Page 60 of Death Wish

If she was working on the target program. She could be working on something else highly classified but not related to the program he and Simone wanted to prevent from being finished and sold.

“I think I’ll stop by her office tomorrow and check on her,” Simone said. “Hopefully, I can form a friendship with her.”

“She’d appreciate the gesture, especially since you’re the only two women in the division besides Ms. Mulgraves.” He finished the rest of his water. “Are you ready to go?”

Simone nodded. “Thanks for thinking of this restaurant. We’ll have to come back before we leave town.”

“If we can.”

“Well, if not, we’ll find those authentic recipes and try some new dishes ourselves.”

“Deal.”

After paying their bill, Jesse escorted Simone from the restaurant.

“Help! Somebody help,” a man shouted.

Jesse scanned the parking lot and saw Francen and Hatcher standing over a figure sprawled on the ground. Wrapping his hand around Simone’s, they ran to the two men. “What’s the problem?”

“Allison collapsed on the way to her car,” Francen said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

Jesse dropped to his knees and checked Allison’s pulse.

Nothing.

He glanced at Simone. “Can you do CPR?”

“Yeah.” She hurried to kneel on Allison’s other side.

Jesse said, “Francen, call for help. Tell the dispatcher Allison might have been drugged.”

“Drugged?” The man looked distraught. “How? We were with her the whole time.”

“We’ll figure that out later. Call for help right now.” He started chest compressions with Simone forcing air into Allison’s lungs every few seconds.

When Simone wavered a few minutes later, Jesse looked at Francen. “Take over for Simone. Did you call for help?”

“Yeah, I did. They said it would be ten minutes or more. There’s a big accident on the other side of town tying up all their resources.”

Too long. “Simone, grab my mike bag in the back of the SUV.”

She rushed off and returned seconds later with his medical supplies.

Hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake that might land him in jail, Jesse said, “Hatcher, take over for me.”

“What? I don’t know how to do that,” the programmer protested.

“On-the-job training. Get down here.”

With reluctance, Hatcher knelt beside Jesse. “Show me.”

He demonstrated, talking through his compressions for a few beats, then said, “You try.” When he was positive Hatcher had gotten the hang of it, Jesse thrust his hand into his mike bag and pulled out Narcan.

Before he administered the drug, Jesse checked Allison’s pupils. When he tried to rouse the woman with no success, he felt he didn’t have a choice. He sprayed the medicine into her nose and waited.

In less than a minute, Allison moaned.

“Hold the CPR,” Jesse snapped as he watched the woman on the ground. “Allison, can you hear me?”

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