Beyond the Edge by Susan Kearney Read Free Book Online Page A

hallucinogenic effect to wear off.”
    She still looked skeptical. “Why did you break into my office, Kane?”
    He plucked a handful of grapes, and savored the crunchy pulp and the sweet juice running down his throat, thinking the worst was over. He shouldn’t have let her see the specialized technology at work, but it didn’t matter, not if she thought she’d been hallucinating. If he made another error, she’d think she was having a flashback.
    Pleased that he’d covered all the contingencies, he leaned back in his chair. “Someone stole technology from…my people. We want it back.”
    Seemingly oblivious to what the sight did to him she folded her hands across her chest, tightening theblue silk against the soft curve of her breasts. “Let me get this straight.” Skepticism entered her tone. “You didn’t come into my office to steal but to recover stolen property?”
    “We thought the thief might have tried to sell our technology and where better than to the Hanover Institute? You have the money, the interest and the facilities to check out this type of technology. You might have unknowingly purchased the stolen work.”
    “Why break in? Why not just ask us?”
    “My bosses don’t want to draw attention to the problem. If you hadn’t been there, I would have checked your files, and you’d have never known I was there.”
    She rubbed her chin in thought. “Don’t you have patents that protect your interests?”
    Damn! Must the woman keep poking holes in his story? Fallon Hanover was sharp, he’d give her that. But he was good at this type of evasion. The best. “The government prefers to keep its work private. Patents are a matter of public record and we follow national security guidelines.”
    “Then you do work for us?”
    “I didn’t say that.” He had to give her credit for neatly trapping him.
    “I apologize if my skepticism irritates you. You’re probably used to people believing your lies after you drug them and take them hostage.”
    His hand with the wineglass paused on the way to his lips. “You still don’t believe me?”
    “So what exactly was stolen?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Come on! You broke into my office and you don’t even know what you’re looking for?”
    Kane raised his glass to his mouth and swallowed to cover his grin. She really was an interesting woman when she got past her fear of him. “Nigel James had access to many black projects, top-secret. We aren’t certain which ones he copied.”
    “What makes you think this Nigel will attempt to sell your products to a private individual instead of another government?” she asked, her tone mild, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Assuming he stole them, that is.”
    “We don’t think he has the right contacts. We suspect he stole formulas that have more commercial applications. For example, the suit I’m wearing is one of our latest projects.”
    Her forehead furrowed. “I remember a helmet on that suit.”
    She seemed uncertain whether the memory was real. Good. “We fabricated intelligent materials.”
    “Intelligent materials?”
    “Nano materials change shape on the microscopic level. For example, walls will someday contain honeycomb-like layers that upon request would reshape to the space required. Wall tiles would switch patterns at the press of a button. A simple tug would stretch a tabletop into a new shape. Countertops sensing food would form themselves into the correct sized dish. The uses are endless.”
    “With military applications?”
    “That’s why your help would be useful.”
    “Help you? I’ll die before I betray my country.” She kept her face blank, no doubt wondering how much this “help” was going to cost her in dollars.
    “Suppose I gave you my word that you aren’t?”
    “Your word means nothing to me.”
    Perhaps he could appeal to the businesswoman in her. “When the time comes, you’ll see that the plans do not belong to your government. And to entice you, suppose we