Cryostorm by Lynn Rush

here.”
    Tim sat down at the desk. “Okay, let’s see who Melanie really is.” He flipped open his own computer and with a few key strokes, okay, more than a few, but I quit looking because I couldn’t make out anything. “Jody Parsons. That’s who she’s registered as, but we can be sure that’s a fake. Wonder why she told us her real name?”
    “IDs?” Nate asked.
    Tim scooted his chair over to the other computer. “Let me do some looking around on her stuff and see what I can find out.”
    Nate faced me. “Okay, then. Let’s go dig my car out. We need to leave at first light.”

 
     
     
    Chapter 9
     
    “M elanie Xavier,” Tim said when Nate and I walked into the room. “Agent for The Center .”
    Melanie hung her head low, well, as low as she could considering that red cloth still fastened her to the headrest.
    “She talked?” I asked.
    “Not a peep,” Georgia said. “Tim worked some magic with her computers while you were digging out the car. Snow slowed a little, huh?”
    “Not much, but some.” I clicked the door closed then faced our prisoner. She hadn’t talked, would that mean Nate and Tim would go all interrogator on her?
    “Let me see,” Nate said, squatting beside Tim.
    “I hacked into The Center’s database once I had her name. She’s low-level clearance.” Tim smiled. “Nothing like what you had, buddy.” He slapped Nate’s back.
    “Found file after file tracking Lois,” Tim said. “Melanie came here, probably after seeing what I saw on the name spiders. But once again, Lois eluded us all.”
    “Is Lois an Agent?” I asked.
    Melanie looked toward the dark window.
    “Tim?” I asked.
    “Didn’t find any details on her in that respect. An email a few days ago about how Lois was MIA and that she’d stay a few more days to check more thoroughly, but then the storm rolled in.”
    “Right along with us,” I said, shaking my head. “What do you know about Lois? Why are you after her?”
    Melanie didn’t flinch.
    “She’s trained to not respond, Mandy. She’ll withstand a lot, even die before talking,” Nate said.
    “You made Andrey talk.”
    Melanie flinched at that statement.
    “You know my buddy Andrey?” I asked.
    “Abomination.”
    “Yeah, you like that word, don’t you?” I showed her my back. “We’re not getting anywhere. What are we going to do with her?”
    “Kill her or take her with,” Nate said.
    “Shit.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Yeah, well, I knew that was going to be your answer, not sure why I asked.” I looked up into his big, brown eyes. “Can you make her talk, first?”
    “She’s low-level, assigned to get Lois. Not sure she knows much more.”
    “What are these guys, robots? Just blindly doing what they’re programmed to?”
    Nate flinched.
    “Look. I’m sorry. I’m freaking out.”
    “I know.”
    “What’s going to happen with Scott, Jasmine, and Zach now that The Center knows we’re alive?”
    “I’ll tell Martin what’s going on. He’ll watch over them.”
    “What if that’s not enough, Nate?”
    Ding.
    “Whoa. Hold on here. We got a hit on Lois.”
    Melanie’s head jerked up and her focus narrowed in Tim’s direction.
    Georgia hurried to his side. “Where?”
    “Wait.” Nate’s voice boomed, demanding everyone look at him. He jutted his thumb toward Melanie. “Not in front of her.”
    “Look. You guys take the computer to our room. I’ll watch our friend, here,” I said. “Do your planning thing and let’s blow this pop stand. I don’t care how stormy it is.”
    Nate smiled. “I agree.”
    “I’ll stay with you,” Georgia said.
    “No, it’s okay. Go with them. I know you’re anxious about Lois.”
    The three filed toward the door. I walked Nate out, and he brushed his hand against mine. “Don’t have too much fun chatting with her,” he whispered.
    “What?” How did he know?
    “I’m getting to be able to read you pretty well.”
    I smiled. “I guess you are.”
    He turned around,