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not everyone. I’m just me.”
    â€œIt wasn’t promised to you.”
    My muscles tightened. Much more of this and I’d punch her out. Jerry too. “I’m telling you I want this chip out of me.”
    â€œIf you want it out that badly, you’re free to do so,” Jerry said. “But it would be at your own expense. And you’d be talking a great deal of money.”
    My arms folded. “You said a second surgery wasn’t promised to anyone in the trial.”
    â€œRight.”
    â€œSo I quit the trial. I’m done. And I want this fixed.”
    â€œYou can stop the trial if you want.” Jerry’s voice remained so infuriatingly calm. “But I’d think twice about that. As part of it you have access to a psychiatrist’s help. If you pull out, you’re on your own.”
    â€œLooks to me like I’m on my own anyway.”
    Frustration flicked across Jerry’s face. His mouth opened, then shut.
    â€œPlease, Ms. Newberry.” Ice Queen again. “Let us help you.”
    â€œYou can help. By taking out the chip!”
    â€œWe can’t authorize that.”
    â€œThen get somebody higher up! Let me talk to your boss.”
    â€œThe answer will be the same.”
    My feet pressed into the floor. “Fine then. Maybe I should just go to the police.”
    She blinked “About what?”
    Why had that popped out of me? Yeah, Lisa, about what? “The vision. The murder. Like I said, I think it really happened.”
    â€œIt’s not a real murder. It’s all in your head.”
    â€œIf it’s all in my head, the chip put it there!”
    â€œBut it didn’t.”
    We were going around in circles. “Then where’s all this coming from?”
    â€œYour own brain.” Jerry emphasized his words. “What you’re describing are panic attacks. Lots of people have them. And they don’t have implanted chips. Our brains are intricate, complex pieces of machinery. We have not begun to understand the depths of them. But take a hard look at this ‘vision’ you’re having. Notice how it involves a man strangling a woman? That’s right out of your own experience.”
    â€œReally? What about the knife and the house I’ve never seen before? And the suitcase?”
    He shook his head.
    My jaw twitched. “Maybe I should talk to a newspaper or something. Tell them what’s going on with this company.”
    More stupid threats. I’d never do that.
    Ice Queen’s head tilted. “I’ll tell you what’s going on—you’re seeing things. Any reporter you talk to would come to us next for our side of the story. We’d have to tell him the truth.”
    â€œAnd what would that be?”
    â€œThat you’re a depressed, traumatized woman who voluntarily entered our trial. That when things didn’t go your way, you pulled out—after the expensive surgery, I might add—and made threats.”
    Tears filled my eyes, and that only made me madder. “I’ll tell them what you’ve done to me.”
    â€œMs. Newberry, please,” Jerry said. “For your own sake, don’t do that.”
    My own sake? “Is that some kind of threat?”
    He smacked both hands on his legs. “Just . . . Can you stay a part of this trial and let us help you?”
    â€œYou’re not helping me unless you take out the chip!”
    â€œThen we’ll have no choice but to terminate your participation.”
    I threw my hands in the air. “Who cares? What difference does it make now anyway? You’ve messed up my life—and you won’t fix it !”
    Jerry let out a long breath.
    Ice Queen’s jaw flexed. “I will not sit by and let you undermine this project.”
    Jerry waved his hand at her. “Clair—”
    â€œNo, Jerry, she needs to hear this.” Ice Queen faced me square on. “Do you have any idea how