Page 138 of Broken Wheels

She grunted. “Okay, then how about this?” She sat back, her arms folded once more. “They’re planning another attack. This time on Chicago.”

Holy fuck.

Chapter 41

Josh didn’t miss Gary’s sharp intake of breath.

“That’s got to be bullshit.” Gary scowled.

Kathy arched her neatly sculpted eyebrows. “I’m going to guess you know it’s not.” She glanced at Josh. “Am I right, Dr. Malone?”

This whole fucked-up situation was mind-boggling, but not too much of a surprise, if he were honest. Spencer had to have killed thousands. He’d even had the temerity to accomplish that feat on national television. And then he’d had the balls to turn around and point to Josh being the perpetrator.

Would attacking Chicago really be a step too far? Adding the deaths of thousands more to his list of crimes?

Josh took in a deep breath. “Tell us what you know.”

I’m going to regret this.

Kathy leaned back in her chair. “Fine, but only because I want to get out from under his thumb and you’ve promised to get me protection.” She looked expectantly at Gary, who gritted his teeth.

“We’ll talk to Grady, but remember, we don’t make the decisions. If we tell him you cooperated, however, he’ll be more likely to listen.” He cocked his head. “One thing I have to know, though. Why did you run? I’m not talking about the kids he killed. There has to be more to it than that. I mean, you saw all the horrors that he committed, but you still stood by his side. What changed?”

She sighed. “I think it started with the board. They were like me. I was one of them. They shared his vision, just like me, and he had no problems snuffing them out. I can’t say he would have killed me, but I’m willing to bet he would have once he had what he wanted. I mean, I knew secrets, just like they did. That he could kill dependable people without remorse? That scared me.”

“So you were out to save your own skin.”

She sneered. “Of course I was! I couldn’t run the risk of him turning on me too.”

“And what if he wouldn’t have?” Gary asked.

Another sneer. “He would have, I guarantee it. I’d served my purpose, and I knew too much. The thing he didn’t take into consideration is that I’m not stupid. I read the writing on the wall, and I decided it was in my best interest to get the hell out of there.” She straightened, her back rigid, her eyes locked on Josh, and suddenly he was squirming. “Okay, enough about my motivation for desertion. What you need to understand is this was a plan years in the making. He had hackers combing through the government databases, looking for secrets he could exploit. One of them came across the files for the toxin the government had been creating, but subsequently shelved.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “Lady, we know this already. You’re looking at the reason why they shelved it.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, Spencer got really interested when he saw that part. That was also the first time he came across your name.” She stared at Josh. “You impressed him, and let me tell you, that isn’t an easy thing to do.”

Josh wasn’t sure whether he should be flattered or nauseated. His stomach lurched.

Yeah, nauseated wins.

“Spencer didn’t do anything with the information he’d gleaned. He kept the file for himself, wanting to know more about it and about you, Dr. Malone.” She smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “You intrigued him. I can still hear him muttering, ‘What kind of person would give up the potential power they held to just be left alone?’”

“Someone who’s his polar opposite,” Josh murmured.

“He had his team do deep background checks on you, offering great rewards for any new information they procured. Suffice it to say, the more he found, the deeper his obsession with you grew.”

Well, that wasn’t creepy at all. Josh did his best to rein in his shivers.

“Spencer had them compile a file on your life, which he pored over on an almost daily basis. And then everything changed after he got to the point where you started CrossBow with Mr. Cross.”

Josh frowned. “As interesting as this is, why aren’t you sharing details of his imminent attack on Chicago?”

She snorted. “It won’t be today, Dr. Malone, or even tomorrow. There wasn’t a date on it. But back to where I was before you interrupted me…. He was sure this would be where you’d show your true colors, but instead you continued to give away money hand over fist. He couldn’t understand anything about you, which made you so much more of a mystery.”

Josh was starting to like that. The idea that scum like Spencer might be able to fathom him?

That was an abomination.

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