Authors: Beverly Jenkins
Max mewled in shuddering response. Last night’s loving had given her the stamina to stave off a quick orgasm, but his rich-voiced invitation set her on the brink.
“Maybe this will help….” and he slid in two long-boned fingers.
She gasped. Her body greedily rode the sensations of being filled. The fingers began their lazy sensual assault and her hips rode the rhythm until the heat became so overwhelming she splintered like glass, shouting hoarsely and hoping it would never end.
It did, of course, but only long enough for him to replace his fingers with something harder and far more substantial. He was big, and Max loved it. Having been an Amazon all of her life, finding a man capable of supporting her weight and stroking her back and forth while she held on with her legs wrapped around his waist was priceless. The expert hands guided her lustily on his condom-sheathed manhood until sensations became their world.
He climaxed first, pumping like a man gone wild, and she followed, crooning and mindless as wave after body-shattering wave rolled over them and swept them out to sea.
After a shower and breakfast, a smiling Adam was working in the lab and reflecting on the pleasurable morning when his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his
hip, he checked the number, but there was nothing on the display. Puzzled, he raised it to his ear. “Yeah.”
“Dr. Gary?” The accented voice wasn’t a familiar one.
“Yes.”
“Good morning. I’m calling on behalf of friends.”
He went still. He instantly knew who he was talking to. “Which friends?”
“Your Madrid friends.”
“Ah, the cowards that threatened my mother. What the hell do you want?”
“I’m sorry if our methods were unorthodox, but I’m glad to hear your are going to join us.”
“Join you?”
Adam looked over at Ossie lying in the doorway, then said to the caller, “Can you hold for a moment, please.” He muted the phone and said to Ossie, “Ossie, go get Max. Quick.”
Ossie took off.
Adam went back to his call. “I’m sorry. Now, you were saying?”
“My friends would like to make the exchange as soon as possible.”
“Well, since I have no idea what you’re talking about, that might be problematic.”
The man didn’t respond for a moment, then said, “Are you trying to up the price?”
“No.”
“Are you not Adam Gary?”
“I am.”
“Then why the riddles? You signed a contract.”
“I’ve signed nothing.”
The voice became insistent. “Dr. Kent assured us everything was in order.”
Adam’s lips thinned. “Then there’s the problem. Dr. Kent doesn’t represent me.”
Again the other end of the line went silent, then the man gritted out, “We have paid you and we expect to take possession.”
Adam saw the concerned-looking Max standing in the doorway with the dogs. “You may have paid Kent, but he isn’t authorized to speak for me. I suggest you talk to him.”
“We will not be shoved aside so that you can raise the price.”
“Look, man, I’m not going to argue with you about it, so talk to Kent. ’Bye!” and he closed the phone.
Max asked, “What was that?”
“It seems Kaitlin’s daddy has arranged to sell my prototype and they want me to hand it over.”
“Who are they?”
He shrugged. “My friends from Madrid.” Adam was furious that Kent had tied himself to men who thought that threatening the life of his mother was no big deal. Adam couldn’t wait to see Kent again so he could beat the hell out of him. He opened his phone and angrily punched in Kent’s number. It rang, then transferred him to the voice mail. Adam left a terse profane message then hung up.
Max was thinking. “The folks in Washington need to know about this. How long would it take you to download all of your work and wipe your hard drives clean?”
Adam looked confused. “Why?”
“Because I don’t like the sound of that call. How long?”
“Couple hours.”
“Get started.”
He stared.
“Please, Adam. Call Washington and then do the computers. If nothing jumps off, fine, but if we have to bug out of here on the run, I don’t want your work found.”
Adam agreed with her. “I’m on it.”
“Good. I’m going to make some calls, then I’ll be back.”
Upstairs, Max put in a call to Chandler. When he answered, she ran the situation by him.
Myk said, “Sounds like somebody needs to whip Kent’s ass. If you don’t hear anything from Washington by this evening, I want you to get Adam out of there as quickly and as quietly as possible. Is the media still there?”
“No idea, but supposedly there’s a way out that bypasses them.”
“Good. We don’t need them in the mix, too. Bring him down here and we’ll go from there.”
“Okay.”
“And Max?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
“Most definitely. I’ll keep you posted.”
She ended the call.
Adam spent the rest of the morning downloading his work onto small portable drives, shredding papers and thinking about the mysterious call. What had Kent done
and how much had he been paid? Kaitlin mentioned something about half a million dollars. Had Kent pocketed that much? If he had, Adam understood why the caller wasn’t happy. Would they be pissed off enough to try and take the prototype by force? Apparently Max thought so, and so did he, otherwise he wouldn’t be down here doing what he was doing.
