else knew what was going on, but everyone she made eye contact with looked as confused as she felt. Except for Henry. And his face looked as sour as she’d ever seen it.
So, nothing good.
“This morning a suicide bomber, posing as package delivery person, tried to pass through the secure vehicle entry point. His delivery truck was filled with explosives and metal shrapnel. Our security people at the gate noted his agitation and managed to get him out of his truck without blowing us all to hell.”
Someone clapped, and a moment later, everyone was applauding.
Dozer just shook his head. “I’m going to remind you of this next time I get a complaint about how long security takes to do their checks.”
That calmed everyone down, but Ruby had to admit, it was more than nice to hear the good guys winning one for a change.
“Who was it?” someone asked. She glanced over to see who spoke. Dr. Gunner, and he didn’t look very impressed. “A lone wolf or cannon fodder?”
“Our driver isn’t talking.” Dozer paused. “Yet. But we’ll know more when the bomb squad lets us have a closer look at the truck.”
“Shrapnel?” Dr. Gunner asked. “That sounds like a homemade bomb, which sounds like Free America From Oppression.”
“I thought we caught all of them?” Raymond Goldings asked, his voice rising. He was pulling at the ends of his fingers like he was trying to take off a pair of gloves, only he wasn’t wearing any.
“We’ve got one in custody, but he doesn’t know much. He had a handler, but he didn’t know anyone else in the organization. Other than him, we’ve got a lot of bodies in the morgue, and I don’t think we’re going to get much out of them.” Dozer looked around the room. “The FAFO is really good at eliminating anyone they deem a threat, and that includes their own people if they’re caught.”
The room got quiet.
“So, what does today’s attempted attack mean for us?” Joy Ashiro asked. She was Dr. Gunner’s partner and girlfriend, though if you asked either one of them if they were together, you’d get a glare for an answer. Gunner had only returned to work a short time ago after being blown up and shot by the FAFO. Joy’s concern made sense.
“Everyone single one of us needs to be on alert. These assholes know where we work, and they want to fuck us up in the worst way. I wouldn’t put it past them to try something on someone to and from work, so we’re going to ask you to make a few changes. The first one is to your work schedule. We’re asking everyone to come in an hour earlier tomorrow. The day after that will be something else.”
“Like what?” Raymond asked, his voice rising. “Are they planning some bioterrorism outbreak—is that why they want us out of the way?”
DS stepped up, drawing everyone’s attention. “Depends on their long-term strategy and how many resources they have available. The attack this morning may be aimed at demoralizing us or as a test of our security protocols. As we’ve discovered, they’re more persistent than a hungry two-year-old in a candy aisle.”
“But—” Raymond began.
“Rest assured,” Dozer said, cutting the other man off and studying Raymond until he dropped his gaze to the floor, “when I know more, so you will you.” He glanced around at the rest of the people in the room. “It’s obvious they want us out of the way, and they aren’t picky about how to get there.” He smiled, a fierce-friendly call to arms that fired up Ruby’s blood. “We are going to deny them that goal. To that end, the FBI and Homeland are investigating, so expect to see their agents in the building and out in the field.” He paused. “We’re also putting snipers in positions around every entry and exit point. If we get another unfriendly delivery, our people on the ground can get some distance while the snipers take out the shooter.”
Henry grunted.
Ruby turned to look at him, but he seemed unconcerned.
“Does this mean it’s open season on delivery drivers?” she asked softly.
Henry shook his head once. “Delivery people always get extra scrutiny. They can thank Hollywood for that. Almost any heist, escape, or terrorist movie ever made uses them as their go-to, easy way to get in or out of otherwise airtight security.”
“Including snipers?” she asked.
He sighed. “That is a new one.”
“It’s going to make me nervous.” Just the idea of someone aiming at her through a telescope sight made her teeth chatter.
DS stepped forward. “Watch your backs, people. These fuckers are creative, and they like things that go boom. I’ll be coming around to answer any questions you might have.”
Raymond’s hand shot up, and DS rolled his eyes. “That’s it. Back to work.” He waved at the room at large, and everyone began filing out.
Raymond practically tackled DS with questions.
