Glancing up from his desk, Professor Gray stared into the face of the lean, wiry man who strode into his office. It was a strange hour for a visitor – almost ten o’clock in the evening. The man wore a gun at his belt, but even without it, Professor Gray would have recognized his authority. He wore his copper hair cropped close to his scalp, and sun exposure had dotted his skin with enough brown to approximate a tan. Professor Gray liked him immediately, mostly for the look of sheer determination on his face.

By the time the man pulled his badge, Professor Gray was wracking his brain to decide what could have brought a law enforcement officer to his door. The young man was too old to be one of his students – maybe thirty – and he held out his hand to shake as he placed his ID on the desk.

“Agent Isaac Wilson, Professor Gray,” he introduced himself. “ICE. Sorry to barge in like this.”

“Would you like to sit down?” the professor offered. He tacitly hoped that none of his students had run afoul of immigration.

“Thank you,” Isaac agreed, pulling out the cushioned armchair and seating himself in it. “I wanted to talk to you about Bernardo and Vivian Prado.”

Surprised, Professor Gray closed his laptop and folded his hands on the desk. His opinion of the young man was in great danger of changing for the worse. “Yes, the Prados. They’ve been visiting me off and on for the past few weeks. Is everything okay?”

“I wanted to ask if you knew anything about their research in the Amazon.”

“Not a lot,” the professor drummed his thumbs nervously on the desk. “I am just an anthropologist, so the details of medical research are somewhat outside my area of expertise. But in the presentation they gave my class a couple of weeks ago, they explained that they were nearing completion on three medication trials, though one hit a snag and was delayed. They said they thought it would be ready for refinement and production starting in a week or so. What does this have to do with immigration? They are both naturalized citizens.”

“Professor Gray…” the young man began hesitantly, “I have to ask you a question, and I need you to answer with any suspicion you might have.”

“Okay,” he allowed.

“Do you think it is possible that the Prados were involved in any relationship with the cartels in Peru where they worked?”

The professor leaned back in his office chair crossing one arm across his chest and rubbing his chin with his other hand. “There are two answers to that question, Agent Wilson. The first is that I can imagine a situation where researchers, in a precarious position, would resort to whatever means necessary to create stability for their project. In cartel territory, I can see where that might involve paying off or strategically engaging with the powers-that-be in the region. In certain areas of Peru, that would involve cartels.

“And the second answer?” Agent Wilson prompted.

“The second answer is that I personally believe the Prados would have nothing to do with the cartels.”

“What if I told you,” Agent Wilson countered. “That the Prados’ coworkers were murdered in the Amazon, and from all evidence, they were murdered by cartel members?”

“I would say that, if anything, it proves the Prados’ were not cooperating with the cartels. And I would ask what it has to do with immigration.”

Isaac tapped the desk with his forefinger. “It can affect their status, if they are involved. Because it could also prove that the Prados were the only ones involved with the cartels, and that is why they were the only ones who survived.”

Professor Gray crossed both arms across his chest. “You’re heading down the wrong trail,” he insisted levelly.

“We’ll see,” the young agent replied coolly, rising and retrieving his badge from the desk.

Professor Gray did not offer his hand for a goodbye. “Yes, you will see,” he agreed stonily.

As he exited the academic building, Isaac snatched up his phone and shot a message off to his boss. He had them, and he had found them through Piper Hayes.

Isaac pulled up Luke’s messages. We need to talk ASAP. I need to get to your girl.

Luke felt the buzz of his phone and raised it to his eyes. When he understood the words, he swallowed a lump in his throat. Isaac had already sent Luke after Sebastian. When Sebastian found out the manipulations and tricks they had resorted to in order to lure him in, Sebastian would have a hard time forgiving Luke. If Luke let Isaac draw Piper in, too? It was one thing for Luke to get friendly with her to make inroads with Sebastian. To help Isaac “get to” her? Unleashing that man on her would only be a little better than handing her over to the cartel. The girl? Luke hedged. I’ll have to ask Bash.

I need to talk to Piper Hayes, Isaac demanded.

