Page 13 of Hollow State

No medic.

“I need to know what parameters it measured,” Darwin said. “And whether the instructions came from the watch or somewhere outside the facility.”

“I’ll know more once I separate the antenna assembly.” Gideon returned the watch to the box and closed the lid.

Wynn appeared behind him. “The SxS is loaded, Kane is ready, and we need to leave.”

Darwin glanced at the clock.

They were six minutes behind schedule. He gathered the files from his desk. “I need the transport case.”

“It’s already packed,” Wynn said.

“I need to go back to my room and pack a bag." Darwin stared at her.

“I took care of it," Wynn said. "Everything has been handled. Now, let's go." Wynn shifted her gaze between Neve and Coulter. “You two can stop smirking.”

Coulter chuckled. "Payback and all that."

"Right," Wynn said.

Darwin put Kane’s medical file in the cabinet and collected the hard case containing the patch and vial.

“Call as soon as Prewit has anything,” Gideon said.

“I will," Darwin said.

The group moved down the hallway as the medical wing gave way to the main corridor, then the concrete passage leading to the vehicle bay.

Darwin rarely came this far unless someone was leaving injured or returning worse.

Today, Kane was neither.

There was no emergency.

No race against swelling or blood loss.

The trip back to the institute was scheduled. Routine—as much as anything in their lives could be described that way.

That should have made the trip easier.

It didn’t.

Three SxS vehicles sat in a row beneath the fluorescent lights. The largest had four seats and a cargo platform in the rear.

Kane occupied the seat behind Wynn, his cane secured beside him and his medical bag strapped into the cargo space. “Tell her I know how to fasten a harness."

“I'm just trying to be helpful,” Wynn replied.

“You're being a mother hen.” Kane glared.

“I just want you to be safe inside the vehicle.” Wynn climbed behind the wheel.

"You know how she drives." Coulter raised both hands.

"That's just mean." Wynn adjusted her belt. "But you never know what we might run into out there, and I wouldn't want to toss you out of this thing."

“I’m not cargo," Kane said.