Determinant: a gene or other factor that determines the character and development of a cell or group of cells in an organism.
Chapter 7: Sleuths - Confessions
Secrets are revealed as the team tries to uncover a mystery involving bears in Paris.
Jamie fidgeted in her seat, wedged between Mitch and the inner wall of the airplane. Beyond the window was darkness, but she could almost feel the vast expanse of water stretched out beneath them as they traversed the Atlantic toward Europe. Next to her, Mitch was snoozing comfortably, his head laid back and his mouth slightly open as he breathed deeply. She thought about waking him to talk about the million things that were flying through her mind, to let him help her sort it all out. Her new passport sat heavily in her coat pocket, inscribed with a new-but-old moniker.
Using her mother's maiden name probably hadn't been the ideal choice for her new identity, but when the man had asked her it had been the first name to pop into her head. With a few strokes on a keyboard Jamie Campbell was no more; all of her achievements and accolades meant nothing. All of the work she'd done, the hardships she'd endured in the name of exposing Reiden had simply vanished like a breath in the wind. She knew that it would be safer to have a completely new name, one not connected in any way to Jamie Campbell and Folsom, Louisiana. But she couldn't. Giving it up entirely felt too much like surrender, and though she might have been ready to throw it in a few weeks ago, things had changed so drastically since then. They had the Mother Cell now, and more than just a few animal attacks that offered ample enough proof to nail Reiden to the wall. And when they were finally brought down and made to pay for all of the suffering they caused, it would be all the sweeter to do so as Nancy Armstrong.
Mitch sucked in a sharp breath and shifted next to her. He didn't wake, but he hummed something unintelligible and Jamie stifled a giggle. Before she talked herself out of it she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of him. At the very least, it was good blackmail material later (and if she happened to use it as her contact photo for him, well he would never know).
Jamie checked her watch and groaned as she realized they were only about halfway through the flight. They were scheduled to land in Paris at one p.m. local time and Chloe had already told them they were welcome to stay at her place. She had room, she'd told them, and it would be nice to stay in her own bed for at least one night. No one had argued; everyone had gotten their fill of hotels for awhile. Jamie glanced across the aisle where Chloe was sleeping across both seats, having been lucky enough not to have a seatmate. Jackson and Abe were in the row ahead of her, both men relaxed in sleep and unavailable for Jamie's entertainment. Resigning herself to her solitude, she pulled a book from her bag and angled the overhead light so it wouldn't hit her companion as she began to read.
Mitch offered to carry her bag for her as they deplaned. When he'd woken up she'd joked that he hadn't been nice enough to share his melatonin. He'd obviously taken it more seriously, and the contrite expression his face almost made her laugh. Still, she took him up on his offer and let him fight with both her bag and his down the narrow aisle between seats as she followed him off the plane. When they hit the jetway she tried to take it from him but he insisted on being a proper gentleman and shouldered his duffel and gripped the handle of her rolling case firmly.
A dark SUV was waiting for them out front, and Chloe took the front seat to speak with the driver in their native tongue. Jamie slipped into the back as Jackson and Mitch stowed all of the bags in the back. Abe took the bucket seat just in front of her, and when the others finally sat down it was Jackson who climbed into the back next to her. The driver pulled away from the airport in a rush, and Chloe directed him to an address as the others craned their necks to get their first glimpse of the city. Like them, Jamie had never been to Paris before, but any excitement she might have felt at being in the City of Light was smothered by the weight of their task and the shadow of the life she'd taken. Her mind wandered aimlessly even as Jackson poked her as they passed various buildings and sights. When the Eiffel Tower finally came into view she barely glanced at it, her thoughts too filled with the sound of gunshots echoing in an empty stairwell and the look of pained surprise on Ben's face.
"Jackson and I will go talk to the authorities and see what we can do about getting in on the investigation," Chloe said from the front. She turned to address Mitch. "They're keeping the bear sedated at a university lab at Alfort. I've already told them you're coming, so we'll drop you on the way. Jamie and Abe can stay with you to help."
Jamie didn't feel much like helping, but she didn't say so. It was only another ten minutes or so before they were deposited at the doors of a nondescript looking building. Chloe went with them until they found the doctor, who thankfully spoke English. She seemed a little out of her depth and was visibly relieved when Chloe told her that Dr. Morgan would be taking over for a while.
They were led down a long corridor until they reached a back room. The bear was laid out on a table, various tubes and wires monitoring each breath and heartbeat. He was massive; much larger than she'd originally pictured. Jamie stopped at the door, her own fight or flight response kicking in at the sight of a large predator.
"It's perfectly safe," Mitch told her. "He's sleeping." Jamie edged in, skirting the outside of the room until she was safely behind the desk. Mitch checked the bear's vitals as Abe did a visual inspection.
"He seems to be unharmed," the larger man said. "And I see no physical differences between him and any other bear. How do we tell if he's been infected by the Mother Cell?"
Mitch turned to Jamie and gestured to a table near her. "Grab that tray of test tubes over there, will you?" He grabbed a kit from the cabinet and pulled out a syringe. "I'm gonna take a blood panel and hope that some foreign elements show up." He found a vein and stuck the needle in as Jamie gripped her row of test tubes anxiously. When the bear didn't stir she let out a breath of relief. "If they do," Mitch went on oblivious to her reaction, "I'll compare their chemical structure with the Mother Cell. And if they match, we've got our answer."
Long forgotten chemistry classes sprang into Jamie's mind and she grasped at them in a desperate attempt to distract herself. "So basically you're looking for a fingerprint, chemically speaking."
Mitch looked up as he extracted the needle and gave her a teasing smile. "Look at you, getting all science-y." She returned his smile with a mocking glare, accepting the syringe from him as he held it out. "Ten drops each, in each of those test tubes. And as a back-up we'll take a DNA sample…"
Jamie zoned out Mitch's conversation with Abe as she concentrated on the task he'd given her. She had never been good at science, often relying on lab partners for most of her work. She'd helped them on their English papers in turn; not the most academically ethical arrangement but a useful one. Now she wished she'd paid just a little more attention.
"Huh," Mitch breathed, and when Jamie looked up from her test tubes he was crouched a little too the bear's head for her liking.
"Huh, what?" she asked.