If Luke did what he was thinking, he would cross a serious line with Isaac. Still, he would pass a thousand lines with Isaac before he would betray Sebastian. She lives on campus at URI. Did you look her up?

Luke tapped his foot nervously as he waited to see if the deception would work.

So, you’re saying the girl with you – who knows scientists who went to Peru – isn’t Piper Hayes?

It’s probably a big class, Luke avoided the question. Most classes at URI have fifty people.

The pause lasted far too long, and Luke knew that he wouldn’t be able to trust whatever came through the phone once he answered.

Fine, Luke finally allowed. I’ll see if I can find Piper Hayes. You see what you can get out of this other girl.

What the hell does that mean? Luke demanded.

I need you to get the information out of whatever girl you have there – she knows about the scientist. If she doesn’t give it willingly, seduce her or coerce her. She’s your target now. That should be a relief since you can stop worrying about roping in your cousin.

You really think my cousin would let me coerce his friend, use violence?

You may have to get her away from your cousin, Isaac stated matter-of-factly. Isolate her – it’s regular protocol.

“Damn it…” Luke murmured.

I have no real experience in this!

Call me now.

The command came unexpectedly, and Luke steeled his nerves as he pressed the number.

“What?” he demanded before Luke could start in on him.

“This is not something I can put in writing. I cannot afford for you to drag your feet on this. There is a seven-year op on the line, and we have a sleeper who is at risk of exposure. Your scientists called their boss who contacted the FBI immediately. Can you imagine the shitshow the FBI could stir up down there trying to dig into cartel business? We’ll deal if we have to, but I may have an opportunity to stop it here in the states, it will save a very important operation.”

“Isolate her? You’re putting me on the spot here with something I don’t know how to do in a high-pressure situation.” Luciano complained.

“Our job is about pressure,” Isaac scoffed. “If you can’t manage pressure, then we should stick you behind a desk. This is bigger than you or your cousin now; this man in Peru has made it to the inner circle of the cartel, and we are about two months out from a takedown. You don’t want to be responsible for upsetting that applecart. You can seduce a woman to save an operation. Talk to her. Tell her she’s pretty. Buy her flowers. Hold her hand. Kiss her. Screw her. You need to mine her for the information, whatever level of connection that requires. Is she pretty?”

“Screw her?” Luke started, but then he registered the sudden topic shift. “Wait, is she pretty?” Did Isaac think that would make him feel better about manipulating her?

“Yeah, is she pretty?”

Luke’s reaction to Piper as she had walked in had not been wholly manufactured; the girl was incredibly attractive, pretty enough to make her beautiful when she laughed or smiled – or glared. Pretty much anything that gave her expression. “She’s pretty,” he admitted.

“Then it’s easy. Honey traps with a pretty girl are a piece of cake – I was kind of looking forward to pursuing one with the Piper girl, because she is pretty. But attractive girls are an easier target because you mostly don’t have to fake your attraction. If they have a pleasant personality, even better. You’re a man. You don’t have to fall in love with the girl – please don’t – you just have to use what you have to get what you need. You’re an attractive man. Just let yourself feel what you would naturally feel and act on it – it is a very rare woman who will not react to that. Honestly, guys aren’t any more difficult.”

“But if I’m not comfortable…”

“You’d better know your comfort matters little in matters of international security. If you’re not willing, I’ll come over right now. I know where you live. One of us has to do this. I would rather divide the labor, but I can retire you to a desk now if you’re going to flake out on me.”

“No. I can do this,” Luke countered quickly. Whatever he decided to do, he needed to get Piper out of his apartment as soon as he could, before Isaac got his hands on her. “You don’t need to come over.”

“Fine. I’ll give you a chance. But if I don’t see progress in the next forty-eight hours, I’ll come introduce myself.”

“I got it. I’ll do it.” Just stay the hell away. Before Isaac could answer, Luke disconnected the call.

