Stern did not take them to a regular hospital. He took them to the McLure Industries campus in New Jersey. They got their sooner than they should have. When she last risked a glance at the speedometer, the car had been going eighty miles per hour. They swerved, turned, and beeped their way through traffic. Stone nearly threw up, and Sadie herself was looking a bit green.
All the while, Stern texted someone—presumably Dad—and Sadie swore her life flashed before her eyes. Stone teaching her how to ride a bike. Mom smiling as she learned to swim for the first time. All the times at the beach house. The trips to the doctor for her, for her aneurism. Then Mom's doctor visits, the cancer. Dad's withdrawal, then the too-late miracle. The biots. And now they were here, in this car, and Stone was still saying, "What?" and Sadie screamed because a massive eighteen-wheeler nearly smacked into them but Stern swerved at the last second, after hitting send on his phone.
"I don't feel good," Stone said suddenly, holding his head in his hands. He shut his eyes tight, so he didn't see Stern's indignant glare.
"Do not touch your face!" He shouted curtly.
Her brother lifted his head up. To her surprise and confusion, Stone met Stern's eyes in the rearview mirror. He had a very uncertain, worried look in his eye when he said, "I know about Donna."
"Exactly. So don't touch your face."
This short conversation made absolutely no sense to Sadie. The name sounded a bit familiar, like she should know it. She had trouble focusing on one single thought. Her mind was racing, racing, racing and unlike the speeding car, she couldn't stop.
Somehow, they made it to McLure Industries alive. Sadie didn't know how that was even possible.
"I think my ID is in my wallet," she said as Stern parked the car, as close as he could get to the back entrance. Out of sight from anyone who shouldn't be seeing things, she thought to herself.
"We'll deal with that later. Get out of the car. Both of you."
Stern insisted she stay put while men and women in modified hazmat suits came outside. They weren't the usual bulky, brightly colored suits you saw in movies. They didn't have much give, and they certainly weren't flattering on anyone. However, you didn't wear one of those to look fashionable. Sadie didn't have to guess the reason behind them. You wore those hazmat suits for protection against tiny, microscopic, foreign invaders. They probably weren't much use against radiation, but they must have been useful against biots.
She knew there had been some deaths involving her father's nanotechnology, but she didn't quite know the circumstances behind those deaths. She also knew her father's technology was not on the market. Only a few McLure lab technicians had knowledge about biots, and even fewer actually had one.
So why, then, did her father's people need these hazmat suits? Had someone leaked the technology? No, she would have seen that on the news.
So, why, then?
The Suits took Stern and Stone away. She was left wondering why they didn't take her with them.
Sadie was a very intelligent person, so it did not take her very long to figure out some big chunks of this puzzle. One: there had been a lapse in security, and protecting her meant protecting Dad's biots, which were currently busy spinning Teflon inside her brain. Two: Stone had been targeted by someone—more likely some group, since there had to be more than just the two people at the mall—who either had biot technology or wanted it for some reason, which brought her to her third conclusion.
The kidnapping at the mall was not a one time thing. She imagined herself in her father's place. A genius billionaire who was still not over, and probably and rightful never would be over, his wife's death. If she wanted leverage over Grey McLure, she didn't have to be a genius to know going after his kids—one of the only things he had left of his wife—was a great way of getting him to hand over any and all innovative nanotechnology.
She maintained an acceptable level of paranoia during the hour—it had to be at least an hour, she couldn't remember where she lost her phone in this mess—she was left outside. No one came to get her. No one drove in or out the parking lot. She eventually sat down on the curb and watched the snow flurries.
She tried opening the doors, front, back, side, even a window, but they were all locked. She had a good laugh about that one. She was the boss's daughter, and she was left out in the cold without an explanation.
She wasn't angry, yet. She was just annoyed she hadn't brought a warmer coat.
Needless to say, she was very relieved when Dr. Chat came and took her inside. She wasn't wearing one of the suits. Dr. Chat's forced smile failed to ease her patient, so the doctor discarded her emotional mask and told Sadie that Stern and Stone were all checked out, and there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Why were all the doors locked?" She asked.
"Protocol." Dr. Chat replied. She walked over to a coffee machine and poured a decent amount in a white mug. Chat handed Sadie the drink and she couldn't help it, she took a big gulp and winced as the hot drink burned her mouth. It was worth it, though, since she got ride of some of awful cold plaguing her.
"Protocol for what?" She asked, taking another—albeit more cautious—sip.
Dr. Chat seemed conflicted. She repeated, "Protocol," like it was an acceptable response, like even that was giving too much away.
In a way, she did give Sadie some information. Dad's company saw this coming. They anticipated it. Had set procedures in place in case it happened. Sadie didn't think they expected it to happen so soon, but Dad always liked to be prepared.
She suddenly felt very tired. Too tired to accuse Dr. Chat of spiking her drink, but not tired enough to have the coherent thought and realize the doctor had.
When she woke, she was in the same room. She woke, already agitated, already annoyed, because of a mechanical buzzing sound that simply refused to stop. A raging headache settled and wouldn't leave. Surely she would have panicked if she hadn't heard Dad's voice first.
"…you're certain it's secure?" Dad asked. His voice was tense, strained. He sounded hurt, and Sadie had to resist the urge to open her eyes and make sure he was alright. She needed information.
"Only a few got in, and they're dead. You should be fine in a few days." Dr. Chat assured.
Sadie did not have the slightest idea what they were talking about. She naturally assumed 'they' were people. Had someone tried to hurt Dad?
After the first few failed attempts to open her eyes, she succeeded. Sitting up, she saw that nearly everyone was here. Dad, Dr. Chat, Stern. The chief of security no longer wore the police uniform, he was in a black suit now.
Even her grandmother, sleeping in an oversized, plush chair, was here.
Dad opened his mouth to say something, but Sadie was a step ahead of him on the questioning front.
"Where is Stone?" She asked.
Dad laughed one of his dry, amused laughs. The laugh he used when he wanted to make her feel better, but didn't know exactly how to do it. He cracked a tense smile, "Stone's…being Stone."
She wanted to ask more questions, but her gaze was drawn to her bandaged hand. She prodded the bandage and mumbled a half-hearted, "Ow."
Stern's laugh was genuine. "I'll have to remember that one." When she shot him a questioning look, he added, "You cut yourself, with a piece of that mug."
"It wasn't one of my most…planned moments," she conceded. She didn't even remember cutting herself, although a glance down revealed a blood smear on her jeans.
No one said anything. The silence felt suffocating, so she opted to break it. "I don't appreciate being drugged, Dr. Chat."
She didn't get a reply, and she didn't expect she'd ever get one. Instead, the conversation moved on. She learned Stone was on the floor above them, but she didn't learn why. She decided to file her questions away and remember to ask her brother later. Dad might be able to hide this from her, but Stone never could. He had to have answers.
Dad and Stern suddenly got up and told her they'd be back later. She stood to go with them—why stay here?—but they both insisted she remain here. Even Dr. Chat left her, although she have Sadie a book to read. It was just her and her grandmother, who was still sleeping.
She pretended to read, occasionally flipping a page and feigning interest. Twenty minutes later, she got up and slipped out the door before she second guessed herself.
***