Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The Lab

It was cold in this stairway. Grace wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her hands up and down over the jacket, trying to create warmth. For the first time, noticing she was freezing. She knew the lab and office would be warmer. Shaking off her discomfort, she focused on getting to the second level.

She was a woman with a mission. Focused on her goals. Concentrating on the items she needed to collect from her lab, she then brooded over how to get into the office on the fifth floor. Garret was liable to have some type of alarm.

Quietly, they made their way up the stairs. When Raptor stopped on level two to check the window in the door, she didn't bother to look. Grace stood behind him and kept going over her mental list.

"This floor is dark."

Frowning at the statement, she bent around him. She'd expected to see lights and the cleaning staff. Slowly, she blew out a breath. "Actually, that makes sense. I'll bet the janitors start on the fifth floor, the top, and then work their way down. It's what I would do. It should take the cleaning staff an hour or so per floor, depending on how thoroughly they do their job."

He nodded. "Let's go. We want to be finished with your lab by the time the male and female get to your floor."

They paused on the third level. Raptor spent several moments checking the darkness through the glass. Then held up his hand. "I'm going to slip through. Wait until I open the door for you. If I don't come back, hide." And he was gone.

Hide? Where the hell was she supposed to hide? Back on the first floor, under the staircase? In the damn closet? What he should have done is teach her how to get in the spaceship. That would be the best place to hide.

The door opened and his hand came through, interrupting her mental freak-out. She put her hand in his, and he pulled her through. "There is no one here. Can you do this without lights?"

Looking around, Grace realized it wasn't that dark. The green exit lights added a glow, as did the small LED lights that lit the hallways. It smelled as it always did. A little stale, a little like cleaning products and baked goods. Nodding her head, she started toward the lab. "I'll need light in the lab, but it's an enclosed room. No windows, as sunlight can cause blood and other samples to deteriorate."

She took the lead, winding through the cubicles toward the middle of the room. It only took seconds before she stood in front of the lab. Holding her breath, she swiped her ID card. When the lock clicked, her knees wobbled.

Raptor stopped her. "Let me check first, just in case."

She let him go first. Once again wondering what the hell she'd do if someone jumped him. Turning, she looked out over the empty cubicles and considered her options. Could she run around a corner and crawl under a desk? Maybe. But she didn't think that would work for long. Fingering the handgun at her waist, she knew if hiding didn't work, she could always shoot someone. And she would if their lives were in danger. Grace sighed. Their lives were in danger.

It was only a few seconds before he held the door open for her. Grace hurried through, then turned and locked the deadbolt. She looked up and grinned. "No one can get in with a swipe card. I made them put this lock on so I couldn't be interrupted at a critical point."

Raptor relaxed. "So, if they tried to enter, they would know you were in here. But it will warn us."

She'd already turned away. "How do we do this? Everything but the microscope and the Genetic Analyzer will fit in the backpack I keep at my desk. I'll need an hour or so to download all of my research and to see if I can find anything else in the database that relates to the fertilizer. How do you plan to get the equipment downstairs to the shuttle?"

He came to stand beside her. Reaching out, he lifted the microscope with one hand. Then put his palm on top of the Genetic Analyzer. It was about the size of a large trunk.

Bending over, she unplugged both machines. "It weighs over two hundred pounds," she warned. Then frowned. "There's a loading dock on the other side of the building. On the first floor. I'll bet there's a cart or something we can put this on and wheel it to the shuttle."

Raptor turned and smiled at her with an expression that said she was an idiot. He leaned over and carefully picked up the heavy machine and set it on one shoulder. He didn't breathe hard or break a sweat. Then he scooped up the seventy-pound microscope with his other hand. "Unlock the lab door and follow me to the stairs. You can open that for me and then return to the lab. When you get back in here, lock the door behind you. Do the information search you need. When I return, I'll knock twice and then wait for a two-count and knock once. You'll know it's me. It won't take long to put these in the shuttle."

Grace did as he suggested and hurried back to the lab. Swiping her card again, she put her hand on the doorknob.

"Dr. Johnson?" The voice shocked her, echoing out of the dark.

Grace froze, and her heart went wild.

The voice came again, "Dr. Grace?" The female janitor stepped out of the dark. "Are you okay?"

Grace frowned. The woman looked familiar. She had short, dark hair and a medium build. And while Grace often worked long hours, she never stayed later than ten at night. She had never met the cleaning staff. She called her Dr. Grace , which is how her patients often referred to her. But she was certain this woman wasn't one of her patients.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Grace. Do you remember me? My daughter was Nancy Alvera. Last month, my daughter and her newborn died because of complications. You tried to help."

Grace closed her eyes. Nancy and her tiny daughter had both died of the exact type of issues she was sure sprung from the poisoned water. She opened her eyes and focused on the woman. "Yes. You are Neva. I remember your daughter and the baby," she reassured the woman.

Neva smiled. "I don't mean to pry. I know you've been working hard. When I saw you on the stairway, I wanted to make sure that you were all right. I waited until the man left, so I could ask you if you need my help. I don't want to bother you or ask questions about Nancy—I just wanted to let you know I'm here if you need me."

