The Gender Experiment: (A Thriller) by L.J. Sellers Page A

stopped. Once they stepped past the edge of the building, they could be seen by someone in front of the cafe.
Just go for it.
Jake put his arm around Taylor. “Hug me back. We’ll look like a couple with no worries.”
    Taylor reluctantly slid her arm around him, her body tense. She was so lean! No softness to her at all. After a lone car passed them, Jake pulled her in close and took off across the street. On the other side, he kept going. They would circle the block and come back on the next avenue. “Where exactly is your car?”
    “Parallel to us one block over.” Taylor pulled away. “It’s not directly in front of the coffee shop. I think this will work.” She made an odd sound in her throat. “If anyone is watching, I would expect them to go after Seth first.”
    “The fourth name?”
    “Yeah. I couldn’t find him.”
    “I may be able to help with that too.” Cold air squeezed his chest, and Jake realized he hadn’t zipped his jacket before they bolted. “We need to warn Seth even if we go to the FBI with all this.” He didn’t know what to call the collections of deaths, correlations, and list people. Evidence? Theory? Taylor had referred to the births as an experiment. “The feds may not take us seriously enough to act quickly. Seth could be living his last moments.”
    “Don’t say that,” Taylor snapped. “I feel bad enough that I didn’t warn Zion in time.”
    Jake patted her arm as they hurried around the corner. “You tried, and you’re still doing everything you can.”
    Two couples pushed past them on the sidewalk, talking in loud, drunk voices. Jake suddenly craved a tall mug of dark ale, with a joint chaser. But he had to keep his shit together. This could be the most important journalistic endeavor of his life. Getting it right and selling the story to a major newspaper or magazine could be the break he needed to make a career comeback.
    “My car is just around this next corner.” Taylor picked up her pace. “I’ll unlock it as soon as I’m within range, and we’ll run for it.”
    “What’s the make?”
    “A white Jetta, in the middle of the block.” Taylor stepped around the building and pressed her key. They heard the beep and both charged forward. As he ran, Jake glanced to the end of the sidewalk but didn’t see anyone lurking or watching them. He jumped in the passenger’s side. He would rather be the driver, but it felt good just to be inside a vehicle for the first time in weeks.
    Taylor started the car and eased onto the street. “Do you see anyone back there?” She glanced in the rearview mirror.
    “No. I think we’re good.” Had he been too paranoid? Maybe Taylor wasn’t in danger. A wave of doubt rolled over him. Was she making all this up? Some people were loony enough to fake their own kidnappings or other bizarre events. But he had found Zion’s murdered body. How could she have known about Zion? Unless Taylor was the killer. Oh god. Was she a psychopath?
    Taylor touched his arm, initiating contact for the first time. “Thanks for taking me seriously. It’s nice not to be alone in this.”
    Jake buckled his seat belt and leaned back. He would investigate everything she’d told him, including her claim to work at the morgue, but his instinct was to believe her. “Let’s go get my phone, then drive to Colorado Springs and find a cheap motel. We’ll visit the clinic first thing in the morning. Only this time, I’ll try to access a computer and see if I find relevant files.”
    Taylor gave him a look. “Do you have money for a motel?”
    He had Zion’s cash and bankcard. “Sort of. Do you have any resources?”
    “Sort of.”
    “Once we contact the FBI, they might put you into protective custody.”
    “That sounds horrible.” She shook her head and turned left at the intersection. “Another good reason to not contact authorities.” Taylor glanced in her rearview mirror. “There’s a car back there, but I can’t tell if it’s following