The caller’s hand tightened around the phone.
“As soon as possible, once the target is located.”
A beat passed. Then the man said, “Send me the details.”
As soon as the line went dead, the caller placed the phone back into the glove box. He sat there for a few minutes, his mind reeling with the name he didn’t want to say, even in the privacy of his own head. Because if that particular ghost had found his way back to Marwood or worse, San Diego, then everything he had done to sabotage those trials years ago might have been for nothing.
He pulled out his laptop and booted it up right there in the car. The sooner he got the information to Mortis, the sooner the situation could be dealt with quietly and permanently.
He logged in to a secure site protected by layers of encryption. Once in, he located a file labeled with a code designation only a handful of people would recognize.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard for half a second. But hesitation was weakness. And weakness got exposed.
He hit a key. The encrypted file was transmitted through a secure channel.
After sending the file, he shut down the laptop and slid it back into the passenger seat before starting his car. The low rumble filled the silence, but it did nothing to quiet the irritation gnawing at him. He had hoped Calvin Henderson had died years ago, just as the other two involved in EchoFall had. It would’ve made everything easier. Instead, one ghost had slipped through, and now he was back, threatening to drag the past into the light.
As he pulled out of the parking lot, another thought crossed his mind. Could Dr. Marwood be a liability as well? He needed to think on that one before he made a decision.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Charley rolled down the window halfway as her car wound along the two-lane road that snaked toward Jessica’s house. The afternoon sun filtered through towering pines and old oak trees, their branches weaving overhead like a natural canopy. With the fresh air blowing in, she breathed in the sharp, clean scent of the woods.
If she were ever in the market for a house, she would definitely look in this area. She could get used to the quiet roads, endless trees, and most of all, the peacefulness. The thirty-minute drive felt more like an escape than a commute. Her shoulders loosened for the first time since she had been back.
She was enjoying the full day off work. There were no contractors to deal with. No errands to run around doing, and no phone buzzing every two minutes. She almost didn’t remember what that felt like.
Charley wouldn’t lie; the last two weeks had been complete hell, and it was starting to show. Even her aunt had commented the other day that she looked tired. But Charley didn’t complain. This was what she signed up for when she accepted Alex's offer. And in just a few weeks, it will be worth all the hustle and bustle and sleepless nights when the doors open.
She was also looking forward to moving into her new apartment. The thought brought a tiny smile to her lips. She loved her aunt and uncle and enjoyed staying with them, but she was ready to stand on her own two feet and begin a new chapter—a true fresh start per se.
As she drove, her mind drifted back to the man she encountered outside the clinic a few days ago. He had been on her mind non-stop. Since hearing his odd warning about the building, she had spent the last couple of nights researching, and combing through public records and real estate filings. But nothing jumped out. Everything she read was what she had already known. Plus, the building had been sitting vacant for almost six years.
Yet something about the encounter with the stranger had stuck with her like a splinter she couldn’t quite remove. It was an instinctual pull to find the guy and understand what had rattled him so deeply.
Before she could spiral any further into her thoughts, her GPS chimed through the speakers.
“Arriving at destination,” the robotic voice announced.
Charley pulled up to a cedar-sided house nestled among trees. There were cars already parked along the gravel drive.
“Oh boy,” she muttered to herself, killing the engine. “Socializing with strangers. My favorite Olympic sport.”
She drew in a deep breath, pushed the mystery man to the back of her mind for now, and prepared to survive an afternoon of small talk with people she’d never met.At least there would be food.
She locked up her car and started to walk up the pathway to Jessica’s house. She clutched a small bouquet of wildflowers and a key lime pie she had made as a thank-you gesture. She was feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. Meeting new people was always a bit daunting.
Just as she stepped onto the porch, the front door swung open, and Jessica greeted her with a wide smile. “Charley! I’m so glad you could make it. Come on in.”
“Thanks for inviting me,” Charley replied, handing her the flowers. “These are for you. I also made a key lime pie.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet! Thank you.” Jessica beamed, taking the flowers and pie. “You’ll make Ray’s day because key lime pie is his favorite. Come on, we’ll drop these off inside, and then I’ll introduce you to everyone outback.
They walked through the house, stopping in the kitchen to drop off the pie and for Jessica to put the flowers in water.
Just as they were about to head to the back yard, the sliding glass door off the kitchen opened, and a man entered.
Jessica smiled widely. “Hi, honey. We were just on our way out.” She looked at Charley. “Charley, this is my husband, Ray.” Then she glanced up at her husband. “Charley is the woman I told you about, whom I met at the smoothie shop the other day.”
