Page 126 of Shadow Operative

sixty-two

Gage successfully madeit through the traffic.

The police weren’t chasing him . . . yet.

It was just a matter of time. That meant he needed to move even faster.

The cab Nia was in eased to a stop beside an old warehouse.

Instead of pulling in behind the vehicle—which would have been too obvious—Gage stopped on the side of the street a block away. He reached into his pocket, grabbed a fifty-dollar bill, and shoved it into the taxi driver’s hand.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Gage muttered.

The man scowled. “As if I had a choice.”

Gage didn’t argue. “You should call the police. Send them here. The sooner, the better.”

The driver stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Gage couldn’t blame him.

He didn’t answer, but that would have to work for now.

He and Austin hurried toward the warehouse, careful to remain in the shadows.

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” Austin asked when they were away from the taxi driver.

“There was a note in the files,” Gage explained. “About the test subjects for Rob’s app. One of the psychologists working on the study made a note that the test subjects seemed to go into a trance-like state after using one part of the relaxation app.

“Is that because you can sometimes seem like you’re in a trance when you’re relaxed?”

“I don’t think so.” Gage crept along the building. “I think something about that app puts people into a highly suggestive hypnotic state. That’s why all these things have been happening.”

“This whole time I was thinking it was a serum that made people lose their memories,” Austin said. “But you’re right. I can totally see that.”

“I think when Nia opened the app at the restaurant that night, seeing it triggered something in her. I’m not sure what. But she fell into a trance-like state. People are vulnerable to suggestions in that mental state, and I think someone told her to go with Rob to his place.”

“What about Rob? Wouldn’t he have noticed Nia seemed off?”

“Not necessarily. My best guess is that he was put into a similar state.”

“That’s twisted,” Austin said.

“Yes, it is.”

They reached the door.

“What’s your plan?” Austin braced himself on one side of the entry while Gage stood on the other.

“It’s the worst kind of plan of all,” Gage said. “It’s the play it by ear plan. I have no idea what we’re going to find inside. But whatever happens, Nia can’t be hurt.”

Nia stared at Graham as he stood in front of her, two armed cronies at his side.

“Youwere behind this the whole time?” she muttered, shaking her head with disgust.

“Right under your nose, and you didn’t even see it.” He smirked.

Nia stood her ground, careful to keep herself between Graham and her sister. “I don’t understand. What changed so quickly?”

He shrugged, looking a little too confident that his scheme was going to work.

---