Henry put a hand on her shoulder. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah.” She glanced at DS and Raymond one last time as they left. “He looks ready to stroke out.”
“Who? Raymond or DS?”
She glanced at the pair again. “Both, I guess.”
“DS can handle him.” Henry looked at her and frowned. “Do you live alone?”
She was about to answer, but they were walking past an office, and someone inside called out, “Henry, got a minute?”
He stopped and put a hand on her arm to stop her, too. He angled his head into the office, and she followed him in.
Four people were inside talking all at once, two women and two men. Ruby had met all of them exactly once, though not at the same time. The women were Ava Lloyd and Kini Kerek, a microbiologist and a nurse. The men were Walter River and Lyle Smoke, both former Army Rangers, who’d come to work for the CDC in the last year.
River smiled at Ruby, a bright, engaging, flirtatious one that seemed at odds with the flat, cold stare Smoke had on his face. Night and day, those two.
Ruby preferred Henry’s unhappy expression to Smoke’s lack of one. At least she always knew how he was feeling.
“We’re getting sent out of country,” River said like it was the most exciting thing to happen in a long time.
“Where?” Henry asked the question like he expected to hear they were heading to the moon.
“The Congo,” Kini said. “I’m going to be training public health nurses in Ebola prevention measures.”
“Syria,” Ava said. “There are thousands of refugees in camps all along the Syrian border. Cholera is running rampant through them. We need to get it under control and people vaccinated before it spreads outside the camps.”
Henry studied the two women before he looked at the men.
“You two need backup? Syria is no joke, and the Congo is full of people who’ll shoot anything that moves.”
“We’re taking a few people with us,” River answered. “Canada, England, and France are also sending teams.”
“We’ve got a military escort,” Smoke said, and for a moment he looked almost happy, as if the possibility of needing that escort might be fun.
“What do you need from me?” Henry asked.
Smoke glanced down at Henry’s leg, or rather, his prosthetic. “Can you hook me up with some used prosthetics? Intel says there are quite a few kids in the camps who’ve lost limbs.”
Henry nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. The people who built mine will be all over something like that.”
While Henry was talking, Kini moved closer to Ruby. “How are you settling in?” she asked.
“Okay,” Ruby said, surprised to realize she meant it. “It’s been a busy two months, but I like busy.”
Kini glanced at Henry. “Well, stick with Henry. He’s good people, despite his tendency to growl.”
Ava, who’d joined them, grinned at that. “Most of the men here have perfected the art of growling, snarling, and roaring to get what they want.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Don’t be afraid to stand your ground.”
Ruby almost laughed and managed not to, but she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “Thanks for the advice.”
Henry said goodbye, so she did, too, and they left.
She dared at look at his profile. “That’s a good thing. Helping kids who’ve lost limbs.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, then said quietly, “It isn’t their fault most of humanity are a bunch of greedy, dumb fucks.”
Ruby opened her mouth to argue but realized he was right and closed it without saying anything.
He glanced at her, his gaze sharp. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What?” He’d asked something? Oh yeah. “I have a roommate.”
“New?”
“Um, no, we moved to Atlanta together. His work wasn’t particularly happy about that, but he’s kind of irreplaceable.”
Henry’s face did something she’d never seen before. It went blank. “How long have you two been together?”
For a second she wondered what he meant, then realized he thought they were a couple. Well, they were, but not the way Henry was assuming. “Oh no, we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re—”
“Henry,” someone shouted from another office, one they’d passed a few moments ago.
He turned and said, “I’ll be right there.” Then, he looked at her, that blank expression still confusing the heck out of her. “Go on ahead. With a couple of teams going out, I might be a while.”
He’d included her in these sorts of conversations before, ones that had nothing to do with microbiology or virology. “Can I do anything to help?” she asked.
His mouth tightened.
Okay, what had happened to make him mad in the last minute or so? All they’d talked about was her living situation.
“Are you concerned my roommate might be in danger?”
“More like a danger to you,” he replied after a few seconds. As if he’d taken the time to really think about what he said before he said it.
“My brother is frequently a danger to himself, but never to me.”