"His eye is normal," Mitch glanced over. "Come take a look." Jamie finished the last drop on the test tube she was working on and set the syringe down carefully before joining him. She leaned over his shoulder, still just a little nervous about being that close to the bear's mouth. Mitch used his thumb and forefinger to open the bear's eye, showing her what he'd discovered. "No defiant pupil."
"That doesn't make any sense." Jamie frowned and stood up. "If he was exposed to the Mother Cell, his eye should be -"
"All big and scary," Mitch finished for her. "Yeah. It should be."
He began muttering to himself, going over hypotheses and theories as Jamie returned to her task. When she was finished with the test tubes, Mitch walked her through the operation of the centrifuge. At her hesitation he gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"I'll be right here," he told her. "Ask as many questions as you want. You can do it." He left her to it and grabbed Abe for a complete snout to tail physical exam of the bear. It took her almost half an hour to complete the preparations, and by the time she was done so was Mitch. He surveyed her work and snapped his gloves off with a flourish.
"We'll make a passable vet tech of you yet, Miss Campbell. Good work." He flagged down the doctor that had greeted them earlier and sent her off with the blood labs and the DNA sample. While he was gone, Chloe called Jamie and told them about their meeting with the city board members.
"So they're just going to search the catacombs and hope the other two bears are there?" Jamie repeated skeptically. "How long will that take?"
"Hopefully not long," Chloe answered. "They're going to coordinate everything and start the search tomorrow. We will be joining them when they get a lead." Jamie heard Jackson's voice faintly through the connection but she couldn't make out what he was saying. "Yes," Chloe agreed with whatever he'd said. "Jackson and I will come get the three of you. There's little more we can do today."
"Okay," Jamie agreed. She was more than ready to just be somewhere she could sit down and process everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. "I'll let the others know."
Mitch lamented not being able to stay and examine the bear more, but Abe pointed out that they'd probably done all they could for now. Jamie only half-listened to their lighthearted banter as she sank down in the desk chair. Her eyes fell on the beast lying peacefully on the exam table, tracking the slow rise and fall of its side as it breathed. Unconsciously, she matched her own breathing to the bear's and the languid cadence soon lulled her into a light doze. A hand on her shoulder jostled her awake, and she blinked blearily as Mitch's worried eyes found hers.
"You alright?"
"Yeah," she sat up and wiped a hand down her face to make sure she hadn't been drooling. At Mitch's soft laugh, she glared at him. "What?"
"Nothing," he shook his head and held out a hand to help her stand. "Chloe and Jackson are here. You ready to go?"
She slipped her hand in his and didn't let go as they walked toward the lab door. Abe had already left, and before she let Mitch lead her out she paused by the bear. With one shaky hand, she reached out and pushed her fingers through the thick fur. The skin beneath was warm, and she let out a quick breath as she felt the beast's heart thump beneath her palm.
"We're gonna have to start keeping a list of dangerous predators you've stopped to pet," Mitch joked. Jamie laughed with him, remembering the lion cub that had been her first real up close experience with any sort of exotic creature. "Come on," he tugged on her hand and pulled her through the door and out into the Parisian afternoon. She climbed into the back of the SUV with Jackson as Chloe gave the driver directions to her apartment building.
They stopped at a store on a corner so they could buy ingredients for dinner. Chloe and Abe disappeared inside, emerging about ten minutes later with bags of food. Jamie kept her gaze out the window the entire time, only half-listening as Mitch and Jackson discussed innocuous things like the animals Jackson had worked with and various behavioral traits that both men found interesting.
Once Chloe and Abe were back, they continued through the heart of Paris toward Chloe's home. They pulled up outside a building nestled snugly in the 6th arrondissement near the left bank of the Seine River. Chloe thanked the driver and stepped out with a soft smile on her face. For a split second Jamie envied her. She was home. Jamie no longer had one.
"Bienvenue chez moi," Chloe gestured to the old edifice that had been converted into upscale apartments. Jackson and Abe scrambled out of the SUV to appreciate the old architecture of the building as Mitch moved to the rear to begin unloading their bags. Jamie joined him, rolling her eyes good-naturedly at the others' antics when he glanced up. He chuckled and slammed the hatch closed, jostling the others from their fascinated stares.
Chloe apartment was larger than the house Jamie had grown up in, but she wouldn't say so. Judging from Mitch's shocked expression, she wasn't alone. And for two men who'd been living in a safari camp in Africa for the last several years, Jamie guessed Jackson and Abe were in heaven. Abe gave a low, appreciative whistle as Chloe took them on a quick tour. The walls were done in a warm wood paneling, and the open layout of the kitchen and dining room made the space seem even larger.
"I have two guest rooms and a sofa. There is also a chaise longue in the sitting room that's comfortable enough if you don't mind firm cushions." She stopped in the middle of the room and spun around. "Make yourselves at home. I'm going to grab some linens for you." She disappeared down a side hall, leaving the others in a mildly uncomfortable silence.
Predictably, it was Mitch who broke it.
"Okay, two questions. One, how much does the French secret service pay? And two, how the hell do I get hired?"
"I think speaking French might be a first step," Abe joked with him, shifting his hold on the bags of food he carried.
"The only French I know would get me slapped," Mitch returned cheekily.
Abe chuckled and turned to Jamie. "You can have one of the guest rooms," he told her warmly. "And unless Chloe has an extra large sofa, I will have to take the other." He glanced at the other two men apologetically, but Jackson just shrugged.
"Hey, I've slept in a hammock for the last few years. I'm not picky." He shared a knowing smile with Abe, then reached for the food. "Why don't you and Jamie get settled in the rooms. Mitch and I can put this stuff away." He transferred one bag to Mitch's hands, not bothering to acknowledge the look of surprised protest on the man's face as he took the other. Jamie stifled a smile, but Mitch caught it and glared at her. That made her smile more and Abe laughed at both of them as Jackson pushed Mitch toward the kitchen.
Abe and Jamie made their way down the hall toward what they presumed was the guest rooms. They could hear Chloe shuffling around down the hall, presumably tracking down sheets and pillows for Jackson and Mitch. Jamie stopped outside the first open door, peering into the small room. There was a smaller-than-average double bed pushed against the far wall in front of the curtained window. On the near wall was a standing closet, and a small chest of drawers next to the bed.
