Shane got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. "So are we agreed?" he asked.

"It looks pretty good to me," Neil Curtis said as he studied the file folder with the financial summary for the Immunology Lab. "As long as you and Julie are willing to continue funding at the current levels, I see no reason to discontinue its services."

"Good," Julie said, as Shane turned back to the conference room table. He felt Julie's eyes on him. "Are you sure you're okay, darling?" It had been the fifth time she had asked.

I must look like hell, Shane thought. That was hardly surprising. He had been up for two days without sleep, and the days before that had been relatively light in the sleep department following his trip to D.C. and the events at Jeannie's birthday party. Not to mention that he had blackmailed his boss earlier in the day and was still trying to figure out how to salvage the Alamain mission. Toss in a 5:15 p.m. meeting at University Hospital to discuss the Immunology Lab, which had already gone on for close to an hour, and Shane wondered how he was even conscious.

"I assure you I'm fine," Shane said. "Like I said, it was a late night at the office."

Julie leaned forward and had a twinkle in her eye. "Probably some important mission, right? Oh you can tell us."

Ignoring the request, Shane took his seat once more and changed the subject. "There is something else that I would like to raise."

Neil waited. "Go ahead."

"I have something of a side project," Shane said. "I would like it to be done under the auspices of the lab even though it technically doesn't involve a virus . . . and I'd like to utilize one of the staff researchers."

Neil pursed his lips. "Shane, Dr. Bishop's-"

"I don't mean Dr. Bishop." Shane took a sip of the coffee, hoping it could increase his flagging energy. "I'd like to use Dr. Manning."

"Carly?" Julie looked surprised. She must have been thinking about Alamania and how Shane had repeatedly warned the other Salemites not to trust Carly.

"I don't know about that," Neil said slowly. "I mean Carly has her hospital duties and her virus research. I'm not sure we could spare her. Maybe if I had a better idea about this 'side project.'"

Shane shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't discuss the nature of the work." Neil and Julie both got the message and exchanged looks with one another. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't absolutely necessary to have someone already on staff here. But I understand the strain it would cause, so I'm prepared to pay the expense of hiring another researcher."

That seemed to catch Neil's attention. He pursed his lips, and Shane suspected he was running the financial numbers through his head.

"I expect Dr. Manning's involvement with my project will require only a few months," Shane added. "So it should be short-term." He believed that was true from the intelligence. Lawrence's people had started approaching potential buyers months earlier. They would not have done that if the toxin was a long way off. Unfortunately, Shane was pretty convinced that Lawrence would be testing the toxin sooner rather than later, and that was why he needed Carly. "However, too minimize the disruption, we could make the new job a two-year research grant. That should last far beyond the length of this project."

"This project's very important to you, Shane," Julie said, with a knowing look.

"Critically." Shane let the room fall silent so the others could let their minds fill in the blanks.

Neil looked at Shane directly. "And Carly would be reporting to?"

"To me and a researcher in Washington, D.C.," Shane explained. "Dr. Luciana Bowers. You can look her up." Dr. Bowers' might be ISA, but her research credentials were impeccable and, to anyone outside the agency, it would appear that she worked for a private research lab.

"Well. . . ." Neil paused and looked thoughtful again. "It's a generous offer. If Carly is willing to take on the additional responsibility, I guess it can be done. I'll just need to smooth things over with Dr. Bishop."

"Good," Julie said. "Now that that's settled, we only have one more order of business - hiring a new administrator for the lab."

Shane looked at the others. "Actually, I have a few thoughts on the subject."

"Another 'side project'?" Julie asked.

"No. . . . Nothing 'side' about it at all," Shane said. "I'm just wondering if it's necessary to hire a new administrator."

Neil looked confused. "Well with Kayla suspended from the hospital-"

Shane nodded. "Yes. Precisely."

"Precisely what, darling?" Julie asked. "Maybe that late-night mission is affecting your thinking."

"Not at all, Julie. My thinking's quite clear. Kayla's suspended from the hospital for violating nursing protocols. But she doesn't need a nursing license to be the lab administrator." Shane saw a look of realization dawn on Julie's face. "So why can't Kayla continue as the administrator, regardless of her suspension as a nurse?"

Julie looked at Neil. "Shane has a point."

But Neil looked doubtful. "I think it's a little more complicated than that. You're right that Kayla's suspension was based on violating nursing standards, so, technically, I think you're correct within the letter of the law. But the message it would send . . . hiring her back when she's under suspension. I don't think the perception-"

"Damn the perception," Shane said, a bit more sharply than he intended. Neil jerked back in surprise and Shane immediately apologized. "Sorry . . . I didn't mean to snap at you. What I meant to say is that everyone who works with Kayla trusts her and thinks she's one of the best nurses in the hospital. And they also know she was instrumental in getting the Emergency Center and the lab operational. So who cares about perception?"

"Certain members of our board, for one." Neil shook his head. "I just can't justify it. I'm sorry, Shane."

"All right." Shane could tell there was little reason to push the issue further. He had already won on Carly. But he could not stop himself from making one last suggestion. "At least, let's hold off on hiring a new administrator until Kayla gets the ruling from the state board. I think the hearing is sometime soon-"

"Today," Neil said. "As a matter of fact, it's probably just ended."

"So we should know about Kayla soon." Shane glanced at Julie, hoping for some back-up. "If she's reinstated and wants to return to the lab, I can't see your board members objecting. And if she's not, we can start the hiring process at that point. I don't see any reason to spend money on a search that may turn out to be unnecessary."