“Brother?” He sounded surprised.
“Yes.” She sighed. Most people thought living with your brother was only one step up from living with your parents. “He’s not a very good roommate. He’s forgetful and terrible at housework.”
Henry’s mouth didn’t look so tense now. “Sorry. Too many things on my mind.”
“It’s okay. After all the attacks and the measles outbreak…” Her voice trailed off, and she smiled weakly. “Everyone is on edge.” She hoped that was it. If Henry had figured out why she’d really joined the CDC—to find the source of the leak—he’d be furious with her. She hadn’t told him there were two reasons she’d wanted to work here. One was the science—she loved solving puzzles, and infectious diseases were among the most complicated of medical mysteries. Small, insignificant variables could effect great change in an outbreak. The second reason was what kept her hyperaware of everything around her. She didn’t just work for the CDC. Her parents, both of whom worked for the NSA, expected her to look for patterns in behavior in the people she worked with that might indicate current or future threats to public safety.
The CDC had already had one rogue former employee release a bioengineered measles strain into the population. And information still seemed to be getting out. Staff assignments, movements, and lab reports should not be making it outside the organization.
With his hand in a lot of different departments, Henry had been one of the first CDC employees she’d looked at, but everything she’d seen and heard told her he was one of the good guys. Still…even the best of men were sometimes led astray.
A sour taste flooded her mouth at the thought he was in any way connected to the FAFO.
“I’m going to need the latest numbers on the measles outbreak for a meeting tomorrow,” he said to her. “Could you work on that for me?”
“Sure.” She tried to smile but decided just to nod instead. “A one-page summary?”
“Yeah, that’s perfect.” He walked away, and she managed to tear her gaze off him and head toward her own workspace, the knot at the bottom of her stomach twisting tighter and tighter.
Chapter One
Sunday, May 5, 7:05 p.m.
“I feel like we’re playing a twisted version of that board game Clue,” Ruby Toth said to her family as she examined the list of names her father had just sent to her encrypted-up-the-wazoo phone for the impossible job her parents wanted her to do. Dinner eaten and pushed aside, her parents and her brother, Nate, all sat around the dining room table in the house Nate and she rented.
They were also looking at the same list with a variety of expressions on their faces.
Her mother’s mouth was pinched with irritation, while her father’s eyes had tightened in concern. Nate would have looked bored if his fingers weren’t tapping out a complicated rhythm on the table.
“Only the murder weapons are bombs, bullets, and biological pathogens,” she continued. “And if this list is correct, everyone is a suspect.”
“That’s an oversimplification of the situation,” Nate said, frowning at her. He never was one to pass up the chance for an argument, and Ruby was in the mood to give him one. If only to vent her frustration.
“The problem with finding terrorists and or spies embedded in an organization is that they’re good at deflecting suspicion,” her mother said. She should know—her mother was an analyst for the NSA, while her dad headed up the organization. They ate suspicion for breakfast, skepticism for lunch, and distrust for dinner. “The FBI and Homeland Security have supplied some information on their people’s movements, but we don’t entirely trust it. There have been too many times the Outbreak Task Force’s movements were not only tracked but anticipated by Free America From Oppression.”
The FAFO had already killed dozens of people and tried to start more than one outbreak of a deadly disease. They’d also targeted the CDC’s Outbreak Task Force, injuring and killing people as a result.
“This list represents all the people with access to, or knowledge of, the CDC’s activities,” her mother continued. “We’re not expecting you to investigate them all, but we need you to take a closer look.”
“I’d already eliminated some of the people on this list,” she said. “Why are they back on it?”
“Because information is still getting out,” her father said as he leaned forward. “The longer it takes to uncover everyone feeding the FAFO information,” he continued, “the more likely it is that they’ll do significant damage to the country and everyone in it.”
“How do you know the FAFO is still active?”
“One of our assets in Africa let us know they have put out a call for mercenaries who might have a grudge with the United States. He doesn’t know if anyone responded, but that alone tells us they’re not only active, but planning something substantial.”
“There are always assholes out there with grudges against the United States,” Nate said. “It’s practically written into the Constitution.”