"Cozy," Abe commented. But Jamie couldn't hear him. Her thoughts had begun to spiral, and she felt herself struggling to breathe deeply. Was this her life now? Moving from place to place? Never having a home to call hers? She couldn't live like this, never knowing if she was one step away from going to prison for murder. It was too much. She pushed past Abe and bolted back into the main area. Her eyes found an outside door, and just beyond it she could see the railings of balcony. She yanked it open and pulled it closed behind her, gulping in huge breaths of the cool night air as she fought to calm her racing heart.
She half-expected Abe to follow her, to placate her with meaningless words and false promises, but no one came. She didn't know whether to be grateful or disappointed. She turned her eyes to the Parisian nightlife, listening to the sound of the bustling city. It was comforting in a way, reminding her of her L.A. home. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was back in her apartment sitting in front of the open window, her only worries a looming deadline for the paper and what to wear for the date Ethan had planned. She had almost convinced herself that she was there, that none of the past few weeks had been real and that when she opened her eyes she would be back on her worn sofa listening to the soft strains of whatever her downstairs neighbors had on blast.
"Jamie, vino?" Abe's quiet voice pierced the veil of her almost-fantasy and she startled. He didn't seem to notice as he handed her a glass filled a little less than halfway with a dark red liquid.
"Thanks," she took it from him and sipped politely, trying not to cry as she realized her fantasy would never again be a reality. She was homeless. Jobless. Nameless.
No, that wasn't entirely true.
"But it's 'Nancy,'" she told him. "I should get used to saying it." Then, because she sensed he wanted to know but was too polite to ask, she added, "As far as names go, it's not so bad. It was my mother's," she said. "Armstrong was her maiden name." She avoided his eyes then, expecting a lecture on choosing such a risky name. It wouldn't be hard to connect Nancy Armstrong to Jamie Campbell;, not for the FBI.
But when he spoke, it wasn't to berate her or lecture. Instead, he told a story about a man with another name, another life. Jamie felt tears stinging her eyes as he spoke of a boy who'd had to become a man far too early, and the weight of the guilt he bore every day. She tried to picture a young Abraham - then just a teen named Abdullah - as he made a choice that Jamie wasn't sure she would have been strong enough to make. She heard the heartbreak in his voice as he spoke of his brothers' deaths, killed because he wouldn't allow even one of them to live as a child soldier.
"And even though I knew I did the right thing for my brothers, I've been spending my whole life trying to make up for my choice by protecting the people I care about. My new family." He opened his arms and stepped toward her, drawing her against his broad frame. "And now you are a part of that family, too, Miss Nancy Armstrong."
For a moment she didn't react, caught off-guard by the strength of his embrace. Then she relaxed, letting her arms snake around his middle as far as they would reach as she turned her cheek against his chest. "I'm just tired of running," she admitted. "I haven't even been doing it for two full days, and I'm already exhausted."
"Then let us find a way for you to stop running," Abe answered easily.
A sharp knock pulled their attention to the door. Mitch stood on the other side with a sheepish smile and his own glass of wine. Abe released Jamie and moved to open the door.
"I'm not interrupting?" Mitch asked, earning a soft chuckle from the larger man.
"We were just talking about how we can clear Jamie's name." Mitch stepped out onto the balcony with a firm nod. Abe looked between him and Jamie, then saluted her with his wine glass. "Perhaps sleeping in a comfortable bed for a change will help me think of a solution. Good night."
"Good night, Abe," Jamie smiled her thanks, unable to come up with anything else to say to the man. She thought about the story he'd told her, about the impossible choice he hadn't been able to make. The journalist in her noted that it would make a good story. Maybe one day she'd ask him if she could write it.
"You alright?" Mitch's voice was warm and rich from wine, and Jamie's grateful smile for Abe morphed into something a little different for this man.
"I am," she told him honestly. She turned and leaned sideways against the rail, her stance open and inviting. Mitch took the cue and stepped up next to her, reaching out his free hand to take hers. She sipped her wine for lack of something to say, turning her eyes to the city. He mirrored her, taking a long pull from his own glass. She expected him to say something corny about being in the City of Love or maybe even something about the wine. But he didn't. When the silence stretched longer than she thought it would she turned her head to study him. His jaw was clenched and his brow was creased in thought. Anyone else might think he was deep in thought, working through the global puzzle that had been handed them.
But Jamie wasn't anyone else. With a start, she realized she was probably the person who understood Mitch the best.
"Something's eating at you," she began gently. His frown deepened but he didn't say anything. Jamie pressed. "Is your daughter…?"
"No," he jerked his head once sharply to the side, "she's...she's fine." He took a deep breath and pulled his hand from hers. "Jamie, I…" She saw his throat lift and drop with a swallow and a dozen things flitted through her mind at once. She shoved the most juvenile of them away and tried to let him know that he could talk about whatever was on his mind. She squeezed his fingers between hers and his eyes dropped to their joined hands briefly before returning to the horizon.
"Whatever it is, it can't be as bad as -"
"I contacted Reiden. I told them we have the Mother Cell." He blurted it out so fast she almost didn't catch it. Almost. Her stomach wrenched painfully as she gasped and released his hand.
"W-what? Why would you…? When?" Her mind couldn't seem to focus on one thing and as he turned toward her she stuttered backwards one step, then another. Her back hit the rail and she felt a coldness seep through her skin that had nothing to do with the cool metal behind her.
"Jamie, let me explain."
"Explain?" she cried. "Yes, please explain to me why you would call the very corporation that's been trying to stop us. That sent Ben to spy on us! Explain why you would betray -" Her throat closed around the word she wanted to use - me, she thought - and replaced it with another, " - us?"
He moved to close the distance between them, then thought better of it. He ran his now-free hand through his already disheveled hair before taking a breath. "There's a cure for my daughter's disease," he started. "Reiden's been running trials and they've all been successful. Everyone they've treated has been completely cured, but it'll take years to get the drug through the FDA and approved. By then, Clem might be -" He didn't say it, but he didn't have to. It hung in the air between them, heavy and oppressive. Dead. His daughter would likely be dead by the time any sort of treatment hit the market. Jamie watched him jerk, as though the word itself had struck a physical blow. "She doesn't have that much time," he amended. His eyes met hers and she could see how much his next words pained him. "They will give me enough medicine to cure her if I give them the Mother Cell."
"Bastard," Jamie hissed, whirling away from him in anger. At least, that's what she told herself - that she was too angry to even look at him - when the truth was so much worse. She closed her eyes against the sting of tears and tried to ignore the way her heart pounded in her chest. Anger would be preferable to the agony she was experiencing now. She couldn't let him see how badly his betrayal had hit her. He couldn't know how close she had been to falling in love with him.