The man called Adam back around noon. “My friends want their property, Dr. Gary, and if we have to retrieve it in person we will. I will call you back in one hour.”
The transmission ended.
Adam left the lab to let Max know about the call when his phone went off again. The number was Kaitlin’s. “Yeah?”
She was screaming and crying and he couldn’t understand a word. “Kaitlin! Kaitlin! Slow down! I can’t understand you, slow down!”
He got her to calm down long enough to explain. What she told him was staggering. Dr. Sylvester Kent was dead. He’d been shot in the head gangland style, and according to Kaitlin, whoever murdered him had also cut out his tongue.
He consoled her as best he could on the phone. She promised to call him later, after the police did their preliminary investigation, and then hung up.
A now grim Adam placed a call to Washington. His contact was a man named Jeffries. A secretary answered. Jeffries was in a meeting with his boss, Adam was told. “Is there any way I can reach him? This is an emergency.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but Mr. Jeffries will be unavailable until the end of the day. I’ll let him know you called.”
“But—”
Click.
She was gone.
Frustrated, Adam closed the phone.
Jan Kruger thought Kent deserved to die for his perfidy. After receiving Kent’s assurances that the deal was done, he had expected the exchange to go smoothly. Instead he would have to spend the day putting together a team to try and take Gary and the prototype by force.
Damn Kent!
He should have known better than to trust someone of his race. It was bad enough that Jan and his friends were staking their future on the invention of a Black, but they had no other choice. Once they were confident in their ability to reproduce the prototype, Gary would no longer be necessary. Now, however, he was very necessary, and Jan planned to oversee the operation to snare him personally. He wanted no more screw-ups. Killing Kent might have been a mistake, but he had no time for second thoughts or remorse.
When Max heard the news about Kent, all she could
do was shake her head. He’d been a tremendous pain in the butt but no one deserved to be murdered in cold blood. Without firm evidence, Max knew the authorities wouldn’t be able to tie Kent’s death to the men wanting Adam’s prototype, but she didn’t believe in coincidences. “Did Kaitlin say how long he’d been dead?”
“Coroner told her two, maybe three hours.”
“So it happened sometime this morning.”
Adam nodded, then told her about the second call he’d received from the man claiming ownership of the prototype.
Max said, “I’ll touch base with Portia and the Bureau to see if there’s a way to find out who he is and where he’s calling from. How are you coming with the downloads?”
“Nearly done. Most of the paper has been shredded, too.”
“Good. Finish up as soon as you can. We’re out of here first thing in the morning if your man Jeffries doesn’t call this evening.”
“Where to?”
“Detroit, first. We’ll figure out where next when we get there.”
“Sounds good.”
Max mined her brain for any other information she might need to know. “Can the prototype travel?”
“Yes.”
“Safely?”
“Without question.”
“How big is it?”
“Not very. Want to see it?”
Max was surprised by the offer. “Yeah.”
It was the first time she had been in his inner sanctum. She looked around at all the computers, the stuffed bookshelves, and the large chalkboard filled with equations. The all-white room with its countertops reminded her of her high school chem lab.
To Max, the prototype looked like one of the tubes you put your check into at the bank drive-up. It was made of a transparent material that felt light yet strong in her hand. There were two dark metal caps on each end, and sealed inside was a gently roiling substance that looked liked liquid black pearls. Grays and blacks merged and separated in a dance that was mesmerizing. She looked up at him. “What is this stuff?”
“Mostly chemicals. Carbon for one.” He went on to explain the science behind his discovery.
Max followed the explanation just fine until he slipped into his second language and began talking chemical equationese. Chuckling, she held up her hand. “Whoa, Doc. Whoa. You’re making me dizzy, here. I’m just a country girl, remember.”
“Sorry,” he said with an embarrassed smile.
“No need to apologize. This is something you’re passionate about. I like that Einstein mind.”
“Never been wanted for my mind before.”
“Oh, it’s not just your mind, believe me.”
He laughed. “Are the rest of the women in your family as real as you are?”
Max shrugged. “I suppose. My mama raised JT and me to mean what we say and say what we mean. My job is in the mix, too, though. I’ve worked beside a lot of men, and they respect a woman who’s up front. Cuts out a lot of the bullshit.”
Adam agreed. He’d met few women who appreciated his love for science, which is why his two fiancées never worked out. As for being up front with him, both women would say whatever they thought he wanted to hear. Beautiful and brainless, the both of them. Being around Max proved that he’d saved himself and his fiancées a lot of grief by calling the engagements to a halt.
