Memory Zero by Keri Arthur Read Free Book Online

distinct possibility. “I wonder if these anomalies are the reason Sethanon tried recruiting her last night?”
    Stephan shook his head, his expression doubtful. “How would he have known? State insists on medical checks every six months for its personnel. I looked at hers this morning, and they showed no anomalies.”
    “Which makes me wonder if someone is altering the results before they are placed in the system. Sethanon wouldn’t risk the life of an operative like Kazdan unless he knew this woman was a threat in some way.”
    “That makes no sense. Why would anyone bother altering the results? And why would Sethanon know she was a threat, when, for all intents and purposes, she
is
human?” He hesitated, his expression thoughtful. “You know, if we do think along those lines, absurd as they seem, then it
is
always possible that last night was merely some sort of test.”
    “Which again implies that he knows more about her than what is showing in the medical workups. I think the SIU needs to assign her a guard. Me, specifically.”
    “People will think it strange when an assistant director is assigned guard duty.”
    Gabriel smiled thinly. “They expect strangeness from me.”
    It was a point Stephan didn’t bother refuting. “I’ll have Hanrahan arrange it.”
    “Thanks.” He hesitated, then added softly, “When was the last time you ate, brother?”
    Stephan sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes. His fingers were reed thin. He’d lost a lot more weight in the week since they’d last seen each other.
    “My stomach rebels every time I try.”
    “What about liquid?”
    “Water I can keep down. Anything else—” Stephan shrugged.
    Gabriel frowned, not liking the sound of it. Stephan had been ill for close to two months now, and he was literally beginning to fade away. And though he’d been under the expert care of the Federation’s doctors, they could find no cause. Time, he thought, for a radical change of direction. He had no intention of losing his last remaining brother without a fight.
    “I’m going to send a friend of mine to you. I want you to do as he asks, without question.”
    Stephan groaned softly. “Not that spiritual weirdo you hang out with …”
    “The very one. I’ve seen him work miracles, so no arguments.” Gabriel hesitated, then added with a grin, “Or I might set Kathleen on you.”
    Kathleen was the matriarch of the Stern clan—a spry and bossy three-hundred-year-old woman who tended to sweep into your life like a cyclone. And she was probably the only person his brother was truly frightened of.
    Stephan shuddered, a look of mock horror momentarily lifting the tiredness from his eyes. “God, no.”
    “Then kindly take note of what Karl says.”
    “I will, I will.” Stephan’s smile faded. “And I want you to be careful out on the streets. Attacks have almost doubled in the last week. Sethanon’s up to something, and until we know what it is, I’ve asked that all Federation operations be double-manned.”
    “Good move.”
    “And that includes you, brother,” Stephan added dryly.
    “Yeah, right.” The day
that
happened would be the day hell froze over. “I’ll send Karl over to your place tonight.”
    Stephan sighed. “Fine. See you tomorrow night.”
    Gabriel nodded and clicked off the link. The computer hummed softly. “You have a call.”
    “Patch it through, then get Karl on the line for me.” He hesitated slightly before adding, “And run a background check on Samantha Ryan. I want all the personal details that can be found.” Finley’s check on herwould run to the academic side of her life rather than the personal. And as one of the SIU’s assistant directors, his system had access to a greater range of data.
    The better he knew her, the closer he might get to some answers.
    And he had a very bad feeling that he was going to need those answers pretty damn quick.

S AM LAY ON THE SOFA , staring up at the ceiling. Night had fallen over two