"Jamie, I'm not -" she heard his shoes scuff the concrete floor of the balcony as he shifted closer. "I haven't done anything; it's been one phone call. And this could work for you as well," he went on hurriedly. "They would clear your name in a heartbeat if we agreed to -"
"To what?" she turned back hotly, all thoughts of hiding her feelings a distant memory. "To give up our only chance at finally making them pay for what they've done? Forget my mother, look at what they've done to the animals. To the whole world!"
"We don't have to give them all of it," Mitch argued. "Leo Butler hid that thing away for years. They have no idea how much we have. We could cut it in half, keep enough for any tests or evidence and give them what they want to save my daughter. And you."
His logic was enough to cool her righteous anger, though barely. Jamie took several long breaths through her nose as she thought about his plan. She had to admit it had merit, and it was a bit simpler than the James Bond-esque infiltration she'd started to formulate in her head. Still, her anger and hurt kept her from agreeing.
"Look, Jamie," he took a small step closer, "I -"
"Don't," she cut off his apology with a shake of her head and an upheld hand. "Save it. I can't...I can't do this right now." She pushed past him and escaped into the house, rushing through the dining room and ignoring Abe's concerned glances. She found the room that she'd claimed and closed the door before throwing herself on the bed. Her own thoughts were a battleground as she warred between the heartbreak of his betrayal and the logic that the life of his daughter was worth more to him than anything. She vacillated between how could he? and you would have done the same for Mom so often that her head began to ache. Quiet tears ran down her cheeks as she curled around a pillow, but she refused to wipe them away.
The minutes stretched on, and Jamie heard the muted sound of the men talking as they waited for Chloe to come home. Even through the walls Jamie could pick out Mitch's voice as he explained what had happened and told them about his plan. Then there was nothing, and Jamie strained for any clue as to what was happening beyond her room. She jumped slightly when a knock came at her door and Abe's soft voice floated through.
"Jamie, are you alright? Are you awake?" He was quiet enough that, had she been asleep, it was likely she wouldn't have heard him.
"Yeah," she croaked, wincing at the obvious evidence that she wasn't alright. The door opened then closed again, and in the dark Jamie felt Abe's presence as he stopped a few feet from the bed.
"Mitch told us everything," he said quietly, "and while I don't agree with him keeping secrets from us, his plan is a good one." Jamie had nothing to say to that, so she kept quiet. Abe sighed. "Jamie, he did not have to tell you. He could have taken the Mother Cell, gotten the medicine for his daughter, and disappeared. But he told you because he cares about you."
Jamie couldn't help the soft snort of derision that escaped through her nose. She turned over and stared at where she assumed Abe's face was. It was hard to tell in the dark. "If you care about someone you don't go plotting to betray them."
"He saw an opportunity to save someone he loves," Abe corrected gently as Jamie pushed herself into a sitting position and switched on the bedside lamp. They both blinked against the light as Abe continued. "And beneath that gruff exterior he likes to put up, Mitch is not a man who can idly sit by and let someone he loves suffer. Not when he can do something." After a beat, he added, "The two of you are alike in many ways."
"I would never do what he did," Jamie stood and stalked toward the dresser where she'd stowed her laptop bag.
"Perhaps not," Abe conceded, "or perhaps you simply lack the right motivation. I do not have any of my own, but I imagine there is little a parent would not do to save their child. You are a journalist, Jamie," Abe went on firmly, "a storyteller. Put yourself in his shoes. What would you have done?" Jamie unzipped her bag forcefully and tried to hold onto the righteous anger that had consumed her on the balcony. It was cooling faster than she liked in the face of Abe's steady rationalizations. Rather stubbornly, she refused to let it go completely.
"He lied to me, Abe. How am I supposed to trust him?" There it was, the crux of the problem she had refused to admit out loud. How could she trust him now? And if she couldn't trust him, then anything more…
She shook her head and grabbed her laptop, eager to occupy her brain with anything except Mitch Morgan. Abe sighed heavily as she sat down on the bed, effectively ending the conversation.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a way into Reiden's system," she admitted. "If we can access their corporate database, we can track down any payments they made to Ben Schaffer."
"If Mitch's plan works -"
"Look, I know you're trying to be helpful and all, but I really don't want to think about that right now. I'm sorry," she added with a pleading look.
"Alright," Abe relented and joined her on the bed. "It'll go faster if we both work on it."
By the time Chloe returned, Mitch and Jackson had finished dinner and Jamie and Abe had pieced together a halfway decent plan on obtaining the Reiden documents. They ate as they explained everything to Chloe, including Mitch's conversation with the Reiden executive. She was as upset with his deception as the rest of them had been, but she accepted his reasoning more easily than Jamie had. Of course, Jamie told herself snidely, Chloe wasn't already halfway in love with the guy.
Throughout dinner Mitch kept trying to catch her eye, but Jamie resolutely ignored him in favor of joining Abe in laying out their plan to infiltrate Reiden and get the documents they needed. Chloe agreed that it would be nice to have access to all of the information and maybe even get a step ahead for once. Mitch seemed to agree just to get back into Jamie's good graces. It didn't work.
"This is going to be a team effort," Abe said as they finished eating. "Even Mitch." Jamie finally glanced at him, catching the good-natured sneer he threw at Abe's back. She could practically hear the sarcastic response he no doubt had ready, but he faltered as his eyes caught hers. He turned back to the sink where he'd been banished to dish duty by the others as a way of punishment for his transgressions. Jamie marveled again at the others' ability to forgive him so easily.
With clean-up covered and their plan set, Jamie retired to her room with her laptop. She mentally walked herself through her part of the scheme half a dozen times before she felt confident enough. Over the faint strains of her music she heard the footsteps of the others as they bedded down for the night. Once she thought she heard someone stop outside her door, but no one knocked and she shut down her computer and turned out the lights.
Jamie lay awake listening to the sounds of the house at night. There was a susurrus from outside that was present in every city, but Chloe's house held a concert all its own. She could hear the soft snores of Abe in the next room, and someone was shuffling near the bathroom in the hall. Her bed creaked slightly as she shifted, and the ceiling fan wobbled now and then before smoothing out. All of the sounds combined to lull her into a restful sleep, and she was lucky enough not to dream. She woke to the soft murmur of voices that meant her friends were already up, and dressed quickly in the clothes Chloe had let her borrow.
