Page 41 of Deadly Peril

“Don’t get any ideas,” Jana said. “I’m only being considerate. After all, he has been waiting out there during our entire workout.”

Coley sipped the creamy drink through a straw. “Is the test still on for this weekend?”

“Yep, for sure. I can’t wait.” Jana reached into her bag and retrieved a box that fit in the palm of her hand.

“Is that it?”

“Yes, this is the new and improved version. I had the manufacturing company make some adjustments,” Jana said. “This should work even better now.”

Coley took the box. “I can’t get over how tiny it is, yet how much it does.”

“It doesn’t need to be big; it’s just a microchip.” Jana looked at the instrument that Coley lifted from the box. “The important thing is that you try it ahead of time, so you can practice. There are instructions in the box. I want to see if the instructions are clear, since that is all consumers will have. And you need to get comfortable using it, before we put it to the test.”

“I can go out a few times before then. I’ll drag Michael with me. He makes a good biathlon partner.”

“I have a slot scheduled for us at the club. I’ve reserved the whole morning,” Jana said. “We’ll have a trail to ourselves, designated for the test.”

“That must have cost you.”

“It’s worth it,” Jana said. “I’ve agonized over this for years. The patent takes so long to go through. And the manufacturers were difficult at first, but finally understood exactly what I required.”

“It’s a labor of love.”

“It truly is,” Jana said. “Once I know it works in the real world, and not just for me, I’ll be confident about putting it on the market. You’re my first beta tester. If our preliminary test goes well, I’ll have a few manufactured for the local team. If anything is going to malfunction, I want that to happen before it goes on sale to the general public.”

“It’s going to work beautifully,” Coley said. “I just know it.”

Jana smiled. “Spoken as a true friend.”

In truth, Jana was anxious about the trial runs. Minor adjustments had been made to the tool based on her personal use of it, but any little thing could throw it off. The chip could be clipped into a ski hat or jacket. It had a special attachment, designed for its small size. The radio wave emitted from the chip provided biofeedback in a unique way. She prayed it would work as intended but dared not be overly excited. A few more steps remained before it would be time to celebrate.

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