Arnie stared at Boss in a dreamy state. “No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
Boss turned to me. “He doesn’t know.”
“What about records?” Jonas asked from the front of the shop. “Does he keep records of what he sells?”
“No, I don’t. I run a small shop. Most of the books sold are children’s and young adult books.”
Boss pocketed the receipt and pulled out a small card. “If someone else comes in asking about this young lady, give me a call.” He handed the card to Arnie.
“How much did the receipt show?” Jonas asked.
I spun around. “Eight ninety-nine.”
Jonas walked toward me holding a thin book in his hands. “Are all your journals the same price?”
“Depending on the size, yes,” Arnie replied. “The smaller ones are five ninety-nine.”
“Can I see that?” I asked, holding out my hand.
Jonas gave me the notebook. It had a black cover and the spine made a crinkling sound as I opened it. I flipped through the blank pages, then stopped near the middle. A flash of recollection came to me, and I gasped.
Boss gripped my arm. “Are you all right?”
I met his gaze. The brief glimpse had to be a memory. But it was gone. “Help me,” I whispered.
My ears were ringing. I focused my thoughts, trying to recall what I'd seen. I was staring at the book when the flicker occurred. Something to do with the white pages. Damn it, why couldn't I remember?
Pain pricked my head. I clenched my teeth. Staring at the blank book in my hands, the image came back in a series of snapshots. Black symbols filled the pages. I was writing them quickly. The air smelled sweet. Tasty. Like chocolate. Seconds later, a black void engulfed the memory. The ringing faded, leaving my head sore and my mind weary.
“Did you see it?” I asked, staring into Boss’s dark eyes. “Tell me you saw the images.”
“I did,” Boss replied. “We should talk about this outside.”
A tingle of excitement stirred in me. The memory, no matter how brief, reassured me I had them deep inside my brain. Boss had compared brains to computer motherboards. Perhaps he was right. The single memory gave me hope that I could have others.
Boss turned to Arnie. “Are there any coffee shops nearby?”
Arnie lifted his arm and pointed. “If you go out at the light, make a right and cross the next street, there's a coffee shop on your right.”
“Thank you,” Boss said.
Jonas led the way to the door. I followed Boss and set the notebook on a rack before we left.
“Well, that was interesting,” Jonas said, stepping off the curb.
Enlightening and hopeful described it best for me. Painful too. My head throbbed horribly.
We settled into the car. “Care to fill me in on what happened?” Jonas asked.
Boss leaned back in his seat. “She has a memory, buried deep inside her mind. I had a difficult time extracting it and only saw glimpses. She was writing in a journal. In the memory, she captured a scent, which I believe was coffee. I want to check out the coffee shop Arnie pointed out to see if it jogs any more of her memory.”
Good plan.
Jonas backed out of the parking spot. “Could you see what she was writing?”
“They were symbols,” I said from the back seat.
“It appeared to be an ancient dialect. I may have seen it before a long time ago, but I have no idea what it means,” Boss said, raking a hand through his hair. “We need to find the journal.”
“How could I write in some ancient language?” I asked.
Boss looked over his shoulder. “As I’ve said before, you have knowledge. Someone has simply erased your memories.”
I sighed as I turned to look out the window. At least Arnie gave us one good clue. I had purchased a journal and wrote something in it. Maybe I knew something bad might happen to me so I hid it. But where? If someone cleaned out my memories, wouldn’t they have found out about my journal?
After a short drive through two stoplights, Jonas turned into a small shopping area. He parked the car in front of Starbucks. Staring at the glass doors and outdoor furniture, I tried to recall if I'd been to the shop before, but not a single memory came to mind.
We entered the shop and the rich scent of chocolate and coffee flooded my nostrils. The sweet aroma smelled almost heavenly. I followed Boss up to the counter where three workers with aprons were working.
“Hi, can I help you?” asked a young lady with a bright smile.
Boss captured her gaze. “My friend might have been in here four nights ago. I was wondering if you might recognize her.”
“No, I wasn’t working,” she answered with a frozen look on her face. “John works most nights. He was probably here.”
