“Then, pain like you’ve never felt is going to make itself known,” she warned, eyeing myarm.
I looked down at the wrapped bandage. “Okay, well the pain will help keep me awake, so that’sgood.”
She nodded, eyes downcast. “Your arm might have permanent nerve damage. I wasn’t able to irrigate all the saliva intime.”
Oh.That’s why she looked like I’d killed all of the cats in the world. If my arm didn’t work, I couldn’t shoot or cut with my swords. I’d basically be unemployed. She didn’t put it in a gel cast, so she obviously didn’t think that would help. Whatever had been done was done, and she’d fixed it the best shecould.
“Was the surgery cool?” I asked her. She hated when anyone was injured, but she secretly loved doingsurgery.
Her face lit up. “Oh man, it was awesome. I completely rebuilt the anterior tibialtendon.”
I chuckled. Shredded tendons excited my best friend. “I’m going to see how Jeremy’s doing.” I told her as she continued hercleanup.
Damien’s voice rose from the next room, and I started to hop in that direction, using the crutch to take most of my weight. If the president herself was trying to confiscate the cuff, then things were shittier than I thought over at the White House. Still, I couldn’t help but think that maybe she wanted the intel to get it out to civilians as soon as possible. It was a matter of national security if it could protect everyone and we were hoarding it, right? Which we weren’t, but still, maybe she didn’t now that. Until I heard it from the horse’s mouth though, I was going to try to keep an openmind.
As I headed down the hallway, I pulled out my cell phone. Kevin Moses was heading up President Buckley’s night protection team. He was a good friend from cadet school—we’d even made out a few times as teenagers—and we still kept in touch when I was in Washington DC. He would be able to tell me what the hell was going on, and I trusted him. He’d always had a big crush onme.
Before I could press the call logo and dial his number, the suited men blasted out of the room, holding the prototype cuff, two laptops and the box of gear Jeremy took into the Dream Wars. I flattened myself against the wall as they stormed pastme.
“Have fun with my lawyers, boys!” Damien screamed. His phone was out and he was quickly engaged in a call with whom I assumed was one of hislawyers.
He was red-faced and brimming with anger. When the team of suits left the hallway and headed down the stairs with Mr. Hansen behind them, I approachedDamien.
“Is Jeremy okay?” I asked, peeking into the room to see him rocking in his seat. Josephine was at his side rubbing hisback.
“Yeah, he’ll beokay.”
I nodded. My arm hurt really bad, but I knew pain pills would only make me tired, and though I really wanted to lie down, this needed to be dealt with now. “Did they takeeverything?”
Damien just nodded, looking down the hallway after themen.
I held up my phone. “I’ve got a friend who works in the Secret Service. I’m sure there’s an explanation forthis.”
Damien’s face clouded over. “Kit, you’re a smart woman. Don’t delude yourself into thinking this is anything butrobbery.”
His words stung. “You don’t understand. I’ve worked for President Buckley. She wouldn’t sign off on this if it weren’t for a goodreason.”
He laughed. Actually laughed in my face! “Oh, Kit,” was all he said before brushing past me, putting his phone back up to his ear, and speaking rapidly intoit.
My mouth dropped open a little. What a jerk! He totally thought I was stupid andnaive.
I pressed the button angrily and dialed Kevin. I was going to prove that there was good reason behind this. The government didn’t know Damien and his brother personally. They probably thought this was going to be held back in a long production process and then sold for thousands of dollars, stiffing the generalpopulation.
Kevin picked up on the third ring, and I moved out into the hallway to the top of thestairs.
“Kit… hey,” he saidcautiously.
I frowned. “Kev. I know it’s been a while. My clientjust—”
“Step outside and call me from a burner,” Kevin said in a low voice, and then hungup.
What the hell? A burner phone?He was acting weird. Something wasn’tright.
My freaking gimpy leg was going to take forever to get outside. I popped my head into the room where Nox and Maxine were talking to Josephine in hushedvoices.
I was about to ask Nox for the burner he always carried when a thought came to me. If Kevin wanted me to call him from a burner, it meant the house and my phone were bugged. I took a deep steadying breath and opened my mind to the vibrational signatures in the room. Nox was a strong and steady vibration, always open to me and easy to connect with mentally even though he hated when I didit.
‘Nox, the house is bugged. I need your burnerphone.’
