Chapter 22
Callie
As my kidnapper pulls the Jeep in front of my lab, I pray campus security cameras are working. Hopefully, someone will catch me on video before I’m whisked out of the country.
Yuri jumps out of the car, grabs my upper arm, and pulls me to the street and my bare feet hit the snow.
It’s hard to think clearly with snow packed around my feet so I dig my nails into my palm and turn to Yuri. “If you want this done, I’m going to need lots of equipment. Lots. You might want to bring another set of hands.”
The Russian leans into the open back door and places the tip of the gun barrel to Gerard’s head. “You come, too. And let me know if she is bullshit me.”
“She is bullshit-tingme.” Correcting his English is a small victory but one I need. Plus, I hope it diverts Yuri from thinking too hard about the equipment.
The pistol moves away from Gerry, cold metal now on my forehead.
“What did you just say?” My kidnapper glares but I’m on a roll.
“The correct grammarisbullshitting, not is bullshit.”
His jaw twitches, the butt of his gun raises, and I cover my face.
“Stop fooling around and go!” The male shout comes from the front seat of the jeep.
Cursing, Yuri lowers his weapon and waves me and Gerard forward up the icy stairs. At the top, I turn the handle, and pull. When nothing happens, I shoot my hands in the air and step back.
“Open it.” With his right index finger on the trigger, Yuri points at my chest, his eyes clouded with madness.
Cringing, I cry out. “I left my apartment buck naked, remember?”
Despite the cold, sweat rolls off his brows. He waves his gun wildly around in the air then rests it on Gerard’s back. “You, you do it.”
My former friend swipes his key card and we all enter. I hope Lochlan can track my wet toe marks on the linoleum. Inside the lab, I slowly walk into my isolation booth, push a rack of test gear aside, and squat at the power strip.
When I start unplugging, Yuri tugs me up by the hair.
“Bullshitting.” Face red and jaw pulsing, he points to my newer equipment to the right. “You think I’m stupid, eh?”
Slowly, I come to my feet inside the small booth, an idea beginning to take shape. First, I need Yuri out of the tiny iso-booth and into the main lab. Slowly, I turn the six-foot frame of equipment and force him to take a step back, just out of the protective glass.
I flip on a switch, equipment buzzes and invisible waves fill the room. A migraine forms behind my eyes, Gerard pukes but I underestimated Yuri’s stamina.
“You beeech.” With his gun at my chest, I brace for death and a shot rings out.
I feel for a hole as Yuri falls to the floor. Am I dead? Is he?
Is that Lochlan? “Shut off the switch, luv.”
Head pounding, I turn off the EMF and fall onto my butt with electronic knobs digging into my back.
Lochlan runs into the room, jumps over Yuri, and turns the rack to enter the room.
“Are you hurt?”
“No, no. Just a headache.”
He squats near Yuri, puts a hand to his neck, and grimaces. As he checks Gerard moaning in the fetal position, his gaze comes back and I can’t tell if he’s horrified or relieved.
“Bloody hell. That was EMF?”