+++++++++++

When Piper felt the vibration a few hours later, she gradually grew aware of her circumstances, and she pressed her palms tightly against her eyelids to rub out the sleepiness. At least Bash and Luke had left her alone to sleep, so they didn’t intend to do anything to her directly. Remembering the buzz of her phone, Piper lifted it to eyelevel. Though she hoped to text her sister, the phone was about to die.

Do you want to grab a coffee? the unexpected message read, and Piper tried not to let the normalcy of it set her to crying. Rory. The good-looking man who had pushed his way successfully into a date. Well, at least she didn’t have to make up an excuse to reject him.

I can’t this weekend, she hedged. I’m going out of town. Maybe next weekend.

I meant during the week – should’ve said that. I’m at my uncle’s house in West Harrison this weekend. The drive is too far to come back before Monday.

Oh, okay, Piper allowed. Let me get back to you Monday, then. Kind of crazy this weekend.

Just then, Piper’s phone finally died. Ironic that Rory’s uncle lived less than ten minutes from her sister. In her current circumstances, though, the fact meant nothing. She couldn’t care until she figured out how to get Lily back to her parents.

Isaac sent a couple more messages to Piper to no avail, but he had gotten what he needed – Luke had lied to him. The triangulation of the signal showed Piper’s phone at Luke’s house. He had sent out the offer of coffee to see if she was on campus. He had mentioned West Harrison in case she had gone to her sister’s. She also might have gone to her friend’s house in New Haven, but the phone signal told the truth, even if Luke would not. Not particularly surprising to find out that a spy had lied, but Isaac would have to work around the deception. Fine with him – he wanted a crack at Piper Hayes anyway.

After Piper’s phone died, she suddenly realized how brightly the sun streamed through the windows of the little apartment. She had accomplished nothing of value with her phone before it died, and a sudden panic gripped her as she realized how much of the day she had wasted. She needed to get after Molly, however she could do that.

A memory from her sleep floated into her anxiety, threatening to elevate it to panic. Had she imagined the conversation she had heard through the window last night? Isolate her, Luke had said. No, she hadn’t heard that. No way. There was a perfectly rational Freudian explanation for her imagining. Piper had dreamt the words because she felt isolated – stuck in a random apartment with two men she hardly knew, trying to protect an infant. Of course, Piper felt vulnerable, maybe a little paranoid.

No way she would let anxiety paralyze her. Instead, she stormed into the kitchen, prepared to force the men to get moving. “How could you let me sleep so late!” she accused as soon as she cleared the doorway. She swallowed the words, though, when she processed the sight before her, and her frustration faded.

Luciano stood in the kitchen, a cooking mitt on his hand and a skillet heating on the stove. In Bash's arms rested a beautiful and happy little Lily, obviously well rested and cared for. For a moment, her concern suppressed under the sweetness of the sight. When Bash turned to address her, though, her anxiety returned. The memory of the evening before rushed back, and Piper found herself breathing deeply to calm herself as she had so many times in the past twelve hours.

“It's okay, Piper,” Bash assured her. “You only slept two hours. Luke and I have been discussing our next course.”

“Our next course?” Were they going to hold her there? Isolate me? “I told you when I got here, I want to call the police – though apparently I’ll need to borrow a phone, or I can walk to a coffee shop. Then, I was thinking I would call a taxi and go with Lily to my sister's house – since my car is apparently on the bad guys’ radar. I can have it towed wherever I need to if I need to move it. I appreciate everything you guys have done, but this is not really your problem.” Let me go!

Luke set the skillet on the stove and turned back to the room at large. “We've already called the local police and sent them to the Prados' house. Bash insisted that I inform the FBI, and I contacted my own friends who have connections. Bash provided me with a pretty good description of the car and the size and number of the men involved.” Luke leveled a significant glance at his cousin. “I also contacted some of our old acquaintances from the neighborhood.”

“D.C. is a long way from Providence,” Bash answered, his olive skin flushing slightly with some embarrassment.

“The network is more intact than you would imagine. Part of the reason I have proven so attractive to my employers is my contacts within that group.”

Bash huffed a breath. “Not sure I like bringing them into this.”

