BACKTRACKER by Milo Fowler (e book reader txt) 📕

"Yeah. Armstrong." His door rose as well. "Ring anybells?"

"Sorry," she said. She averted her eyes from his directlook. Sergeant Armstrong. She stepped out, her bare calf catching thewarm morning sun. "Shall we?"

"Your wish is my command, ma'am." With another attemptat a charming smile, the guard hauled himself out of the bucket seat and dug ahand into the pants pocket of his drab uniform. He retrieved a white keycard."This way."

She followed him to a narrow seam in the mirrored wall. He swipedthe keycard across an invisible scanner and pressed the palm of his handagainst the reflective glass at a seemingly random spot. Irenanoticed her reflection, standing there in the sleeveless black dress she'dmanaged to get for free at the train station mall. She looked like she wasgoing to a funeral.

My own?

"Access granted," sighed an artificial, female-soundingvoice in what couldn't be mistaken for anything but orgasmic delight.

"They call her Eve, the Alpha Geminorum AI. Believe itor not, she sounds that happy all the time—no matter what she'sprogrammed to say. Nerds and their idle hands." He winked suggestively.

Growing up, Irena heard her father say it more than once: that he had noidea how her mother ended up with a nerd like him. She'd asked him what thatword meant—nerd. Her father had smiled down at her, and after a moment'spause explained, "It's a guy who can't seem to get a date, no matter howhard he tries."

The mirrored wall shifted before them as a door glided open to theside.

"After you." The guard smiled yet again. It was a ticbeyond his control: flashing his teeth.

Irena entered the spacious open-air vestibule, glancing backover her shoulder to see nothing but enormous panes of glass behind her,windows facing the sun-filled sky and the city's geometric outline beyond thesecurity fence. Ahead, open floors with corridors ran from one hallway to thenext, one level above another like a vertical maze. She counted a dozen in all,with figures in white coats moving to and fro like lab rats, diminishing insize the higher she looked.

"Quite a view." The guard stood at her elbow.

"It's..." Her eyes were wider than she would have liked.But this place was definitely— "Impressive."

"Not much to look at from the outside, but what we lack inexterior glamour, we more than make up for with interior design, I like tothink." He inhaled with pride. Then he held out his arm toward the glasselevator across from them. "Your uncle's assistant is waiting for you onlevel nine."

She moved forward, her heels echoing across the tiles. The guardfollowed close behind. She wondered how much longer she would need to humorhim, whether he would shadow her until she left the premises.

"Up we go." He jammed his thumb against the glowing 9 onthe panel, and the transparent doors slid shut. "You don't have problemswith vertigo, do you?"

She shook her head pleasantly. "No."

"Some folks do. These lifts are really something." Theelevator launched upward. "See what I mean?" He grinned as shegrabbed onto the polished handrail with one hand. "And here we are."The doors slid open. "Fast, huh?"

She swallowed, slow to release the rail, finding that her legs hadturned to jelly.

"They do everything in a big way around here. But youprobably already know that. Your uncle's one of our biggest bigwigs!"

They approached a corridor with another security precaution—asolid steel door with no scanner, only an intercom on one side. The guardpressed the pad below the speaker and leaned in.

"Dr. Horton's niece is here." He waited, turning back towink at Irena for the umpteenthtime.

"Excellent," came a young man's voice that somehowsounded familiar, but Irena wasn't able to place it right away. "You may returnto your post, Armstrong. I'll be with Ms. Solomon in a minute."

Armstrong looked stricken, but he did his best to recover."I'm sure Dr. Horton would rather I stick around, to escort hisniece—"

"Dr. Horton is not here, Armstrong."

"Right, but—"

"Are you ignorant of the chain of command at AlphaGeminorum?"

The guard turned his back to Irena, his shoulders rounded now. "No sir," he muttered into the intercom.

"Good. Thank you for your assistance. Now return to yourpost."

Armstrong remained facing the intercom as if he'd forgotten wherehe was. Irena wouldn't be sorry to see him leave; but strangely enough,she found herself pitying the young man. It was as if the voice on the intercomhad stuck him with a pin, and now he was only a shriveled version of his formerself.

He turned around and attempted another smile, this time withobvious effort. "Looks like you're in good hands here, ma'am. I'venever met this assistant of Dr. Horton's... But I'm sure you'll be fine."

He stepped close to her, too close, without seeming to notice theeffect it had on her. Every muscle in her body wanted to pull back. He loweredhis voice. "These nerds don't see too many beautiful womenrunning around here. So if you feel uncomfortable at any time with this guy,this assistant—you give me a call, all right? Extension 436—RonaldArmstrong. I'm just watching out for you,ma'am. Dr. Horton would appreciate it, I know."

"I'm sure he would," she managed, reeling inwardly athis sweat and aftershave concoction.

He turned on his heel and took the elevator down without a glanceback. Irena faced the security door and prepared herself for whatwould come next. Whatever that might be. She hoped it wouldn't involve thepolice. Impersonating the daughter of SYNCorp's founder, Dr. Solomon? Sneakinginto a secure research facility? But she wasn't sneaking.

Why is this assistant expecting me?

The door clicked and slid heavily to the side. Irenablinked, unable to believe her eyes. For there stood her father as sheremembered him from long ago, when she was only a girl. When he'd vanishedcompletely from her life.

"Hello," he said with a hint of a smile, both handstucked into the pockets of his white lab coat. His shoulders were only beginningto arch forward, his dark hair showing early traces of grey at the temples, hisface clean-shaven with chiseled features. He was so young.

"Hello..." The sight of him nearly knocked the wind outof her. "I was told that youwouldn't be here."

"Is that what Armstrong said?" He seemed annoyed.

"Yes."I didn't know how I