"I'm not so sure about that. What this tells me is that we need to beef up security at the lab, and for our key personnel. I mean, if for some reason they manage to get their hands on the implant, they will still need Jordan, or maybe another team member to help them operate or program it."
"Chuck, this scares me. I didn't sign on for this. Jordan was supposed to help develop the new implant then life would go on. We would have a couple of babies, start the handicapped riding school at the farm and grow old together. Instead we have kidnapping and industrial espionage."
"I will do everything in my power to protect her from this point on, Maggie. That is my promise to you."
"I know you will, and I know this is something Jordan has to do, but it still scares the shit out of me knowing that there's someone out there with the power, and the opportunity to do something like this to her."
"After today, the opportunity will no longer be there. I promise you, Maggie, we will get to the bottom of this."
Just then, the door to the waiting room opened and Dr. Hoffman entered the room. "Maggie, you can see Jordan now."
Maggie picked the overnight bag up and followed Dr. Hoffman into the clinic. Jordan was sitting on the edge of the examining table wearing a hospital gown. She immediately went to Jordan and wrapped her arms around her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "When you didn't come home last night, I was so scared. I nearly called the police."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, love." Jordan kissed her on the temple.
"What about you? What did they do to you, Jordan?" Maggie leaned to the side and looked at Jordan's back.
"Julie added a few more stitches and put a fresh dressing on it. It hurts like hell, but I'll be okay."
Maggie held Jordan's face between her hands. "They didn't do anything else to you, did they?" The fear on Maggie's face spoke volumes to Jordan.
"No, they didn't. I specifically asked Julie to check for that. These weren't your everyday thugs and rapists. It was the implant they were after."
Maggie closed her eyes and released a deep sigh. "Thank God."
She picked up the bag on the floor by her feet. "I brought you some clean clothes. Let me help your get dressed, then I'm taking you home. The lab can wait until tomorrow."
Jordan grinned. "Yes boss," she joked.
CHAPTER 35
Jordan woke up the next morning very stiff and barely able to move. "Oh, my God, I feel like I've been dragged behind a car this morning."
"Maybe you should stay home from the lab for one more day," Maggie suggested.
"No, I really need to get this project kicked off. Give me a hand sitting up, will you?" She reached her hand forward.
Maggie helped her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Sit here for a few minutes while I get dressed, then I'll help you stand."
"What's on your agenda today?" Jordan asked.
"The saddler is coming over this morning to discuss ideas I have for the handicap saddle design, then at one this afternoon, I have a meeting scheduled with the permit board to go over the required changes we need to make to open the riding school."
"I wish I could be there with you for that meeting, but I really do need to get this project off the ground."
Maggie bent down and kissed Jordan on the lips. "I understand, love. You also need to remember our appointment with the fertility doctor on Friday."
"Friday? What time?"
"Two o’clock. The appointment is in Burlington. Near the hospital, in fact."
"Okay. Text the address to me and I'll meet you there. While we're in town, I'd also like to stop at the apartment before heading home to pick up the food and clothes I have there and to return the key. Chuck outfitted one room at the lab with cots so if anyone on the team needs to work late into the evening we can just crash there."
"Okay. Are you ready to stand?"
Jordan nodded, then raised her arms and placed her hands on Maggie's shoulders.
"Easy does it," Maggie said as Jordan painfully stood.
"Damn, that hurts. It feels like my back is on fire."
"Turn around and let me take a look at it."
Maggie gasped when she saw Jordan's back. "My God, love. You are black and blue from your waist to the middle of your butt cheeks. No wonder it hurts. There's also some seepage through the dressing. I'll need to change that before you get dressed. Where did you put the bag of supplies Julie gave you?"
"On the table in the kitchen."
"Okay. I'll be right back."
Moments later, Maggie had a fresh bandage on Jordan's incision.
"How does it look?" Jordan asked as she looked over her shoulder at Maggie, who was kneeling on the floor behind her.
"Sore, but at least it's no longer hot. Yesterday, I could feel the heat coming right through the bandage."
Maggie gently kissed the area around the wound, causing Jordan to moan.
"Jesus, honey. You can turn me on even while in pain," she said.
"Well there won't be any of that going on for a few days, so save it up until later, okay? Do you need help getting dressed?"
"No, I think I can manage."
"Okay then, I'll get your antibiotic and a couple of pain killers for you, along with a coffee, while you do that."
"Coffee! You're a lifesaver, Mags."
Maggie kissed her on the nose. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
* * *
Chuck was waiting for Jordan in the parking lot of the lab when she arrived that morning. "Good morning, Jordan. How are you feeling today?" he asked.
"Sore as hell, but I'll survive. Is the team here?" Jordan asked as she walked gingerly toward the building with Chuck.
"They are. I hope you don't mind, but Julie and I filled them in on what happened yesterday. They're all pretty upset, but even more determined now to make this work."