Spying might be the family business, but how would her coworkers react if they found out she was looking for a traitor among them? Especially her mentor and supervisor at her new job, Henry Lee.
Acid ate away at Ruby’s gut. “I hate this,” she muttered.
“Why?” her mother asked.
“Because I like my job. A lot.”
“Sweetheart, the only people who will be angry with you are the ones we’re trying to find.”
Ruby snorted. “Trust is a funny thing, Mother. I work with a few folks whose trust is hard to earn and impossible to repair if it’s broken.”
“Discovering a traitor in their midst would be doing them a service,” her dad said.
Ruby wanted to tear her hair out. “It’s not that cut-and-dried, Dad. Some of the people I work with were in the military, and they’ve got strong opinions about how a team is supposed to work.” Henry, in all his gruff, grumpy, gorgeous glory, was one of them. His team mentality was all for one and one for all. “My looking at them all as if they’re all guilty until proven innocent isn’t going to go over well.” If he found out he was on her list of suspects, she’d be on his shit list permanently.
“They won’t know you’re looking at them.” Her mother waved that argument away.
“They’re already hyperaware of everyone’s behavior, and we all know I’m not that good of an actress. They’ll figure it out.”
“You do get too attached to people,” her mother said with a sigh. “Empathy is a wonderful trait to have, but in moderation.”
“In moderation?” Irritation sharpened her tone. Sometimes she didn’t understand her family at all. “Like changing your diet so you eat less junk food?”
“That’s not what your mother meant,” her dad said with a roll of his eyes.
“I can’t just shut it off.”
Her mother gave her an encouraging smile. “Compartmentalize, dear, that’s all you need to do.”
“I’m no good at that, either. Maybe I just missed out on the sneaky gene.”
“Isn’t everyone at the CDC a little paranoid by now?” Nate asked. “I don’t think you’re going to stand out.”
Ruby sighed and briefly covered her face with both hands. “That’s probably true.” She looked at her brother and parents. “The stress is so thick I need a machete to cut my way through it to get from the door to my desk.” She studied her family, noting the determination on their faces. “What’s the plan if I find evidence of a traitor?”
Her father leaned forward again. “You call me,” he said in his dangerous voice.
There was only one answer she could give. “Yes, sir.”
***
Monday, May 6, 9:45 a.m.
The conference room was packed with people. CDC lab tech Ruby Toth stretched up on her tiptoes in the doorway in an effort to see around or over the sea of lab coats, but it didn’t help much. At just over five feet, she was too short. And while she often used her petite size to her advantage against an opponent in the dojo, it didn’t help her to see when she was at the back of a crowd.
The bodies in front of her shifted, and the drill sergeant, or DS, as he preferred to be called, surfaced out of the crowd like a scarred, grizzled great white shark. Ruby guessed he was in his fifties, and though he’d retired from the army a couple of years ago, his graying hair was buzz-cut short. His slightly shorter than average height, five foot eight, should have made him seem less threatening than taller men. It didn’t. She wasn’t sure if it was something in his eyes or the way he held himself, but one look told you messing with him would be a big mistake.
“What’s going on?” she asked him. “It seems like everyone from the lab is here.”
“They better be,” he replied, his voice a rough rumble. He claimed it was the result of yelling at too many stupid people when he was a drill sergeant. “This meeting isn’t optional.” He took her by the arm and poked at the people in the doorway until they moved. He pointed at the far side of the space. “That piece of wall over by Henry is open.”
It was the only unoccupied spot in the entire room.
Ruby squeezed past everyone between her and her objective and managed to claim the slim strip of wall before anyone else did. Although, looking at Henry’s face, his eyes narrowed and mouth tense, maybe it had been empty for a reason.
“Am I okay here?” she whispered. “Am I in the way?”
He shook his head and met her gaze. “You’re fine.” His stare was intimidating, and it made her stomach flip and her face heat. She was glad to have the excuse of turning, giving him her back, so he wouldn’t wonder why she was blushing. Again.
Maybe it should have bothered her that he was standing only inches away, so close his arms brushed her back when he crossed them over his chest. Henry was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a danger to her. Maybe if she’d done something stupid or dangerous, he’d growl at her. He growled at other people, but he’d always treated her like she was his kid sister.
