Until It's You by C.B. Salem Page B

same flats she'd had the previous day. Her head spun as they walked. She needed to make sure she had everything straight for Anna.
    After Kristina signed in as a guest—Rachel Williams—they took the elevator up to Anna’s floor. From there they walked through the bright, sterile hallways, and into Anna's office.
    The office was like Anna herself. The walls had several framed, colorful prints of the chakras and other eastern religion images.
    The Buddha on a lotus flower. Ganesha the pink elephant god, which Kristina only knew because Anna had gotten very upset with her after she'd asked about "the elephant god thing." An abstract image in blue and orange which Anna had told her was a mandala.
    Anna had gotten heavily into yoga and eastern spirituality in the last few years, even though the rest of her personality didn't always suggest it. Clients sometimes gave the prints a second look, but Anna claimed nobody had ever said anything, unless it was a positive talk about how much yoga had changed their life. Anna could only agree.
    Her desk was sleek glass with a wave in the front, facing the client. Papers covered the surface, but each one seemed to belong to its own stack. There was just room for her tablet and keyboard.
    Kristina took the guest seat in front of the desk. Anna walked around and took her normal chair.
    “Okay,” Anna said, once she’d taken her seat. “What the hell is going on with you?”
    Kristina grimaced. "I'm sorry," she said again.
    Anna nodded to indicate she'd heard, but said nothing.
    Kristina took a deep breath and related the story of what had happened once she'd left the office the previous day, all the way up to when Landon had arrived right on time at the beach.
    “Tatum?”
    “Right. So Landon got me in the car, we drove off and ended up in this safe house he set up a while ago. I think around the same time as he drafted that wonky protocol that had me searching for him in the first place.”
    “And you guys have been holed up ever since?”
    “I mean, we’ve been busy, but—"
    Anna narrowed her eyes. “Busy?"
    "With everything."
    "Okay . . ."
    “It’s not important right now,” Kristina snapped. “I got a call from Kevin last night that his office had been shot up and he couldn’t get in touch with Tom.”
    Anna’s face fell. Her mouth clamped shut and she looked down, staring at one spot.
    Kristina swallowed a lump. “So yeah. Everything has gone to shit.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    Kristina shook her head. “Someone is behind all of this. The reason Landon’s hiding, my brothers, chasing me. I need to figure out who that is. And hopefully that will lead me to Tom and all the rest.”
    "So now it's Landon."
    Kristina rolled her eyes. "Yes."
    “Why is he hiding?”
    “Someone is trying to hurt him. Something about a pharm his company is developing and people want to misuse it.”
    “Misuse it?”
    “Apparently he’s not comfortable with how well its effects are understood and can be managed."
    “And someone really, really wants to use it?”
    “That is what the evidence suggests, yeah.”
    “So what are you going to do?”
    “Someone who knew about that protocol he drafted is either responsible for this mess or leaked it to the person who is. That’s a pretty small list.”
    “Very small. Do you think Dunn or Brantley could be involved?"
    "Have you gotten a feel for what the mood is like in the office today?”
    Anna looked to the side, considered. “It’s a total freaking nightmare. I'm guessing you saw the news streaming earlier?”
    "Yes."
    "Well, let's say people are freaking out. And apparently we know nothing. Both of them have been in meetings all day."
    “No visitors?”
    "Closed door meetings. I didn't see who went in and nobody is saying anything."
    Kristina’s chest rose and fell as she sighed. This was going nowhere fast.
    "So how are you going to handle this?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "If one of them is trying to kill him . . ."
    "Yeah.