* * *
Katherine Harper couldn’t raise Sampson or Tenny or anyone else on the phone and was beginning to fret. She turned to her computer and pushed a few buttons, but as usual, the absurd contraption didn’t work. Why, oh why couldn’t she figure this thing out? She was an intelligent woman after all.
Too old, clearly.
After pounding a few more keys, she shut it, hard.
There was too much invested in this project for those idiots to have gone and ruined it. They couldn’t possibly have done that, could they?
She pictured Clive Tenny’s obsequious little smile and sat back in her chair with a huff. Yes. Yes, that man could certainly have led this mission straight to ruin.
And if they were compromised, there was no doubt in her mind as to whether the man could keep his mouth shut. None.
Which meant it was time to put an end to it all.
Temporarily.
But temporary, at this stage, was a difficult pill to swallow, since any day could be her last. The stroke had brought that home like nothing else. Well, the stroke and what had happened to the babies.
My God, that Tenny idiot had better be dead.
She leaned forward with difficulty, picked up the framed photo, and set it on the closed laptop.
One worn, wrinkled finger wiped an invisible layer of dust from their sweet faces, eternally frozen at ages five and seven. Two baby girls. Gone.Poof. Just like that.
Even after all these years, the emotion swamped her, turning her hands to shaking leaves. Her breath came in quick, uncontrolled bursts, punctuated with sounds she’d have to call whimpers. Except Katherine Henley Harper didn’t whimper.
Swallowing back the last of her humanity, she returned the photo to its place and sat back.
Time to abort this failed mission. Luckily, there were other potential sources. Other ways to complete her life’s work. The virus could be found again.
She had to believe that, or she might as well give up right this moment.
As soon as the weather cleared, she’d insert another team. In fact, she’d ensure that every person sent by the NSF next season was one of hers.
Too bad she didn’t have someone like Cooper on her team. A glaciologist with an understanding of oil drilling. And she should hire more women, since the men all seemed to be mucking up their jobs.
A female geologist, then, for Colorado, hired through a shell company, with an appropriate cover story.
Of course, there were many other things she should have done. Like not trusting Tenny, that greedy, simpering little imbecile, with such an important mission. Father had been the one to hire him, and though he hadn’t liked him much, he’d trusted him. Tenny had been perfect, Daddy had said, because he lacked scruples entirely.
A lot of good that had done them.
She sighed, sinking deep into her chair and staring out at the newly burgeoning spring. It made her feel nothing but old.
Time was passing inexorably, and she still didn’t have her damned virus.
* * *
The world above her was a kaleidoscope of moving people.
Someone spoke. “You okay, babe?”
No.She blinked up at Jameson and tried to nod, though her muscles weren’t working.Probably.
“Need help?”
She tried to press her lips into a numb smile and shook her head. “Jus’ sit for a sec.” The words came out slurred. “Right here.” Right here being beside Ford, his hand in hers.
