few moments later Seth was back; her townhouse wasn’t that big. He put his gun back in its holster.
“Are you okay?”
Rachel was looking around trying to take it all in. All of her drawers had been emptied, the contents thrown on the floor. Her pictures removed from the wall, backs slit open. Her furniture had been turned on end.
“This has to be the same guy, right? Or someone working with him? He thinks I have whatever microchip.”
“Yes, they must be mistaking you for someone who works in the department and are convinced you have the chip for some reason.”
“That’s your case, isn’t it? Whatever you’re undercover for has to do with the protection or recovery or something of it.”
He nodded. “Yes, basically.”
There was more, she could tell. She didn’t know if he wasn’t at liberty to say or just didn’t want to.
“How did the guy have time to do this since he grabbed me on campus? I stopped to grab a bite to eat on my way home, but this had to have taken longer.”
“You were supposed to wait for me, remember?”
Rachel studied her shoes. “I just needed to get away from that whole situation. Honestly, I thought it was just a fluke and you wouldn’t really need me anymore.”
“They could’ve been waiting for you, Rachel.”
She thought about the two men across the street. “I know, I’m sorry.”
He ran a hand down her arm. “If it helps, I think this was done earlier today. Probably while you were in class. The guy with the gun came on campus when he couldn’t find the microchip here.”
“Do you think they’re searching the homes of everyone in the computer engineering department? What about the others?”
Seth shook his head. “No. We’ve been following certain members of the department. No one else has had any problems.” Seth paused. “Except Ryan Powell.”
“What happened to him?”
Seth paused. “He’s in the hospital.”
“ What ?”
“He was attacked last night. He’s in a coma.”
Rachel looked around her house. First Ryan was attacked, then someone came after her thinking she also had something to do with the microchip.
“Will Dale and Lydia be okay? Is someone protecting them?” she asked, having trouble taking this all in. “And the other people in the department?”
“Yes, they’re being watched. I’m not worried about their safety. I’m worried about yours.”
“Surely by now they’ve figured out that I don’t have the microchip thing they’re looking for.”
“Thank God you weren’t here when they came to search this place. You—“ He stopped.
“I’d what?”
He took a step closer. “I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened.” He ran a finger down her cheek almost as if he couldn’t help himself. “I just want to make sure you’re safe until all of this is over.”
Rachel looked around her house. “Should I start cleaning this up?”
Seth shook his head. “No. I’ll send someone to process this. It’s just become a crime scene too. They’ll make sure nothing useable was left behind by the perp or perps.”
“Okay. It’s getting late. I guess I’ll need to get a hotel tonight.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Where am I going to stay? I don’t think I can stay here and even if I could, I don’t know if I’d want to in the shape it’s in.”
“You’re staying with me at my apartment.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
They’d taken the metro back to campus so Seth could get his car and drive her to his apartment which was on the outskirts of D.C. This wasn’t the place he planned to stay forever, but it was fine for now.
“So you actually live here in D.C.? You’re not from out of town?” Rachel walked through the door he opened for her. He was conscious of the boxes still lying around everywhere.
He slid one out of the way with his foot. “I relocated here from San Francisco about six months ago. New
“Are you okay?”
Rachel was looking around trying to take it all in. All of her drawers had been emptied, the contents thrown on the floor. Her pictures removed from the wall, backs slit open. Her furniture had been turned on end.
“This has to be the same guy, right? Or someone working with him? He thinks I have whatever microchip.”
“Yes, they must be mistaking you for someone who works in the department and are convinced you have the chip for some reason.”
“That’s your case, isn’t it? Whatever you’re undercover for has to do with the protection or recovery or something of it.”
He nodded. “Yes, basically.”
There was more, she could tell. She didn’t know if he wasn’t at liberty to say or just didn’t want to.
“How did the guy have time to do this since he grabbed me on campus? I stopped to grab a bite to eat on my way home, but this had to have taken longer.”
“You were supposed to wait for me, remember?”
Rachel studied her shoes. “I just needed to get away from that whole situation. Honestly, I thought it was just a fluke and you wouldn’t really need me anymore.”
“They could’ve been waiting for you, Rachel.”
She thought about the two men across the street. “I know, I’m sorry.”
He ran a hand down her arm. “If it helps, I think this was done earlier today. Probably while you were in class. The guy with the gun came on campus when he couldn’t find the microchip here.”
“Do you think they’re searching the homes of everyone in the computer engineering department? What about the others?”
Seth shook his head. “No. We’ve been following certain members of the department. No one else has had any problems.” Seth paused. “Except Ryan Powell.”
“What happened to him?”
Seth paused. “He’s in the hospital.”
“ What ?”
“He was attacked last night. He’s in a coma.”
Rachel looked around her house. First Ryan was attacked, then someone came after her thinking she also had something to do with the microchip.
“Will Dale and Lydia be okay? Is someone protecting them?” she asked, having trouble taking this all in. “And the other people in the department?”
“Yes, they’re being watched. I’m not worried about their safety. I’m worried about yours.”
“Surely by now they’ve figured out that I don’t have the microchip thing they’re looking for.”
“Thank God you weren’t here when they came to search this place. You—“ He stopped.
“I’d what?”
He took a step closer. “I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened.” He ran a finger down her cheek almost as if he couldn’t help himself. “I just want to make sure you’re safe until all of this is over.”
Rachel looked around her house. “Should I start cleaning this up?”
Seth shook his head. “No. I’ll send someone to process this. It’s just become a crime scene too. They’ll make sure nothing useable was left behind by the perp or perps.”
“Okay. It’s getting late. I guess I’ll need to get a hotel tonight.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Where am I going to stay? I don’t think I can stay here and even if I could, I don’t know if I’d want to in the shape it’s in.”
“You’re staying with me at my apartment.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
They’d taken the metro back to campus so Seth could get his car and drive her to his apartment which was on the outskirts of D.C. This wasn’t the place he planned to stay forever, but it was fine for now.
“So you actually live here in D.C.? You’re not from out of town?” Rachel walked through the door he opened for her. He was conscious of the boxes still lying around everywhere.
He slid one out of the way with his foot. “I relocated here from San Francisco about six months ago. New
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