Code

CHAPTER 17

SECURITY CHIEF HUDSON flipped on the lights.

Halogens flared overhead, bathing Lab Two in surreal brightness. The radiance gleamed off his polished name tag and wristwatch.

Hudson walked to the room’s center. Rotated a slow three-sixty. Stopped. Rubbed his closely shaved chin.

This is pointless.

But his instructions had been clear. Watch the Brennan girl. Track her movements on the island. Discover if she was poking into things she shouldn’t be.

So here he stood, inspecting an empty laboratory. Grasping at straws.

The girl doesn’t leave a magic vapor trail to follow.

Hudson did a quick circuit, hoping for some clue to what Brennan and the fat kid had been doing. No luck. They’d cleaned up after themselves.

Hudson had learned a few things. Brennan was working with Dr. Sundberg. His ID locator hadn’t budged from Lab Two while the girl was there.

What was that connection?

Hudson paced the room, idly running a finger along the metal counter bolted to the wall. Once more he scanned the cabinets, drawers, and jars, inspected the gadgets and machines. Looked for anything ajar, disturbed, used, or out of place.

Nothing. Like they’d never been there.

Perhaps the visit was harmless.

The kid was always out here, her and those boys. Underfoot, traipsing around the island like those blasted monkeys. Some whispered they’d befriended the pack of wild dogs! Hudson couldn’t fathom why Director Howard allowed those animals to roam free.

Or his daughter, for that matter.

Hudson sighed. He’d simply report what he knew. Which, frankly, was zip. But a thin report was better than none. He couldn’t botch this one.

One last glance, then Hudson slapped off the lights and headed out the door.