He didn’t want to anger her or shut her down so that she refused to cooperate. He tried a lighter approach. “Any chance you’d humor me and just tell me the date?”
“July tenth.”
“Good. Now, can you tell me the capital of Rhode Island?”
A slight twinkle of humor entered those exquisite eyes. “You’re not going to start asking math questions next, are you? Because I’m really lousy at math.”
Whatever had happened to her, Tess had managed to maintain her sense of humor. He held up a hand in mock Scout’s honor. “I promise, no math questions.”
From across the room, Betty interrupted. “Isn’t that enough questions, Doc?”
Ryan glanced over one shoulder. “It’s okay, Betty. I’m not hurting her.”
“I know that. But you’re scaring her. I can tell.” Betty walked into the room, her dark eyes watching the young girl with motherly compassion. “The poor child must be exhausted. This is no way to treat a person who’s been through what she’s been through.”
“But that’s what I’m trying to determine—what she’s been through.” Ryan didn’t bother to hide the hint of irritation. Unlike most interviews he conducted, he definitely wasn’t in control of this one. But then it wasn’t every day that he had to conduct an initial assessment in the living room of one of his neighbor’s houses.
“Providence,” Tess said softly.
They both turned to look at her. “Providence is the capital of Rhode Island. And I feel fine—just a little hungry.”
The hard-nosed farm wife shot a triumphant look in Ryan’s direction. “Of course you are, dear. I’m going to make you a nice stack of buttermilk pancakes.” She glared at Ryan. “And if you’re done asking silly questions, you’re welcome to have some, too.”
Tess stood, the huge quilt draped around her like a tent. As she walked toward the archway leading to the kitchen, the quilt caught on the end of the couch, slid off her shoulders and fell to the floor. Seemingly unaware of her naked condition, Tess continued on toward the kitchen, her bare feet padding softly on the hardwood floor.
Ryan blinked and swallowed hard. Lord, give me strength, he muttered. A true goddess walked among them. A goddess with legs that went on forever and a body so magnificently flawless that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
He tried not to stare, but he had a perfect view of her firm buttocks as she walked away. Muscle dimpled one firm cheek as she moved, and Ryan forced himself to breathe.
She turned to glance at him and Ryan struggled to keep his mouth from falling open. Her breasts were high and firm, and as her hair swung forward, each strand reflected an almost blinding sheen of white in the faint light. The fall of white gold fell over her slender shoulders and onto her chest, brushing the dark, taut nipples that peeped through the silky strands.
The fact that she seemed totally unaware of her nakedness wasn’t lost on Ryan. It was an unusual reaction and one he tucked away for later consideration.
“Are you coming, Doctor?” she asked innocently before turning and continuing on into the kitchen.
Ryan stumbled, getting to his feet, raising a hand to stop her, but he couldn’t get any words out. Damn. He had expected beauty, but this went way beyond even that. Way beyond.
A shaft of heat shot through him and settled deep in the pit of his belly. Sweat dampened his hands. He sucked hot air.
“Oh, my,” Betty blurted out as Tess brushed past.
A string of startled curses and the sound of chairs scraping frantically across the linoleum told Ryan he wasn’t the only male getting an eyeful.
He bent down and picked up the quilt. “If I were you, Betty, I’d find Tess something a little more permanent than a blanket. Otherwise, none of us are going to be able to concentrate on your good cooking.”
Betty snatched the quilt out of his hand and marched through the archway into the kitchen. “Close your eyes, all of you!” she ordered in the crisp tones of a drill sergeant.
Ryan followed, concern replacing his amusement. Tess might be beautiful, but her confused mental state and the hesitation in her speech worried him. If she was from the center, it would be a relatively easy task to get her back there.
But he couldn’t deny the small tug of regret that pulled at him. He didn’t like the possibility of her being a patient at the center. Patients came to the center because they had a long history of not responding to the more traditional medications and treatments. Most of their families had given up hope of them ever living normal, productive lives, and the patients came because they were desperate to try some of the more experimental, riskier treatments.
The thought of Tess, a vibrant, beautiful young woman, being one of those desperate individuals, unresponsive to other treatments, saddened Ryan.
If there was anything he’d learned over years of practice, it was that the results of experimental treatments benefited future generations, not the people who subjected themselves to it in the here and now. Tess might be a pioneer, but if she was from the center, her prognosis was most likely poor.
Washington, D.C.
“CALL FOR YOU, General Flynn. Line two, sir.”
General Thomas Flynn swallowed his irritation at the interruption and swung his desk chair away from his office window. He reached out and stabbed the intercom key. “I’m busy, Lieutenant. Take a message please.”
“It’s a Dr. Sidney Bloom, sir,” Lieutenant Sanders said, her soft feminine tones drifting musically through the intercom. “He’s somewhat insistent that he speak with you immediately, sir.”
General Flynn ran an impatient hand through the close-cropped iron-gray hair. It never ceased to annoy him that someone in personnel had taken it upon himself to assign him a female aide.
Not that Flynn advertised his prejudice against women in the military. No siree. He wasn’t a fool. He knew what the twenty-first-century army was all about—a dumbing down of the troops and a lowering of standards.
“I’ll take the call, Lieutenant.” Flynn punched the button for line two and picked up the receiver. “Why are you calling me here?” He didn’t bother to keep the anger from seeping into his voice.
“You asked to be kept informed of anything having to do with the project. I didn’t want to wait any longer.” Dr. Sidney Bloom’s cool tones conveyed his lack of intimidation.
Flynn reached down and flicked a switch on the side of the phone, the one that scrambled anything and everything that came through the phone. “What’s the problem? I’d prefer to keep any specifics out of this conversation.”
“My sentiments exactly, General.”
Flynn could hear the bristle of indignation in Bloom’s voice. From his dealings with him, Flynn knew that the doctor wasn’t used to being treated as a flunky. It brought a smile to Flynn’s lips. He couldn’t deny that he took a certain amount of pleasure in doing exactly that. He waited for the doctor to continue.
“Our subject took off last night. She knocked out a guard and escaped the grounds.” Before Flynn could react, Bloom rushed to add, “But we were able to locate her fairly quickly. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get her back here to the center.”
Flynn’s hand tightened so hard on the receiver that his fingers ached. “What do you mean she took off? I thought you had a handle on things down there. She’s supposed to begin her assignment in a week.”
“I realize that, General. Why do you think I insisted on talking to you instead of being put off by your trained seal in the front office.”
Flynn didn’t mind his own bias against his aide, but he didn’t appreciate anyone else making comments. “Lieutenant