Just a little under two hours later, Jamie was sitting at a small table in the lobby of Reiden's Paris office. She'd placed an order at the small coffee shop in the back, remembering at the last minute to use her mother's name rather than her own. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jackson, Abe, and Chloe hovering just inside the main entrance.
"You alright?" Mitch's voice in her ear startled her, but she managed to stifle it.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Don't whisper," Mitch warned, "people will think you're up to something."
"I am up to something," she replied dryly, earning her a soft chuckle from the man on the other end. They'd reached a sort of detente that morning over breakfast, but despite his attempt to charm her she remained resolutely sullen. He seemed to accept her quiet anger and stopped trying to make small talk. When he'd left for the lab he'd wished them all luck, but his eyes had never left her.
She heard the barista call her mother's name - no, she corrected. My name. She retrieved her coffee and moved back to her computer. "Are you ready to start the connection?"
"Yep," Mitch answered. "Give me the IP whatever."
"You know," she commented, "for a man who can work any number of advanced scientific machines, you are surprisingly computer inept."
"I can work computers just fine," he shot back. "It's all of this hacking and cyber subterfuge that eludes me."
She bit down on an amused chuckle and gave him the address, connecting her laptop with the computer at the lab. Her heart was pounding as she disconnected her call with Mitch to call Chloe. With their plan underway, Jamie forced herself to focus on her part and push aside any thoughts about Mitch or her now extremely confusing feelings for him.
Less than ten minutes later they were slipping into their rented SUV with matching grins. Jackson pulled them away from the building as Jamie turned around in her seat to make sure they weren't being followed. By the time they cleared the central business district her adrenaline was wearing off and she began to sag in her seat.
They all jumped as her cell rang shrilly in the silence of the car, and she fumbled for it with shaky hands. It was Mitch.
"Hello?"
"The bear's awake," he said in lieu of a proper greeting.
"What?" Jamie's tone alerted the other three and Chloe turned in the passenger seat curiously. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Mitch told her. "He started to stir, and when I tried to give him a sedative I bent the needle. He's developed some sort of armor plating."
"Are you okay?" By now Jamie could practically feel the others staring at her intently, but all she could think about was Mitch being face to face with an angry bear.
"He took a swipe at me before barreling out the door, but I'm alright. I did manage to find a soft enough spot to implant a tracker," he sounded just a bit smug as he told her the news. "He'll probably go back to his den." He hissed in pain and mumbled something she couldn't quite make out. He took a swipe at me. The words replayed in her head, and she imagined him sitting on the floor of the lab bleeding from a severe head wound, or holding a blood-soaked bandage against his side.
Jamie angled the phone down and directed her next words to Jackson. "Take me to the lab." She ignored Mitch's protest and relayed the rest of the information as quickly as possible. Jackson detoured toward the university as he began trying to shoot questions at Mitch through Jamie's phone. After the third exchange she hung up bitterly, her worry for Mitch manifesting as irritation at Jackson's incessant inquisition. By the time they pulled up outside the university's lab building, Chloe had called Mitch back and had gotten the entire story over speakerphone.
Jamie jumped out and waved a hasty goodbye as Jackson sped away in pursuit of the bear. She raced through the halls of the university, images of Mitch hurt and bleeding spurring her on. The anger and hurt from the day before evaporated as she barreled through the door to the lab and let out a quiet sigh of relief. There was a visible gash on the left side of his forehead, but it had already been doctored and he didn't even seem fazed by it.
"Sadly, no," Mitch was saying as the door closed behind her. He cocked his head slightly, no doubt puzzled at the frantic expression on her face. "What are you doing here? I told you I was fine." His tone was probably meant to be cool and aloof, but Jamie recognized the doubt swirling deep behind his eyes. She supposed it was fair; when they'd parted that morning Jamie had barely said two words to him.
She tried to match his detached tone, but she didn't quite manage to disguise the worry that was slowly dissipating at seeing him whole and healthy. "Well, I came to make sure you were as fine as you said you were." She closed the distance between them hesitantly, unsure how he would react to her sudden change in mood.
"Well, you missed quite a party," he admitted. The apprehension she'd seen in his gaze just a few seconds ago was gone. Jamie looked around, finally seeing the wreckage of the room. The bear had obviously not woken up in a good mood. It was a miracle Mitch hadn't been more seriously injured, and he'd managed to tag the bear with a tracker to boot.
"I can see that." When she was finally next to him she didn't resist the urge to reach out and caress the red skin above the cut. "That's a nice little scratch." His skin was warm beneath her fingers, and she smiled a little as he turned into her touch.
"I know, it's hot, right?" And just like that, they were back. She let her fingers fall away from his face but she couldn't quite let him go. Her hand settled on his shoulder, returning his teasing smile with one of her own as Jackson's voice floated through the phone on the desk. Jamie flushed with embarrassment as she realized the others had heard the entire exchange.
"Okay," he said, all business. "We're at the forest, Mitch. Northwest corner. Where's the bear?"
"In the woods," Mitch answered, leaning in toward the screen to make sure he was reading the location right. "Due west of you. Looks like about 500 yards in."
Jamie jumped as the faint sound of gunshots echoed over the line. The call was disconnected abruptly, and Mitch tried calling them back three times before giving up.
"I'm sure they're fine," he told her, swiveling in the chair to face her. "Jamie, look -"
"I'm sorry," she blurted out before he could stumble over an apology he didn't really owe her. "I just…" She stepped back to put some space between them in an effort to think. When his expression fell she realized he'd misinterpreted the move and rushed on quickly to fix it. "I'm not always the most rational person when it comes to Reiden and what they've done. It took a lot of guts to…" She was going to say confess, but that sounded a little too accusatory in her head. "...tell me what you did." That sounded less hostile, but she still winced anyway. "And if you think your plan of cutting the Mother Cell in half will work, then we should try it. For your daughter."
His face transformed instantly, and Jamie marveled once again at the depth of emotion this man could elicit in her. His eyes, which had shifted away from her face when she'd began her small speech, snapped back to her. To Jamie's surprise, they were bright with just the hint of unshed tears. The muscles around his face and neck relaxed, making him look so much younger. He opened his arms a fraction, reaching only a bit to let her know what he wanted. Jamie didn't hesitate.
