Protecting Her(40)

As I walk back to my seat, I hear my father’s voice on the microphone. “I have investigated the treatments Pearce was referring to and found them to be quite intriguing. I am not solely referring to the cancer treatments, but other treatments as well. I think the research should be presented before we come to a decision.”

Martin appears beside him. “Let’s take an informal vote. Raise your hand if you’re interested in considering Dr. Cunningham for a position at the Clinic.”

More than three quarters of the room raises their hands. It’s only because of my father. They wouldn’t listen to me, but they’ll listen to him. I’m shocked that he stood up there defending me, but then realize it’s not about me. He’s trying to save himself. He thinks he’s dying and he’s grasping for a lifeline. And I offered him one. Now he just needs to convince the others to go along with it.

“Pearce,” a man behind me says.

“Yes?” I turn and see Spencer Turnbaum addressing me from the back row. He’s a banker and a brilliant businessman. He’s a few years older than my father.

“You said that Dr. Cunningham already works at a private clinic?” he asks.

“That’s correct.”

Spencer directs his attention to the room. “I propose we buy the clinic he works at, but only Dr. Cunningham will know about us.”

“Why would we buy it?” someone asks.

“We need more locations,” Spencer says. “And this would protect the identity of our members. If someone were to discover that we all go to just a handful of medical clinics, they could put the pieces together and see that we’re all connected. That would then lead to an investigation about us, as well as the Clinic itself and the treatments offered. It would be far less risky for us to own private clinics that cater to the wealthy, rather than just us specifically.”

“That is an excellent idea that warrants further discussion,” Martin says. “I suggest we continue with this topic for the time left remaining. Any objections?”

I watch to see if Leland will raise his hand to object, but he doesn’t. I don’t know why Leland is always against me. I know I was rather harsh with Katherine the last time I saw her, but I had to be. She almost spilled our secrets to Rachel. And I needed to put an end to Katherine’s delusions that she and I could someday be together.

For the rest of the hour, the members discuss the pros and cons of buying the clinic Logan currently works at. Dunamis wouldn’t be the one actually buying it. Instead, it would be bought by one of our members who is in the healthcare business and already owns several medical facilities. Dunamis would fund the purchase, but not be linked back to it.

Following that discussion, my father spends a few minutes explaining the research he referred to earlier. By the time the meeting ends, the members decide to make an offer to Logan. Actually, I will be the one making the offer.

“If he accepts our offer,” Martin says to me, “you will be his handler.”

A handler is someone who keeps watch on the people who work for us. Usually, the older members act as handlers, but since I suggested Logan, it makes sense that I would be his handler, which means that if he screws up, he and I will both be punished.

“That’s fine,” I say, agreeing to it.

“What about the whore?” someone in the back of the room asks.

Martin nods. “Yes, what do people think about Pearce’s request to release the associate?”

I use my body language training to hide all emotion; keeping my face blank, my body relaxed. If the members think this is going to benefit me in any way, they won’t allow it. I’m still a “problem” and I will be given no favors.

“I vote no.” I hear the voice and know it’s Royce without even looking. “As a member, it’s Pearce’s duty to recruit this man without asking for anything in return. In addition, his request is something we have never done. Before we can even entertain the idea, we need to bring it to the higher level members.”

I’m not surprised Royce is going against me. He’s angry with me because I’ve been avoiding him ever since he forced that assignment on me. He thinks we should remain friends, even though his little stunt almost killed my family.

“What do the rest of you think?” Martin asks.

I hear Jack’s voice behind me. “If Dr. Cunningham is as enamored with the girl as Pearce says he is, then I say we release her. We all know how a woman can get in your head and disrupt your focus on work. We’ve agreed that we want to hire this man and I don’t want some stupid associate standing in the way of that, or interfering with this man’s performance on the job.”