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“Yes. They were shut down in the US.” But there were loopholes that didn’t apply in Europe that have enabled the company to restart their business outside the US.” Jo dug in her backpack and handed Sophie her notebook of newspaper clippings. “You can see here that they recently liaised with the British government to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant close to London. It fell through because the member of parliament, who was helping them with their application, got discredited because of his involvement with Raptor Industries.
Sophie put down her coffee and opened the notebook. She exhaled a slow breath and rubbed at one temple with her fingertips. When she finally looked up, her eyes were full of concern. “Okay. This is worrying, given what happened here, but the deal fell through?” Her gaze flitted from Jo to Griff. “Judging by your expressions, I can see there is more we should be worried about.”
“We think Pharmasyn is being used as a front for Raptor to continue with their research,” Jo explained. “You’ll see in the clippings; Raptor created a microchip as a treatment for PTSD, very similar to the one you developed. They also pushed boundaries, testing it on veterans without explaining the risks or that the tests were being run under the radar without ethical approval…”
Jo’s voice wobbled. They had lied to Luke. Griff cupped her knee and she let anger flow into her blood, washing away the grief. She would find justice for her family. “My brother Luke was one of those veterans. He fought for his country and Raptor treated him like a lab rat. They used the veterans to crew a nuclear submarine, the Architect. The sub sank, killing everyone on board, including Luke. When the sub was found and Raptor taken to court, that should have been the end.”
“Oh Honey, I’m so sorry.” Sophie said.
“But it wasn’t the end, was it?” Wyatt leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.
“No.” Griff’s voice was hushed.
The snap of the fire filled the room.
Jo took a deep breath. “After Luke’s death, I began an independent piece on Raptor and Pharmasyn. Pressure was applied to the paper where I worked to stop me writing and when that didn’t work, I lost my job.” She laced her fingers together, the bones of her knuckles rubbing. “I contacted Guardsmen Security because of threats I received as I continued with researching my article.” She glanced at Griff. “In the last few days, we found proof Pharmasyn is shipping materials from Alaska to Norway and from there, to Iceland.”
“Iceland?” Ty looked confused.
“There’s a geothermal power station in Iceland called Hellisheiði. It carries out carbon capture and storage, and I think they might be using the carbon to manufacture something called Carbon45,” Jo clarified.
“Carbon45?” Sophie clasped her throat with one hand. “Are you sure?”
“You know what Carbon45 is?” Jo’s heart galloped in her chest. This was the moment she hadn’t dared hope for, the possibility that Sophie held the key to unraveling the nightmarish puzzle they had been thrust into.
"Yes," Sophie's face lost color. “Unfortunately, I do.”
31
Griff followed Wyatt’s footprints in the fresh snow as he walked them to the guest cabin a short distance from Sophie and Ty’s house.
Wyatt’s flashlight raced over the small wooden structure. “My parents rent this cabin out during the summer months. It’s basic, but comfortable.”
“This is really kind of your mom and dad,” Jo said.
Griff managed an acknowledging quick dip of his head in agreement. He was still reeling after the conversation they’d just had with Sophie and her revelations about Carbon45.
Part of him wanted to leave Sophie and Ty’s cabin right now, to head into the mountains and retrieve the evidence Sophie had described. But he knew that was madness. They’d been traveling for over twelve hours—continuing without grabbing some sleep first would only lead to sloppiness and mistakes, and that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
An owl’s hoot reverberated through the stillness, hidden somewhere high above Griff’s head in the depths of the forest canopy. In this remote corner of the world, far removed from the busyness of civilization, the stars blazed with an almost surreal intensity. Griff drank them in as he drew in a deep breath of pine-scented air, willing his heart rate to slow. Both he and Jo desperately needed to rest. He’d sent an update to Leo. Reinforcements would arrive soon.
They could afford to take this breathing space.
Ahead, Wyatt unlocked the cabin door, pushed it open and stepped inside. He reached right, and warm light flooded the entranceway as he stomped snow from his boots on the porch mat and beckoned for them to follow him.
The cabin was small, but comfortable. The interior walls were bare wood, the furniture simple. A wine-colored couch with checked throws next to the wood-burning stove at the rear of the room, and to the side, a simple kitchen with hand hewn cabinets. Through an ajar door at the rear, Griff glimpsed a bed made up with a patchwork quilt of faded blue tones.
Jo ran her hand over the kitchen cabinets. “The craftsmanship is beautiful.”
Wyatt’s chest expanded. “My dad made those. He built this place from scratch for my mom. This is their retirement plan, bring people up here, allow them to disconnect, ground themselves in nature.”
“Sounds amazing.” Griff tweaked the drapes on the small windows. Outside, the night was hushed, the snow around the cabin unbroken. The perfect location to get away from it all. He closed the drapes, satisfied they were alone, then dropped his backpack on the floor, grateful to have the weight off his shoulder. He rotated it, ignoring the twinges motion triggered in the joint.
Jo came out of the bedroom. “There’s only one bed. “
“Oh, I thought…” Wyatt glanced between them, clearly embarrassed at his assumption. “My brother Will’s room is free—”
“Not at all. This is perfect.” Griff ran one hand over the top of his head. His scalp itched with tension. “I’d rather Jo slept where I can keep an eye on her.”
