A Darker Shade of Dead by Bianca D'Arc Page B

sensitive.”
    â€œUnderstood, sir.”
    The call flickered off, leaving Matt and John alone in the darkened room.
    â€œDo you have any workable leads, John?” Matt turned to face the man on his team who was most experienced in the international spy game.
    â€œI’ve discovered a San Francisco connection I’d like to check out. A lot of the calls went to a particular number. If I can make contact, they might lead me back to the person who’s trying to sell the technology.”
    â€œGood. Can you take Donna with you on this? I don’t want anyone flying solo unless it’s absolutely necessary, and she needs some field experience.”
    John looked pained but eventually agreed to take the young woman under his wing for the quick trip to San Francisco. Matt and John parted company and each set off on their separate tasks. John went to arrange a trip for two to California. Matt went back to his office, thinking about creative ways to catch a mole.
    Â 
    â€œDr. McCormick?” A beefy sailor approached Sandra as she bought lunch at the base cafeteria the next day.
    She didn’t recognize the man and was leery of talking to anyone she hadn’t met before. Then again, she was on a military base. The place was about as secure as it got. And they were in a busy public place. This man might’ve been sent by Matt or another member of the team.
    â€œYes,” she answered cautiously.
    â€œI have a message for you.” Her alert level lowered considerably at his words. It was as she’d thought. One of the team must’ve used this strange sailor as a courier. His next words stopped that thought in its tracks. “It’s a message from your old friend, Dr. Rodriguez.”
    It was a message from the team all right. The wrong team. Dr. Rodriguez had made his intentions clear the night he forced Sandra’s car off the road.
    â€œI want no part of anything Dr. Rodriguez has to say,” she told the man. She looked him over, storing details of his appearance and uniform insignia in case she needed to describe him later.
    â€œThat’s unfortunate.” He gave her a measuring look. The guy gave her the creeps. No doubt his uniform was as false as his smile. She had no doubt he was one of Rodriguez’s hired thugs. “Dr. Rodriguez doesn’t want to take no for an answer.”
    â€œHe’ll have to. Sellars died doing what he damn well shouldn’t have been doing. I’m not going to end the same way.”
    The creepy guy smiled, showing off perfect white teeth. Had to be caps. “Rodriguez sent a message to Sellars. Guess he got it.”
    â€œAre you saying Rodriguez sent the”—she lowered her voice, looking around to be sure she wouldn’t be overheard—“creature after Sellars?”
    â€œI delivered him myself,” he confirmed. “Very effective, I thought. We got Sellars with his own creation. Nobody could trace it back to us.”
    â€œThen why are you telling me this? And why did you want Sellars dead? I thought he was with you one hundred percent.” Something strange was going on here. She didn’t understand the dynamics of how this was playing out among the bad guys.
    â€œConsider it a warning. The same could happen to you if you don’t play along, doctor.” His eyes gleamed evilly. “Sellars was causing more harm than good. He had to be cut loose. The asshole brought too much attention to the project. He was a loose cannon.”
    â€œSo you killed him? Isn’t that a little extreme?”
    â€œHe needed killing.” The man looked excited by the idea. His reaction chilled her to the bone. “Now what’s your answer?”
    â€œI already told you. No.”
    â€œAre you sure? You wouldn’t want us to tell your new friends about your past indiscretions, would you?”
    â€œDo your worst. I refuse to get involved any more than I already