Authors: D. T. Jones
“What do we do now?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she reached for his drink, feeling like a rock had settled in her throat.
“We try to forget about all of this and get on with our own plans. We have to trust Andrew and hope he has some answers by the time we get back.”
“Can you really do that?” she asked feeling slightly braver than she had a few seconds ago. Creighton smiled as he turned and glanced sideways to her, but once again it didn’t quite seem to reach his eyes. He was worried and frustrated and it showed.
“I will try, but it will be up to you to help keep my mind off things.” Sandra blushed and looked down at the bottle.
“Maybe I should make use of that black outfit you like so much.”
“That would definitely keep my mind off everything else,” he laughed as his phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket and pressed the button and listened in silence for a moment.
“Harvey is here,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket and standing up, reaching a hand down to her. She set the bottle on the table and slipped her hand in his as she stood off the sofa.
“Are we still going to your office?” she asked, watching as he gathered his computer together and returned it to the brown carrier.
“I really want to check out the new project my researchers are working on. If it works the way they’re promising, it will mean a huge difference in child abductions.”
“How?” she asked as they stepped to the door and he unbolted the latch.
“We’re developing a tracking device that can be inserted into a car seat, a pram, a favorite toy, even a blanket or bottle. Once the bugs have been worked out it could mean a huge difference in locating stolen children.”
“You are a very unique man, Creighton Ashford,” she smiled, stepping down the steps of the plane toward the waiting car. “I only hope I can live up to the role of wife, to the man who saves the world.”
New Hope Technologies was far from being the elaborate high tech building Sandra assumed it would be. It was a normal building, three stories high and barely half a block square. Of course it was modern in design, white brick with wall sized windows looking out onto the street outside. The roof held several large black solar panels and the front door was double sided with the initials
NHT
in black letters. She stared at the exterior as Harvey pulled the car up to the front entrance and shut off the engine.
He had traded in the usual limousine for a small Mercedes Benz sedan; luxurious and expensive as all of Creighton’s vehicles seemed to be. He stepped around to open the back door as two of the building’s security pushed the double glass barriers open. Sandra wrapped her hand inside her husband’s as they entered the main lobby, being greeted with smiles from the men holding the doors open. They seemed friendly, though she couldn’t understand what was being said. They were once again in France and she was a novice to the language.
The lobby was very elegant with tiled floors, beige walls and an area at the base of the large half circular metal stairs filled with potted plants in a variety of sizes. A large reception desk stood across from the double doors with a tall attractive young man who looked to be around twenty-two with reddish-brown hair and a matching goatee. He wore a black suit with a name tag that read
Phillipe
, a white shirt and black tie. Next to him sat a very pregnant woman. Sandra estimated the woman was around her age with short curly blonde hair and freckles across her face and neck. She had the brightest blue eyes Sandra had ever seen and her smile seemed to take up most of her lower face. Like her partner, she wore a black jacket and tie with a white shirt and a name tag which read
Oriel.
Creighton stepped up to the counter and shook Phillipe’s hand and then Oriel’s who blushed redder than Sandra ever could. He spoke to both in French and turned to Sandra introducing her as
Mademoiselle Ashford.
She smiled when they both nodded, hoping she didn’t look as awkward as she felt. She had grown used to Creighton using the title when they were alone or when they had traveled to France to find Aryana, but this was the first official time he introduced her as his wife since the title became legal. She was amazed at how easily he spoke her new name and felt slightly embarrassed; it had yet to sink in that she was no longer a Dennis.
They walked up the stairs to the second floor and past several offices; some with open doors others closed. She walked beside him to the opposite end of the hall to a door with a sign that read
Recherché et Développement; Personnel Autorisé Seulement.
He penned a code into a small security panel on the framework and listened to the click of the lock. With a childish grin, he pushed it open and allowed her to walk in ahead of him.
The room was larger than she would have expected, with a number of stainless steel work stations; all with microscopes, computers and an array of tools and equipment she had never seen before. The walls were encased in frosted glass panels which allowed light to filter through but no spectators to see in. Above each work station hung a large florescent light and the half dozen workers turned to watch them approach, all in hospital type lab coats. Their shoes were hidden with blue covers and they wore dark blue gloves and white masks over their noses and mouths. Sandra smiled; it looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Creighton greeted a tall black man as he approached, shaking his hand and smiling. It was the same man she had seen in the photo from Kansas. Sandra listened as the two discussed their plans for their honeymoon in English and she was instantly aware that he had been at the reception; though she couldn’t remember seeing or meeting him. But then again, she had met so many people she was amazed she could remember the ones she had.
“We’re about ready to try out the prototype,” Creighton’s engineer, Lawrence Alexander, said as they walked to a nearby metal table and retrieved a file of papers. “It should be ready to test in a couple of weeks.”
“That sounds great,” Creighton replied. “What about the range, were you able to increase it?”
“Yes and no. If we can piggy back on a communication satellite we’ll be able to increase the range to several hundred kilometers. Otherwise it will only have twenty kilometer radius.”
“That’s not good enough. Have Brian contact the satellite phone services and try to get one on board. With this technology, we can practically eliminate abductions within a fortnight.”
“I’ll have him get right on it. In the meantime, I’ll have the prototype sent to you in a few weeks.”
“Perfect,” Creighton said with a smile, picking up the small device with a pair of long handled tweezers. It looked like a thin computer chip only a few millimeters in size and Sandra frowned as she looked at it.