Grace realized the woman was worried about Raptor. "I'm safe. The man is helping me." She planned to tell Neva she didn't need any help—and then reconsidered. Grace looked over her head and around the tops of the cubicles.

Neva understood what she was looking for. "My boss, Jacob, is still on the fifth floor. I was on my way down to the supply closet to get some more rags. He won't come looking for me. Not yet."

Grace turned around and opened her lab. She motioned the woman inside. "I just need to be careful," she whispered as she closed and locked the door. She moved inside and perched on the edge of her desk. "Neva, do you have a key to Garret's office?"

The dark-haired woman's eyes went wide. She shook her head. "I don't. Jacob used to work on Mr. Garret's security force. When he got injured, they put him in charge of the cleaning crew. Right now, that crew is only me. So, until they hire more people, my boss is helping. He has the keys to unlock all the doors and a code to silence the alarms." She found her own perch on another desk.

Neva opened her mouth to ask more questions. Then she looked at Grace and frowned. "I said I wouldn't ask. But does this have anything to do with my daughter?"

Pursing her lips, Grace debated what to say. Neva was a devoted mother and a loyal employee. She wouldn't go against her boss... unless she had more information. Grace hoped sharing that information was the right choice.

She nodded. "Yes. I don't have time to give you the details and it could be dangerous if they discover you know what's going on. Someone tried to kill me earlier tonight." She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Since it is two o'clock in the morning, that would be last night."

Neva exclaimed in horror.

Grace held up her hand. "I'm fine. The man with me made sure of that. But they won't stop Neva, because my research led me to discover that chemicals added to the town water supply have created a massive outbreak of clotting issues. Just like your daughter experienced. The chemicals used—exactly match the composition of a fertilizer that this company produces. I believe Garret is adding chemicals to the town's water supply." She looked at her computer. "I have some of the proof I need, but not all of it. I don't know why he would do this. The next step is to get into his office and search for answers." Turning back, she smiled at the woman. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out."

"You think he added chemicals to the water supply, and those chemicals caused my daughter and granddaughter's death?" Neva asked for clarification.

Grace nodded. "I do. Nancy's and so many others. But I need more proof. Don't worry, Neva, I'll get it. But do me a favor. Don't mention this to anyone, including your boss. And until I clear this up, drink bottled water, okay?"

The woman's deep brown eyes flashed, and she stood taller. "I can help you. I told the truth when I said I don't have a key. But we have a routine. We will clean the reception area first. That takes about an hour. You can finish here and then come upstairs. Hide in the stairwell and watch. When we're done, Jacob will unlock the door to Garret's office and let me in. Once he does that, he goes to a smaller room at the end of the hall. He likes that room because it is easier to clean. He gets it done within just a few minutes. That room has a very comfortable chair where he can sit and rest. He will stay there until I'm finished cleaning the much larger office and go get him."

Neva fiddled with the necklace at her throat, then leaned in. "When you see Jacob go into the room at the end of the hall—you can sneak into Garret's room. I'll hurry and finish cleaning. I always lock the door behind me when I leave. Jacob will check that door. He always turns the knob to make sure it won't open. But he doesn't bother to check my work anymore. As soon as you get in the room, I think you should find a place to hide. Just in case he does something unexpected. But finding somewhere shouldn't be hard. The desk is humongous and there is a bathroom. Will that work for you?"

Grace grinned. She stood and hugged the woman. "Neva, that is perfect."

Raptor

It was a simple thing to carry the items downstairs. It didn't take Raptor long to settle the equipment in the shuttle and reduce the size. This feature was helpful when he needed to pick up supplies. It allowed him to park the larger spaceship in a remote area and take the tiny shuttle into more urban supply centers.

Looking into the night, he took a deep breath of the cool air. He could smell pine trees. Outside the reach of the lights in the compound, it was dark. Difficult to see what lay beyond the fence. But he could hear crickets and the occasional rustle of some nocturnal animal.

Looking back down at the shuttle, Raptor smiled to himself. He believed that one day in the near future, his mate would demand he get a model with two seats. It might take her some time before she made that demand. Grace had to admit that she was his mate. But for the first time in close to a thousand years... he felt the odds were in his favor that she would accept him.

Smoothing his hand over the cool metal, he fastened the shuttle door and the small vehicle disappeared. Raptor heard a soft scrape just off to his left and realized someone was coming around the far edge of the building. He couldn't get back inside before another security person came into sight.

Repeating the earlier male's actions, this person kept her head down and focused solely on checking the doors. It gave Raptor time to quickly change his body and mimic the outside wall color. Backing against the building's surface allowed him to blend into his surroundings. Standing perfectly still, he watched the female pass him within just a few feet.

Steeped in routine, she reached out her hand and checked that the door was locked, and then continued around the building.

Thank the Interstellar gods. He'd followed his instinct to shut the door behind him and it automatically locked. What would the security guard do if she discovered an unlocked and open door? The thought unnerved him. And Grace was all alone where anything could happen.