He was warm and solid against her, and his breath in her ear as he thanked her made her grip him tighter. She was standing between his knees with her arms over his shoulders, and he shifted slightly to snake his arms completely around her waist. He laid his forehead on her shoulder, clinging tightly as Jamie felt the ripples of tension leaving his body.
"Thank you," he repeated quietly, and this time she heard the tears he was fighting. Jamie might never understand the limitless love a parent has for their child, but she understood Mitch.
She loved him.
The realization didn't startle her as much as she thought it would; she'd already half-admitted to herself the night before. She knew now wasn't the time for that particular revelation, but that was alright. Instead, she let her actions speak for her as she rubbed his back and held on to him as he collected himself. When he pulled away his eyes were dry and bright.
"So," she smoothed her hands over his shoulders and let them fall away, but she made no move to step away from him. "How is this going to work? You said you'd already contacted someone?"
"Yeah," he turned the chair slightly toward the computer but kept one arm around her waist in an effort to keep her close. He switched over to the webpage that he'd pulled up earlier and tapped on a face. The name underneath read Clayton Burke, and he looked every inch the rich executive in his expensive suit and fake smile. "This guy is a high level Reiden exec. I'm supposed to get in contact with him and tell him when and where to meet to discuss terms."
"He's in the states?" Jamie asked. At Mitch's nod she sighed. "Then it needs to be soon. Chances are we'll be sent somewhere else as soon as this thing with the bears is over. Tomorrow morning?"
Mitch did some quick mental calculations, then nodded in agreement. "Yeah, okay." He excused himself to make the call, leaving Jamie standing next to the desk. When he returned, she moved on to the next part of the plan.
"Okay, so we need to cut the Mother Cell?"
"Yeah," Mitch reached around her and picked up his messenger bag. Jamie watched as he pulled the canister from its depths and gestured for her to precede him to the exam table. "Here," he grabbed a mask and gloves for her before donning his own. "I'm not entirely sure what this thing is made of, and I don't want to risk contaminating it. Or us," he added as an afterthought. She slipped the gloves on and secure the mask over her face as Mitch unscrewed the end cap and extracted the amber-like mineral within. Mitch searched the cabinets for something to cut it with, returning triumphantly with a small bone saw.
"Won't they notice a clean cut?" Jamie asked.
"You're right," Mitch's excitement deflated and he set the saw down. "Maybe a chisel? We can crack it right in the middle." A hammer and chisel were harder to track down, but eventually they found a rubber mallet and a flathead screwdriver that would do the trick. "Alright, stand back." He set the screwdriver in the center of the crystal, tapping it lightly with the mallet as a test. The flathead made a divot, but neither of them saw any discernible cracks.
"A little harder?" Jamie suggested unhelpfully. He glared at her and tried again, this time hitting the handle of the screwdriver with some force. The Mother Cell cracked and split into three pieces, one of them roughly half the original size. Mitch winced but shrugged as he stowed the tools away.
"I can work with two smaller pieces," he told her. "We just need something to keep them in." Jamie looked around and found a small glass container with a screw-on lid. "Perfect," Mitch showed her where the sanitizing supplies were as he put the half piece back into the original container. "We need to make sure the inside is completely sterile so we don't compromise any tests." Jamie rinsed the dish with an alcohol solution and wiped it down thoroughly. When Mitch was satisfied with its cleanliness, Jamie put the two smaller pieces in and screwed the lid on.
"Here," she held it out for him to stow in his bag with the canister, but Mitch shook his head.
"You hang on to it," he told her. "If something happens, I want to make sure you still have something to work with."
She frowned but kept the container in her hands. "Nothing's going to happen, Mitch. Everything is going to be fine."
"Provided the others don't get eaten by bears," Mitch added helpfully.
"We should probably check in, shouldn't we?" Jamie pulled out her cell and dialed Chloe's number. She picked up on the third ring, and Jamie switched on speakerphone as the DGSE agent retold the story of tracking the bears through the catacombs beneath Paris.
"Hey, you should all come back to the lab," Mitch said when she was done. "I've got something to show everyone."
"We're on our way," Chloe confirmed, disconnecting without a goodbye.
"What is it," Jamie stowed her phone in her back pocket and followed Mitch back to the computer.
"The DNA results," he told her. "They're...strange."
"Strange how?"
"It'll be best if we wait," he shook his head. "I need a few minutes to make sure I'm really seeing what I think I'm seeing."
"Okay," Jamie looked around. "Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Clean up?"
Mitch shrugged one shoulder but didn't take his eyes off the screen. "Suit yourself," he told her. "I was gonna leave it for the locals."
Jamie rolled her eyes and started picking up the chaos that had settled over the lab during the bear's attack. By the time all of the instruments and trays had been rescued and stowed properly, the others were bustling through the doors chattering about bears and hibernation and abnormal behavior traits.
Chloe managed to get Abe and Jackson to focus as Mitch turned the workstation so they could see. He'd gathered all of the relevant information, though Jamie could tell he was still unsure what it meant exactly.
"This," he brought up a panel, "is the DNA profile of the bear from the lab." He tapped a few keys and overlaid it with another. "And this is the same bear's DNA six years ago, when he was first tagged."
"It changed." Even Jamie, with her limited knowledge regarding anything remotely science related, could see the differences.
"Mmm-hmm."
"Because of the Mother Cell," she added.
"Uh, yes and no."
"What does that mean?" Jackson seemed to be just as confused as Jamie, which made her feel a bit better.
"Okay, think of this it way," Mitch shifted into professor mode easily. "None of the Earth's creatures are born perfect, right? We all have genetic anomalies, be it a birthmark, double-jointed wrists, webbed toes. But," he continued, "the anomalies that become the norm are the ones that are adaptive. That are more useful to survival, like," he held up his hands, "opposable thumbs."
"What does it have to do with the animals?" Chloe's direct question ended the science lesson and Mitch paused for a moment before refocusing his thoughts.
"The traits we've seen: the bear's endoskeleton, the bats flying abnormally high, lions seemingly communicating over long distances…"
"They all make their species more capable of survival," Jackson interrupted, like a student who had the answer to the teacher's question and couldn't wait to blurt it out. Jamie almost felt like she was back in high school. "Stronger. Better."
