her, “If you need anything, anything at all, just dial zero or hit the panic alarm and someone from my staff will be there in short order to help.” Panic alarm? He didn’t wait for her to respond, turning on his heel, he left through the same door Phoenix used. Joelle wasn’t sure what she’d expected to happen next, but she was surprised by how quickly both men moved in front of her. Each taking one of her hands they pulled her to her feet in a move so well coordinated she’d have thought it had been choreographed if she didn’t know better.
“Come on, minx, let’s get you settled before you crash.” Brandt and Ryan turned and began moving toward the door not wasting any time with chitchat. So much for romance.
Former Senator Helen Rodrick stood in front of the bank of floor to ceiling windows in the hotel’s VIP suite, her arms crossed over her chest as the stared out into the fading sunlight. She’d been quietly looking for Joelle Phillips for the past year and it finally looked as though the elusive young researcher had been located. It would have been much faster to track the woman on-line, but Helen knew too well how easily those inquiries could have been traced back to her.
What Joelle was doing in a small town in Montana wasn’t clear, but it seemed unlikely the brilliant young scientist had randomly chosen the location. People like Ms. Phillips didn’t do random —they were meticulous in their actions. The challenge Helen had was deciphering the young woman’s thinking. If she’d stayed in that location this long, then chances were she had support there and it was certainly something that needed to be taken into consideration.
Helen’s Presidential candidacy had already been plagued by controversy; the last thing she needed was to have it further crippled by allegations she’d intentionally helped suppress a potential cancer cure for personal financial gain. Hell, she was already battling never-ending criticism over her past associations with the world’s financial titans. She’d been planning this candidacy for years and she damned well wouldn’t see her moment in history undermined because some other woman had aspirations of ending one of the world’s most financially profitable medical conditions. When Helen’s financial backers had gotten wind of rumors surrounding Phillips Pharmaceuticals’ pending breakthrough her phone had blown up with calls, texts, and email from around the world.
When her phone pinged with an incoming message, Helen turned to pick up the device she was beginning to think owned her rather than the other way around. Info is probably in her house since the place is secured far better than any home in BFE needs.
Why else would she secure a small home in bum fuck Egypt as her chief of security had so eloquently put it? Helen agreed the woman’s formula notes were likely hidden in her home, now all her hired muscle needed to do was get in and out without being detected by the local sheriff. And everything she’d read indicated the man was remarkably capable considering he lived in one of the least populated areas of the country. Of course, former Navy SEALs were never incompetent and this one was a local so he was even more dedicated to protecting the citizens in his jurisdiction.
Tapping out a reply, Helen kept her long-range plans for Ms. Phillips to herself. Can you secure the information without alerting local LE? Over the years, Helen had discovered local law enforcement could be surprising alert to strangers in their communities, and the last thing she needed was to be tied to a burglary in Montana.
His didn’t respond for several long seconds letting her know he was choosing his words carefully. If it’s there, we’ll find it. Sophisticated systems require specialists. So he was calling in someone else, meaning she was going to have to wait…definitely not her strongest personality trait. There were several individuals on the Phillips board who
“Come on, minx, let’s get you settled before you crash.” Brandt and Ryan turned and began moving toward the door not wasting any time with chitchat. So much for romance.
Former Senator Helen Rodrick stood in front of the bank of floor to ceiling windows in the hotel’s VIP suite, her arms crossed over her chest as the stared out into the fading sunlight. She’d been quietly looking for Joelle Phillips for the past year and it finally looked as though the elusive young researcher had been located. It would have been much faster to track the woman on-line, but Helen knew too well how easily those inquiries could have been traced back to her.
What Joelle was doing in a small town in Montana wasn’t clear, but it seemed unlikely the brilliant young scientist had randomly chosen the location. People like Ms. Phillips didn’t do random —they were meticulous in their actions. The challenge Helen had was deciphering the young woman’s thinking. If she’d stayed in that location this long, then chances were she had support there and it was certainly something that needed to be taken into consideration.
Helen’s Presidential candidacy had already been plagued by controversy; the last thing she needed was to have it further crippled by allegations she’d intentionally helped suppress a potential cancer cure for personal financial gain. Hell, she was already battling never-ending criticism over her past associations with the world’s financial titans. She’d been planning this candidacy for years and she damned well wouldn’t see her moment in history undermined because some other woman had aspirations of ending one of the world’s most financially profitable medical conditions. When Helen’s financial backers had gotten wind of rumors surrounding Phillips Pharmaceuticals’ pending breakthrough her phone had blown up with calls, texts, and email from around the world.
When her phone pinged with an incoming message, Helen turned to pick up the device she was beginning to think owned her rather than the other way around. Info is probably in her house since the place is secured far better than any home in BFE needs.
Why else would she secure a small home in bum fuck Egypt as her chief of security had so eloquently put it? Helen agreed the woman’s formula notes were likely hidden in her home, now all her hired muscle needed to do was get in and out without being detected by the local sheriff. And everything she’d read indicated the man was remarkably capable considering he lived in one of the least populated areas of the country. Of course, former Navy SEALs were never incompetent and this one was a local so he was even more dedicated to protecting the citizens in his jurisdiction.
Tapping out a reply, Helen kept her long-range plans for Ms. Phillips to herself. Can you secure the information without alerting local LE? Over the years, Helen had discovered local law enforcement could be surprising alert to strangers in their communities, and the last thing she needed was to be tied to a burglary in Montana.
His didn’t respond for several long seconds letting her know he was choosing his words carefully. If it’s there, we’ll find it. Sophisticated systems require specialists. So he was calling in someone else, meaning she was going to have to wait…definitely not her strongest personality trait. There were several individuals on the Phillips board who
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