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Chapter 1

Gabe

“Thanks for co in early to take this case I know it’s the first vacation you’ve had in five years”

“Eight,” I correct as I pick up the file, “but who’s counting?”

My boss, Cord, grimaces “I’d take it myself, but we—“

“Got the job to protect Maisey Wilson, I know I read it in the coest pop star in the world and is about to e new security because her last ones ended up bringing a stalker to her dressing rooot branded a cokehead and investigated by the DEA Fortunately, the investigation cleared her, and now the head of security and the stalker are in jail, but she’s understandably distrustful of the old security staff so she cleaned house “Glad you’re doing that job and not , the harder it is to protect the client But stars are worse because you’re always getting photographed, which is bad for the business People should not knohat the bodyguard looks like

“I figured This one will be good Fro I hear, the client basically lives in the lab facility”

“This says the lab facility is over a hundred thousand square feet” I point to the dossier

“Yeah, well, if it was an easy job then they wouldn’t need us” Cord slaps me on the back “Look over the file and tell me how many people you need The company wants you there yesterday”

I push to my feet “Will do”

In my car, I take a look at the file Catriona Hennessy is a twenty-seven-year-old prodigy who is leading a tea how viruses work Her current project is the development of a serum that can be used as a base for vaccines that would effectively eliminate all animal-borne viruses It’s not a vaccine itself but rather a starter and could be considered a breakthrough scientific discovery akin to penicillin The human trials of a vaccine based on this serureat proovern to profit off her family Catriona, however, plans to donate the entire body of research to a non-profit firm that would license the fors

“A real Mother Theresa,” I e My breath catches and my brain short circuits Catriona Hennessy is a fla, and she’s wearing a plain white lab coat, but uy, but I didn’t know scientists looked like this They’re supposed to be gaunt and pale-skinned Their faces are fralasses, and their shoulders are rounded forward fro into asex machines that ht is not how best todoomed, I am

I grab my phone and shoot off a text to Cord

Me: I have another engagenment