Read Online Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins - Free Book Online Page B

important this trial is? And how well it’s been going?”
    Oh, it was important, all right. Important enough to make Cognoscenti millions of dollars. “I’ll bet you own stock in the company.”
    Ice Queen’s cheeks flushed. “I’m talking about the good the Empowerment Chip can do, Ms. Newberry. Imagine people like yourself, so traumatized. Imagine all the vets coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD. Or people so depressed they want to commit suicide. This chip will save people’s lives .”
    I’d thought the same thing.
    â€œDo you really want to go out there”—Clair pointed toward the window—“and tell people this chip is bad? You really want to place the welfare of other people at risk because you are having panic attacks?”
    Oh, so now I was the bad guy? “I’m having panic attacks , Ms. Saxton, because of your chip. If it’s going to do this to other people, you can bet I’m going to tell the world about it.”
    Ice Queen lasered me with her eyes. No point in punching her now—I’d break my hand on her jaw.
    â€œFine then.” She rose and plucked the envelope with my name on it off Jerry’s desk. It was sealed. She sat down again, holding it in both hands. “You want out of this trial?” Her voice was dead quiet. Condemnation oozed out her pores. They had offered me life through the Empowerment Chip—the new invention that would change the world—and I had the audacity to drag it through the mud.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou got it.” She opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper. Her eyes lingered on the first. For a split second her poker face twitched with . . . surprise? Vindication? She held out the paper for Jerry to see. He read it, blinked, and nodded.
    Ice Queen leaned forward to hand me the second sheet of paper. “This is the form you need to sign, saying you’re pulling out of the trial.”
    Jerry held out his pen.
    I snatched the paper from her hands and started reading. The second paragraph stopped me cold. “This says I don’t hold you accountable for anything. But I do.”
    â€œIf you want out of the trial, Ms. Newberry”—Ice Queen’s tone chilled—“you need to sign it.”
    â€œI do—and I won’t.” I tossed the paper on the table.
    â€œAll right, then.” She picked up the document. “We’ll have to sign for you on the next line, did you see it? That for reasons of refusing to participate, we are withdrawing you from the trial.”
    â€œGo right ahead. And I’m just letting you know, when I get home, I’m calling the San Jose Mercury . And probably a TV station or two. Not to mention I’ll sue Cognoscenti for everything it owns.” All bluff. But I was desperate.
    Disappointment crossed Jerry’s face. “You won’t want to do that, Ms. Newberry.”
    â€œOh, really?”
    He exchanged a look with Ice Queen. She placed the first piece of paper in his hand. He folded it in half. Unfolded it again. “Now that you’re withdrawn from the trial, you’re entitled to know about the chip you were given.” Jerry’s voice was grim. “The vice president in charge of the trial placed the information in this envelope in case things didn’t go well in this meeting. Clearly, they haven’t. We had not known the content until opening it.”
    What did it matter now? My gaze flicked to Ice Queen. She eyed me, mouth firm. So I’d sounded that wacked on the phone, had I. Crazy enough that they’d talked to their boss. Before I ever walked in here, they’d planned for this. I was making too much noise, and Cognoscenti just wanted me out. Didn’t want to admit their miracle Empowerment Chip had some major flaw.
    Well, good riddance to both of them.
    I lifted a shoulder. “So what does it say?”
    Jerry held the paper out