Max was still studying his fascinating invention. “So how will this work?”
“It fits inside of a receptacle that will hopefully be standard in all future homes. The receptacle is made out of a material that reacts with the casing and distributes the heat.”
Max was impressed. “And it won’t explode or anything like that if it gets knocked around?”
Adam gestured for the tube. When she handed it over, he smacked it against the edge of the lab’s counter. It didn’t break. The chemicals inside sped up their roll for a second or two, but nothing else happened.
“I am too scared of you,” she declared with amused awe.
All that brain and fabulous in bed, too! Lord, have mercy.
Forcing herself to keep her mind on the problem
at hand, she said to him, “Okay. Let me see what Portia can do about our caller, and you finish up down here. When you’re done, pack a bag and put it in my car. Only the essentials. We don’t have a lot of room.”
He nodded his understanding.
She leaned up, gave him a quick kiss and said, “See you later.”
Jan Kruger was ready to begin the assault on Gary’s residence. He was done calling Gary and trying to do this like gentlemen. According to Kent, the only resistance they were liable to encounter was the housekeeper and her two dogs. Kruger was sure such a laughable security force would be no problem at all.
The man claiming to have paid for the prototype didn’t call back, and a sense of foreboding dropped down on Max like a heavy winter coat. As the day lengthened, she became so convinced something bad was about to go down, she got out her handheld. Using Benny’s software, she scanned the perimeter for lurkers. Seeing nothing, she and the dogs went out to the car.
Keeping an eye open for trouble, she popped the gate on the back of the Honda and lifted the well cover. Inside was her weapons locker and the bag holding the dogs’ protective gear. Hoisting the heavy footlocker out of the car, she grabbed the bag with her other hand then carried it all back into the house.
Out on the patio, she removed the collars Ruby and Ossie were wearing and replaced them with the ones she fished out of the bag. Portia called them war collars. Each was made of a lightweight fabric that was virtually
indestructible in order to protect all the nanotechnology inside. Max had tried the collars out for the first time during an art theft investigation in Greece she and the dogs had been hired for a few months back, and she thought the collars were Portia’s best work by far. Inside were digital cameras Max could access, and Portia could access from her farm down in Ohio as well. There was also GPS technology that enabled a satellite to pinpoint the dogs’ locations anywhere on the planet, and a few other magic gadgets that helped Max stay one step ahead.
Once the collars were secured, she strapped on their vests and secured the Velcro fasteners on their backs and beneath their bellies. Made out of the same bulletproof materials used by human law enforcement agencies, the vests, like the collars, had been customized for protection and ease of wear. Satisfied that her babies were outfitted for whatever might jump off, she turned her attention to her weapons. The twenty-first century version of the AK-47 she began putting together was part rifle, part machine gun. The German weapons manufacturer who’d asked her to test-drive it called it a hybrid. It was sleek, lightweight, and deadly. She’d trained on it extensively but hadn’t had cause to put it to use. In reality, she hoped she wouldn’t have to. Having been a Girl Scout, however, Max knew better than to be unprepared.
She glanced up and saw Adam standing by the door watching her. His face was unreadable but his eyes were on the gun.
“Computers all set?” she asked, keeping her tone light and going back to her task. While he looked on
silently, she added the last piece, then raised the large weapon to check the sight.
He moved closer. She met his eyes and said, “If you have something to say, now’s the time.”
Adam didn’t know what to say. The big gun brought home the fact that Max Blake was no ordinary woman. Most of the ladies he knew were content to carry handbags filled with makeup, but this one earned a weapon that looked like something out of
The Terminator.
“Not sure what to say.”
Max shrugged. “Think of it as an insurance policy.”
Adam gave her a smile. “Okay.”
Max appreciated his smile because she wanted him to understand who she was. “I’m security, Adam. Can’t fight the bad guys with a curling iron.”
He smiled. “Guess not.” Then he added, “That’s a big gun.”
She let a small smile peep out. “It is indeed.” She explained its pedigree, and when she was done she asked, “Ever fired a weapon?”
“No. I’m real good with a fishing pole, though.”
She grinned. “It’s a good skill to have in your repertoire, Doc. Never know when it may come in handy. You might want to get some training once this adventure is over.”
Adam wasn’t sure whether it was something he wanted to do in the future, but it was something to consider. He glanced over at the dogs outfitted in their gear. “Whoa. They look serious.”
“Don’t want them to be hurt. Portia designed the vests and the collars.”
Adam walked over to take a closer look. Although he and the dogs had come to a truce of sorts, he was
still hesitant about touching them. He noted the new collars. “What’s the deal on these?” he asked.
