Page 38 of Hacker Beloved

“Zay...” I murmured.

Asher leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Let’s concentrate on you. The doctors were about to fill us in.”

“How long was I out?”

Dr. Lynn stepped next to the bed. “We’ve run some tests on you and did an MRI. It looks like you were given Propofol, and you passed out.”

“Did someone stick a needle in you when you were in the basement?” Asher asked.

“No. I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, and then I got tired.”

Dr. Lynn stepped to the side of the bed. “Everyone out.”

“Asher and I will step out so the Dr. Lynn can take a look.”

Zayla grabbed my hand and squeezed. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “And if you trust Dr. Renolds, he can stay as well.”

Paxton and Kaeden left the room. My fingers wrapped around the edge of her blanket and pulled it down. Zayla moved her nightgown so we could see her stomach. Quinton flipped the light switch, and the bright medical light shone down..

“I don’t think they are linked,” Dr. Lynn said. “You might have just had cramps.”

“Did anything show on the MRI? Any type of capsule in her body?” I asked.

Dr. Lynn shook her head. “Nothing showed on the scan.”

Quinton placed his hand on Dr. Lynn’s forearm. “I’m not trying to undermine you, but AA Security has some strange cases.”

She shrugged and pulled out her phone. After a couple of seconds, Zayla’s scan appeared on the screen.

“It’s a touchscreen,” she commented.

“You’re right. The scan doesn’t show anything out of the ordinary.” Quinton turned and faced Zayla. “How long have you had the IUD and what kind is that? The center section looks larger than normal.”

“For three years, I had an IUD. I think the brand was FemaProtecta. Then about four months ago, I got a message from my doctor saying I needed to get it replaced, because it was recalled. While I waited for my doctor, a tech came into the room to set it up, and she started talking about FertiliStop. Said it was some new state-of-the-art IUD that lasted longer and would slowly deliver hormones into my body,” Zayla explained.

Quinton ran a hand over his face. “FertiliStop is not FDA approved. I’m sure the product is banned in the United States. Your doctor inserted it in you?”

Zayla’s cheeks turned pink. “I never thought anything was out of the norm. It was close to thirty minutes. I sat in that room before the tech came back and said the doctor had an emergency. She went on to say that if I wanted, she could do the insertion. Did I allow the killer to insert the IUD in me?”

I squeezed Zayla’s hand. “Not necessarily. He could have paid the nurse to do it. From what we learned about your neighbor’s death; the person triggered the device with an RF signal. All I need is a couple of walkie-talkies, and I can build a signal jammer. We can place it in the room while Dr. Lynn and her team remove the IUD.”

Dr. Lynn’s brows furrowed. “I’m sorry. This sounds crazy. There is no way that an IUD is large enough to hold Propofol.”

“If you’d explained this same case to me a year ago, I would feel the same way. Except those two men…” Quinton waved in my direction. “Work cases you would never believe.”

“This is Zayla’s call,” Dr. Lynn said. “Do you want the IUD removed?”

“Yes,” Zayla didn’t hesitate.

“I’m going to go get the stuff I need. Dr. Renolds, please come with me.”

“You expect me to fall in line?” Quinton joked.

“Yes.” She turned and walked out with Quinton directly behind her.

---