Deep Freeze: Protocol One, Book 2 (Protocol One Saga) by Jacqueline Druga Page B

has. Stuff I didn’t know about. I haven’t even looked at it lately, but it’s all there.”
    “So if Gil knows she has this, then he is trying to keep her from letting it out. If he doesn’t, she’s here to get the rest of the info.”
    “I guess. But it’s hard to tell only the files are there and about four text messages to one person.”
    “No contacts?”
    I shook my head. “No other messages. She either had that as a dedicated device or she deleted stuff.”
    “Let’s find out.”
    “How?” I asked.
    “Give me the BlackBerry, I’ll hack it.”
    “Can you?”
    “Uh, yeah, I can. May take a few days, but I will. If she deleted messages, they are there. Files, too.”
    “That is excellent. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
    “That works.”
    Excited, I stood and kissed him on the cheek.
    “Ha, see, I knew you shut the door to put the moves on me.” Peter said
    That made me laugh, I shook my head, reminded him it was dinner, thanked him again and headed out.
     
    I wanted to have dinner with Joie and I knew she was in the dining area.
    Nelly had made chicken chili and the whole place smelled of its goodness. She said she was in a good mood because of her gift.
    I swore I became her new favorite person when I gave her that duffle bag full of cigarettes.
    “You just don’t know what it was like,” she said. “Staring at that half pack knowing that was it.”
    I told her they were a tad stale, but she didn’t care. I didn’t think she would.
    Nelly had a tray for Tony, and would heat up chili for that plate, after Joie and I had eaten. As a special thank you for the smokes, I got an extra piece of corn bread. Joie and I were seated at the first table, catty-corner to each other. I got a good view of the dining area and was amazed how many people were there. Survivors that happened upon us in the previous months, one Duke stumbled upon. Soldiers that Gil knew.
    Nelly fed them all, if we grew any more she wouldn’t be able to keep up. She already complained that she hated being the lunch lady. Although a part of me believed she enjoyed it.
    Joie only had a small helping. She wasn’t fond of the chili and stared at the cornbread with a sense of guilt.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “It’s like cake. Should I save this for Daddy?”
    “No, honey you eat it,” I said. “Nelly has put a piece on his tray, too. We’ll take it to him.”
    No sooner had I said that I caught through the corner of my eye, Gwen as she stopped by our table.
    “Well,” she said snidely. “I see why there’s no more cornbread. Someone took two slices.” She nodded her head at my plate.
    “Nelly, gave it to me,” I replied cordially. “But you are welcome to have one.”
    “I wouldn’t take anything from you. Unlike you who just takes from others.”
    Ready to respond, I didn’t need to. Joie slammed down her spoon.
    “Why are you so mean to my new Mom?”
    I heard that and immediately gasped out emotionally with an ‘Aw’. My hand shot to my chest. ‘That is so sweet.”
    “You replaced your mother awfully fast,” Gwen quipped at the little girl.
    “I didn’t know my mother. So there I was a doorstep baby.”
    “How old are you?’
    “I’ll be six next week.”
    “You speak like your sixty. It’s not becoming.” She turned to walk away.
    “Neither is being rude,” Joie said.
    I reached over and laid my hand on Joie’s. “Let it go. Don’t say anything else. She is your elder.”
    “But she’s mean to you. And she has a poison.”
    “What?” I laughed.
    “I bed your pardon,” Gwen said. “What poison?’
    “Bot … bot …” Joie growled in frustration. “Botched something.”
    “Botulism?” I guessed.
    “That’s it.” Joie said.
    “Why would you say that?” I asked.
    “Peter told me,” she picked at her cornbread. “I asked why her forehead didn’t move and he said it was because she got something made out of that poison.”
    “Botox,” I said.
    Gwen cleared her