Devil's Gold (13 page)

Cassidy smiled brightly at her boss and nodded … another aspect of her past brought present.
Ethan
.

“All right then, I consider this pod officially briefed. I'll be returning to Atlanta in approximately thirty minutes. Are there any questions?”

The room was silent, and Sharpe glanced at his watch. “I believe, Cassidy, that a joint briefing is taking place at park headquarters tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cassidy gathered her notes and rose from the table. She absently acknowledged the other departing team members as she stretched out muscles that screamed for a quick workout. “You ready to gather that water sample, Jake?”

He grinned and nodded toward one of the closed doors. “Why don't you go freshen up, and I'll order us some lunch first. Then we can get to work.”

She nodded, silently relieved that she'd have a few moments to herself. Before she'd reached her bedroom door, she stopped and turned. Dr. Sharpe was standing in the middle of the parlor staring at her. She couldn't read his expression, but it sparked alarm.

“Sir?”

“I want to make sure that neither the death of your parents nor your episode in Nigeria will affect your performance.”

Cassidy's entire body tingled then went numb. Heat flashed to her face, more than likely making her look like an overripe tomato. She didn't dare glance at Jake.

“No, sir.” Her voice cracked, and she inhaled to garner some control. She couldn't be any more mortified if she were standing stark naked.

“You'll do whatever's necessary. Is that clear?”

“Sir?”

“If you need to fly in and out of that airport where your parents died, then that's what you'll do. I'd be disappointed if you required rescuing again.”

Embarrassment laced with anger left her speechless. She'd never been the object of Dr. Sharpe's concerns before, and his reference to her personal tragedy was both unprofessional and unwarranted. Not to mention that his allusion to Nigeria remained totally unjustified.

“Dr. Sharpe, I'm certain that won't be necessary.” Jake stepped over and took her elbow, leading her toward the bedroom. He shoved her inside and slammed the door closed. She felt like a little kid, her body unable to respond to the conflicting signals her mind kept screaming.

What the hell was the matter with her? Cassidy inhaled deeply, then pounded one shaking fist against her open palm. She closed her mind to insecurity and guilt, focusing on her center balance. Yanking the door open, she opened her mouth to tell the men to shove it where the sun doesn't shine but faced an empty room.

She stood gaping at the paper-strewn conference area. She was alone. Tears burned her eyes but this time not from old ghosts. This time, they were tears of disillusionment. Her failure in the last mission must have placed her on Sharpe's watch list. She'd known deep down of this possibility, but it stung when reality bit her in the ass. The thought that she'd lost his respect and trust fired up her guilt over

Anna another notch.

This was the reward for sticking to your ideals.

Cassidy rested her head against the doorjamb, trying to find justification and reassurance from some small crevice of her soul.

Instead, she found coffee.

A slow smile spread across her face as she moved forward, drawn to the carafe of caffeine that finally lay within reach. Pouring a large mug full, Cassidy rested her hip against the conference table. Allowing the heat and rich hickory of the slow-roasted beans to weave its healing powers around her jangled nerves, she thought about everything that Drew had said that afternoon. The puzzle became larger, the pieces more elaborate.

“What game are you playing, boss?”

C
ASSIDY BRUSHED OUT HER TANGLED CURLS AND QUICKLY
braided her hair, securing the end with a black ponytail holder. She leant forward and scrutinized her face. An extra spattering of freckles littered her nose, making her reach for her purse to find the sunscreen. Her fingers slid against its edge but failed to latch on, and the bag crashed to the ground. Rolling her eyes at her clumsiness, Cassidy knelt down to gather up her things. A small green metal square caught her attention.

She reached forward and snagged it off the carpet. Staring at the flash drive, a tornado of thoughts filled her mind. Cassidy began collecting her scattered belongings. She held her cell phone in one hand and the flash drive in the other. With a resigned sigh, she dialed Charles' number and prayed he'd answer, make her laugh at her foolish thoughts of his endangerment, and give her some answers.
Stupid man
. He and David were probably halfway around the world engrossed in another geological mystery. But she needed them now to enlighten her as to why Drew was suddenly interested in the geological survey they hadn't bothered to complete.

The phone rang four times and then flipped into voicemail. Cassidy prepared to leave a message but frowned when an automated voice indicated Charles' voicemail was full. “That's odd.”

Before she had an opportunity to digest the meaning of yet another dilemma, Jake pounded on her door. “Food's here.”

“I don't want anything.”

Her bedroom door opened, and Cassidy hastily tucked the flash drive into her back pocket, then scooped up the rest of her belongings. Jake glowered at her. “You're going to eat.”

“No!” Cassidy shouted, then cringed at the ferocity of the word. He didn't understand. There was something chewing at her brain, and she needed to figure out what the hell it was. The flash drive had triggered a memory, but the edges were fuzzy and the picture distorted. Drew's interest in the survey stored on the drive sent up a slew of warning signals, but the reason eluded her. She counted backwards to control her irritation. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell.”

He stood before her, hands on hips, a very determined expression on his face. “I ordered all this food. You have to eat something.”

She rose and followed him out of her room and into the main conference area. Jake walked around a heavily laden trolley, inhaling and sighing in appreciation. He uncovered steaming plate after steaming plate. With a quick bow, he waved her over to admire the bounty. She rolled her eyes at his dramatic presentation. It didn't matter that her stomach churned and growled at the scent of the food; Cassidy wanted control. And that meant eating when she determined it was time to eat. “I'm not hungry.” He continued to circle the baking dishes, ladling spoonful after spoonful onto a plate.

“Sit.”

