Whistleblower

she reached up and gently touched the window.

The glass was cold.

'I have to stop off at the lab,' said Ollie, turning into the hospital parking lot. 'I just remembered I left the checkbook in my desk. Can't get you a plane ticket without it.'

Cathy nodded dully. She was still in a state of shock, still trying to accept the fact that she was now on her own. That Victor had sent her away.

Ollie pulled into a stall marked Reserved, Wozniak. 'This'll only take a sec.'

'Shall I come in with you?'

'You'd better wait in the car. I work with a very nosy bunch. They see me with a woman and they want to know everything. Not that there's ever anything to know.' He climbed out and shut the door. 'Be right back.'

Cathy watched him stride away and vanish into a side entrance. She had to smile at the thought of Ollie Wozniak squiring around a woman—any woman. Unless it was someone with a Ph.D. who could sit through his scientific monologues.

A minute passed.

Outside, a bird screeched. Cathy glanced out at the trees lining the hospital driveway and spotted the jay, perched among the lower branches. Nothing else moved, not even the leaves.

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

Too little sleep, too much running, had taken its toll. Exhaustion settled over her, so profound she thought she would never again be able to move her limbs. A beach, she thought. Warm sand. Waves washing at my feet...

The jay's cry cut off in mid-screech. Only vaguely did Cathy register the sudden silence. Then, even through her half sleep, she sensed the shadowing of the window, like a cloud passing before the sun.

She opened her eyes. A face was staring at her through the glass.

Panic sent her lunging for the lock button. Before she could jam it down, the door was wrenched open. A badge was thrust up to her face.

'FBI!' the man barked. 'Out of the car, please.'

Slowly Cathy emerged, to stand weak-kneed against the door. Ollie, she thought, her gaze darting toward the hospital entrance. Where are you? If he appeared, she had to be ready to bolt, to flee across the parking lot and into the woods. She doubted the man with the badge would be able to keep up; his stubby legs and thick waist didn't go along with a star athlete.

But he must have a gun. If I bolt, would he shoot me in the back?

'Don't even think about it, Miss Weaver,' the man said. He took her arm and gave her a nudge toward the hospital entrance. 'Go on. Inside.'

'But—'

'Dr. Wozniak's waiting for us in the lab.'

Waiting didn't exactly describe Ollie's predicament. Bound and trussed would have been a better description. She found Ollie bent over double in his office, handcuffed to the foot of his desk, while three of his lab colleagues stood by gaping in amazement.

'Back to work, folks,' said the agent as he herded the onlookers out of the office. 'Just a routine matter.' He shut the door and locked it. Then he turned to Cathy and Ollie. 'I have to find Victor Holland,' he said. 'And I have to find him fast.'

'Man,' Ollie muttered into his chest. 'This guy sounds like a broken record.'

'Who are you?' demanded Cathy.

'The name's Sam Polowski. I work out of the San Francisco office.' He pulled out his badge and slapped it on the desk. 'Take a closer look if you want. It's official.'

'Uh, excuse me?' called Ollie. 'Could I maybe, possibly, get into a more comfortable position?'

Polowski ignored him. His attention was focused on Cathy. 'I don't think I need to spell it out for you, Miss Weaver. Holland's in trouble.'

'And you're one of his biggest problems,' she retorted.

'That's where you're wrong.' Polowski moved closer, his gaze unflinching, his voice absolutely steady. 'I'm one of his hopes. Maybe his only hope.'

'You're trying to kill him.'

'Not me. Someone else, someone who's going to succeed. Unless I can stop it.'

She shook her head. 'I'm not stupid! I know about you. What you've been trying to—'

'Not me. The other guy.' He reached for the telephone on the desk. 'Here,' he said, holding the receiver out to her. 'Call Milo Lum. Ask him what happened at his house this morning. Maybe he'll convince you I'm on your side.'

Cathy stared at the man, wondering what sort of game he was playing. Wondering why she was falling for it. Because I want so much to believe him.

'He's alone out there,' said Polowski. 'One man trying to buck the U.S. government. He's new to the game. Sooner or later he's going to slip, do something stupid. And that'll be it.' He dialed the phone for her and again held out the receiver. 'Go on. Talk to Lum.'

She heard the phone ring three times, followed by Milo's answer 'Hello? Hello?'

Slowly she took the receiver. 'Milo?'

'Is that you? Cathy? God, I was hoping you'd call—'

'Listen, Milo. I need to ask you something. It's about a man named Polowski.'

'I've met him.'

'You have?' She looked up and saw Polowski nodding.

'Lucky for me,' said Milo. 'The guy's got the charm of an old shoe but he saved my life. I don't know what Gersh was talking about. Is Gersh around? I have to—'

'Thanks, Milo,' she murmured. 'Thanks a lot.' She hung up.

Polowski was still looking at her.

'Okay,' she said. 'I want your side of it. From the beginning.'

'You gonna help me out?'

'I haven't decided.' She crossed her arms. 'Convince me.' Polowski nodded. 'That's just what I plan to do.'

Chapter 10

For Victor it was a long and miserable afternoon. After leaving the lake, he wandered around the campus for a while, ending up at last in the main quad. There in the courtyard, standing among the buildings of sandstone and red tile, Victor struggled to keep his mind on the business at hand: exposing Viratek. But his thoughts kept shifting back to Cathy, to that look she'd given him, full of hurt abandonment.

As if I'd betrayed her.

If she could just see the good sense in his actions. He was a scientist, a man whose life and work was ruled by logic. Sending her away was the logical thing to do. The authorities were closing in, the noose was growing ever tighter. He could accept the danger to himself. After all, he'd chosen to take on Jerry's battle, to see this through to the end.

What he hadn't chosen was to put Cathy in danger. Now she's out of the mess and on her way to a safe place. One less thing to worry about.Time to put her out of my mind.

As if I could.

He stared up at one of the courtyard's Romanesque arches and reminded himself, once again, of the wisdom of his actions. Still, the uneasiness remained. Where was she? Was she safe? She'd been gone only an