“Is John here now?” Boss inquired with a polite tone.
She turned her head over her shoulder. “Hey John.”
The taller man at the far end strolled to the counter. “What can I do for you?”
“Do you remember my friend?” Boss asked. “She might have visited a few nights ago.”
John directed his attention to me. “Oh sure, I remember. I like your hair.”
“Thanks.”
He blinked and looked back at Boss.
“How long was she here?” Boss asked.
“A while, like a few hours. She was writing in a book,” John answered.
Boss stared at the young man. “Did you talk to her?”
“Sure, I asked if she wanted anything to drink or eat.”
“And how did she respond?”
“She said no. She seemed busy, maybe nervous. I don’t know.” John shrugged. “People come in here all the time to read, write, or work on their laptop. They don’t spend a lot of time talking to us.”
“Did she have anything else with her when she was last here?” Boss asked.
John rubbed his forehead. “Um, I’m not really sure.”
“Would you like a drink or anything?” the young female asked.
Jonas withdrew his wallet from his back pocket. “I’ll have a regular latte.”
“Thank you, John. You’ve been helpful,” Boss said.
As John silently returned to the coffee machines, Boss gripped my elbow and pulled me aside. “You had a yellow envelope with you.”
“What?” I asked.
“I saw the memory in John's head. You had a large yellow envelope when you were here. I suspect you were going to mail the journal.”
“To whom?”
“Good question. For now, it’s safe to say it’s not in the hands of the enemy,” Boss said.
But who was my enemy?
Jonas strolled up with cup in hand. “Anything?” He took a sip.
“I had an envelope. We think I mailed the journal,” I said.
“Any idea to who or where?” Jonas asked.
I followed Boss to the door with Jonas at my side. “Of course I don't remember, but if I mailed it four days ago, it should be reaching its destination soon, if not already.”
We stepped from the coffee shop and headed for the car.
“Give me the keys,” Boss said. “I want to drive.”
I suspected something was wrong. The entire time I’d been with them, Jonas always drove. Why would Boss suddenly want to drive? Jonas said nothing as he gave Boss the keys.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I have a stop we need to make.” He avoided my gaze and opened his door.
Vague answers meant trouble. Suspecting something awry, I glanced over the car toward Jonas. He ducked into the front passenger seat. Did he know something? I hoped my suspicion was wrong. I slid into the back seat.
Boss drove away from the busy area while Jonas sipped his drink. Their silence made me suspicious. I disliked how they were leaving me in the dark. They’d asked me to trust them and I did. I hoped I had made the right choice.
I stared out the window. We were in a more secluded part of town with less traffic and darkened businesses, not the shopping kind. When Boss turned into a parking lot, I stiffened.
Jonas glanced at Boss with a puzzled look on his face. Did he know where we were going?
“What’s back here?” I asked. “This looks all shut down for the night.”
Boss remained silent. He rounded two corners and then drove behind a building. My heart beat faster. Why would he bring me to such a secluded place?
Boss parked the car in front a steel door. The car’s headlights shone on the beige building and reflected off a small white sign plastered on the wall. In black letters, the sign read: Lab Entrance.
Chapter 13
“Why are we at a lab?” I asked, climbing out of the car.
Boss and Jonas stood in front of it with the headlights beaming on them. The tightness around Jonas's eyes and his silence led me to believe he didn’t know about the lab.
Jonas stopped near the door. “Boss–”
“I need to take a sample from her and run some tests,” Boss said, shoving the car keys into his pocket.
I stepped up on the sidewalk. “A sample? Nothing more? Why couldn’t you take one at the house?”
“This lab has better equipment I can use,” Boss replied.
“You still don’t believe me, do you?”
“After what I've seen, you are unlike any creature I have ever encountered. My belief is not in question. I brought you here because I want to compare your DNA with others we have on record. I'd like to trace your origin.”
Comparing my blood with others on record didn’t seem like a bad idea. But my gut instinct told me there had to be more, something he was hiding.
I crossed my arms. “I’m not buying your bullshit. You could’ve taken a sample of my blood from the house and researched the records there.”
