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  It was unfathomable.

  Phelps stared hard again, like he was trying to muster up the last bit of his will to withstand her. Rowan promised herself a yes, though.

  “Please Phelps, you can’t just let me not be involved. I can’t miss out on this, especially after knowing all this. Knowing about Miller. I’d spend the rest of my life wondering exactly what I missed out on.”

  Rowan sat on her last attempt, waiting for Phelps to crack with her racing heart pounding away in her throat. She steady her wringing hands on her thighs, and watched the deep lines of the hard frown on his forehead loosen.

  “You’re lucky that I’ve always liked giving Miller a hard time.”

  Phelps sent Rowan home early with a thick folder of papers and specific instructions: read the lengthy contract front to back, think seriously on what it included, and return the next morning with it signed if she still wanted to be involved. When Rowan pressed about how Miller would react, he assured her everything would be handled when she arrived the following morning, leaving Rowan little more to do than sit down and get some reading done.

  She had some errands to run, and since she expected to be tied up from the next morning forward, Rowan decided to make some pit stops before heading home with the contract. She’d have to pick up some groceries since she tended to fall into bad eating habits when work took over, and there wasn’t proper food in the house. She’d also have to pick up some migraine medication; she got them when she would forgo sleep, which she anticipated would be happening often.

  Rowan was so caught up in her excitement and fantasizing, she didn’t notice the black SUV following her until she parked at the market and saw that it stopped at the other side of the parking lot, as well.

  A chill seized the back of her neck, remembering the night before: the security personnel in dark suits and the feeling of a weapon to her spine. Rowan reminded herself that lots of people had SUVs, and everyone needed to shop. She was just being paranoid. That was all. With a deep breath, she forced the thought away.

  She almost completely forgot the unpleasant idea, but it burrowed deeper into her bones with every nervous glance over her shoulder, leaving a chill that made her stiff and uncomfortable as she shopped. There was never anyone when she looked, but when she’d turn back, the hairs stood up on her neck like there was. The discomfort rushed her through the aisles, definitely forgetting something while counting the times she involuntarily checked behind her.

  When she left the market, the parked SUV seemed empty, and Rowan felt momentarily relieved. She was being foolish, hyper sensitive in her exhaustion, and still dwelling on Cameron’s foolish fantasy from the night before. Maybe she’d allow herself to take a nap when she got home before diving into the contract, just to clear her head.

  That was a short lived plan though, she realized, while exiting the pharmacy after picking up her migraine medication and seeing the same black SUV parked down the street, in plain sight of the exit she used to return to her car.

  Rowan tried not to let her panic get ahead of her, but a churning dread in her stomach reminded her of the night before. This time though, it was the middle of the day, the sun was up, and she was surrounded by people. She would be fine. She was fine.

  Even as she tried her best to act normal, to take deep breaths and calm herself down as she got back in her car and pulled out onto the road, the first thing she did once out of the parking lot was dial Cameron’s number.

  “Row, what’s the occasion? You never call me during working hours. How’d it go with Phelps?”

  “Cameron, are you home?”

  There was a pause over the line. “I had to pick something up for the truck. Why?”

  “Ok, no problem. I’ll just—” Her voice cracked. “I’ll use my key, then.”

  He saw right through her weak facade. “What’s wrong, Row?”

  “It’s not a big deal, it’s actually kind of stupid. You’ll think I’m going crazy.” She tried to brush off his concern, holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she adjusted her rearview mirror, the SUV four cars behind her as she drove.

  “Why would I think you're going crazy?”

  Rowan laughed nervously. “Because I think I’m going crazy.”

  “Try me.” Cameron snorted.

  She forced her eyes back onto the road ahead of her, exhaling shakily. After another breath, she swallowed hard and said, “I think I’m being followed.”

  Chapter Three

  “Rowan, you here?” Cameron barely got into the apartment before she sprinted from the living room, rushing to the door to close it behind him, locking the latch. When she leaned against the door and gave a heavy sigh, he offered a concerned chuckle. “You ok?”

  “Did you see them?” She asked, then rushed back into his apartment, over to the window in the living room that faced out towards the road.

  “Who?” He followed, finding her peeking past the curtains she had drawn shut, her shoulders going straight and immediately beckoning him closer.

  “Look, look!” She pointed discreetly as he neared, directing his eyes to a black SUV parked down the street. “It’s them, from last night. The suited men. They followed me here.”

  Rowan let out an unsteady sigh and returned to his couch, where she laid out papers across the entirety of his coffee table, sweeping her eyes rapidly across the text.

  Cameron stayed at the window to keep a lookout. It certainly seemed like the car from the night before, but it could easily just be a coincidence. It was the more likely conclusion in fact. It was unlike Rowan to be so irrational. That was usually his thing.

  “Hey, Row, have you slept?” he pried gently.

  She growled. “I’m not crazy. They followed me, ok?” Her head fell into her hands, sighing again.

  Cringing, Cameron sat and pulled her closer to him by her shoulders. “I’m sorry, I’m not doubting you, just… Maybe you need to clear your head a little.” She deflated with his arm around her, shaking her head as she rested in his collar. While she tried to settle her racing heart, Cameron glanced over the papers. “What is all this?”