Jordan noticed the two security guards standing in the lobby when they entered and nodded her approval to Chuck.
Chuck held the door open to the conference room for her to enter before him. The team was immediately on their feet and clapping. Jordan held her hands up to silence them.
"Good morning," she said. "So, who's ready to kick some ass on this project today?" She was greeted by positive remarks all around the table. "Good. So, I hope you've all had a chance to go over the detailed technical information I provided to you on Monday.
"We have some amazing talent in this room so please use your experience, imagination and ability to think outside the box to kick this development into gear as quickly as possible. You have all been assigned email accounts and we have access to each other's calendars. I ask that you keep your calendar as up to date as possible so we'll all know what times are available for collaborative sessions and meetings. We will begin each morning at eight with a mandatory status meeting right here in this room where we will put on the table, any issues or concerns each of us is currently dealing with. As I said on Monday, we will each have our focus areas to work on, however, as a team there will be opportunities to help each other as well. This meeting will be the focus for those opportunities, however, I strongly encourage you to involve other team members at any time that a situation warrants it.
"Like I said on Monday, I was intimately involved in the development of the first implant, so I have pretty specific knowledge about how that was achieved. I encourage each of you to schedule time on my calendar if you have any questions whatsoever, or need any advice… or if the situation warrants, you have my permission to interrupt anything I'm doing if you need immediate help with something. My door is always open to every member of the team.
"It is not mandatory that the new device be an exact duplicate of the old one but it is mandatory that the function of the device remain the same, or better if possible. Are there any questions?"
Tom raised his hand. "Dr. Lewis, where is the device currently? I have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow with WorldWide Mainframes, but I'd like to get started today on the packaging."
"Good question, Tom. Let me start by encouraging you to call me Jordan. So, as you know, we believe what happened to me yesterday was an attempt to steal the device. Luckily, I had given it to Chuck before I left the building on Monday. This is currently a one-of-a-kind device with the power to cure spinal paralysis, so you can imagine how valuable it might be on the black market.
"I fear my encounter on Monday may be just the first of many attempts. For that reason, the device will be under heavy security at all times, even when it is in the possession of WorldWide Mainframes during the design analysis. Whoever has the physical device in their possession will have to endure the scrutiny of an armed guard by their side while they have it. Please know that this is not a reflection on you, but an attempt to keep the device from falling into the wrong hands during any potential encounter you may have with unsavory elements while it is in your possession. Once we are far enough along in the development of a new device — far enough along that someone may be able to learn something from its form, fit and function — the level of security around the lab will also be substantially increased."
Chuck raised his hand.
"Chuck, did you have something to add?" Jordan asked.
"Yes. I want everyone here to know that your safety is just as important to this foundation as the security of the device, so if any of you needs or wants a bodyguard, please see me immediately. I would be happy to provide one. I also recommend that you not divulge the nature of this project to anyone outside this room."
"Thank you, Chuck. So, Tom, to finally answer your question, the device is in a secure location inside the lab. I will bring it to you right after this meeting. Are there any other questions?" Jordan looked around the room. "Okay, my office door is open, so stop by if you have a question or need help with anything."
Jordan watched her team file out of the room, then sat in the closest chair and released a painful sigh.
"Jordan, are you okay?" Chuck asked.
"I'm fine. The incision is just a little sore."
"Maybe you should go home and lie down."
Jordan looked at Chuck. "Now, what kind of message do you think that will send to the team? No, I'll stick it out here."
"Well then, you need to take it easy. I don't want to endure the wrath of Maggie if I let you overdo it," Chuck joked.
Jordan laughed. "I hear you, Chuck. I'll be fine, and besides, if I need to, I can always ask Julie to take a look at it."
"Did I hear my name?" Dr. Hoffman said as she was passing the conference room. She stopped and poked her head in. "I didn't want to ask this question in front of the team, but how are you feeling this morning?"
"I'm in a little pain, but as long as I don't twist at the waist, it's tolerable. I don't remember it hurting this much after you removed the device."
"That's because whoever did this to you was apparently a gorilla and didn't take measures to minimize tissue damage and bruising. I'll bet the area around the incision is pretty colorful today."
"Maggie said I'm black and blue from my waist to the middle of my butt cheeks."
"I'll bet. Have you given any more thought about who may have done this?"
"I've thought quite a bit about it, but I have no clue. I mean, it was someone who has access to surgical equipment, and knows how to use it. Whoever did this knew I had the implant, but didn't know it was removed, so I'm pretty confident it's no one associated with the team… not that I suspect anyone on the project, but it certainly does eliminate any doubt."
"Well, I recommend you take it easy today. If you're more comfortable sitting than standing, then work on the software with the IT geeks. I'll stop in throughout the day and check on you, and to change the dressing if need be."