Handle with care. Watch your language. Touch her and die.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to get him to see her as anything else, but she’d tried several ways already. Because he wasn’t her older brother, and she wanted his big hands and hard body to touch her. A lot.
As a scientist, she didn’t believe in love at first sight, but lust at first sight…oh hell, yeah.
The moment she’d met Henry, she’d wanted him. At six foot two or three—she didn’t dare ask exactly—he towered over her; his shoulders were wide and heavily muscled, stretching the lab coats he wore. His brown hair was a little too long most of the time and always messy, but his mustache and beard were neatly kept. His eyes drew her, a bright blue-green that never failed to snare her gaze.
She’d tried small smiles, but he’d told her to stop daydreaming. She’d tried to find out what he did on his time off--sleep—what his favorite food was--cooked—and where in the world he wanted to travel—a tiny town called waste of money.
For a few days after that, she’d thought he didn’t like her at all and worried he’d ask for a different mentee. She’d mentioned her concerns to the drill sergeant, who’d explained Henry’s behavior was a kind of armor to keep people away. That she understood. She had armor, too—she just didn’t like using it.
She’d tried to stay purely professional and managed it…mostly.
Now, with him standing so close to her, she had to fight the urge to fan herself.
She shouldn’t be indulging in fantasies with her mentor at the CDC, since she had a job to do and it was a dangerous one. Still…he was a brooding wall of muscle she’d love to come into complete contact with. The fact his brain was just as fit as the rest of him was the cherry on top of her sundae.
DS moved to the front of the room, followed by John Dozer, who’d just left Homeland Security to work for the CDC full time. Dozer was now a member of the security team that accompanied the scientific members of the Outbreak Task Force. He worked directly with Dr. Rodrigues, the Outbreak Task Force director, and coordinated the security team’s assignments.
The conference room wasn’t large, and most of the floor space was occupied by chairs and the people sitting on them.
“All right,” DS said. “Quiet down.”
The low hum of conversation around the room died.
“Take it away, dump truck,” DS said, waving at John to take his place.
The former agent rolled his eyes as a ripple of laughter went around the room, significantly lowering the tension level.
“Thanks for coming, everyone. I know you have busy schedules, but we have some news and new directives for you.”
News and directives? Ruby glanced around to see if anyone else knew what was going on, but everyone she made eye contact with looked as confused as she felt. Except for Henry. And his face looked as sour as she’d ever seen it.
So, nothing good.
“This morning a suicide bomber, posing as package delivery person, tried to pass through the secure vehicle entry point. His delivery truck was filled with explosives and metal shrapnel. Our security people at the gate noted his agitation and managed to get him out of his truck without blowing us all to hell.”
Someone clapped, and a moment later, everyone was applauding.
Dozer just shook his head. “I’m going to remind you of this next time I get a complaint about how long security takes to do their checks.”
That calmed everyone down, but Ruby had to admit, it was more than nice to hear the good guys winning one for a change.
“Who was it?” someone asked. She glanced over to see who spoke. Dr. Gunner, and he didn’t look very impressed. “A lone wolf or cannon fodder?”
“Our driver isn’t talking.” Dozer paused. “Yet. But we’ll know more when the bomb squad lets us have a closer look at the truck.”
“Shrapnel?” Dr. Gunner asked. “That sounds like a homemade bomb, which sounds like Free America From Oppression.”
“I thought we caught all of them?” Raymond Goldings asked, his voice rising. He was pulling at the ends of his fingers like he was trying to take off a pair of gloves, only he wasn’t wearing any.
“We’ve got one in custody, but he doesn’t know much. He had a handler, but he didn’t know anyone else in the organization. Other than him, we’ve got a lot of bodies in the morgue, and I don’t think we’re going to get much out of them.” Dozer looked around the room. “The FAFO is really good at eliminating anyone they deem a threat, and that includes their own people if they’re caught.”
The room got quiet.
