“Gotta go, bro,” Cal said, reaching to end the feed. “Thanks for the info dump.” The screen went blank and he let out a long breath. He knew what Nojan had been about to say, but he wasn’t ready to admit the possibility to himself. Not yet.
Could Gemmaline really be a Guardian? She had shown an unerring attraction to him, one that he shared. But just because she wanted to get it on with him didn’t necessarily mean she was the Guardian, right? There had to be other virgins in RPS who might be harboring a powerful spirit inside them, waiting to be unlocked.
Sure, there could be, but admit it. You wouldn’t want to ‘unlock’ any of them except Gemmaline. She’s the only one you want.
“An old legend and a nursery rhyme don’t seem like a strong enough foundation upon which to base a strategy,” he mumbled to himself. “Right now, this is all circumstantial. Until I find some evidence to support this theory, no one is getting deflowered.” Least of all, Gemmaline.
Cal headed back into RPS, flashing his badge to the guard who seemed to have no recollection of their earlier confrontation. He strolled down the hallway, scanning the surroundings for his brother. He was surprised to see Gemmaline’s friend Charlie being led down the hall by Dr. Grimm.
She was fighting back, pulling against his arm, but the man had a hundred pounds and almost two feet on her. It was like a mouse trying to tug an elephant’s tail to get it to move. The effect was minimal.
“Stop, you bully!” the girl was yelling. “You can’t tell me what to do! I’ll tell my mom!”
“Your mom dumped you off in this place because she doesn’t give a fuck about you,” the doctor all but growled. “And I’ve had it with you deliberately trying to push my buttons. We’re going to have a talk, and afterwards, you’ll start behaving better.”
Cal didn’t like the tone the chief of staff was using. He started forward.
“I’m not going into your office alone,” Charlie whined. “If you don’t let me go, I’ll tell everyone what you did to me during the blackout.”
Grimm froze, and so did Cal. He leaned against the wall to see how this shook out and whether he would have to intervene.
Grimm towered over the female and Cal watched as the girl stood her ground. But interestingly, there was a hint of regret in Charlie’s eyes.She doesn’t want to tell on him, but she feels like she has to.
She’s protecting someone.
Gemmaline.
Cal wasn’t sure how he jumped so quickly to the conclusion, but he realized several things in that moment.
Dr. Grimm had feelings for Charlie.
Charlie returned those feelings, at least partially.
Charlie was attempting to cover for Gemmaline by distracting Grimm.
She’d threatened to reveal a secret between them, presumably a very intimate one.
She regretted having to use the threat.
Cal moved forward, hoping to deflect the doctor’s attention and provide an out for the girl. “Excuse me, Dr. Grimm. If you’re not too busy?”
Grimm scowled, then released his hold on Charlie’s arm. “This isn’t finished,” he hissed at the girl. She nodded, then scampered off down the hallway and out of sight.
“What do you want?” the dark-skinned man asked.
“Apologies,” he said with a short cough into his hand. “I just wondered if I could speak to you about my brother’s assessment. I have a few questions.”
Grimm was breathing hard, and it took him a moment to calm down enough to respond. “Sure,” he said, moving toward his office door. “We can talk in my office.”
There was a movement at the end of the hall. Charlie was peeking around the corner and was shaking her head furiously.
“Actually, doctor,” Cal said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Maybe we could talk in the mess hall. I’d love a cup of coffee.”
“Fine,” Grimm said wearily. “Follow me.”
Cal paused outside the mess to see Charlie give him a thumbs-up from down the hall.So Gemmaline’s in Grimm’s office. Why?
“Coffee’s over there,” Grimm said, pointing to the beverage station. “Help yourself.” He then took a seat at an empty table. The patients at the tables around him got up en masse to move to other tables farther away.
