Page 1 of The Knight
1
Dr. Freya Jonsdottir’sfingers drifted over a towering stack of boxes, each one filled with secrets. In the sterile glow of fluorescent lights, deep within Iceland’s geothermal power plant, Hellisheidi, she traced a finger along the crisp labels she had insisted on.
If only the world outside could be as orderly as this.
The task had seemed impossible when it first landed on her desk, to catalog and archive the most dangerous research Pharmasyn and Raptor had ever conducted. Not just any research—this had been research capable of toppling governments and reshaping global military power. Inside these boxes lay the clandestine research that had led to the creation of weaponized microchips designed to strip a person of emotion, transforming them into instruments of violence who would kill without hesitation or remorse.
She’d been thrust into the position with no warning. But in just a few short months, she’d sifted through the mountains of encrypted files and catalogued the breakthrough technology, so potentially lethal it needed to be hidden from the world.
Freya allowed herself a small smile. They’d wanted this mess buried, hidden away from prying eyes and potential abuse. Well, she’d done that and more. The archive was secure, and she was nearing the end of her time here. The research was ready for transport to Norway to a top-secret storage facility where it would be secured permanently.
“Everything okay, Freya?” Her assistant Tinna’s voice cut through her reverie, a jarring reminder of the world beyond her perfectly ordered sanctuary.
Freya took a deep breath and released it slowly. This was her element—the realm of numbers, patterns, and hard facts. “Perfect. Thanks. Tinna.”
“Sometimes it felt like we would never get here.” Tinna folded her arms. She’d come highly recommended for her attention to detail, and they had worked as an excellent team. “But we did.” Tina smiled, her dark bob sliding forward with her nod.
The door alarm beeped as a security card was swiped through on the opposite side.
Seconds later, the hard clip of cowboy boots on the sterile floor drew her attention. Einar Gunnerson. While Freya had led on the archival project, Einar was head of research within Hellisheidi. Which meant he kept sticking his well-meaning nose in her business. She suppressed a sigh. He seemed to spend as much time checking up on her as he did his own work.
“Freya.” Einar spread his arms wide as he crossed the lab floor. His cowboy boots peeped out from under his suit pants. “How is my favorite archivist?”
Freya tensed, ready to step back if he came too close. Physical contact freaked her out. She might have to work with Einar because of his senior position, but body contact wasn’t in her contract.
Tinna understood her dislike of social contact and casually blocked Einar’s advance, steering him toward the back of the lab. “You’re in perfect time to run over my figures with me, Einar.”
Thank you, Tinna.
Einar glanced back at Freya over his shoulder, his too-strong cologne thickening the air.
“This paperwork urgently needs your signature.” Tinna placed a hand between his shoulders and shoved a stack of paper at him.
Freya shot Tinna a smile of thanks.
Einar removed his glasses from his pocket and balanced them on the top of his nose as he uncapped his pen. “Very well.”
Breathe, Freya.She schooled her face into a neutral expression.Focus on the work. The data. The patterns.That’s what matters.
Through the window behind Einar, jagged mountains pierced the misty sky, their peaks veiled in clouds that mingled with white plumes from scattered geothermal vents. Moss-covered lava fields stretched between. The landscape of her home was rugged and uncompromising, but she loved its sparse beauty.
“Finally, we reach completion.” Einar capped his pen and waved a hand at the stacks of boxes, dragging her attention back to the here and now. “The couriers will collect when?”
“They arrive Monday to collect the boxed data.” Tinna shuffled paper. “As arranged, Freya will carry the core formulae in her secure laptop.”
“Ah. Yes, the core algorithms.” He dropped his pen into his ink-stained shirt pocket. “You will take good care of it, Freya?”
She shaped her lips into a smile that made her lips ache. “Of course.” She ran her fingertips over the gray aerospace-grade aluminum case that housed her laptop.
His gaze tracked her hands, a crease forming between his eyes, but when he looked up, the crease faded. “Excellent. Excellent. You are going home now?”
“Yes. It’s been a long day.” Anything to get rid of him.
“Excellent.” He took a last look at the lab and then gave a small wave. “I’ll see you both Monday.”
The lab door closed behind him.
The tension in Freya’s shoulders eased a little.Thank God. He’s gone.