“So, what does today’s attempted attack mean for us?” Joy Ashiro asked. She was Dr. Gunner’s partner and girlfriend, though if you asked either one of them if they were together, you’d get a glare for an answer. Gunner had only returned to work a short time ago after being blown up and shot by the FAFO. Joy’s concern made sense.
“Everyone single one of us needs to be on alert. These assholes know where we work, and they want to fuck us up in the worst way. I wouldn’t put it past them to try something on someone to and from work, so we’re going to ask you to make a few changes. The first one is to your work schedule. We’re asking everyone to come in an hour earlier tomorrow. The day after that will be something else.”
“Like what?” Raymond asked, his voice rising. “Are they planning some bioterrorism outbreak—is that why they want us out of the way?”
DS stepped up, drawing everyone’s attention. “Depends on their long-term strategy and how many resources they have available. The attack this morning may be aimed at demoralizing us or as a test of our security protocols. As we’ve discovered, they’re more persistent than a hungry two-year-old in a candy aisle.”
“But—” Raymond began.
“Rest assured,” Dozer said, cutting the other man off and studying Raymond until he dropped his gaze to the floor, “when I know more, so you will you.” He glanced around at the rest of the people in the room. “It’s obvious they want us out of the way, and they aren’t picky about how to get there.” He smiled, a fierce-friendly call to arms that fired up Ruby’s blood. “We are going to deny them that goal. To that end, the FBI and Homeland are investigating, so expect to see their agents in the building and out in the field.” He paused. “We’re also putting snipers in positions around every entry and exit point. If we get another unfriendly delivery, our people on the ground can get some distance while the snipers take out the shooter.”
Henry grunted.
Ruby turned to look at him, but he seemed unconcerned.
“Does this mean it’s open season on delivery drivers?” she asked softly.
Henry shook his head once. “Delivery people always get extra scrutiny. They can thank Hollywood for that. Almost any heist, escape, or terrorist movie ever made uses them as their go-to, easy way to get in or out of otherwise airtight security.”
“Including snipers?” she asked.
He sighed. “That is a new one.”
“It’s going to make me nervous.” Just the idea of someone aiming at her through a telescope sight made her teeth chatter.
DS stepped forward. “Watch your backs, people. These fuckers are creative, and they like things that go boom. I’ll be coming around to answer any questions you might have.”
Raymond’s hand shot up, and DS rolled his eyes. “That’s it. Back to work.” He waved at the room at large, and everyone began filing out.
Raymond practically tackled DS with questions.
Henry put a hand on her shoulder. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah.” She glanced at DS and Raymond one last time as they left. “He looks ready to stroke out.”
“Who? Raymond or DS?”
She glanced at the pair again. “Both, I guess.”
“DS can handle him.” Henry looked at her and frowned. “Do you live alone?”
She was about to answer, but they were walking past an office, and someone inside called out, “Henry, got a minute?”
He stopped and put a hand on her arm to stop her, too. He angled his head into the office, and she followed him in.
Four people were inside talking all at once, two women and two men. Ruby had met all of them exactly once, though not at the same time. The women were Ava Lloyd and Kini Kerek, a microbiologist and a nurse. The men were Walter River and Lyle Smoke, both former Army Rangers, who’d come to work for the CDC in the last year.
River smiled at Ruby, a bright, engaging, flirtatious one that seemed at odds with the flat, cold stare Smoke had on his face. Night and day, those two.
Ruby preferred Henry’s unhappy expression to Smoke’s lack of one. At least she always knew how he was feeling.
“We’re getting sent out of country,” River said like it was the most exciting thing to happen in a long time.
“Where?” Henry asked the question like he expected to hear they were heading to the moon.
“The Congo,” Kini said. “I’m going to be training public health nurses in Ebola prevention measures.”
“Syria,” Ava said. “There are thousands of refugees in camps all along the Syrian border. Cholera is running rampant through them. We need to get it under control and people vaccinated before it spreads outside the camps.”
Henry studied the two women before he looked at the men.
“You two need backup? Syria is no joke, and the Congo is full of people who’ll shoot anything that moves.”
“We’re taking a few people with us,” River answered. “Canada, England, and France are also sending teams.”
