The Littlest Giant

Part 2

SIX

Rory Wilder finally wheeled his way off the elevator. As the automatic glass doors of the lobby slid open, he rolled into the parking garage beneath the University of Utah Spine Center.

After a brief waver in resolve, Janessa strode toward the van Rory had unlocked remotely. The click of her heels echoed much more loudly than she would have liked.

Rory stopped short of the van and spun his chair to face her. "Did I leave my wallet in the needle room?" He smiled half-heartedly.

His casual comment served to renew Janessa's anger and frustration. She closed the distance between the two of them before starting her tirade in a low voice. "Do you even realize how close you've come to destroying my life's work?"

"Dr. Morgan, if this is about the other day at the gym, I swear I'll—"

"You know good and well what this is about, Mr. Wilder. You're reckless, not stupid." Janessa towered over the man in his chair. He didn't seem to like being looked down upon.

"I'll tone down the jokes. I'm taking this seriously, you don't have to worry." Rory continued to play dumb.

"You will remove yourself from my trial immediately." Janessa cut to the point.

"I will do no such thing." Rory clenched his jaw.

Janessa stared hard at him.

He broke off his gaze after several seconds, briefly closing his eyes then reopening them. "What is it you think you've learned about me this time?"

"The incision at the base of you neck was made surgically, Mr. Wilder. You twice lied about its origins."

"Then remove me from the trials yourself, on grounds of non-disclosure of past medical procedures," Rory said flatly.

Janessa chewed the inside of her mouth. One way or the other, Rory Wilder would be removed from her trials. That much she knew. But she needed more information before she dismissed him. "Why won't you just admit it? You thought you could benefit from the best of both worlds. You thought you could walk the line, but you were wrong. You screwed up, again."

"Insurance, incase I couldn't get into your trial. That's all it was."

Janessa looked nervously over her shoulder before continuing in a voice not much more than a hiss. "You consider unsanctioned biohacking a trivial matter? With the crackdown this past year, even inadvertent exposure could kill my trial. Maybe my career!"

Rory shook his head. "It's gone. There's nothing left. I'm on the straight and narrow, I swear."

Janessa snorted with contempt. "You're so clueless, I don't even know where to begin." She had to confirm her darkest suspicions. "Do you even know the name of the man who performed the surgery?" Janessa swallowed. She hoped her current line of thinking could be explained away, that she was reading too much into the imprint that had been left inside the tiny incision at the base of Mr. Wilder's neck.

Rory narrowed his eyes. "Who says it was a man?"

"So you do know his name?" She asked.

"The one he gave me, yes."

"Stop playing dumb with me, Mr. Wilder. You've already demonstrated that you research people thoroughly before involving yourself."

"It's done. It's over with, I told you. I had him remove the wetware. I'm fully committed to your—"

Janessa laughed. "It's never that easy. You don't just remove wetware—not without irreparable harm."

Rory involuntarily scratched at the back of his neck before realizing what he was doing. "I don't understand."