Page 11 of Hollow State

Kane’s transportation was necessary to his recovery, and they'd postponed long enough. His medication schedule had been adjusted for the trip. Prewit had cleared a secure wing at Elysium Neuro & Spinal Institute and had arranged everything necessary to move Kane in and out without his name appearing in the hospital system.

They’d be gone two days.

Today, they’d travel and run a test. Tomorrow, a few more and then back to the bunker.

Darwin had also packed a couple of patches and a vial from Emma’s facility. Prewit had better diagnostic equipment and access to a mass spectrometer Darwin would have committed several crimes to have in the bunker.

The office door opened.

Neve stepped inside, followed by Coulter. Neither wore tactical gear, which meant this wasn’t an emergency. That should have been reassuring.

The matching expressions on their faces weren’t.

Darwin set Kane’s file on the desk. “What?”

“Nothing.” Neve leaned against the doorframe.

Coulter folded his arms. “Why do you assume something’s wrong?”

“You're both standing there pretending you don’t have a reason for being here.”

“We came to make sure you were ready," Neve said. "It's almost time to go."

Darwin shouldn't have been surprised that they’d shown up to give him a little nudge. It wasn't like he left the bunker on a regular basis. Actually, he almost never even walked outside. “I just need a few more minutes.”

Coulter glanced around the office. “Is your bag packed?”

“Almost.”

“I'm guessing that means you haven't even started,” Neve said.

Darwin wanted to argue, but five months underground meant this team knew him better than people he'd known his entire life. “It's one night. All I need is a toothbrush and clean underwear.”

“True.” Coulter wandered farther into the room and examined the evidence boxes. “Any luck with this stuff?”

“Very little.” Darwin was grateful for the subject change, even if he didn't know exactly what he was dealing with yet.

“That doesn't sound very encouraging,” Neve said.

“I can’t identify all the chemical components or the exact method the patch uses to administer the compound with the equipment I have here. The same goes for the vials.” Darwin glanced between the boxes and his colleagues. "I have a few theories, but I need Prewit's help."

Coulter leaned closer to one of the boxes without touching it. “Do you think it’s a variation of TITAN?”

“Definitely a derivative. I just need to figure out how she altered it and with what.”

“And the watches?” Neve asked.

“Gideon’s still working on them. Until he can safely dismantle one without allowing it to connect to ETHER or whatever version of the network Finch is using, we don’t know exactly what they do.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Neve said.

Darwin wished he shared her confidence.

Neve exchanged a glance with Coulter. Darwin took off his glasses and set them on his desk. “Is there something else you'd like to discuss with me?”

“Actually,” Neve said, “we want to have a conversation about you and Wynn.”

“Absolutely not.” Darwin crossed his arms and glared.