His employers? Luke’s words condemned him more and more, and only one thing hinted at redemption: he didn’t seem to be hiding his circumstances. “The neighborhood” sounded oddly foreboding, and not exactly of the upper crust in the Providence suburbs. But wasn’t Bash a blueblood? She couldn’t know for sure, though, and it was hard to imagine Bash as anything other than high-dollar Jamestown.

Piper had no time to consider farther, because Luke brought over a skillet full of eggs and began serving them onto set plates at the table. Sitting in this man’s apartment, she realized that help bore a marked resemblance to helplessness. Bash and Luke were kind, considerate - and uncompromising on letting her leave. At some point, she might have to figuratively grip them by the hair on either side of their heads and make herself clear.

When Bash picked up a fork and offered some eggs to Lily, the infant hit the food away and sent it splattering across Bash's face. Piper couldn't help herself; she burst out in hysterical laughter, probably aided by the tension that had slowly built in her after she awoke. Even Luke managed a smile, though whether at his cousin's humiliation or Piper's amusement, no one could guess.

With much more self-possession than Piper would have expected, Bash reached for a napkin, carefully wiped the egg from his face, and picked up a banana that rested in a little bowl at the center of the table. “Maybe we'll do better with this,” he offered, peeling the fruit halfway and offering Lily a bite. Without hesitation, she snipped off the end with her teeth, following the gesture with a food-filled grin that brought out Bash's own dimple in response.

Whatever his past, Piper realized, Bash Rivera had a way with the ladies, irrespective of their age. Not necessarily a recommendation, she reminded herself as she took a seat behind a plate and began to tuck into the hot food. That she had to quell the swell of appreciation in her chest just sent her mind scampering for cover. Piper had not realized her level of hunger, but when she thought about it, she hadn't eaten in almost sixteen hours.

“So,” she ventured after she had eaten half of her plate of eggs, “does either of you have a phone like this?” She held up her cell phone. “Mine died while I was sleeping. I didn't have time to grab a charger, and I need to call my sister ASAP.”

Luke glared at Bash. “Has she had her phone on the whole time?”

Bash shrugged.

“Of course I have,” Piper answered for herself. “What if Molly had called?”

“They don't even know who she is, Luciano. How would they trace her phone?”

“I admit it's unlikely, but if they got close enough, they could pick up her cell phone – or yours - and once they had the number, they could follow it.” When Piper scoffed, Luke pierced her with a serious gaze. “I know it sounds like government spy stuff, but it's really not all that difficult. I mean, any good gang member could pick up a femtocell at his local store, and if they got within forty feet of you, they could grab your number.”

“I don't think they did,” Sebastian insisted. “I mean, the house is at least thirty feet from the curb, and neither of us went to the front of the house at all when the men were near.”

“Wait,” Piper interrupted. “A fem-a-what?”

“A femtocell. It grabs every phone signal within a radius of forty feet, and can intercept text messages and phone calls. It's sold to boost signals for people who live out in the country, but it has other uses.”

“Bash is right, though,” Piper insisted. “We didn't go near the front of the house, and the guys drove up just as we were leaving. Except-” Piper suddenly remembered. “The car seat was right by the coat tree in the entryway. I walked up there for less than ten seconds.”

“Again, I don't think it likely,” Luke reiterated, “but it's possible. Is your phone dead now?”

Piper glanced down and pressed the button on the front. “Yes.”

“Good,” Luke commanded. “I don't think you'll need to destroy it or anything – I highly doubt these guys have any true cell tracking technology, but you should keep it off for a while.”

“Or, just turn off cell data, right? I mean, she could keep her wifi on and send and receive messages that way without accessing any cell phone towers.”

Luke shrugged. “Well, it’s dead, and I don’t have a charger. Maybe you should leave Piper here and take Lily to Piper’s sister.”

“No!” Bash and Piper yelled at the same time. “No!” offered Piper again, softer. “I’m not letting Lily get away from me until I hand her over to the Prados’ family. It’s my responsibility.”

