Page 13 of Feral Mate

“The terms of which do not kick in until my probationary period is over—and that doesn’t happen until next week.”

Kam seemed to sense that trying to bully Emery was not going to work.

“I think that would be a mistake. Not only would it not look good on your CV, but NLGP would not give you a good recommendation.”

Emery was taken aback by Kam’s bullying, but Kam held up her hand to wave off Emery’s objections. “I think your talents have been wasted down here. What I have in mind is right up your alley but would require discretion and absolute confidentiality.”

“What is it?” Emery asked, not able to contain her curiosity.

“Given the parameters I’ve just outlined, why don’t we go over to my office? Have you had lunch?” She didn’t wait for Emery to answer, and Emery guessed it was because she knew the answer. “I’ll have the company’s executive chef prepare lunch for us. Just come with me and hear me out. I think I can make it worth your while.”

Kam turned and headed out of the lab with Emery walking behind her. Once they were in Kam’s spacious and well-appointed office, Kam waved her over to her small conference table. “Don’t I remember you and I talking about how finding a good burger here in Reykjavik was hard if not impossible?”

“Sadly, it’s true. Some of them aren’t bad, but nothing to write home about,” agreed Emery.

“Well, the chef is not one of those cheffy guys who only does frou frou food. He makes the best cheeseburger, and his fries are amazing.”

Kam ordered two cheeseburgers with fries and two Diet Cokes.

“So, despite what I overheard you say this afternoon, I think you’re about as loyal an employee as they come. In fact, even though I know it is misplaced, I find your loyalty to Dr. Payne to be not only refreshing, but admirable.”

“Thanks, Kam, but what is the job you wanted to talk to me about?”

Kam laughed. “Straight to the point. In spite of the coffee machine and goodies, you really are almost singularly focused, and that’s precisely what I need. We’re exploring some cutting-edge research—some things that are light years ahead of anything else NGLP or anyone else is working on. In all honesty, your doctoral thesis is what sparked the germ of an idea that got the whole thing started. You’ve proven, even in the short amount of time you’ve been here, that you have what it takes to catapult NLGP’s next generation of research into the stratosphere—research that will position us to command the market and provide so much good throughout the world.”

One thing about Kam, she was a true believer. “I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be. I’m not a flatterer. I never sugarcoat anything. Before I go any further, I’ll need you to sign a far more exclusive and restrictive NDA.”

Emery tried to keep from overreacting. She’d just told Kam earlier in the day she was thinking about leaving NLGP, and now Kam wanted her to sign something Emery was sure was far more binding than the original agreement she’d signed when she first came on board.

“Emery, we need you for this project. Your personal research, as well as that you did for your thesis, is what made NLGP come after you so hard. We see you for the shining star you are. I’m asking you to trust me. The agreement is part NDA and part modified employment contract. Before I can go any further, I need your signature on the NDA. The employee agreement can wait. If after you hear me out, you still want to go, I’ll make sure the company pays your way home.”

Emery wasn’t sure that she trusted Kam at all, but even her vague descriptions had certainly intrigued Emery. Reaching for the pen, Emery scrawled her name on the NDA.

“Excellent,” said Kam, sounding truly excited. “If you’re finished, I’d like to take you into a secure wing of the compound.”

She ushered Emery into the corridor and toward the far end of the building.

“One of the underground labs?” she teased.

Kam stopped and regarded her. “I know a lot of employees have made up some pretty wild tales, but there are several levels of the complex that are, in fact, underground.”

Emery stared at her with growing awareness that Kam wasn’t joking. Kam ran her keycard through the electronic lock, pressed her thumbprint on the digital scanner, and then leaned down to have her retina scanned. The lock flashed green, and the elevator doors opened. Kam stepped inside. “Coming?”

Tentatively, and not knowing what she’d gotten herself into, Emery joined her.

“Lower Level One please; authorization Perkins, Kam. Employee ID Alpha, Bravo, Echo.”

The doors slid shut and the elevator car began to move down below the ground. Once it stopped and the doors slid open, Kam stepped out, turning to a thick set of glass double doors and repeated the door lock sequence, holding the door open until Emery stepped through.

They walked down the corridor, Kam’s Louboutin heels clicking with a staccato rhythm that would have made any metronome proud. There were small windows in the doors that they passed. From what Emery could see, some had what looked to be lab facilities, others exam rooms of some kind, and still others hospital rooms.

“We’re hoping that Dr. Payne has as much loyalty to us as you expressed for him. The fact is, we located Dr. Payne. Unfortunately, there was a small dispute around whether or not he would return with our people, and I’m afraid he was badly injured. Our surgeons, doctors, and nurses have worked night and day to get him stabilized and on the mend. He almost didn’t make it. He still might not.”

“Wh… What happened?”

“Our people tried to be reasonable, but Dr. Payne refused to return our property. There was a physical altercation that got out of hand, which ended in several of our people and Dr. Payne being severely injured… to the point that it was questionable whether or not Dr. Payne would survive. As we believed your theories held the most promise to get him healed, we brought him back here.”

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