  “I talked to Phelps today. About what happened. He gave me this contract to read over.” She answered with a weak, tired voice, realizing after a moment the information she shared was disjointed and probably didn’t make much sense.

  She tried to clarify, pulling away from his comfort to collect the papers in order and hold them out for him. “It’s a project, Cam. Whatever we saw last night, I guess they are researching it or… something. Phelps didn’t say, and the contract hasn’t been much help. All I know is that Miller’s heading it.”

  “Wait. Miller?” Cameron took the papers from her but paused with disbelief at the name. “You mean, Miller, Miller. The author of all those science papers you couldn’t put down while in school?”

  Rowan gave him an eyeroll at his attempt at knowing what he was talking about. “They’re called scientific journals, Cam. And yes, that Miller.” She was about to add to the thought, but Cameron was on his feet with excitement for her, interrupting.

  “Rowan, that’s huge!” He beamed, looking at the contract in his hand and laughing. “You’re going to be working with one of your idols, Row. That’s amazing.” He turned to her for a reaction, but his grin faltered when all she could manage in response was a strained smile. “Why aren’t you more excited? I thought you’d be losing your mind over this.”

  “I am! I mean… I was.” She tried harder to be grateful, but when she failed, Rowan let the pretenses fall off her face, allowing the concern constricting her lungs to show. “This is a really amazing opportunity, absolutely. Something just feels… off.”

  “Off like, how?” he asked, sitting again to listen.

  Rowan inhaled deep to try and shake the discomfort away, running a hand through her hair and letting her eyes stay shut for a moment too long. “Well, the men following me is a little unnerving, for one.”

  Cameron hummed. “Ar
e you sure it was the same people from last night?” It was clear he didn’t want to doubt her, but he was also trying his best to encourage her to be a bit more logical. She didn’t blame him.

  Even she knew it sounded insane.

  “No one ever left the car, but it followed me all over the city. I came here because I got so nervous to go home alone. After reading some of the contract, I’m even more convinced that it’s them.” Rowan feathered the papers in Cameron’s hand to point out how much reading she had been doing, before directing him to the first page. “The whole thing is really vague. It never names what we’re working with. Just ‘the subject,’ and it doesn’t say anything about what kind of study we’re doing.”

  “Isn’t it kinda common with contracts though? Like, general language, so they can recycle the contract for all their projects?” Cameron tried his best to calm Rowan’s nerves by being the rational one for once.

  She nodded. “Yes, but… It also stresses more than once that I’m possibly at risk of death during this study.”

  He laughed, although a hint of discomfort leaked into it. “I’m sure they’re just covering their asses. I mean, when we have to put warnings on coffee cups that the contents are hot…”

  She ignored his interjection, determined to prove her concerns now. “It talks about the necessity of being ‘discreet’ regarding the project. Basically, I can’t talk to anyone outside of my colleagues about it, which is fine, I understand, but usually there is some sort of clause about the consequences for breaking the agreement, and it will outline the process of your removal from the team and whatnot. In this contract it’s all very vague wording... I get the feeling that it’s threatening me, with much worse outcome than just being removed from the project.”

  Once again, Cameron’s concern showed on his face, but he attempted to smile it away, shaking his head. “I’m sure you’re just reading too much into it, Row.”

  Huffing at his stubbornness, Rowan grabbed the contract back from him and flipped through the pages to find her proof. Pointing out a section she highlighted previously, she gave the paper back and read aloud from next to him.

  “One should be with the understanding that leaks of information will not be tolerated, and those suspected or guilty of sharing information, or suspected of being likely to, will be dealt with accordingly. By signing this contract, one is agreeing that one understands and gives consent to any form of consequence seen fit if the mentioned agreement is broken.”

  Cameron met her expectant gaze after she finished reading, the discomfort twisted up in her gut ghosting across his eyes. He tried to banish the expression by giving a dismissive snort and a casual, “Ok, so… Maybe they are trying to scare you a little,” but the damage was already done.

  Rowan’s stomach tied itself into another knot. “They’re succeeding,” she groaned, letting her face fall into her hands once more. “What am I getting myself into, Cam?”

  Her defeated tone triggered something in him, driven to prove her doubts wrong. “The contract is a little unsettling, I’ll give you that. But what does it have to do with the suits following you?”

  She paused a moment, realizing it wasn’t really a question she had asked herself quite yet. “Well if the contract is anything to go by, then I guess… To make sure I don’t say anything problematic before signing? I wasn’t supposed to be part of this, after all. Maybe they think I can’t be trusted and are keeping an eye on me.”

  “But you said you don’t even know anything yet, really.” Cameron pointed out, doing his best to counter her arguments, likely for her own sake. It was strange, having him switch roles with her and act as the rational one, rhyming off logical questions to try and relieve her concerns. It wasn’t working, but she appreciated it regardless.

  “I know enough. We saw a body, afterall. Remember?”

  Cameron nodded, a chill shaking up his spine at the unsettling memory.