Mitch was on a roll now, and the others hung on every word as he moved on. "And what I think - just like our ancestors developed opposable thumbs - I think the Mother Cell is just accelerating these mutations in the animal kingdom that we would see occur naturally, but not for another several generations. Maybe a couple hundred years from now, depending on how long it takes us to screw up the planet."
Jamie wanted to make sure she understood exactly what he was saying. "But we're seeing it now because of the Mother Cell."
"But," Mitch turned back to the monitor, "here's the good news."
Jackson seemed to be on the same page now, surprising the other three by finishing Mitch's thought. "If the Mother Cell can make a naturally occurring situation worse, maybe it can do the opposite."
Even Mitch seemed impressed that Jackson had caught on so quickly. "Correct."
Jamie opened her mouth to ask the obvious question, but Abe beat her to it. "But what's the opposite?"
Mitch crossed his arms over his chest and tried to hide the smug pride in his tone, though Jamie thought he missed the mark. "Well, I think I can use the Mother Cell to craft a sort of countermeasure that could reverse the effects and return the animals' DNA to its original state."
"You can make a cure," Jamie abridged, ignoring the affronted glare he threw at her oversimplification. "How?"
"It doesn't matter how," Chloe cut him off before he could launch into another long-winded explanation chock full of words none of them would understand. "All that matters is that it will work. Are you sure it will?"
"Reasonably sure," Mitch shrugged. "Nothing is absolute, but I'm fairly confident I can concoct a...cure." Jamie stifled a grin at the exasperated look he tossed her as he used her word.
"Delavane needs to be informed," Chloe pulled out her cell. "I need to meet with him. Here," she dug in her bag for her house key. She handed it to Jackson, then scribbled her address on a scrap of paper on the desk. "I'll meet you back at my apartment."
During the drive, Jamie told Abe and Jackson about Mitch's meeting. Abe caught her eye in the rearview mirror as he navigated through the streets of Paris as Jackson turned to ask Mitch for details. She answered with a smile, just a small twitch of her lips, to let him know everything was fine.
"But is it a good idea to take it with you?" Jackson was saying.
"I don't know," Mitch shrugged. "I've never actually bribed an executive of a global corporation before."
"All I'm saying is," Jackson ignored Mitch's sarcasm, "you might not want to take your piece of the Mother Cell with you yet. Make sure he's ready to give you what you want first."
"Look at you, Jason Bourne," Jamie reached up and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
"Who?" Mitch's face wrinkled in that adorable way that meant there was something he didn't understand and he didn't like it.
"Never mind," Jamie waved him off, "Jackson is right. You should probably leave the Mother Cell at Chloe's. That way he can't take it by force."
Mitch looked like he wanted to protest, but he was outnumbered and relented with another shrug. The conversation turned to the adventures in the catacombs as Abe parked the SUV in front of Chloe's apartment building. Jamie was laughing at Jackson's re-enactment of his clever distraction as they walked through the door.
"I'll get started on dinner," Abe offered.
"I need a shower," Jackson excused himself and disappeared into the guest bathroom with his bag, leaving Jamie and Mitch standing in the living room. She glanced around for something to occupy their time until dinner was ready, finally settling on a small bookshelf that held an assortment of novels and a few board games.
"Wanna see what French Scrabble looks like?" she moved over and slid the game box from underneath two others as Mitch laughed.
"I'm actually wondering how intoxicated I would have to be to play Scrabble with a professional writer," he shot back. "I'm gonna grab some wine and find out. Want some?"
"Sure." She set the board up on the dining room table anyway, and when he returned with two glasses she gave him her best pleading stare.
"Jamie, I skipped most of my English classes, remember?" She didn't let up and he sighed. "Fine," he chuckled, "but don't say I didn't warn you."
They spent the first few minutes discovering the point differences on the letter tiles from their English counterparts. Jackson emerged before Mitch could even play his first word, and Jamie talked him into playing with them. He drew a set of tiles reluctantly, but perked up when Abe brought him a glass of wine.
Predictably Jamie won the first game, though Mitch had kept up well in the early rounds using scientific terms. The first time he'd played one - borealis which he played off of Jackson's real - it had netted him quite a few points because he'd nabbed two triple word score tiles. Jamie had immediately challenged the word, claiming it was a Latin term and therefore not a real word. Mitch came back with several examples of the use of the word in everyday language, and Jackson had ended the argument with a quick internet search. Jamie had begrudgingly accepted her defeat, and Mitch grinned as Jackson added his ninety points. Jamie had fired back in the next two rounds with woolly and quick, earning her 65 and 64 points respectively, and kept a commanding lead for the rest of the game.
Abe joined them for the second round as his casserole baked in the oven and surprised them all by giving Jamie a run for her money. He held the lead for most of the game but Jamie had dug deep into her extensive vocabulary and managed a bingo on her last seven tiles, earning her an extra fifty points plus everyone else's remaining tiles.
"That's it," Mitch held up his hands in surrender, "there's only so much humiliation I'm willing to stand." He stood and collected his empty wine glass. "Refill anyone?"
"Just bring the bottle," Jackson was already bagging the tiles for a third game. "I'll go again; I'm not proud."
They were halfway through a third game - with Mitch sitting resignedly in his seat once more - when Chloe came home. She paused in the doorway, and Jamie looked up with an inquisitive smile.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes," Chloe looked around at the room at her friends, relaxed and happy in her home. "Everything is perfect."
"You want in on this massacre?" Mitch offered his own seat with a flourish. "Jamie's won the last two games and is now over a hundred points ahead of the next closest competitor."
"Sure." She took Mitch's place as he went to refill his glass. "Is there more of that?"
Mitch jiggled the bottle and grimaced. "No, but I can open another."
"Please." Mitch disappeared into the kitchen as the game resumed. Chloe played grain, which earned her a hefty score but not nearly enough to bridge the gap. Jamie added a B, L, and Y to Abe's right and connected two triple word scores. He added 207 to her already ridiculous lead and Jackson shook his head.
"Okay, from now on you're restricted to five tiles instead of seven."
Jamie smirked and finished her glass of wine. "If you think that'll help," she teased.
"What happened?" Mitch returned with a fresh bottle and topped off everyone's glasses. He glanced at the score sheet over Abe's shoulder and scoffed. "Did you make a sacrifice to the gods of Scrabble in your youth?"
"Nope," Jamie's tone was just this side of smug, "but my aunt and I played almost every night. And I was in a club in college."
