Chapter 35
“Turns out, there is one thing that can make me leave.”
-Aaron
The photographs from Virgil’s cabin give me an ugly sense of dread as I look them over. Thoughts of what could have happened to Camellia flood my mind, and I try to focus on anything else to get the image of her lying pale and helpless out of my head.
We set up a makeshift command center in an empty conference room at the hospital. Tatiana Martel lugged several large computer equipment cases into the room. The Black woman is barely five feet tall but refused help from anybig bruteswho were in her way.
“Do you have the maps?” Camellia’s impatient voice calls from the video conference we set up.
I pick up the photos. “Right here.”
“Text them to the tablet,” she motions to the iPad in her hand.
Tatiana sends them, and a second later, we hear a ding as the maps appear in front of Camellia. She bites her lip as she looks them over, and my cock twitches in my borrowed scrubs.
I haven’t left the hospital since she was admitted. First, because I didn’t want to leave her side. Then, because I was exposed, although not as severely as Camellia. I’ll be taking the Prussian Blue tablets, right along with her. And if they want me to leave this building before Camellia, they’ll have to throw me out.
“What’cha thinking, Camellia?”
Her eyes light up, and she points to the screen. “There! That’s why it’s so familiar.”
There are five other Saber Security people in the room, giving it a claustrophobic feel. But I only have eyes for her. “Tell me.”
Camellia hums as she marks up the picture we sent, then a few seconds later, Tatiana’s computer beeps. She pulls up the new version.
“See that area?” Camellia begins.
We nod.
“That’s right around the area of my special spot,” she says as if that explains everything.
I squint at the map. “Okay. You’re right. But what does that mean?”
She sighs. “Because there was a fire there a few years ago, right?”
Recognition dawns in my brain. “There was.”
I direct Tatiana to pull up the information from that forest fire.
“Looks like that wildfire spread faster than a hot knife through butter,” Tatiana shouts from her seat. “The fire was of unknown origin.”
“T - can you pull up satellite photos of the area right before the fire?” Camellia’s practically vibrating in her bed.
“Imight could,” Tatiana grins, clicks a few keys, then pulls up the sat photo and sends a copy to Camellia. “That what you’re looking for?”
“How’d you do that?” I glance at the hacker.
“Don’t want to know, man,” Ryker whispers from behind me.
Shit. I didn’t even see him ease into the room. He’s good.
“T - you see that dark shape in the upper right quadrant? Can you zoom in on it?” Camellia directs.
“Sure thing, Radioactive Saber Sister,” Tatiana nods.
Camellia laughs. “Not sure I’m radioactive anymore.”
