Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
It lands in the center of the compound where I saw men training dogs earlier and immediately, the doors open and two men jump out. They are armed and they are not Collin’s men, but must be part of the helicopter service.
A third man jumps out, and this one is who Collin approaches. I can’t hear anything because it’s all very loud, but it’s clear that he and Collin are old friends because the man smiles big, clapping Collin on the back. Then his eyes shoot over to me. I see some surprise in there, so Collin probably told him who I am, but also suspicion. Because he goes all serious and nods, then makes some hand signals to the two other men, and they approach Shep and me. Not with guns ready, but those rifles are definitely ready. We get nods and gestures to approach the helicopter and then the next thing I know, Shep is pushing my head down and moving swiftly towards the copter.
He jumps in first, then extends his hand to help me up. There is a third armed man inside who directs us to the second row of seats on the right. Shep waves me in, giving me the window, and then he takes the aisle.
The third man starts barking orders at me about seat belts and ear protection, so that takes a couple of minutes, but I’m just barely settled when the door is shut and we lift off. I don’t know where we’re going or what this scan is hoping to find, but Shep’s presence is comforting, so I mostly just gaze out the window at the lights on the ground, shining up in the darkness. Wondering, as probably everyone does, what kind of lives the people in those homes and buildings below are living.
The next thing I know, I’m waking up as the helicopter lands.
Again, there’s a lot of bustling and fussing as the door is opened and we extract ourselves from the seats. And then Collin is telling Shep to exit, and I’m being pushed out into the dark night of a city.
We’re on top of a building, on a helipad, obviously. But we start quickly moving away from the helicopter, so I don’t get a good look at anything until we’re inside and a small, older woman is shaking Collin’s hand. They go down a hallway, stopping about twenty feet away to have a conversation. I try to listen in, but the helicopter outside is taking off, so I can’t hear anything.
Shep places his hand on my arm and gives it a squeeze. “Ya OK?”
“Where are we?”
“Pittsburgh. At a hospital. But the MRI machine is just down the road at the university. That’s where we’re going.”
I have a lot of questions about this scan, but no time to ask them. Collin whistles at us like we’re a pair of his dogs, and then motions for us to follow the woman as she opens a door.
We do, and end up in a stairwell, which we use to descend all the way down to the ground level. Outside there is a car waiting, and it takes us into a university campus and drops us off in front of a modern-looking building.
The next part of the journey involves a descending elevator with a lot of security. The woman, whoever she is, takes care of all that and when the doors open, we come out into a sterile-looking hallway. Here, the woman takes over, directing Collin and Shep down the hallways to wait.
After they leave, she smiles at me. “I’m Penny, Olive. Do you know why you’re here?”
“No.”
“We’re going to scan your brain.”
“Why?” I ask, annoyed.
“Because Collin ordered it.”
“Do you take orders from Collin?”
“Yes. When he’s paying me, and he is. So I’ve arranged an MRI. I’m going to need you to change in here.” She waves a hand at the door closest to us.
“And what if I don’t?”
Penny offers me up a sympathetic smirk, like I’m her clueless grandchild who is testing the waters of authority. “Let’s not do this the hard way. Perhaps you feel empowered because it’s just the two of us in this hallway. Perhaps you think you might be able to overpower me and just walk out of here. I’m old, after all. But Olive, let’s just be clear here, OK? I’m not stupid.” She pans a hand at nothing in particular. “There’s no way out without me. I don’t go to the trouble of setting up brain scans in the middle of the night unless I’m thoroughly invested in the outcome. And my darling, I am one hundred percent invested in this outcome.”
“Why? Why do you care?”
Her smile is tight-lipped and forced. “That doesn’t concern you. Just know that I am.”
I let out a frustrated breath. “I don’t care about the scan. But what are you looking for? Can you at least tell me that?”