Taking a few deep breaths, he impatiently waited for the security guard to disappear around the corner and then hurried inside and up the stairs. Suddenly, his heart pounded faster. He worried something had happened to Grace while he was gone. She was alone, without his protection!

Rushing up the remaining stairs, he sped toward the lab.

He was about to break down the door when Raptor realized what he was doing. He stopped and then started counting to ten. If he went through with his actions, he would scare Grace to death. What was wrong with him? What was going on? Remaining still, he took his time to think and tried to calm down.

Putting one hand on the door, he relaxed against the metal surface. Grounding himself in reality. Raptor realized he was afraid. Afraid of losing Grace when he'd just discovered her again and felt he had a chance. He was afraid of losing his mate. Because this time he didn't think he could take it. This time Raptor had gotten to know her—just a little—and having her taken from him would be devastating.

Sucking in another breath, he thought about her smile. The one where she didn't want to admit that something he'd done amused her. It was a barely there lifting of one corner of her mouth. Already... he looked forward to that little smirk. He wanted more of them.

He had the opportunity to hold her in his arms a few times. Carrying her limp body into his ship and seating her in his lap on the shuttle—were two that came immediately to mind. With his arms lightly wrapped around her form—he'd experienced just a hint of what it would be like to press her soft flesh against his own in a willing embrace. He wanted to breathe in more of her sweet and spicy scent.

Raptor hadn't had a chance to kiss her yet. But he felt like that was something he should do soon. There was a building need inside to make sure Grace understood his intentions. That he'd started this trip to take her to her friend, but the situation had changed.

He'd changed. All the missed opportunities, the times she'd refused him—were boiling up inside of him. He needed... to stake his claim. Raptor was impatient. He couldn't wait any longer.

Now was better than never. Using their prearranged signal—he knocked twice—waited for a two-count and knocked again. Raptor used the seconds before Grace opened the door to figure out how to explain that she was his mate.

Grace opened the door and jumped into Raptor's arms, squealing, "You're back! It seemed like forever."

He almost dropped her.

At the last second, he put his hands around her hips and held on while she wrapped her legs around his waist. Raptor was lost in the feel of her in his arms. At the warm, pliant woman snuggling into him. He didn't hear what she said. Instead, he focused on how her body felt pressed against his. Her arms hugged around his neck, and she squeezed tighter.

He believed this would be the perfect time to kiss her. She'd missed him. He listened with only part of his attention, instead working up the nerve for their first kiss.

"It is so amazing you returned in one piece. Even though I was worried, I kept working and finished transferring all the files I had saved on my desktop… to my laptop. I used the rest of the time to research, and I found lots more. Without taking the time to stop and read any of them, I just copied the files. I searched for anything that had the formula, the name of the fertilizer, or any reference to water supplies in the title or text. I figured I can read it all when we are safe back on the ship. And oh! I had a visitor while you were gone!"

Raptor puckered his lips, and his heart pounded in his chest. He began to shift Grace in his arms, lowering his head, ready to...

Wait. What?

Then he realized what she tried to tell him. She had a visitor while he was gone!

His head came up. Tightening his arms around her, clutching her to his chest, he spun around—and searched the shadows for an intruder.

There weren't any.

Now he jerked back and carefully sat her on her feet, checking to see if she was injured in any way. She wasn't scratched, bruised, or hurt as far as he could see. He looked up and met her laughing gaze.

She giggled. "I'm okay. The visitor was the female janitor. I knew her. Her daughter was one of my patients and she agree to help us."

Backing up a few steps, he arranged his thoughts and his body to meet this news. It took him a moment to calm both.

While he surreptitiously hid his actions from her, Grace rushed to explain why the woman had come to check on her, and how this Neva thought she could help them. She ended with, "It's almost time to go upstairs. We need to get there before her boss leaves, so we know what is going on."

"I didn't see her on the staircase. Why didn't I know she was there?" he was asking himself that question more than Grace.

But she answered anyway. "She glimpsed us going through the door from the stairwell into the room outside the lab. She was worried for me, so kept out of sight and was very quiet. After you left, she approached me to make sure I was okay."

They moved quickly. Once back in the stairwell, they quietly worked their way up to the fifth floor. For the moment, Raptor tried to let his oversight go. But he was angry at himself for not sensing a threat to his mate. For not hearing or seeing the woman.

When they reached the top, he stood behind Grace so they could both look through the small window. Every breath filled his lungs with her spicy heat. She was distracting. Not intentionally, but with every moment he spent with her, it was harder and harder to focus on the danger surrounding them. It was much easier to focus on his reaction to this woman.

Pushing everything from his mind but the danger at hand, Raptor watched the older man clean his way around the reception area. He didn't move well. Grace told Raptor he'd been part of Garret's security force until he got injured. Which is why the man had been trusted with the management of the staff that cleaned the owner's offices. Seeing how hard it was for the janitor to bend and turn—solidified the woman's claim that Garret gave him a job where ease of movement wasn't critical.

They didn't wait long before the man opened the door to Garret's office, allowing the woman inside. Once he did that, he shuffled down the hall and disappeared into another room. Raptor and Grace didn't waste any time. They left the questionable safety of the stairwell and slipped into the office.