Read Online The Target by L.J. Sellers - Free Book Online Page A

long years, but we’re almost there.”
    They reached their offices, stepped in, and closed the door. Dallas lobbed her first probe. “Isn’t ProtoCell about to launch something similar?”
    Decker’s eyes hardened again. “No. Their product releases peptides and requires a doctor to implant it. I’m sure it’ll work, but the SlimPro is more invasive, more expensive, and insurance companies might not even pay for it.”
    A full-throttled competition. Jana Palmer could be right about TecLife starting the fire in ProtoCell’s warehouse. Even though a different product had been destroyed, a financial setback could slow down research. She couldn’t wait to hear what River would discover about the competitors. She herself couldn’t risk visiting their businesses and blowing her cover. “It’s interesting that both companies are developing devices to treat obesity.”
    “There are good reasons for that.” Decker gestured at the computer. “Let’s get started.”
    Dallas spent the next few hours pasting codes into search fields and creating new files with the results. Boring. The monotony of it would have driven her insane without taking occasional peeks into other files on the server. But she had to be careful until she knew whether her computer activities were monitored. The patient files also made her think about her father in the hospital. How sick was he really? Her mother tended to exaggerate. But if he was really dying…
    Decker breezed into the outer office. “I’m running over to the R&D building to check on something. Take a lunch break while I’m gone.” Her boss kept moving.
    Yes, ma’am.
    Dallas closed the program, grabbed her purse, and headed out. In the hall, she ran into another young woman coming out of Grissom’s office. “Hey, I’m Jace Hunter, Ms. Decker’s new assistant.”
    “I’m Holly Jaseria.” She didn’t smile or offer her hand.
    “You’re Mr. Grissom’s assistant?”
    “I am now.” The heavyset woman sounded unhappy.
    “I heard you wanted the open position.”
    “Only to keep my job. Cheryl would have fired me soon.”
    More intrigue.
“But why?”
    “I can’t tell you.” She glanced up and down Dallas’ body. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just don’t gain any weight.” Holly stepped on the elevator, hit the down button, and the doors started to move.
    “What do you mean?”
    A wailing fire alarm drowned out Dallas’ voice, and the elevator closed. The noise made it hard to think, but instinctively she headed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator to return. Inside the stairwell, shielded from the ear-splitting racket, her brain kicked in and she turned around. With everyone out of the building, this was a perfect opportunity for spying. Dallas trotted back upstairs, trying to calculate the odds that there really was a fire. Not likely. Unless she took into account the fire in ProtoCell’s warehouse, the intense competition, and the possibility that the other company was getting even.
    Even if this was a case of revenge arson, she still had a few minutes. Dallas hurried back to her office and tried the interior door leading into Decker’s space. Locked. She had picks her in purse and was pretty good with them, but maybe this was a better opportunity to snoop around Grissom’s office. His intensity at the meeting flagged him as aggressive and a more-likely saboteur. And this might be her only chance to sneak into his office during the day, certain that he wasn’t there. With Decker, she would have a chance every time her boss left her office.
    Dallas rolled up some tissue and stuffed it into her ears, then hurried next door. The alarm was still deafening in the empty hallway, but she tried to tune it out. The door to Grissom’s exterior office stood wide open. She stepped in, closed it, and glanced around. The same size and shape as her little space and no cameras that she could spot. Most employers, except banks, didn’t spy on their