Blood and Fire (McClouds & Friends #8)(9)

In fact, she understood it so well, her guts churned with apprehension. King would be so angry. She needed for this assignment to go well. Her last assignment had been compromised by her lack of emotional self-control. She’d been working on that problem, putting in the hard time with DeepWeave XIII, the latest of King’s brilliant programming sequences. Four hours a day; two before work, two before bed. The same amount of time she spent working out.

Please, let him not be angry. It wasn’t her fault. It was the time delay in the word-rec bot, not her. But King did not accept excuses.

Zoe stared out the window as she touched a speed dial on her cell. Howard’s daughter stood outside by the entrance to the rose garden, her long, curly red hair flying in the breeze. As Zoe watched, she looked straight up at Zoe, with disconcerting directness.

Zoe suppressed the urge to step back, away from the window. She had this situation under control. No one could intimidate her.

So the Parr woman had opted not to make an immediate complaint about Miriam the nurse’s shocking rudeness. A stroke of luck in terms of timing, since after today, this place would never see Zoe’s face again. She was grateful this hadn’t happened when she was off shift. But that was due to her own careful planning and scheduling. Howard’s daughter was regular in her visits. The first Tuesday of the month, never weekends, no other visitors. After taking into account this dull regularity, King had decided that Zoe could handle the long-term surveillance job without backup. And until this moment, Zoe had been convinced that this job was make-work, inflicted to punish her with boredom. But she never complained. Not even when forced to do the disgusting, mind-numbing personal services nurses performed for their patients. Cheerfully, with professional perfection. For f*cking years.

Anything to make him forgive her. Approve of her again.

The phone rang and rang. Ten times, fifteen. Zoe waited patiently, watching Lily wandering aimlessly in the flowerbeds. King was a busy, important man, with many things to attend to. She must wait her turn.

Lily glanced up again, and Zoe stared down, composing herself. She began to mentally recite a DeepWeave emergency intervention in her mind to calm herself before—

Click. “Zoe, my dear,” that beloved voice said. “Tell me everything.”

Oh. Zoe sucked in air, nostrils flaring. That voice. So deep, so rich, so sparkling. It just undid her. She fought the jolt of excitement, clenched her body, ruthlessly pulled herself together.

“Howard’s been bad,” she announced. Her voice barely quavered.

A considering pause from the other end. “He told the girl?”

“Yes.” She braced herself and confessed. “He named names.”

“Ah.” That agonizing silence ticking by, again. “And how is it that you allowed him to do this, my dear?” King asked, his voice terrifyingly gentle. “What was the scope of this assignment? Had you forgotten?”

“No!” She gulped. “They were alone together in the room, like always, and, ah, he took me by surprise! I’ve studied every transcript of their monthly visits over the last four years, and he never said a word about anything so far, so I—”

“Zoe.” He cut her off, softly. “Calm yourself. You are babbling.”

Zoe clenched her jaw. “I set the word-rec bot to beep me if he said Magda Ranieri’s name, but there were a few minutes of lag time that I didn’t anticipate. So I . . . it was a technical glitch. He, ah, talked for a while. I haven’t had time to listen to the data yet. I wanted to get your orders first. Do you want me to send you the raw data now? I could—”

“No. First things first. Where is the girl now?”

“Waiting outside for the cab,” Miriam replied. “I’m at the window, looking at her right now. Cal picked her up at the train station and brought her here. I’ve already told him to come back as soon as possible to pick her up. He’ll take care of her for you. Though I very much doubt that she believes what he told her. Nobody would, at this point.”

“It doesn’t matter.” King’s voice sounded almost fretful. “I’m done wasting time and money on this. The last thing I need is that stupid business to inconvenience me now, when things are finally taking off.”

“Of course,” Zoe agreed hastily. “Of course, you’re right.”

“I should have cleaned this mess up years ago,” King went on. “I want it done today. And then I never want to hear about it again.”

“Certainly,” she said. “Shall I tell Cal to—”

“I’ll contact Cal. Concentrate on Howard. Is everything prepared?”

Her heart leaped at the starting gates. “Of course.”

Zoe pocketed her phone, tingling with excitement. At last! Afteryears of tedium, the punishment was over. Finally, she got to do what she was trained for. She’d do it just right. He’d be so proud of her.

The endorphin-pumping fantasy that thought provoked derailed her concentration for eight seconds. She yanked herself together and retrieved the prepared gym bag from her locker in the staff area. She went to Howard Parr’s room, glancing up the quiet corridor before she went in. The sedative she’d given him had put him in a dreamy doze. He was unlikely to notice her preparations. Or have the wit to interpret them.

Even so, she was quick. Fresh latex gloves went on, then a lightweight plastic poncho over her uniform. She’d have to take care not to get her white sneakers stained. Upon reflection, she pulled out a couple of plastic bags, encased her feet to the ankles. Details, details.