“And I’m not leaving Piper anywhere, not until I know those guys won’t come after her.”

Piper didn’t know whether to feel trapped or sheltered by Bash’s possessiveness, but either way, she did not want to be left alone with Luciano until she knew him better. Isolate her. Whether she had heard it or not, she would be de facto isolated if she let Bash leave.

“If anyone can take care of her, I can,” claimed Luciano.

If she read the look that passed between the cousins – one suspicious and one injured – the claim brought Bash no comfort. “Maybe,” Bash allowed. “But I feel kind of like Piper on this. I wasn’t asked to take the responsibility, but I did, and I intend to follow through as long as I am able. I know you used to protect me, Luciano, and I will always accept help. But I’m a man now. I have taken care of myself for five years, and intend to help Piper take care of Lily until she’s safe.” Piper fell to pondering the men as she watched them. The elder seemed confident and condescending; the younger defensive and uncertain. Still, she sensed that their shared history rather than their character determined the roles. Under every other circumstance, Bash seemed completely – maybe overly – self-assured. Though Luke seemed rather insensitive to Bash, he had shown her a decent amount of consideration. She had far too few images of them both to set any weight down on her impressions. “Can I borrow your phone then?” she asked the air. “I have to call my sister before I just show up at her door with an infant.”

After staring at Bash for a full minute, Luke pulled out his phone. “Okay,” he agreed, surreptitiously shooting off a text. Don’t respond for at least fifteen minutes. Need advice, Luke informed Isaac, ignoring the sick feeling of his own betrayal. “I don't expect any trouble,” Luke spoke to the room, “but if she were my sister, I would want someone tu look out for her.”

Luke let silence hang between himself and his cousin. The thought was clear, and Luke let it work its purpose. Maybe if Luciano had stayed with Mariana, Bash realized, accompanied her somewhere, taken better care of her, she would not have disappeared. Quite a heavy burden to carry around, Sebastian thought.

“You guys are scaring me with all this intensity,” Piper admitted. “Can I just have a phone?” Sebastian handed his to her, typing in the pass code before she could grab it. “Thanks,” she offered.

Though her sister seemed understandably shocked by the request, Jennie acquiesced freely. A couple of minutes later, Piper stood to her feet and headed toward the room to gather Lily’s things. She stopped by the restroom to wash her hands, and when she came out, Luke stood in the little hallway that flowed between the restroom and the living room, digging into a closet for a jacket.

“Excuse me,” she began, waiting for him to close the door and give her room to pass. Thinking better of it, she held back and watched as he handed her a hooded jacket. She could see Sebastian across the room where he played peekaboo with Lily, and Piper knew that she would need a lot more familiarity with Bash before she gained the courage to ask him any probing questions. Luke, though? Asking Luke questions felt more like an interrogation – which was fine with her – and she cared a lot less if she offended him than if she upset Bash. Stepping close, she peered up at Luke and spoke in a hushed tone. “Can you tell me what ‘the neighborhood’ is? I am having trouble reconciling you two with any serious gang activity.”

To her surprise, Luke reached out and gently gripped her arm. “You don’t need to be afraid of us,” he asserted, as if that answered her question. She hadn’t realized just how small the hallway was, and as Luke leaned down to speak with her, the wall pressed against her back. It left little room between him and her, and trapped, her heart sped. If she had read him right before, he at least thought her attractive. Did he intended to act on that attraction?

Swallowing, Piper forced herself to remember the question she had asked. “‘The neighborhood,’” she reminded him. “I can’t possibly know whether or not to be afraid of you if I know nothing about you. Unfortunately, I also have to take some risks. I don’t have resources to deal with this alone.”

“You’re not alone, Piper,” Luke insisted. “Bash and I are here.”

“But why?” She peered up into greenish brown eyes, and she tried to read his expressions. She saw everything she expected: intensity, pressure, power, intention. Not an ounce of concern or compassion. I thought so, she gritted her teeth. Ironically, the moment she unleashed her glare at him, she saw his first hint of insecurity, as if he had expected one thing but gotten another. That’s right, you jerk. I’m not for manipulating.