“It’s not very big,” she said, bringing the two men’s eyes to her as though they had forgotten she was there.
“That’s the purpose darling,” Creighton said. “The smaller the device, the less noticeable it will be; easier to hide so anyone trying to steal a child, a person, even an animal won’t be able to locate it. It’s like the anti-theft devices on cars; when one gets stolen the security company can locate it and take control of the engine.”
“It’s amazing,” she said watching him set the small chip back on the foam disc inside the round glass dish he had lifted it out of.
“It’s revolutionary.” Creighton’s tone was once again like an excited child. “The hope is to make it affordable for everyone, so no child or adult for that matter will ever have to fear. Kids can play without worrying that some creep will come up and steal them away, women won’t have to worry about working late at night and men will feel safe enough to walk down a dark alley. There is not only a tracking signal, but with an external button - say a shirt button or maybe even an earring, a person can press it and instantly get help sent to them.”
“Like the car security system my sister has,” she commented. “If she’s lost or runs out of gas, anything like that, she presses a button and she’s connected to a company that sends help.”
“That’s exactly what it will be like. Anything can be tracked down anywhere in the world.” Brian added.
“We set up a security company about four years ago that is so advanced, you can turn on your house or car alarm from anywhere on this planet,” Creighton continued. “The problem with using that system for this device is that we need to locate, not communicate. Like the GPS chips in phones, this will track down a device and transmit its location back to the company without the person in possession being aware of it. Our security systems use a different type of satellite, so we need to find one that has GPS capability or arrange to build one of our own, which would take several more months, even another year or two. I don’t want to wait that long; I want this up and running as soon as possible.”
“That’s amazing. I would never have considered so much went into such a small object.” Sandra commented.
“Haven’t you ever heard that size doesn’t matter?” Creighton teased her, causing her to blush.
“I have heard, but until now I haven’t seen a physical example of it.” Creighton’s smile widened as Brian cleared his throat and Sandra fought to keep herself from giggling.
“We have to go check in with Michelle,” her husband said, slipping his arm around her waist before turning back to Lawrence. “Let me know when we can start the tests. I’m very interested in the progress of this device.”
“Yes sir,” he answered shaking first his employer’s hand and then Sandra’s. “Just as soon as Brian has a service interested we’ll be ready to go. I want to try making the prototype a little more fashionable for the testing; something people will want to use or even wear without feeling embarrassed.”
“Perfect. I won’t be available by phone for the next couple of weeks, but I will be checking my email as time permits. Send me the details and updates that way. And Larry,” he continued. “There is a very large bonus in it for you and your staff once the testing is done.”
“Yes sir,” the darker man said again as the rest of the workers looked to the two men, mouths hidden behind masks, but their eyes shined with excitement. Creighton and Sandra stepped out the door, pulling it tightly behind them as he led her down the hallway to a lift at the other end.
“That was very nice of you,” Sandra said once they were encased in the steel box alone.
“They have worked on this project for over two years,” he said with a smile. “Even if it takes another year to get it to the testing stage, I will make certain those involved are compensated for their time.”
“You are a very kind sir, Mr. Ashford,” she teased, leaning her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
The doors to the lift opened far sooner than either would have preferred and Sandra looked up, spying the elaborately decorated room beyond. Like the one downstairs, this one too had a variety of potted plants in various sized located throughout the room. There were four desks; two on either side of the room, with the same glass window panels as the main lobby had. The floors were covered in a thick soft grey pile carpet and the furnishings were blonde oak. At the far end of the room was a larger desk than those facing each other and behind sat Michelle Dubois. She smiled as the doors opened and stood, revealing the very tight mauve colored dress and matching stiletto heels. Her hair had been pulled back in a bun similar to those Sandra would wear back at the library, but hers was softer with strands of long hair beside her temples and down the back of her neck.
Creighton guided Sandra through the room, pausing to introduce her to the women who were busy with correspondences, payroll and accounting. There was Stephanie Meyers, a British intern from Oxford who was working under the direct supervision of the accounting manager, Marie Laurent, who sat at the desk next to her. Across for them was Daniel Keen who sat next to an empty desk; his dark suit and pale blue shirt looked as though he had slept in them, his tie slightly lopsided as was his smile when he stood to greet them. He looked tired and a little undone and Sandra frowned when she shook his hand.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, nervously adjusting his tie and tucking in his shirt. “Aryana was at hospital last night; I must look a fright.”
“Is everything alright?” Sandra asked with a deeper frown.
“Oh yes, she was having preterm contractions and we thought there was something wrong, but the doctor said she was just exhausted and had been doing too much over the past few days. He’s ordered her to bed until we see him again on Thursday.”
“She did have a very busy week and you should really be home with her.” Sandra insisted glancing to Creighton waiting for him to respond in the manner she was silently willing him to do.
“I agree,” he added, looking at his wife as if to say he understood her meaning. “Take the rest of the week off and take care of your wife. I’m sure Michelle wouldn’t mind if you did your work from home. Just check in with her during business hours and come back when the doctor says it’s alright.” Daniel’s eyes widened and he glanced from the two people in front of him to Michelle who was smiling sweetly, almost motherly to him.
“Oui,” she said when she stepped up to Sandra’s side. “I already told him this but he is
très têtu
. He did not want to imposition anyone with his work.”