"A Scrabble club?" Mitch raised an eyebrow. "And they called me a nerd."
Jamie gasped and tossed a P at his face, but he dodged it and grabbed one of Abe's letters for a return volley. It hit her shoulder and bounced noisily onto the table. Chloe held up her hands to stop Jamie before she could retaliate as Jackson and Abe tried to muffle their laughter. A bell went off in the kitchen and Abe stood.
"That will be dinner." He escaped as Chloe picked up her wine and pointed at Mitch and Jamie.
"You two clean this up."
"But we didn't finish the game," Jamie protested.
Jackson stood and and followed Chloe into the living room. "We surrender, you win," he tossed over his shoulder. Jamie frowned and Mitch laughed, earning him a sharp glare from the journalist.
"What?" she snapped.
"Nothing," he was still smiling despite her tone as he scooped the tiles into the bag, "I just had no idea you were such a game board fanatic."
She shrugged and folded the board into a smaller square. "I know it's hard to believe, but there's not a lot to do in Folsom." Abe came in with his casserole in hand, and Jamie cleared the game box from the table as he set it down. Chloe and Jackson came back chatting about her meeting with Delavane.
"You really gave him an ultimatum?" Jackson sounded impressed.
"Not really," Chloe shook her head as she sat down. "I just told him if he was unhappy with the way I'm directing this team, then he could feel free to replace me."
"Sounds like an ultimatum to me," Jamie laughed. "What did he say to that?"
"Nothing. We parted ways and I came back here."
Jackson frowned as he reclaimed his seat. "You don't think he'll actually replace you, do you?"
"No, I don't think so," Chloe reassured them. "I'm already dug in, as the expression goes. It would take too long to catch up anyone new."
Conversation turned as the ate dinner, and Chloe fielded questions about her life in Paris. She, in turn, asked Mitch and Jamie about growing up in America. Mitch kept most of his answers succinct, but Jamie was more than happy to talk about her family and her life in Small Town, USA. In no time at all the casserole was gone and an air of contentedness settled over them.
"Thank you for dinner, Abe," Chloe toasted him with her near-empty glass and the others followed suit.
Jackson stood and collected everyone's plates. "I'll clean up."
The group dispersed then, retreating to their own corners of the apartment to get ready for bed. Jamie found Mitch fluffing a small pillow on the chaise lounge in the front sitting room.
"That looks uncomfortable."
Mitch grunted noncommittally and grabbed the ends of the quilt Chloe had found for him. "I've slept on worse." Jamie watched him continue to prepare his sleeping space, silently debating with herself about her next move. Finally she decided to go with her gut. No, she amended. With my heart. Just as Mitch was turning down the corner of the quilt, she reached around him and gathered it all up in her arms.
"Jamie, what -?"
"Come on, Professor," she turned and made her way down the small corridor with Mitch at her heels. She pushed through the door that led to her guest room and dumped the bedding on the floor by the dresser.
Mitch was hovering by the door when she turned around, his face a mixture of hesitation and confusion. "Is this more of my punishment for the whole Reiden exec thing? I have to sleep on the floor?"
"No," she laughed and beckoned him over. "I just think you need a good night's sleep in a real bed. You've got a cure to make, after all. We can't have our scientist falling out from exhaustion."
"Okay," he glanced at the bed that was a little smaller than an American double. "So you're sleeping on the floor?"
Sometimes his awkward cluelessness in social situations was just a little more adorable than Jamie could handle. She raised herself up on her toes to kiss him, encouraged when he responded quickly. It lasted longer than Jamie had planned but she wasn't complaining.
"Bed time," she directed him, turning him around and giving him a slight shove. "Go change into whatever it is you normally sleep in and come back."
"I normally sleep nude," he tossed over his shoulder, but went to do as she asked. Jamie changed into her own pajamas while he was gone, a comfortable tank and soft flannel pants. When Mitch returned in an undershirt, boxers, and a very comfortable looking flannel robe she was already under the covers. With the light off, Jamie felt more than saw his hesitation.
"Stop thinking so much and get in here." It took some adjustments, but eventually they both found a position that was comfortable. She draped half-over him and his left around was holding her against his side as she pillowed her head on his shoulder. Jamie suppressed a shiver as his fingertips traced over her bare shoulder in a light caress. He was already half asleep, she mused, as she pushed herself up far enough to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight."
"Night," he mumbled. "And I apologize in advance for anything my body does without my knowledge while I'm asleep."
She huffed in amusement but kept quiet as the sound of their breathing filled the room. Jamie stayed awake for a while longer, her mind refusing to wind down even after all of the wine. Even with the Mother Cell staying safely at Chloe's, Mitch was walking into a dangerous situation tomorrow morning. Clayton Burke could have bribed any number of law enforcement agencies or government entities, making sure Mitch would disappear and they'd never see him again.
"Now who's thinking too much?" Mitch's rasped quietly. "Go to sleep, Jamie." She sighed and forced herself to close her eyes and concentrate on her breathing like her uncle had taught her to. After her mother's death, sleep had been an elusive creature. And when it did come she was plagued by nightmares. Her uncle had sat with her one night and taught her the trick, and ever since Jamie used it when she had trouble sleeping. She felt the rise and fall of Mitch's chest beneath her and matched him as her thoughts quieted and she dozed off.
Jamie felt the bed shift, and when her eyes opened she was surprised to see the early hint of daylight sifting through the blinds. Mitch was trying to get out of the bed without disturbing her, but as she moved and stretched languidly he gave up with an apologetic smile.
"Good morning," he said, grabbing his robe from where he'd discarded it the night before. He wrapped it around himself and swiped his glasses from the bedside table.
"Morning," she kept her face half-turned into the pillow, groaning the word more than saying it.
Mitch chuckled and sat on the edge of the mattress. "Not a morning person?"
"Mmm," was her answer.
"Me either. But I have that meeting in a little over an hour."
She was awake then, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Be careful."
"I will," he promised. "You lay back down. No sense in both of us getting up this early." He left the room - presumably to get changed - and Jamie drifted off into a light doze. When the bed sank again, Mitch was dressed and staring down at her. "I'll be back soon." He stood up, pausing when Jamie's hand shot from beneath the covers to grip his sleeve. She hauled herself up and kissed him quickly, her eyes still half-closed in sleep.
"Good luck."
She watched him go, waiting until he'd closed the door behind him before turning over and going back to sleep.