Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(22)

So far, not too bad. For Rome, I mean. Poor Memory Man. To be a prisoner all these years, somehow forced to comply with his captors' wishes. Are you really feeling sorry for the man who helped ruin your life? Plus, none of that was truly verified.

"Go on."

Cody nodded. "There was a mention of his stealing memories rather than erasing them, as John thought."

"Stealing?" I blinked. "As in, see a pretty diamond ring in a store window, smash the window, grab the ring and run?"

"You nailed it."

"I see," I said, but I didn't. Not really. That just didn't make sense. There was no reason for Memory Man, or M-Squared, as I'd begun to think of him during Cody's rundown, to steal memories from Rome and Cody. Unless he'd wanted PSI secrets? That made sense but didn't fit. Both men remembered their time at PSI, so those memories were intact. M-Squared had only taken memories of himself, probably to keep his identity hidden, and me - well, and those specifically associated with me.

My brow furrowed in confusion. Why me? And why had M-Squared not taken Cody's memories of me? Why had he only taken Rome's? What had made Rome's memories of me so special that he'd snatched them up rather than state secrets? Wasn't like I was a knockout. I was cute (or so I'd been told), with light brown hair, hazel eyes and a trim physique running away from bad guys had given me.

But I was a B-cup on good days, didn't usually wear anything besides jeans and T-shirts and had a smart mouth. Oftentimes, people wanted to forget me. (For proof, see every mention of Rome.) And speaking of Rome, how was I going to remind him of why he loved me, even if I was glued to his side, when I suddenly couldn't think of a single redeemable thing about me?

What a depressing day.

"I think Pretty Boy, and then Desert Gal, planned to send Memory Man into PSI headquarters, maybe let us capture and try and recruit him, all so he could steal some of our memories," Cody continued.

"John's specifically. But who knows? Even with whatever they used to control him, they must not have fully trusted him. He was locked up, after all."

Dear Lord. "Having him inside PSI, willing or not, would be a nightmare."

"You have no idea," he muttered.

Yeah, I did. John carried some of the biggest secrets in the world. Where scrims were imprisoned, who worked undercover in the paranormal underground, where agents - and their family members - lived. In the wrong hands, that kind of information could place everyone I loved on some scrim's kill list.

"So why didn't Memory Man take Rome's PSI knowledge when he had the chance?" I asked. "He left those memories alone."

"Only he knows the answer to that." Pensive, Cody rubbed at his scalp. "With Desert Gall now at the helm of the OASS empire, Pretty Boy's plan to destroy us is alive and well, even if Pretty Boy himself isn't. We need to follow every lead, not just focus on Memory Man. In those papers I mentioned, there was a reference to Big Rocky Spring Water."

"What reference?"

"Some sort of coded message, I think. 'You'll never be thirsty at Big Rocky.'" Hard to argue with that statement, no matter what secret message it might contain. I loved me some Big Rocky. Fresh and crisp with no chemical aftertaste. "What does a major water company have to do with those disgusting scrims? Could one of the employees be a potential target? Or maybe an asset of some kind?"

"I don't know, but I plan to fly to their headquarters in Colorado and find out." I didn't have to ask how he'd get answers. His usual method was to sleep his way through a company until he learned all he could about it and its employees.

Yet another reason he shouldn't be allowed near Sherridan. Even if he were dating my friend, he wouldn't walk away from a target's bed if sleeping with her was necessary.

"All right. Hop a flight, but stay in contact with me. I want to know what you know, when you know it.

I'll expect daily updates," I added so that he couldn't feign ignorance later.

He saluted me, the smart-ass. "Aye-aye, Captain. That was my plan, anyway. John and I already talked."

Of course they had. John might have told me I was in charge of this case - to keep me from threatening to quit, again, I'm sure - but I knew the truth. Even though I held the title of Special Agent in Charge, Cody and Rome were the ones calling the shots. In John's eyes, at least. Still. I planned to do things my way.

"Give me your list of prisoners to interview," I said. "I'll do it for you." Well, Tanner and I would.

Tanner, my human lie detector, would find the answers that I, novice that I was, couldn't hope to find with written, detailed instructions and a GPS tracker.

"I'm a few steps ahead of you, Wonder Girl. While you were arranging your flowers, I stuffed the list in your purse."

As he spoke, a wicked gleam entered his eyes. What else had he done to my purse? With Cody, a girl never knew.

The front door creaked open, preventing me from asking. Footsteps echoed, and then the door banged closed. Voices drifted into the kitchen.

"I can't believe you'd nail Lexis over Jessica Alba. Jessica's hot!" Sherridan said. "I'm not a lesbian, but even I'd do her."

"Yeah, but - wait. What? Details, woman," Tanner said. "I need details. Start with how you'd strip her and end with her smiling and saying thank you."