He slid the hand on her arm down to her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze as he did. Apparently, he had come on too strong. Just let yourself feel what you would naturally feel and act on it. Isaac was right in that – if Luke let himself access the idea of attracting her, his instinct took over. If he read her at all right, his presence had affected her at least a little.

When he stepped back from her, keeping her hand but dropping his eyes, she had a moment of guilt at coming on quite so belligerently, but only a moment. She would not let him or anyone else pressure her into weakness, not when Lily and Molly needed her to be strong.

“Well,” Luke hemmed a lot less confidently, “Bash is just genuinely a kind soul. And helping people like you and Molly is literally a part of my job description.”

Bash. Glancing at Sebastian, Piper noted his eyes upon her where she stood with his cousin, and she pulled her hand away, pressing both of her arms onto the wall behind her. Bash had completely ceased his play with Lily, and when their gazes met, he dropped his eyes guiltily.

Irritated by Luke’s lack of answers and by his role in upsetting Bash, Piper slid away from Luke and pulled on the jacket. Maybe at some point she would press for answers, but not while Luke hovered over her in a hallway.

The shoulders of the jacket gaped a little over her feminine frame, but once she zipped it, it would hold fine. Shaking herself, she stepped toward the center of the room. “Let’s go,” she commanded, not waiting for them before heading out the door. Both of them followed quickly after.

Twenty minutes later, Piper sat in the back seat of her Honda next to a playful Lily. The men did not speak as they cleared the Providence area and headed down I-95. Fortunately, Piper could distract herself with taking care of Lily: playing games, offering snacks, handing her toys.

At last, Luke broke the silence. “We have some friends who run in the circles of those men who came after you. I think they might know someone who knows something.”

“Ha-ha,” Piper chuckled, forcing herself to put down her nerves. Despite the intention of her resistance, a strange tug in her gut drew her to Luke, as if he had turned on some homing beacon for her – she kind of resented the power of it. “So, you 'know somebody who knows somebody...'” she tried to joke.

Sebastian turned and smiled at her, and her heart lurched. Was the tug-of-war intentional? Were they doing it to disorient her? Because whatever physical lure Luke pulled on her, Bash pulled an emotional one. Just looking at him made her want to hug him, to let him wrap his arms around her and hold her until she felt stable again. In every way that Luke seemed intent on possessing her, Bash seemed determined to protect her. She found herself withdrawing from them both, establishing herself in the furthest corner of her mind where neither could reach her.

“That's about right,” Bash nodded. “Luke has not been locked in the halls of academia like you and I have. He’s got a more…varied…acquaintance.”

“Everyone buckled?” Luke demanded abruptly.

Both passengers answered affirmatively, and Piper checked Lily's restraints, reacting to the urgency of Luke’s tone.

“Good,” Luke continued. “Hang on.”

Without warning, he hooked a steep left, the tires on the Accord squealing as they fought to maintain their grip on the road.

“What are you doi-” Piper cut off as a similar sound resonated behind her. She glanced back to see an SUV, its left tires actually off the pavement for a few seconds before it tore down the road after them. For the first time since the ordeal had begun, Piper felt heart-pounding, stomach-clutching fear. In the Prados' home, her hair had prickled, her heartbeat had sped slightly, but now she heard a silent scream building in her throat. The peril of the speeding car compounded her dismay at the fact that someone had reason to chase her – that someone wished to caused her harm. Even worse, that someone had already taken Molly. Burying her face in her hands, she forced herself to breathe. As the car pitched and swayed, she banged her head on Lily's car seat, and the recognition wrenched her from her cloud of fear. Was Lily okay?

When she glanced up at the infant, the little girl had awakened from a nap, but Lily smiled as peacefully as usual up at her caregiver. The smile jabbed Piper's heart with a twinge of actual despair. “I wish I were as ignorant as you,” Piper murmured.

“It's going to be fine,” Sebastian turned to her as the car lurched again. “Luke knows what he's doing.”

