Remember Jamie Baker (Jamie Baker #3)(77)

“It was a good guess,” Major Wilks said. “We ran some tests while you were unconscious and found thousands of those nanobots embedded in your brain.”

Biohacking? Seriously? And nanobots? I blinked. My life was getting more and more sci-fi by the day. And that was saying something, considering I was the girl who’d developed superhuman abilities after taking an accidental shower in toxic waste. “They hacked my brain? And what in the world is a nanobot?”

Geek finally pulled himself away from the microscope. “They’re microscopic robots,” he said. “Amazingly complex nanotechnology. I’ve never seen anything even close to its equal.” He bounded over to the group as if he’d downed a convenience store’s worth of energy drinks. “It has to be the hive mentality that makes it work.”

“Hive mentality?” Ryan asked. He looked as thrilled about this as I felt.

Geek nodded, grinning as if he’d been given the world’s greatest Christmas gift. “Like bees and their queen. I believe the nanobots were all working together like a hive, downloading commands into Angel’s brain through tiny electrical impulses.” His gaze snapped to me again. “Essentially, they were sending you brain waves from a third party. Controlling your mind via a wireless connection. It’s ingenious!”

I was unable to hold back a frown any longer. “It’s creeptastic, is what it is. How about a little less excitement and a little more horror, Geek, please?”

Several of the guys chuckled, and Ryan sat down on the edge of the bed next to me. “Sorry,” Geek muttered, face flaming. “I’ve just never…it’s nonexistent technology. There have been cases where people could successfully control roaches with such tech, but never something as sophisticated as the human mind. To control something so complex… Who even knew something like this was possible? Donovan’s advancements in this field are…” He shook his head in awe. “Frankly, they’re impossible. I don’t know how he’s doing it.”

“All the more reason to stop him,” I grumbled. The thought of Donovan having the ability to mind control people didn’t sit well with me. “So what happened? How come they stopped? I don’t feel the weird impulses anymore.”

Ryan squeezed my hand. “You fried them, Jamie. They’re electronic. When you kicked into Danger Mode, they couldn’t handle the amount of electricity in your brain. They shorted out.”

I took a moment to process this information and shivered at the thought. Ryan slipped his arm around me. “On the bright side,” he said, “even if you were somehow captured, they’d never be able to control you. Not with your temper, babe.”

I scoffed, but he had a point, so I relented with a nod. “That actually is a little comforting.”

“Agreed,” Major Wilks muttered.

“Hey, if you think about it, I’m kind of a hero,” Tyson interrupted, grinning. “If you hadn’t zapped me, you’d still be under Donovan’s control, and we wouldn’t know what was happening or how to cure you. You killed me, but I saved you by doing it, so it was worth it.”

“Tyson!” The bottom dropped out of my stomach. “Please don’t say it like that ever again.”

He completely ignored me, still stuck in his own train of thought. “Hey, I died for you. That’s way better than just taking a bullet. I think I deserve a shot at the boyfriend title.”

As the room erupted into laughter around me, I reached up to rub my suddenly aching head. Ryan, seeing my tension, began kneading the back of my neck. It felt so good I finally relaxed and let out a heavy sigh. Once the room was quiet again, I looked at Major Wilks. “So what do we do now?”

“Now…” He echoed my sigh, sounding even more exhausted than me. “I’m not sure, Angel; you let our only lead escape.”

“Sorry.” I blushed. Mind control or not, I’d completely botched the plan today. And to be honest, I’m not even sure if I’d let him escape because I’d felt compelled to, or if it was selfish because I wanted my memories. Some ACE I was. “He said his name was Dr. Chen, if it helps,” I said pathetically. “And he gave me a phone number. Obviously it’ll be untraceable, but I could call and plan a meeting with him.”

“He gave you his phone number?” Tyson asked.

I’m not sure why everyone was so surprised by that. It made perfect sense to me. “Of course. When I didn’t go with him automatically, he had a backup plan. He offered me proof that he could restore my memories. That’s the serum he injected me with. He knew I’d want to get in touch with him after his serum worked, and gave me a card with his number. So let’s call him. Obviously he’ll demand I meet him alone, but if I pump you all full of energy beforehand, you can stay far enough back and then just follow us at superspeed. I won’t even need a tracker.”

I didn’t think my plan was that bad, but everyone remained quiet, and one by one they gave me looks of pity. Everyone except Ryan, who looked like he believed me but just didn’t like my plan because it was dangerous for me. “What?” I demanded.

Johnny G was the first to answer me. “Angel, there’s no way they’d fall for that.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because obviously there was no miracle serum. He only told you that story about a cure so that you’d let him inject you with the nanobots.”