happening. She could still remember driving away for the last time, her belongings jammed into the back of her car, while he ran after her, trying to get her to tell him why she was doing it. She'd cried almost nonstop for two days. A lifetime's worth it seemed, because she hadn't been able to shed so much as a tear since.
But it turned out that wasn't enough. Now she was back from the dead to wreak even more havoc on a man who had been nothing but good to her. Just how would she do it this time? She could turn herself in and have him learn that she was alive from a television image of her shuffling along in chains. Or maybe she could just run for cover and leave him to his own devices. There was little doubt that Teague read the papers and would be extremely concerned with Erin's involvement in the government's investigation. Would he send Jonas? Would he figure out a way to heap any suspicion that might arise onto Erin's shoulders?
Would she ultimately be responsible for destroying the life of the only man she'd ever loved, not once, but twice?
Chapter 13.
It could have been worse, Erin Neal told himself. At least he wasn't standing in the middle of the Oval Office.
Neither he nor Beamon had been invited to sit, so they just stood near the wall, watching the seats around the conference table fill with men in suits and military uniforms. Erin shifted nervously from foot to foot as the men leaned into one another, talking in low tones, occasionally glancing in his direction.
He'd never been to the White House, and at that moment he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be less. On the long, sleepless flight back from Saudi Arabia, he'd tried to absorb himself with work, but had spent most of the time thinking about Jenna.
Jack Reynolds entered and was the first to make eye contact. He strode across the dense carpet and gripped Erin's sweaty palm. His smile was polite, but the intensity of his stare and the tone of his voice belied it. "Whatever you have, it better be good."
He started to pull away, but Erin clamped down harder on his hand. "Thanks, that helped a lot." And then he mentally added "Prick."
As the energy secretary retreated to his seat, Beamon leaned into Erin's ear. "Relax. They're just people and half of them are dumber than a box of hammers."
Erin snorted quietly, but then fell silent when President Dunn walked in and took a seat. He was shorter than he looked on television, but it didn't matter. He was still the President of the United States. The Leader of the Free World. The Guy With His Hand on the Button. The --
"Okay," the president said. "I don't have much time. Can we get started?"
"Yes, sir." Jack Reynolds indicated behind him. "This is Erin Neal. He's been working on the bacterial infestation problems at ANWR and just got back from Saudi Arabia, where, as you're aware, they've found a similar problem. Dr. Neal?"
He didn't move, forcing Beamon to give him a not-so-gentle nudge.
"Uh, yes. Thank you," he said, approaching the end of the table where he'd set up the laptop Mohammed Asli had given him.
"In fact, the infestation in Saudi Arabia isn't similar to the one in Alaska. It's exactly the same. The same bacteria."
"You're certain," Reynolds said.
"Yes."
"That seems like a long distance for it to travel. How did it get into those reservoirs?"
Erin took a deep breath. "Differently than in Alaska. In ANWR I suspect that it was introduced to the wells individually through the chemicals pumped into the ground during production. In the case of Ghawar, it appears to have gotten in through the water injection system about a year and a half ago."
"My understanding," Reynolds said, "is that the water is specifically treated to prevent this kind of contamination."
"That's right," Erin said, grateful for Reynolds's prompting, even though it was almost certainly self-serving. "And the treatment is pretty effective. But it assumes a naturally occurring bacteria and not one that was
But it turned out that wasn't enough. Now she was back from the dead to wreak even more havoc on a man who had been nothing but good to her. Just how would she do it this time? She could turn herself in and have him learn that she was alive from a television image of her shuffling along in chains. Or maybe she could just run for cover and leave him to his own devices. There was little doubt that Teague read the papers and would be extremely concerned with Erin's involvement in the government's investigation. Would he send Jonas? Would he figure out a way to heap any suspicion that might arise onto Erin's shoulders?
Would she ultimately be responsible for destroying the life of the only man she'd ever loved, not once, but twice?
Chapter 13.
It could have been worse, Erin Neal told himself. At least he wasn't standing in the middle of the Oval Office.
Neither he nor Beamon had been invited to sit, so they just stood near the wall, watching the seats around the conference table fill with men in suits and military uniforms. Erin shifted nervously from foot to foot as the men leaned into one another, talking in low tones, occasionally glancing in his direction.
He'd never been to the White House, and at that moment he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be less. On the long, sleepless flight back from Saudi Arabia, he'd tried to absorb himself with work, but had spent most of the time thinking about Jenna.
Jack Reynolds entered and was the first to make eye contact. He strode across the dense carpet and gripped Erin's sweaty palm. His smile was polite, but the intensity of his stare and the tone of his voice belied it. "Whatever you have, it better be good."
He started to pull away, but Erin clamped down harder on his hand. "Thanks, that helped a lot." And then he mentally added "Prick."
As the energy secretary retreated to his seat, Beamon leaned into Erin's ear. "Relax. They're just people and half of them are dumber than a box of hammers."
Erin snorted quietly, but then fell silent when President Dunn walked in and took a seat. He was shorter than he looked on television, but it didn't matter. He was still the President of the United States. The Leader of the Free World. The Guy With His Hand on the Button. The --
"Okay," the president said. "I don't have much time. Can we get started?"
"Yes, sir." Jack Reynolds indicated behind him. "This is Erin Neal. He's been working on the bacterial infestation problems at ANWR and just got back from Saudi Arabia, where, as you're aware, they've found a similar problem. Dr. Neal?"
He didn't move, forcing Beamon to give him a not-so-gentle nudge.
"Uh, yes. Thank you," he said, approaching the end of the table where he'd set up the laptop Mohammed Asli had given him.
"In fact, the infestation in Saudi Arabia isn't similar to the one in Alaska. It's exactly the same. The same bacteria."
"You're certain," Reynolds said.
"Yes."
"That seems like a long distance for it to travel. How did it get into those reservoirs?"
Erin took a deep breath. "Differently than in Alaska. In ANWR I suspect that it was introduced to the wells individually through the chemicals pumped into the ground during production. In the case of Ghawar, it appears to have gotten in through the water injection system about a year and a half ago."
"My understanding," Reynolds said, "is that the water is specifically treated to prevent this kind of contamination."
"That's right," Erin said, grateful for Reynolds's prompting, even though it was almost certainly self-serving. "And the treatment is pretty effective. But it assumes a naturally occurring bacteria and not one that was
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