  Rowan groaned again, rubbing at her tired eyes and kneading the headache from her temple. “I just can’t stop thinking about it. Like… If they are so worried about the details of the project getting out, what on earth are we studying?”

  The worst part was, even with all these reasons to be terrified, Rowan also couldn’t help herself from feeling hungry: desperately aching for an answer to all the questions that were cycloning around in her head since the night before. It was crazy, but the longer she thought about it, the more reasonable Cameron’s alien theory kept getting, and it was a troubling sign when she settled for conspiracies to satiate her curiosity. She hoped it was only the exhaustion getting the better of her, but she couldn’t shake the possibility from her mind.

  She sighed, defeated. “Whatever it is, maybe I should be scared.”

  Cameron wrapped his arm around her shoulders again to offer some comfort. “It’s not like you to let your imagination run wild, Rowan. Normally you leave the crazy theories up to me,” he teased, offering a gentle smile when she laughed in self deprecation.

  “Besides… Since when do you let a few scare tactics get in your way? So what if all signs clearly point to it being an alien?” He paused to hammer in his joke with a sarcastic look. “How fucking cool would it be to study an alien? With one of your idols? And you have that chance, Row. You’re going to let some stupid contract and some assholes in tailored suits and an expensive car spook you out of a once in a lifetime opportunity?”

  Cameron’s pep talk worked wonders, stifling her nerves for a moment and allowing a grateful smile to tug at Rowan’s lips as she leaned into his hug. Determined to rid her of her last bit of apprehension, Cameron flipped through to the last page of the contract and held it out for her to take.

  “Sign this. We both know you’ll spend your life regretting it if you don’t.”

  It’s like he was putting to words, loud and clear, the logical part of her thoughts that her fear was refusing to listen to. He knew her too well. She was already going insane with curiosity, with the ache of the unknown; it was only her timid fingers keeping her from guaranteeing the answers she knew she needed.

  If she didn’t get them, she’d always wonder.

  Rowan glanced at him, his dark brown eyes so naive and honest, and her heart swelled with all the times he had been there to support her and push her in the right direction, even when she wasn’t always there for him. The thought stung bittersweetly though, when she remembered this was an opportunity she’d have to go at alone.

  His earnest encouragement helped though, letting her push that negativity down along with the rest of her previous worries, at least long enough to take a pen from the coffee table and scribble her name across the final page of the contract with the last bit of nerve she had left for the night.

  When she exhaled definitively, turning to Cameron for a reaction, he beamed and raised his arms into the air in celebration, shouting, “Get ready to be studied, ugly, alien scum!” The expression forced Rowan into a fit of tired giggles that made her stomach ache and cheeks burn.

  Chapter Four

  Rowan stayed the night with Cameron, sure she’d be up once again, but her body thankfully took pity on her, and she was out like a light once her head hit the pillow. She woke rested and alert, albeit slightly achey from sleeping on his couch, buzzing with a sickening mixture of nervousness and excitement the moment her consciousness caught up to her opened eyes. She opted to skip breakfast, fearing her stomach wouldn’t hold any food in its twisting state, so instead, she fueled with some instant coffee from Cameron’s cabinet and set off for ECBS.

  Phelps met her at the entrance, a flat palm on her shoulder blade and a wide smile she could never quite muster so early in the morning. The type of warm welcome Rowan was used to receiving from him.

  “I’m quite excited, Rowan. I’ll admit, it was a particular pleasure watching Miller dance around the news of my ‘assistant,’ trying to be polite about the sudden addition while likely having a mild panic attack.”

  Rowan tried to chuckle despi
te being mildly horrified by the prospect of Miller not liking her before even meeting because of Phelps desire to yank on some chains.

  Her honest reaction must have been written across her face though, because Phelps waved away her concern quickly with another comforting pat on her shoulder and a laugh. “Don’t you worry. Miller will warm up to you once you two meet. Just a little bit of a control complex is all.”

  “I hope so. I’m not trying to step on any toes. Just getting to observe is already more than enough. Thank you for doing this for me, Phelps. It’s an amazing opportunity.” She wanted to make sure it was well known how grateful she was.

  Phelps wasn’t having her gratitude, though. He waved it away as he had her earlier worry, directing her to follow him as they headed for the elevators. “My pleasure. To be honest, I’m glad you forced me into the situation. It will be nice to have someone there I’m used to working with. Comforting even, since I was finding myself a little apprehensive about the whole thing. It’s… Well, it’s complicated. Better left explained after you know all the details.”

  Rowan tried her best to not let her thoughts run away with the hint of Phelps’ concern. Hers were still only just below the surface and waiting for the opportunity to rear their heads again, so she stifled them as best as she could. It tightened her throat to know something had Phelps uncomfortable as well, but she assured herself. If he could be so cheerful, then so could she.

  Luckily, a distraction presented itself just in time, as they entered the elevators. Phelps used his security card as usual, necessary to access the other levels of the facility, but unlike usual, instead of choosing one of the upper floors as he did every single day since Rowan’s first one working there, he entered a six-digit code onto the elevators touch display. The speaker chimed in confirmation, and the elevator started moving.