"Thanks, Julie. I really appreciate it."
Julie looked to Chuck. "Chuck, don't let her overdo it today. Pull rank on her if you have to."
"Yeah, like that will make any difference," Chuck joked.
Jordan watched Dr. Hoffman leave then struggled to her feet. "Okay, I need to get the device to Tom."
"I'll take care of that, along with a security guard," Chuck said. "You just go to your office and relax."
"Thanks." Jordan stopped him just before he left the room. "Oh, Chuck, before I forget, Maggie and I have an appointment with the fertility doc on Friday. It'll probably take a month or two before we actually do the deed."
Chuck smiled. "No problem. Just let me know."
CHAPTER 36
"Are you ready for this?" the doctor asked.
"More than ready," Maggie said.
"Ditto," Jordan said.
"I assume you've been monitoring your ovulation cycles?"
"Daily," Maggie said. We've been keeping a chart in fact."
"Great. Let me get the specimen then we can begin."
Jordan took Maggie's hand as they waited for the doctor to return. "Are you as nervous as I am?" she asked.
"Are you kidding me? I didn't sleep a wink last night," Maggie replied.
"This will mean a significant change in our lifestyle, you know."
"I'm for anything that will calm these crazy lives of ours down. Falling off cliffs, kidnappings, espionage, having a baby will be easy compared to all that." Maggie looked deep into Jordan's eyes. "Are you happy about this, Jordan? I mean, truly happy?"
"I am. I see how you are with Jessie. You're going to be a great Mom, my love."
"And so are you," Maggie said. "I suspect I'll have to be the tough parent. You are such a soft touch the baby will have you wrapped around its little finger with no effort at all."
A knock on the door announcing the doctor's return, drew their attention.
"Okay, Jordan, I'll need you to scoot down on the table and put your feet into the stirrups. Just a bit further. Okay, that's good."
The doctor inserted a speculum into Jordan's vagina then retrieved from the table a large syringe with a very long, thin tube attached to the end of it.
"I am going to insert this tube into the vagina, through the cervix and directly into the uterus, as far as possible so that when the sperm cells are released, they are as close as possible to the fallopian tubes. There, that should do it. Now Maggie, if you'd come here, I'll ask you to engage the plunger on the syringe. That's it. Good. That's about all there is to it," the doc said as he removed both the tube and the speculum.
Maggie grinned at Jordan. "Was it good for you?"
"Fabulous. My eyes are rolling into the back of my head," Jordan replied.
"You're such a goofball," Maggie said before addressing the doctor. "So what do we do next?"
"We wait and see. I recommend talking care of yourself in the meantime, eat well and get plenty of sleep, and let nature take its course. If it didn't work, we'll try again in a few months."
"Or we can try with me," Maggie said.
"Or we can try with you," the doctor agreed.
* * *
Jordan walked into the Monday morning meeting with high hopes. News from WorldWide Mainframes on the previous Friday indicated they would be able to produce a chip similar to the one in the existing device.
"Good morning, everyone," Jordan said to the team. "I trust you all had a good weekend. So, I'd like to begin this meeting with an update from Tom. Tom, I'd like you to share your news with the team if you would."
Tom rose to his feet. "Last Friday afternoon, WorldWide Mainframes contacted me and indicated they had electronically de-layered the chip in the current device. What they discovered astounded them, as they had never seen a chip with so many transistors and microprocessors on it. They were pretty up front about their current market offering not even coming close to what we were looking for; however, they have a new process in development that uses extreme ultraviolet light, also known as EUV light, to carve transistors directly into silicon wafers.
“The new technology uses a very short wavelength to expose the images into silicon — thirteen point five nanometer wavelength to be exact — compared to the current market offering at one-ninety-three nanometer wavelength. For reference, one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The shorter wavelength leads to smaller imaging. Smaller imaging means more room for additional transistors. The larger number of transistors leads to a more powerful and faster microprocessor.
“The EUV process currently in development produces chips that are more than one hundred times faster than the most powerful chips on the market today. WorldWide Mainframes is confident they can build a completed module comparable in capability and speed to the one inside the current device in about six months. They made it clear that without the original chip as a model to learn from, development of such a powerful microprocessor would have taken at lest another fifteen to twenty months."
"Thank you Tom. Six months is encouraging. We are already two months into the process, so in six months, we need to develop the self-charging battery pack and begin writing the software code that will instruct the device. Also within that time, we will need to design the smallest possible packaging to hold both the chip and the power pack. The current device packaging contains both. There is an option to make the power pack external to the body, but in all probability, it would not be self-charging. That means plugging in and charging while the recipient sleeps. My first implant was precisely in that configuration, and trust me when I say, it was a major inconvenience having to learn new sleeping habits so as to not unplug yourself while sleeping. By far, it is preferable for it to be contained within the body and recharged kinetically through muscle movement.