“So, he's been in a lot of high-speed chases?” she challenged, her voice rising with her anxiety.

“Just a lot of training,” Luke contradicted as he gauged their pursuer in the rearview. “This should do it!” he grinned as he flung the car around another corner. An abrupt left followed by another right brought a town into view before them. A few minutes later, Luke turned the car onto a major thoroughfare, blending in with the traffic that approached. “Much easier to lose a car in a town. And if they run us off the road here, there will be lots of witnesses.”

“And police,” Sebastian agreed. “I'd say we're in good shape for now.”

After taking a few turns down some of the busier streets, Luke nodded. “I think they gave up. Still, they'll keep looking until they find us again. We had better ditch the car.”

“My car?”

“Not forever,” Sebastian assured her, throwing his cousin a reproachful glance. “Look.” He held up his phone. “There's a parking garage right here and another just across the river.”

“The one on this side is closer to the airport, and that's where we'll find a rental.”

Piper bit her lip, trying not to act like a baby about her car. Did they have any idea how hard she had worked to buy that car? Probably not, Mr. I'm-Best-Friends-With-A-Gansett-Man and Mr. Designer Duds. They didn't look like they had worked a day in their lives.”

“So, drop us at the rental place,” Bash suggested, “and then you go park the car. That way, if they see the car, they'll follow you. I don't want Piper and Lily to have a target on their back.” When Piper looked up at him as if he were a glass of water on a hot summer day, Sebastian’s chest swelled, but he suppressed his reaction. She was obviously emotionally distressed, and it would not take much consideration to create gratitude. He would not take advantage of her vulnerability, though he would stick around to help her as long as she needed it.

“Fine,” Luke interrupted Bash’s thoughts, “but keep her out of sight.”

“Obviously,” Sebastian shook his head, mostly squelching his irritation. “Text me your location as soon as you get there.”

+++++++++++

“Rick!” Where the vibration of the phone had dragged him to consciousness, the voice wrenched him to full alertness.

“Arthur,” Rick Connors greeted. “You sound like you have good news.”

“Well, I have news. It won’t be good until it’s done, but I have it on pretty good authority that the new drug has had to delay its production for three more months.”

Relieved, Connors breathed in through his nose to calm himself. “And after that? Any luck with getting Charlie’s drug in the orphan program?”

“Sorry,” the man’s tone fell slightly. “You know the FDA is a hellhole, and you’re just a state senator. I’m working on my contact there, but I can manage a lot more through unofficial means. You handed us a gem with that Parkington kid - such a greedy SOB – and to be fair, he just might get his wish and end up a lackey for some minor Congressperson in D.C.”

“I am completely unconcerned about that. His father wouldn’t give a piss to benefit the boy – a big family disappointment, drug dealer, underperforming at work. If I get the chance to go around him without creating problems for myself, I will do it. I can probably get it done cheaper myself.”

Arthur clucked his tongue. “Careful with that, Rick. You get what you pay for. I know you are not bound by convention as a rule, but you need to protect your reputation for Charlie’s sake.”

“Arthur, I will do whatever I have to do to protect Charlie’s medicine. Those assholes at Pharmacan are all about money, and my daughter’s cancer doesn’t make them enough to continue production. Well, screw their scientists and screw their money. I’m doing what I need to for Charlie.”

After a short pause, Arthur continued with a gentler tone. “I understand, Rick. You know I do since my Gloria died last year. It’s not the same because this is your daughter, not your wife, but cancer is hell.”

“This isn’t about the cancer. This is about greed. I won’t let greed kill my Charlie.”

“Okay, Rick. Okay. Well, it looks like we’ve bought you a reprieve anyway. I’ll put some more pressure for the orphan status. I’ll get back to you next week.

Connors hung up the phone, shaking. He hadn’t meant to lose it quite so badly. Still, only a state senator? Arthur Bradley and everyone else in Rhode Island could go to hell, including Mitch Parkington and the dead scientists. If the gang leaders and the cartels were the only ones who could manage what Rick needed, then they were the ones who would get his money.