Dressing in haste, I grabbed the hospital keys I’d taken from my old play bunny Danielle that day and was out of my room a minute later, heading to where Cole and the others cleaned the mess outside. I’d rather have had Chris by my side, but Sarah hadn’t healed his injuries yet, so I needed to rely on someone else.
“Cole, I’ve got a trace.” I filled him in briefly about what I’d found before we drove to St. Alice’s Hospital.
Cole stopped in front of the reception desk using his charm to question the pretty brunette behind the counter. “Doctor Simmons is currently in surgery, but he should be finished in a few. You can wait here if you want,” she informed us.
“Thanks,” Cole said, turning back to me. “What now?” he asked in a lower voice.
“I have the keys to his office.” So, we casually walked away from the receptionist before turning the corner leading to the upper floors.
“Hey, this is a private wing. Only staff is allowed up here!” a voice shouted from behind us.
Shit, I’d forgotten about that. Last time, we were camouflaged with staff uniforms. Cole reacted fast, though, racing toward the man and knocking him out cold before he could take his next breath. I scanned the hallway for witnesses, but it was empty. I was just about to ask where he intended to hide the guy when he propped him on a cot in the hallway and tossed a blanket over his limp form.
“So, where to?” Cole asked nonchalantly, clapping his hands. I scoffed at his arrogance.
We jogged to the office, and I unlocked the door before we slipped in. Crossing the room, I deflated in the office chair while Cole sat down on a couch in the corner. I tried not to fidget, knowing that every minute we wasted was precious time slipping away. I cast a glance at Cole with his head bent and his elbows propped on his knees, kneading his hands and staring at nothing.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” I said in a low voice, knowing how he must feel now that half of his team was gone.
Cole gave a short nod in acknowledgment before his head lifted to look at me. “Dylan, I wanted to apologize for what happened back in jail—”
“Don’t,” I interrupted him. “It happened. We can’t change it.” This was really not a topic I wanted to brood over now. I had more urgent things to worry about. “I just want to find her. That’s all that matters now.” I flinched after the words were out, not wanting to show my vulnerability in front of Cole.
A minute of silence passed, and I felt Cole’s eyes on me before he asked in a low voice, “Do you love her?” I bit my lip, not knowing what to say. I knew the answer deep inside, but admitting it out loud was another thing entirely. My hesitation was the answer Cole had been waiting for. “I see.”
I was saved from continuing the conversation as the door banged open, and Doctor Simmons entered, peeling out of his medical garment. He shut the door behind him but froze when he realized he had company.
“Who the hell are you? And how did you get in here, anyway?”
“We need to have a little chat, Doctor,” I said, gesturing with my hand to the vacant seat opposite me.
“About what?” he snapped, his eyes jumping from me to Cole.
“About this.” I tossed Haylie’s file on the desk.
He stood too far away to read it, but he seemed to know what it was if his color-drained face was anything to go by. He contemplated something before whipping around, yanking open the door to shout for security, but Cole was faster. He was by his side in an instant and slammed the door shut, giving him no option to flee.
“Sit,” Cole instructed in a deadly voice. The doctor stared at him, dumbfounded, as if he’d just seen a ghost, glancing at the couch Cole had occupied a millisecond before. He didn’t move, so Cole added, “Or I can make you.” This brought him to his senses, and he hesitantly crossed the room, plopping down in the seat his patients usually occupied.
“Haylie Bryceland. She was in your care four years ago, and apparently, you paid special attention to her case. Why?”
The doctor’s jaw worked as he contemplated what to answer. “This is none of your business. I’m under medical confidentiality.”
Cole raced to his side, swirling the air and making a few papers on the desk flutter. Doctor Simmons jumped in his seat, eyeing Cole with fear masking his features. “Not today,” Cole remarked. “We don’t have time for this, Doc, so spill it already.”
He swallowed visibly. “Her reactions were inexplicable. She made the entire room vibrate and developed a strength that was unnatural. At first, I thought it was an earthquake, but after I noticed the chains snapping with her strength and her pupils not reacting, I knew I was dealing with something else entirely. I took some blood and DNA samples as well as stem cells and tested them.”
“And?” I prodded after he didn’t elaborate.
“And… the data I got was unbelievable. Her blood consisted of more proteins than usually found in the human body, and her DNA was…” his eyes trailed off, his head slightly shaking, “… perfection.”
I exhaled slowly through my nose. Yes, Haylie was perfect in every way.
“After three years, I made my breakthrough. I managed to develop a serum that resulted in decelerating the natural aging process without the need for preservatives.”
“Hydrochloridiumpholene,” I threw in, and the Doctor nodded. “And you sold it to Natcos Pharmaceuticals?” He hesitated before confirming with a nod again. “Who was the buyer?”
His jaw clenched, and his eyes flashed with fear. “Please, I’m bound by a contract. I’m not allowed to give away any names. If I tell you, I’m a dead man.”
“Wrong. If you don’t tell us, you’re a dead man,” Cole interjected, taking a paper knife from the desk and swirling it casually in his hand. Doctor Simmons took the hint, succumbing quickly.
“Laslow. His name is Dorian Laslow.”
Relief and dread filled me at the same time. I’d just come a step closer to finding Haylie, but in which condition I’d find her was another question entirely. I knew from Natcos’ website that they were located nearby, but I doubted Dorian ran his business there.
“Where did you deliver it to?”
“To a location in Philadelphia.”
“I need the address.” Again he hesitated. “Now,” I growled, my patience wearing thin. He lifted a trembling hand to retrieve a pen and post-it and started scribbling.
“Thanks,” I said after he handed me the note. “And don’t worry, we won’t tell him you helped us, but I’d recommend you put a stop to this research immediately. Believe me, it’s for your own good.”
He didn’t say anything as I tossed him the keys I had no use for anymore, and we made ourselves ready to leave.
“Do you… Do you know what she is?” the doctor asked before I opened the door.
I slowly turned around to face him. “Like you said, she is perfection.”