"If the chip is truly delivered in six months, that will put us at the eight-month mark, meaning we will have four additional months of testing on non-human subjects in order to stay on our twelve-month schedule. Are there any questions?"
Jordan looked around the room. "Okay then. Have a great and productive day."
* * *
Jordan was sitting at her desk working on the algorithm for the self-charging battery pack when Chuck appeared in her doorway. "Good morning," he said.
Jordan looked up and smiled. "Chuck. I'm glad you're here. I want to ask you a few questions about my abduction two months ago."
Chuck sat down in the chair opposite her desk. "Sure. What's on your mind?"
"Well, Julie feels that the person who cut me has medical knowledge. As careless as they were closing the wound, it was not a butcher job."
"So the person who did this to you was probably a doctor."
"I think so."
"Any idea who?"
"I have a hunch, but I want to verify something with you first."
"Okay."
"When I gave my presentation to the spinal institute, I mentioned that the device had been tested on a human subject, but I'm pretty sure I didn't mention who that subject was."
"You're right, you didn't say who. In fact, I was the only one who figured it out. You'll recall our having a conversation about that at your farm."
"I do remember that. So, here's where I'm going with this… the person who cut me knew I was the human test subject, but didn't know that the device had been removed from me just a week or so before I was abducted. The fact that they didn't know it was removed tells me it was not someone from our team… and not someone associated with a team member."
"That's a good thing," Chuck said.
"Yes it is, but it still doesn't explain who it might be. Chuck, I need you to think back to the meeting you had with the spinal institute when you withdrew funding. Did you tell them I was the test subject?"
Chuck suddenly paled. "Oh, my God, Jordan. This is my fault. Yes, I told them. Jordan, I am so sorry. I never thought.…"
Jordan reached across her desk and took Chuck's hand in her own. "Chuck, it's not your fault. Don't believe that for a minute."
Chuck was visibly shaken. "Hollinbeck?" he asked.
"I think so."
"I remember him being really pissed when I withdrew funding. He told me I wouldn't get away with it. I knew he was an arrogant, pompous ass, but I would never have thought he'd do something as stupid as abduction, never mind knocking you out and operating on your without your consent."
"You might want to add medical espionage to that list as well. If the implant had not already been removed, he would have taken it, and God knows what kind of damage he may have done to me… or to the implant in the process."
"You realize we have no real proof it was him," Chuck pointed out.
"You're right, we don't, but I have strong enough suspicions to warrant keeping an eye on him."
* * *
Jordan pulled up in front of the farm house and turned off the ignition. She smiled when she saw Gina's truck parked there as well. She got out of her car and walked toward the front porch, only to be met by Sam, who opened her arms wide and hugged Jordan close.
"Congratulations," she said in Jordan's ear. "I'm so happy for you both."
Jordan grinned. "She told you, didn't she?"
Sam linked arms with Jordan. "You know Maggie. She can't keep a secret to save her soul. So, when are you due?"
"Whoa, slow down. We don't even know yet if the insemination took. We won't know for several weeks. To answer your question, its July now, so if it worked, it would be due sometime in April of next year."
"April is a good month. Maggie was born in April. So why did you decide to carry it instead of Maggie?"
"I'm two years older than Maggie, so we figured it was now or never for me. Maggie will carry the next one."
"The next one? This one isn't even born yet and you've already planned the next one?"
"We talked about have two kids. More, if Maggie has her way, but my vote is for two. So what brings you and Gina here on a Monday night?" Jordan asked, changing the subject.
"Actually it's just me. Gina was called out for an emergency on the Bailey farm. My car was blocking her truck, so she took it instead. She called a while ago to say she'd be late, so I kind of invited myself over. It beats the hell out of hanging around the house alone."
Jordan reached for the screen door and held it open for Sam. "Well, I'm glad you're here. You're staying for dinner, I hope?"
"Yes, in fact, I put stuffed shells into the oven about a half hour ago."
"Hey love," Maggie said as she came into the living from the kitchen. She stepped into Jordan's arms and kissed her tenderly. "How are you feeling?"
"I felt the baby kick today," she said.
Maggie crossed her arms and frowned. "Really?" she said sarcastically.
"Truth is, Mags, I don't feel any different than I did a week… or a month ago. Ask me that question again in a few weeks, okay?"
"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just excited about the prospect."
"Well, I am too, but it will take a while before we know anything. Trust me, you'll be the first to know when — or if — something happens. Sweetie, we aren't even sure if this attempt will work. I don't want you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed. If it's meant to be, it will happen. If not, then we have other options. Okay?"
Maggie just nodded.
"Dinner smells great," Jordan says.
"Stuffed shells. You have Sam to thank for that. How about you come help me make salads to go with dinner?"
"Lead the way, boss," Jordan said as she, Maggie and Sam retreated to the kitchen.