Max explained how the collars functioned.
Adam appeared impressed. “GPS?”
“Along with a few other bells and whistles. We’re doing a year-long field test. If they work out, Portia will put them on the market.”
“So they’re prototypes?”
“Basically, yes.”
“This Portia is someone I’d like to meet.”
“She’d probably like to meet you, too. You two can compare brains.” Max noted that he seemed more comfortable now than he’d been when he first stepped out to join her, and she was glad. “Is your bag in the car?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m ready to roll whenever you are.”
“Good. Anything from Washington?”
He shook his head.
Max wondered what was going on with that. DOD was supposed to be doing oversight on Adam’s project; now they were nowhere to be found. Was something else in the mix impacting their getting in touch? The phone’s landline was still unplugged, but they had his cell number. “Not hearing back from Jeffries bothers me. I don’t understand.”
“Me, either, but the government bureaucracy sings their own tune.”
“I know that, but still—”
There were two jet skis out on the lake moving at a pretty good clip toward the beach. The noisy machines were common on the rest of the big lake, but with this being private property, riders seldom ventured this close to the shore. Max picked up her binoculars to check out the skiers, and when she saw the black wet
suits and the hoods, she said to Adam, “Inside, please, Adam. I don’t like the looks of them.” She brought the glasses down. “Please, quickly.”
He looked grim as she picked up the weapon.
“Now, Adam,” she growled, then trained her attention on the approaching jet skis. The dogs came over and stood by her side, their faces turned to the beach.
Adam’s jaw tightened and he reluctantly disappeared inside.
What with all the plants surrounding the patio railing, Max was sure the riders couldn’t see her weapon, so she waited. Once they reached the beach, one man got off, but the other stayed in the water and held on to the empty ski.
Max stood so she could be seen, then called down, “You’re on private property.”
The man stopped and looked up. “I wish to speak with Dr. Gary.” The accent was not one she could pinpoint with any accuracy.
“There’s no Dr. Gary here. Try down the beach.”
The first bullet hit the glass door behind her, shattering it and making her scramble. Another shot rang out, followed by two more, but by then, angry, she was firing back. She sprayed the hill, churning up sand and vegetation and forcing him to run for his life. Their automatic rifles were no match for the power in her well-trained hands and she let them know it. Running toward the stairs, Max tried her best to blow the skis out of the water, but the terrified men were already aboard and hauling ass back to a big boat sitting ominously on the horizon. Snatching her phone free, she held it up and took as many pics of the boat and the skis as she could. The big boat was a ways out, but she hoped a zoom
during the printing process would show some details Myk and Portia could use it to track it down. By now the jet skis were too far away for her weapon to reach, so she headed back up the steps. On the patio stood Adam and the dogs. He looked grave, the dogs alert.
When she reached the top, she met his eyes and said, “Guess the party’s on.”
Max put in a call to Chandler and to the Bureau agent in Grand Rapids. Both promised to get in touch with their Fed contacts and call her back as soon as possible to let her know how to proceed. She also put in a call to the Coast Guard. She was pleased to hear that the Bureau had already contacted them and that a cutter was on its way, but she wasn’t planning on waiting around for them to show up. She knew the perps would be back, and if they had any sense, they’d come with more peeps and more firepower. It was time to leave.
Because she had been preparing for this all day, it didn’t take long for them to get ready. She took a moment to activate the collars on the dogs. The signal would engage the satellite and alert Portia that they were on the move. On a quick last run through the house to lock it down and make certain nothing important had been left behind, Max saw a line of jet skis making their way back toward the house. She cursed and took off toward the front door. Adam and the dogs were already in the Honda. She scrambled under the wheel and started the engine. “The jet skis are coming and they brought friends.”
Her adrenaline running, Max hit the accelerator and headed down the drive. Looking into the rearview mirror at the dogs, she said, “I’m sorry Ossie.”
Seeing Adam’s confused face, she explained, “He gets car sick. I may have to knock him out before this is over.”
As the car sped toward the gate, Max tensed at the sight of an SUV and two armed men waiting there. She cursed inwardly but didn’t slow. She had no idea who they were or why they were there, but she didn’t think they were friends. She yelled to her passengers, “Get down and hold on!”
She stomped on the accelerator and the Honda roared toward the gate. The men’s eyes widened and they scrambled out of the way. She crashed through the gate to the sound of weapons fire. Max could hear the pings and thuds of bullets hitting the body of the car as she broke free but she didn’t slow. The bumpy unpaved road tossed them around like a ride at the state fair, and she could hear Ossie’s whimpers of distress but she kept driving.