Rogue Wave (The Water Keepers, Book 2) by Christie Anderson Page B

She’s just a child.”
    “She’s not a child,” Ash said. “She’s a teenager. Teenagers are rebellious, insubordinate trouble-makers. She’s not to be trusted.”
    The doctor’s tone was frustratingly cavalier. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Sadie’s a good kid. I can talk to her if you’d like.”
    “You listen to me, doctor,” Ash sneered.” This isn’t a schoolyard game we’re playing. Perhaps you don’t understand the gravity of the situation, so let me explain it to you.” Ash’s voice went from mildly angry to dark and threatening. “The people in charge of this operation do serious business, and they will take serious measures to ensure things go their way. Do I make myself clear? They won’t hesitate to send you, or your girlfriend, or your sweet little Sadie a message you’ll all be sure never to forget. Now, if I were you, I would take a few more precautions in safeguarding your research in the future. Do you understand?”
    Dr. Jensen’s voice cracked. “Yes…I understand.” He paused a moment then added quietly, “I thought you said this was a government study.”
    “Well, unfortunately for you…I lied. Just follow my instructions exactly from here on out and you shouldn’t have any problems. And don’t talk to the girl about this again. We’ll take care of her.”
    “Wait, you’re not going to hurt her, are you?”
    Ash ignored the question. “Thank you, doctor. That will be all. I’ll contact you with further instructions.”
    Ash tossed the phone onto the tablecloth and took a bite of his entrée, chewing the delicate fish more vigorously than necessary.
    Voss looked up from his meal, holding his wine glass in the air and looking thoughtfully in Ash’s direction.
    “What is it, Father?”
    Voss’s mouth turned up, almost in a smile, and said, “For a moment, I almost thought I was listening to myself speak on the phone.”
    Ash paused, cautious to take his father’s comment as a compliment. “Well, I learned from the best.”
    “It sounds like Hamlin’s little girl already knows more than she should,” Voss said, savoring the scent of his wine before taking a drink. “Perhaps we should eliminate her; take care of the problem now before it gets out of hand.”
    Ash dropped his fork. “Eliminate her? I hardly think that’s necessary. I mean, yes I wanted to scare the doctor, but we can’t just kill her.”
    His father’s eyes narrowed. “And why is that?”
    Heat spread through Ash’s chest. “Because…she’s just a girl. She’s not even on our list of targets. And somehow it just doesn’t seem right…”
    Voss slammed his hand into the table. “Son, you’re thinking with your emotions again. Compassion only makes you vulnerable. Now, tell me again. Why aren’t we going to kill her?”
    Ash’s mind suddenly jumped back to his youth, remembering the way his father tried to teach him critical thinking and strategy. His father wasn’t planning to kill the girl, at least not yet. He was just testing him, presenting a scenario to see if Ash would answer correctly. And of course, his answer had been wrong, just like always.
    Ash straightened in his chair, tone steady, answering as if he were a student in a classroom. “We’re not going to kill her because the move would be premature. In order to realize our endgame, we must keep our assets in place without detection. Killing her would only draw attention and compel our opponents to fortify their resources.”
    Voss blotted his mouth with a napkin. “Your reasoning is sound, but the analysis basic. Why don’t you take another moment to ponder the scenario and let me know how you would elaborate?”
    Ash stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the tile floor. “Yes, Father,” he said, frustration leaking through his control. “I’ll be sure to get on that, right away.”
    He snatched his phone from the tablecloth and shoved it in his pocket, ready to storm away from the room.
    Voss’s voice