“We’ve got a military escort,” Smoke said, and for a moment he looked almost happy, as if the possibility of needing that escort might be fun.
“What do you need from me?” Henry asked.
Smoke glanced down at Henry’s leg, or rather, his prosthetic. “Can you hook me up with some used prosthetics? Intel says there are quite a few kids in the camps who’ve lost limbs.”
Henry nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. The people who built mine will be all over something like that.”
While Henry was talking, Kini moved closer to Ruby. “How are you settling in?” she asked.
“Okay,” Ruby said, surprised to realize she meant it. “It’s been a busy two months, but I like busy.”
Kini glanced at Henry. “Well, stick with Henry. He’s good people, despite his tendency to growl.”
Ava, who’d joined them, grinned at that. “Most of the men here have perfected the art of growling, snarling, and roaring to get what they want.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Don’t be afraid to stand your ground.”
Ruby almost laughed and managed not to, but she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “Thanks for the advice.”
Henry said goodbye, so she did, too, and they left.
She dared at look at his profile. “That’s a good thing. Helping kids who’ve lost limbs.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, then said quietly, “It isn’t their fault most of humanity are a bunch of greedy, dumb fucks.”
Ruby opened her mouth to argue but realized he was right and closed it without saying anything.
He glanced at her, his gaze sharp. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What?” He’d asked something? Oh yeah. “I have a roommate.”
“New?”
“Um, no, we moved to Atlanta together. His work wasn’t particularly happy about that, but he’s kind of irreplaceable.”
Henry’s face did something she’d never seen before. It went blank. “How long have you two been together?”
For a second she wondered what he meant, then realized he thought they were a couple. Well, they were, but not the way Henry was assuming. “Oh no, we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re—”
“Henry,” someone shouted from another office, one they’d passed a few moments ago.
He turned and said, “I’ll be right there.” Then, he looked at her, that blank expression still confusing the heck out of her. “Go on ahead. With a couple of teams going out, I might be a while.”
He’d included her in these sorts of conversations before, ones that had nothing to do with microbiology or virology. “Can I do anything to help?” she asked.
His mouth tightened.
Okay, what had happened to make him mad in the last minute or so? All they’d talked about was her living situation.
“Are you concerned my roommate might be in danger?”
“More like a danger to you,” he replied after a few seconds. As if he’d taken the time to really think about what he said before he said it.
“My brother is frequently a danger to himself, but never to me.”
“Brother?” He sounded surprised.
“Yes.” She sighed. Most people thought living with your brother was only one step up from living with your parents. “He’s not a very good roommate. He’s forgetful and terrible at housework.”
Henry’s mouth didn’t look so tense now. “Sorry. Too many things on my mind.”
“It’s okay. After all the attacks and the measles outbreak…” Her voice trailed off, and she smiled weakly. “Everyone is on edge.” She hoped that was it. If Henry had figured out why she’d really joined the CDC—to find the source of the leak—he’d be furious with her. She hadn’t told him there were two reasons she’d wanted to work here. One was the science—she loved solving puzzles, and infectious diseases were among the most complicated of medical mysteries. Small, insignificant variables could effect great change in an outbreak. The second reason was what kept her hyperaware of everything around her. She didn’t just work for the CDC. Her parents, both of whom worked for the NSA, expected her to look for patterns in behavior in the people she worked with that might indicate current or future threats to public safety.
The CDC had already had one rogue former employee release a bioengineered measles strain into the population. And information still seemed to be getting out. Staff assignments, movements, and lab reports should not be making it outside the organization.
With his hand in a lot of different departments, Henry had been one of the first CDC employees she’d looked at, but everything she’d seen and heard told her he was one of the good guys. Still…even the best of men were sometimes led astray.
A sour taste flooded her mouth at the thought he was in any way connected to the FAFO.
“I’m going to need the latest numbers on the measles outbreak for a meeting tomorrow,” he said to her. “Could you work on that for me?”
“Sure.” She tried to smile but decided just to nod instead. “A one-page summary?”
“Yeah, that’s perfect.” He walked away, and she managed to tear her gaze off him and head toward her own workspace, the knot at the bottom of her stomach twisting tighter and tighter.