their own devices. They’d spend the time sniffing for squirrels and chipmunks, exploring the vast fenced-in complex, then come back to the house when they were done. Max didn’t mind the roaming. She wanted them to know each and every inch of the property because the knowledge might come in handy somewhere down the road.
Max sat on the floor of the empty living room and opened her laptop. She sent a message to her friend, Techno Queen Portia, to ask if anything had come back on the e-mail Adam had received. Done, Max checked her mail. Seeing nothing needing her immediate attention, she signed off and closed the laptop.
Downstairs in his lab, Adam sighed with frustration. The solution to his problem continued to elude him. He’d tried everything he could think of to get the prototype to produce heat for longer periods. He’d altered the bath components, fiddled with the metal housing’s chemical composition, and even heated the inner works artificially, but the results were always the same. Nothing.He checked his watch. A couple of hours had passed since dinner. He stretched his tired arms and shoulders and decided to take a break. Maybe a banana split might help. The thought brought on a smile. In reality, taking her up on the offer was nothing more than an opportunity for him to spend time with her, but he had no shame, he’d take what he could get.
Out on the patio, Max set her book aside and looked at her watch. Seven-thirty. The sun had lost most of its heat and the air had cooled, but because of the state’s northerly position there was at least another hour or so of daylight. She hadn’t seen Adam, and admitted to herself that she was disappointed that the good doctor hadn’t come up out of his hole and taken advantage of her dessert offer, because she wanted to spend more time with him. On the other hand, she knew she had no business wanting his company. After all, she was here to do a job. But hey, a girl could dream.
She heard the patio door opening. To her delight, Adam stepped out. “Hey,” she said softly. “How’s tricks?”
He shook his head. “Still giving me fits. I decided to take a break. Is it too late for that banana split?”
“Nope.” She got up, and as she did heard the dogs barking out front. The angry timbre of the sounds made her grab up her BlackBerry and start punching in codes. The dogs had small cameras and a bunch of other electronic gadgets in their collars. She impatiently waited the few seconds while the picture downloaded, and then stared. “Oh, shit!”
“What’s wrong?”
Max ran. “The dogs have some guy treed. Get inside! Lock the door!”
Adam didn’t, of course. He took off right behind her.
Max tore through the house and out to the Honda. She threw open the hatch, snatched out the wheel well cover, and pulled out her Glock. She primed it, her face grim. Noticing Adam behind her, she said, “Didn’t I tell you to stay inside?”
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing!” she snapped. “When I tell you something, you damn well better do it!”
“Hey!” he said, offended.
“I’m supposed to be protecting you, remember? I can’t do that if you don’t cooperate. Now, come on! I’ll deal with you later.”
Adam followed, not sure whether to laugh or be mad.
Sure enough, Ruby and Ossie had a man up a tree. He was hanging from a large branch that put him just out of reach of the snarling dogs. They were growling, jumping and trying to grab hold so they could bring him down. He was screaming.
When Max walked up, she saw a handgun on the ground that he must have dropped. The dogs stopped their jumping at the sight of her but continued to circle beneath their prey and growl menacingly.
The thin man finally noticed Max and Adam and he gushed in an Eastern European accent, “Oh thank the saints. Are these animals yours?”
“Who are you?” Max asked.
“Sergei Robinski. Please call the dogs.”
“Do you know this is private property?”
A mad
Max sat on the floor of the empty living room and opened her laptop. She sent a message to her friend, Techno Queen Portia, to ask if anything had come back on the e-mail Adam had received. Done, Max checked her mail. Seeing nothing needing her immediate attention, she signed off and closed the laptop.
Downstairs in his lab, Adam sighed with frustration. The solution to his problem continued to elude him. He’d tried everything he could think of to get the prototype to produce heat for longer periods. He’d altered the bath components, fiddled with the metal housing’s chemical composition, and even heated the inner works artificially, but the results were always the same. Nothing.He checked his watch. A couple of hours had passed since dinner. He stretched his tired arms and shoulders and decided to take a break. Maybe a banana split might help. The thought brought on a smile. In reality, taking her up on the offer was nothing more than an opportunity for him to spend time with her, but he had no shame, he’d take what he could get.
Out on the patio, Max set her book aside and looked at her watch. Seven-thirty. The sun had lost most of its heat and the air had cooled, but because of the state’s northerly position there was at least another hour or so of daylight. She hadn’t seen Adam, and admitted to herself that she was disappointed that the good doctor hadn’t come up out of his hole and taken advantage of her dessert offer, because she wanted to spend more time with him. On the other hand, she knew she had no business wanting his company. After all, she was here to do a job. But hey, a girl could dream.
She heard the patio door opening. To her delight, Adam stepped out. “Hey,” she said softly. “How’s tricks?”
He shook his head. “Still giving me fits. I decided to take a break. Is it too late for that banana split?”
“Nope.” She got up, and as she did heard the dogs barking out front. The angry timbre of the sounds made her grab up her BlackBerry and start punching in codes. The dogs had small cameras and a bunch of other electronic gadgets in their collars. She impatiently waited the few seconds while the picture downloaded, and then stared. “Oh, shit!”
“What’s wrong?”
Max ran. “The dogs have some guy treed. Get inside! Lock the door!”
Adam didn’t, of course. He took off right behind her.
Max tore through the house and out to the Honda. She threw open the hatch, snatched out the wheel well cover, and pulled out her Glock. She primed it, her face grim. Noticing Adam behind her, she said, “Didn’t I tell you to stay inside?”
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing!” she snapped. “When I tell you something, you damn well better do it!”
“Hey!” he said, offended.
“I’m supposed to be protecting you, remember? I can’t do that if you don’t cooperate. Now, come on! I’ll deal with you later.”
Adam followed, not sure whether to laugh or be mad.
Sure enough, Ruby and Ossie had a man up a tree. He was hanging from a large branch that put him just out of reach of the snarling dogs. They were growling, jumping and trying to grab hold so they could bring him down. He was screaming.
When Max walked up, she saw a handgun on the ground that he must have dropped. The dogs stopped their jumping at the sight of her but continued to circle beneath their prey and growl menacingly.
The thin man finally noticed Max and Adam and he gushed in an Eastern European accent, “Oh thank the saints. Are these animals yours?”
“Who are you?” Max asked.
“Sergei Robinski. Please call the dogs.”
“Do you know this is private property?”
A mad
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