With a sly smile, Julie said, "I agree completely."

"Then I guess it's unanimous." Neil dropped his hospital chief of staff act and grinned. Shane suspected Neil would have liked to overturn Kayla suspension himself. "We wait for the appeal decision and proceed from there." He closed his file folder and stood up from the table. "And with that, we are adjourned. Now, if you excuse me, I'll leave the two of you so I can go check on my patients."

Neil walked out, but Julie remained in her seat. Shane did not look at her, but he could feel her eyes on him. He made a point of ignoring her as he gathered his papers, but he knew she would break the silence.

"That was a nice thing you did," Julie said. "For Kayla. Not a lot of men would go to bat like that for an ex. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were still-"

"No," Shane said, cutting her off. "There's nothing more to it than trying to help a friend. That's all Kayla is." He saw the doubt flash in Julie's eyes. "I mean it, Julie. Kayla has Steve back and she's happy. And the last thing I have on my mind is affairs of the heart."

Julie sat back in her chair. "Yes . . . about that. Would this 'side project' have anything to do with one Lawrence Alamain?"

"You know I can't tell you," Shane said, giving her his most innocent smile.

"So it does." Julie responded with her own smile.

Silently, Shane groaned. Julie always seemed to see right through him when it came to his ISA work. It went back to the day he first asked Julie to help him connect with Lloyd Garrison of Jencon. She had known immediately that he was not really looking for an investment opportunity. "I'm not confirming or denying anything."

Julie grew serious. "Shane . . . Lawrence Alamain is a very dangerous man."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know," Shane replied as he finished putting his papers in a briefcase.

"And the school shooting the other day? Your little boy seems like he's about the right age for Salem Elementary."

Shane forced himself not to react. He had to admire the way Julie raised her questions. They were designed to elicit unconscious responses, so that words became meaningless. She would have made a good ISA agent.

Julie frowned. "I know enough people in high places to know you and Roman chased down the shooter. That means you had to be pretty close to the man when the shooting started." Her expression turned sympathetic. "If anyone ever tried to hurt my David, you wouldn't have been able to stop me."

"A true 'mama bear,'" Shane joked.

"I'm serious, Shane. I know what Lawrence can do. I was at his home too." She paused and studied him. "He plays with people, trying to keep them off-balance."

"Like I said . . . you're not telling me anything I don't know."

"No," Julie conceded. "I suspect you do. Just be careful, darling."

Shane nodded. "Of course. And I do appreciate your concern. But remember that I do have the full backing of the ISA. Lawrence may be cagey, but we'll get him eventually."

With that, Julie got up. "Fair enough. I guess I'd better check on my grandfather; I told him I'd join him for dinner after this meeting ended. He wants to discuss the new trauma center. It should be up and running in November. Anyway, I'll let you go." She paused again, then added, "Remember what I said, Shane."

"I will." As he watched Julie leave, Shane sighed. If she even knew the truth about the status of the Alamain investigation. . . . Speaking of which. . . . Shane walked over to the conference room phone, dialed the field office, and asked to speak with the director.

"Yes, Captain," said the aide. "Also, Kimberly Brady called again. She seemed very insistent on speaking with you."

As he waited for the call to be put through, Shane dimly recalled an aide telling him that morning that Kim was on the phone. Tarrington had been about to arrive and Shane had been in the process of making sure he had the most up-to-date information on the investigation, so he told the aide he could not talk. It's probably nothing too important. If it was an emergency, Kim would have tracked him down.

He let go of that thought as the field director got on the line. He gave the latest news - none of it good. Alamain's people had conducted a second sweep of the house and grounds, and virtually every camera and microphone had been found. Lawrence also had met earlier with Ivan Marais, who essentially confirmed he removed the wine bottles. It sounded like they had spent their conversation laughing at the ISA.

They have every reason too, Shane bitterly told himself. The night before had given Lawrence the upper hand. The ISA was back at square one. Well, maybe not exactly square one. They still knew about the toxin.

"Get a call into Dr. Bowers at the D.C. research lab," Shane said. "I need her in Salem tomorrow. See if you can have your assistant book her on the 8 a.m. out of National. Tell her I'll meet her at the airport." It would be good to see what Bowers was up to and get her connected to Carly as soon as possible. If the disaster at Lawrence's house emboldened him, he might test the toxin even earlier than Shane feared.

The director agreed to make the call, and then mentioned that the different units in the task force were going to work through the night, brainstorming new strategies. Shane thought for a moment. Most of the task force members were now well into their second straight day without sleep, and, given the situation, there was little reason to drive his agents to exhaustion.

"Look. . . ." Shane said. "Tell the team to go home and get some rest. We'll regroup in the morning, and they can give me preliminary recommendations in the afternoon."

Shane hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes. He was nearing his own limits and could feel a headache coming on. That tended to happen when he was exhausted.

Kim used to cure them.

He sighed as he remembered the way Kim would just rub the sides of his head and help release the pain. She had such a gentle touch. For a moment, he could almost feel her working her magic, but then he reminded himself that they were divorced and, even with her living in his house, he needed to maintain boundaries. The worst thing he could do would be to get close to her again. He could not let her inside the walls he had built since she had walked out on him.

You can't go through that again, he warned himself. You can't handle that pain again.

Shane took a few deep breaths, hoping they would help stave off the exhaustion for just a little while. For now, he would head home and spend a little time with Andrew. And with Kim, he would just keep his distance - physically and emotionally.