Girl Gone Nova by Pauline Baird Jones Read Free Book Online Page B

reputation with women is,” he paused, “unfortunate.”
    If she were forced to describe the Leader, unfortunate wouldn’t make her list, but she knew better than to tell him that. Her lack of response didn’t help his temper. The dressing down was thorough and unabridged. Doc bore it stoically. It wasn’t the first time someone had ripped her a new one, and it wouldn’t be the last. Though being ripped for getting “googly-eyed” was a first.
    When he ran out of words—or steam—she ventured a comment.
    “You’re doing well, sir. Your vitals look good.” Her gaze intercepted the heart monitor. “Well, they did.”
    His color faded to normal as he stared at her. She almost thought his mouth twitched. She’d heard he had a sense of humor, but there’d been no evidence of it until now. If that was evidence.
    He needed to know what had happened after the bomb, but his gaze didn’t invite confidences. She studied him from behind her harmless and misunderstood doctor face while she considered her options. His gaze narrowed. He wasn’t buying it, she realized. That was interesting. On the heels of that came another realization. Whether he knew who she was or not, she needed him to know who she was, if only because she was in another freaking galaxy. What limited support she got from the Major wasn’t available here.
    “You have something you want to tell me, Doctor?”
    Okay, that was kind of an invitation, though his tone could use some work. Nor did it answer the basic question: did he know the Chameleon was on board his ship? And if he didn’t know, what would he do when he found out?
    Doc tended to dive into the pool, but this time she tested the water with a toe first. “You and the Leader were the primary targets of the bombing, sir.”
    He didn’t blink. “And you know this how?”
    “Four men arrived before the rescue teams. They split up and went hunting. I followed one team to you.”
    He frowned, his gaze turning inward. His focus turned out again. “You dropped them?”
    The bullet holes were a giveaway during the autopsy.
    “I dropped two of them. Someone else took out the other two.” Hel? She didn’t say his name out loud. She never waved red flags at bulls if she didn’t need to.
    A slight widening around the eyes was his only reaction. “Who the hell are you?”
    She let her aspect shift. “The Major calls me Chameleon.”
    He still didn’t blink. Doc was impressed. He didn’t look surprised either, which was interesting. That seemed to indicate he’d known the Chameleon was on board or he bluffed well.
    “I thought your kind never broke cover.”
    His tone told her he wasn’t a fan, but was his ire directed at the Major, the Chameleon or “her kind” in general?
    “The Major allows me some latitude when I’m in the field.” Though calling another galaxy “the field” felt wrong on several levels.
    His stare busted her to her core—something that hadn’t happened in a very long time.
    “I wish you hadn’t met the Gadi Leader.”
    Doc was glad he didn’t appear to require a response to this wish. She was unable to agree with him, and it wouldn’t be smart to point out it was his fault she had met the Leader. She tried not to do “not smart” and when she had to, only did it as an operational necessity.
    “I want you to keep your distance, without looking like you’re keeping your distance.”
    Yeah, that would work. Doc studied the general for a minute. “If I start staying away now, he’ll wonder why.” She frowned, considering what she’d learned about the Leader. “He’d expect everyone at the reception to be hand-picked by you, to have a specific reason for being there.”
    “But I didn’t know who you were—”
    “ We know that, but he doesn’t. He probably thinks you meant him to meet me. That you had a plan, a master plan.” Doc felt a bit evil about winding him up like this. Of course, just because it was evil, didn’t make her wrong. And he