“Look, Anderson, I don't want to eat. However, if you need me, I intend on sitting at
that table
over there.” She pointed to the conference table he'd shoved aside to make room for the food cart. “And when you're done stuffing food into your mouth, you can join me. I'll be working.” She walked to the table, pulled the stack of files that Steve had left for her, dropped into a chair, and flipped open the top one, ignoring her biologist.

She'd work through the meaning of the flash drive later. For now, the wolves were top priority. Scanning the first sheet, she quickly became absorbed with the updated wildlife statistics the park provided. There didn't seem to be anything unusual.

Jake pushed something into her hand. It smelled heavenly. Out of habit, she took a bite and stifled a sigh of appreciation as the warm bread and succulent beef slid down her throat. Maybe she should eat just a bit.

“Watcha got?” he asked, pulling a chair up next to her. She ate another bite of the sandwich and ignored the self-satisfied smile that crossed his face.

She wiped the edge of her mouth with the napkin she found on her lap. When had that gotten there? “Nothing.”

“Bummer.”

“Uh huh.” She chewed, swallowed, and placed her half-eaten sandwich on the corner of his plate. Snatching a fry, she popped it in her mouth and laid the paper she'd been studying on the table between them. “Here.” She stabbed a finger at a graph. “See the dips in wildlife population over the past few years? The rise and fall is absolutely normal.”

“That's good.”

“For them; not for us. I was praying for a bit of enlightenment.”

Jake handed her back her sandwich and gently tipped her elbow toward her mouth, indicating she needed to finish it. “I suppose that means we have to find ourselves a pack of wolves.”

“Exactly,” she nodded, waving the last bit of bread and beef in the air. Jake smiled, pushing his plate closer to her. She grinned and finished off the fries. “I'll need the GPS stats first thing in the morning in order to determine what post to observe from.”

“I'll notify Steve to have them on hand before we meet with the rangers.”

He's usurping my authority again
. “I'll do that,” she said. Damn, this man irritated her.

“Suit yourself.”

Cassidy pushed the papers to the center of the table, faced Jake, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell me why you seem attached at my hip and determined to be in charge.”

Jake didn't say anything for a few minutes. She almost smiled at how quickly his brain seemed to be running through scenarios. He leaned forward and stared intently, his face twitching with amusement. “I think you're pretty?”

Rolling her eyes, she sighed in exasperation. “You don't look like any biologist I've ever worked with before.”

Jake's answering smile lit his eyes, and it was damn hard not to smile back. Cassidy bit her bottom lip, waiting for some answers. Call her ultrasensitive, but there was something about this man that had her nerves on constant high alert.

“I needed a hiatus,” Jake said.

Cassidy narrowed her eyes, thinking back to her conversation with Steve. She didn't voice the silly rumor about Black Stripe invading missions like ghosts, but it crossed her mind for one brief second before rational thoughts returned. Black Stripe was government, and government provided soldiers. Jake Anderson might be buff and tough, but by the way he handled himself in the meeting with his comprehension of the wolf statistics, Cassidy recognized that he knew his science. “A hiatus from what?” she asked.

Jake hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He peered at her and shrugged. “My last assignment was tough. I didn't particularly care for the results.”

Africa had been one of many rough assignments, which led a shred of credence to his explanation. “I can understand that. Being on American soil is like taking a vacation, isn't it?” She only half bought this act. However, she didn't push him. It could wait. She'd asked Steve to run his bio. Until then, Cassidy would reserve judgment.

He tilted his head and continued his disconcerting scrutiny of her face. The verbal pause heightened her senses, causing a funny sensation to ripple down her spine. Nerves.

Jake leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, studying her with a cool detachment. “I'm not an idiot, you know. My doctorate isn't fake.”

Cassidy swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat and pushed a little farther away from the table. “I never considered that.” She rose and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Let's blow this taco joint. My legs are screaming to be stretched.”

Jake's eyebrows shot to his hairline. She hung her head and took a deep breath, kicking herself mentally.
I can't believe I just said that
. “Get your mind out of the gutter. You know what I mean.” He chuckled, and she punched him in the arm as he passed by her.

“Ouch. Don't beat the help.” Jake grabbed a black bag, waved it at her, and held the door open. “Have test kit, will travel.”

Edward Fiske pushed the disconnect button on his cell phone. An unsettled feeling caused his stomach to clench. He didn't like this new arrangement. Maybe it was the fact he'd been up all night finishing the paperwork for the patent, or maybe he had a valid reason for his concern. Twisting his neck to the left and right, he stretched his tightened muscles. Even the quick swig of his favorite soft drink hadn't helped infuse any energy; it'd tasted flat in the confines of the sterile lab.

He sighed and bent to peer into the narrow lens of the microscope, the metal of the
eyepiece
warm from his hours of verifying the contents of each vial. Jason had done as promised. The past fortnight of long hours resulted in the accumulation of the necessary number of spores as well as a substantial backup. Now he had to deliver the product. However, the antidote had yet to be field tested.

They'd been ready to head into Yellowstone this morning to attempt to locate the infected wolves and inject the antidote, but the board called and demanded all the vials be prepared. They didn't care that CPV-19 ran rampant in Yellowstone or that the antidote had yet to be properly tested.

That was the noose that tightened around his neck.

A muffled noise penetrated the steel ceiling of the laboratory. Edward spun around in his chair as the trapdoor opened. Jason slid down the steep metal stairs, entering the lab in the fashion sailors used on submarines. The scent of dirt and outdoors followed him, an odd acrid smell trailing behind. It reminded him of burnt hair. Edward wrinkled his nose then pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief, holding it beneath his nose before he sneezed and contaminated the countertops.