He walked up to the door and knocked on it. Jonas looked at me, clueless and speechless. Why would Boss hide something like this from Jonas?
Boss turned and met my eyes. “I want the doctor to check you out.”
“What?” Jonas and I asked at the same time.
A touch of anger sparked within me. “Why do you want some quack to check me out?” Test me, poke me, study me...it sounded painful and I really wanted to avoid any pain
“I want to know if you have the same organs as humans do.”
“Why would it matter if she has a different organ structure?” Jonas asked.
“It doesn't matter. This is more a curiosity.” He met my gaze. “Wouldn't you like to know if you have the same organs as we all do? Wouldn't you be interested to know if your DNA matches with other races, or if I could find your parents?”
I had to look away from him. I hated to admit, but now that he mentioned it, I was curious.
“You want answers and so do I. This doctor will not hurt you. I give you my word,” Boss said.
No matter how much he assured me no harm would come to me, I disliked the idea of some quack touching me. “I’ll give you your DNA sample, but I’m not being poked and prodded.”
The door squealed open. An older man with gray hair poked his head out. “Hello?”
Boss met his gaze. “We spoke on the phone earlier. I’d like to use your lab. I will reimburse you for your time and use of equipment.”
The man opened the door wider. “Come in.”
Boss looked back at me. I disliked how he’d hid this from me. If he would have told me the truth and asked me to come here, I might have agreed. I wanted answers as much as he did. Now, I was unsure I could trust him.
I glared at Jonas. “Did you know?”
“No, I didn't know,” he replied.
“Come on,” Boss said, holding the door open. “We’re wasting time.”
Gritting my teeth, I stomped my boots and walked into the lab.
We followed the older man down a dark hall before turning a corner to another. A small light from a room at the end spilled into the hall, illuminating it. My heels clacked on the linoleum floor. The place smelled of chemicals and alcohol. If he thought about cutting into me, he could forget it. I would run far, far away, after I punched him in the face.
We entered the last room.
“I have everything you asked for on the phone ready for use,” the older man said. “The supplies are in the cabinets and drawers. The computer is ready also.”
Boss tapped a key on the keyboard. The screen flashed on. “This will be fine.” He turned and nodded at the doctor. “Prepare your equipment to examine her.”
The doctor strode by Jonas and I without so much as a glimpse before he left the room. I wondered if he was a regular doctor or some quack friend of Boss.
The small room looked similar to a kitchen with cabinets and a long counter along the side wall. In the center of the room, a large Lshaped table held a computer, microscope, and other equipment. All the counters were free from clutter, and water dripped from the faucet into the stainless steel sink.
Boss opened one drawer and then another, scanning the contents. He withdrew a sealed syringe and a small glass tube. From another drawer he snatched a mid-size rubber hose.
Jonas passed by me. “Boss, is it necessary–”
“Yes, Jonas.” Boss slammed the drawer shut and spun to face Jonas. “Are you questioning me?”
“Testing DNA is one thing…” Jonas said.
Boss glared at Jonas. “If it makes you
feel
better, think of it as a physical.”
Jonas shook his head. Clearly, he didn't agree with Boss any more than I did. No matter how Boss said it, physical, test, or check up, they all meant the same thing: some stranger would be touching me to make sure I was normal. No thanks.
Boss set the supplies on the counter and walked back toward me. He grabbed my arm. “This won’t take long.”
I jerked my arm, trying to break free from his grasp. “Do you always force your will on people? It’s downright rude.”
“I have no concern for pleasantries.”
“You are such an asshole!” I snapped. “I might have been willing to do this if you asked me. That’s all you had to do. Just ask.”
He pulled out the stool and set me down on it. “Why bother? You’re going to do this.”
Heat rushed to my head so fast I thought I might burst into flames. Fury didn't come close to it. I wanted to beat the shit out of him.
“Why bother?” I asked behind clenched teeth. “Because asking is the right thing to do. Do you think I trust you now? How can I trust you if you don’t tell me what you plan on doing? Can’t you at least give me the courtesy of knowing? I’m not some, some insignificant peon for you to boss around. I deserve as much respect as any other person.” My voice stung my ears.