Generation 18 (Spook Squad 2)

“Why did the general agree to meet with us?”

“You requested information.”

“Information you found out without the general’s help. He told me nothing, really. But he thought I was one of the rejects trying to get information on where I came from.”

His confusion deepened. “Why would he think that? You’re too old, for a start.”

“He said it was my hair color. Apparently, it’s something of a signature in their projects.”

If she’d come from one of their projects, it would certainly explain the birth certificate with eight names on it. But the general seemed to know the exact location of all his rejects. Why wouldn’t he know if she was one of them?

“If you’re one their rejects, you have nothing to worry about.” Hopeworth had showed no interest in the Generation 18 rejects.

“But what if I’m not a reject? What if I’m something else entirely?”

“From what I can see, you’re either a reject or in Hopeworth. What else is there?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice was so soft he barely caught it. “But I’ve a feeling I’m going to find out.”

She rubbed her arms and he clenched his fists, fighting the urge to walk across the room and comfort her.

“I’ve got to go,” he said abruptly. “I want you to do a search through our records. See if there have been any official requests for information on our Generation 18 rejects.”

“That’s something you could order your computer to do in a minute flat, Assistant Director.”

Which was true enough. But he had to find some way to keep her out of the line of fire, however temporary. “A computer can’t follow up and have an informal discussion with the requester’s captain or director.”

She looked around at him, one pale eyebrow raised. “You think the killer might be a cop or agent?”

“There’s a good chance. The only way she could have found these seventeen people so quickly is through official channels. No alarms were raised, so the records weren’t hacked into.”

“And if I find anything?”

“Contact me or Stephan. Under no circumstances are you to go after her yourself.”

“Edging me out again, huh?” She shook her head slightly. “I never took you for a coward, Gabriel. I guess I was wrong.”

His anger rose, swift and hard, and her eyes widened. Maybe she wasn’t as unaware of the link as he’d thought.

“Better me being a coward than you being dead.” He hesitated and ran a hand through his hair. “Damn it, just do what you’re told. I can’t deal with this now.”

“And you won’t deal with it later,” she murmured.

He smiled grimly. She knew him too well. “My wristcom is on. Contact me if you find anything.”

“I’ve already said I would.”

He stared at her for several seconds longer, taking in her slender form, the almost defiant way she stood. Like hell she’d contact him when she found anything.

But short of tying her to a chair to keep her safe, there was nothing he could do. “Make sure you lock the door when I leave,” he said, then turned and walked from the room.

—

Sam scrubbed a hand across her eyes and wondered where the hell her brains were. Antagonizing Gabriel would only make him more determined to get rid of her. If that was even possible.

He appeared on the street below and climbed quickly into an SIU car. She wondered where he was going, as it was pretty obvious he had no intention of going back to SIU. For half a second she thought about following him, but she knew that would only get her into deeper shit. And she was in enough of that now.

She sighed softly and turned away from the window. Though her bones a