Specimen(101)

“Taylor Wick confirms he is at the checkpoint and ready for you.”

“Good.” I look to Riley, who won’t meet my eyes.

She’s been quiet since we arrived at the house, watching and listening but not offering any words. I go to stand by her, and she starts shuffling around in her medical bag.

“This should keep you going,” Riley says as she inserts a needle into my arm.

Closing my eyes, I feel the rush of energy as the drugs hit my bloodstream and circulate through my body.

I place my finger on Riley’s chin and tilt her head up to meet my gaze.

“I love you, Riley.”

She closes her eyes, nodding and pressing her lips together. She reaches her arms around my neck and hugs me tightly.

“I love you, Galen. I can’t guide you this time, but I’ll still be tracking where you should be at any given moment. Make sure Wick notifies us when you reach the checkpoint.”

“I will. You make sure you stick with these guys, and don’t do anything stupid like try to follow me because you think there’s trouble. There’s a four-hour gap in the time I may return to the second checkpoint. No panicking.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” She smiles up at me, but her eyes are dull. She slides her hands down my arms and grips my fingers.

“Don’t worry,” one of the soldiers says, “we’ll keep an eye on her.”

“You better.” I stare him in the eyes, and he nods once, acknowledging my warning.

If anything happens to her, I’d probably kill the guy.

“Be careful,” Riley says. “Get in; get out.”

“I’ll be fine,” I tell her. “You are the one who needs to watch out. If there is any sign of trouble, and I mean anything, do not wait for me. Get the hell out.”

“I will.”

I stare at her as I keep holding her hands. I’m afraid to let go, afraid this will be the last time I ever see her. I’m not worried for my own safety, but my heart aches with the thought that something might happen to her when I’m not here. It’s almost enough for me to take her with me all the way to the pharmaceutical company.

Almost.

I gently squeeze her fingers one last time before releasing her, grabbing the garment bag with the suit in it, and heading off into the darkness. I need very little light to see clearly, and I glance over my shoulder several times as I put distance between myself and Riley. Each time, she’s still standing in the same place, watching my departure. When I move over the hill and take my final look at her, she hasn’t moved though there’s no way she could still see me from there.

I have no problems navigating my way to Milton or finding the small building near the pharmaceutical company where I am supposed to rendezvous with Taylor Wick.

The place looks like an old fueling station. The walls are cement, and there is a wide open space in the front with broken pillars that look like they might have once supported a carport roof going back to the main structure.

My instructions are to just walk in, but I’m cautious. The front window is dark and I don’t see movement inside. I move around to the back of the place, but there is no window there, just a metal door with a padlock on it.

Returning to the front, I crouch below the window and peer in, watching intently until I see the dark outline of a person in the back. I circle the form with my eyes, calculating height and build. Though I can’t quite make out his face in the darkness, he matches Wick’s description.

I open the door and walk in, heading for the back until I’m standing next to the man.

“Taylor Wick?” I already know it’s him.

He nods at me.

“There’s been a lot of talk about you,” he says. “Your designation has been filling up the airwaves for the past forty-eight hours.”

“Any indication of their plans?”

“There’s talk of a raid on Martinsville,” Wick says, “but I don’t think they’re ready for that yet. If they are, it’s being kept quiet. They’ve been mobilizing specimen teams of three for the last week, but no information on where they’re being sent. I’ve seen several training sessions conducted in the city.”

“I need to get ready,” I tell him as I hold up the garment bag.

Wick directs me to a sink and hands me a couple of towels so I can get cleaned up and dressed. He gives me a razor and a comb as well so I can make myself as professional-looking as possible.

“About ready?” he asks as I adjust the tie.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

“You’ll have to leave your weapon,” he says. “It will be detected, and we don’t want to have to explain ourselves.”