Ashes of the Red Heifer Read Online Free PDF Page B

He spoke of them as if they were his children. If one hiccoughed he’d fret for days. He was as much a perfectionist with his programs as she was in her work.
    He rebooted, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. “I can’t image what that would mean.” He leaned forward, drawing her closer so she could hear him. “I think someone has been in my computer.”
    She sat back and gave him a skeptical look. “Okay, Mr. Paranoid. Who would that be?”
    “Shh. This is serious. Someone has been looking at our data.”
    A surge of worry shot through her. “But the latest data wasn’t in your computer until now. The analysis from Esther’s calf is new.”
    He nodded. “But the formula we used was in the computer.”
    She struggled to remain rational. “But no one had access to your computer. You’ve got it with you all the time, don’t you?”
    He shook his head. “Not this morning. I went to check Esther and she was calving so I never got it.”
    “This could ruin everything!” He looked so hurt Annie wanted to apologize to him. “It’s okay. I didn’t put the latest changes into the computer yet.”
    Now it was his turn to look dismayed. “Where did you leave your notes?”
    Fire flashed inside her, igniting panic. “They were in the lab.” She regretted the promise she’d made to Hassan to curb her cursing. This event called for major amounts of every vile curse word she could drum up. “The notes are lost.”
    Hassan shushed her. “Don’t panic. I think I remember what levels we changed. We can recreate it.”
    She looked away, saw the angry eyes of Natan still trained on them and turned back to Hassan. “We might have lost our chance to cure BA 23.”
    He shook his head. “I think I remember the changes.”
    “What…”
    Annie jerked forward as the driver slammed on the brakes. People screamed and shouted. The bus ground to a stop.
    David was on his feet immediately. “Annie, are you okay?”
    She had hold of Hassan’s shoulders. He had been bent over his computer when the bus braked and his face slammed into the seat. His nose was bleeding and the computer had slipped to the floor. “I’m fine,” she said. “But Hassan…”
    The panic of the passengers created an incredible din. People choked the aisles trying to get out by the back or front of the old bus.
    Gunshots.
    She flung herself over the seat and shoved Hassan down.
    Screams and everyone diving under the seats. Annie’s heart and breath stopped then slammed to life. She looked up. Two men in ski masks and camouflage fatigues wielded enormous black automatic guns. They shouted in Hebrew.
    She heard a bang from behind and turned to see the back door open and two more men pull themselves into the bus. Through the flash of fear surging into her veins, she tried to think of escape.
    Hassan choked and Annie turned to see blood gushing from his nose. She tugged her sweatshirt over her head, wadded a sleeve and shoved it under Hassan’s sizable nose.
    He grunted and took it, freeing her hand.
    One of the men at the front of the bus spoke harshly to the driver who put the bus in gear and started down the road.
    The man in front, the leader, yelled in Hebrew and everyone quieted, terror filling their eyes.
    David lowered himself to the seat, his eyes on the gunman in front. “Annie, are you okay?”
    Annie leaned over Hassan. Bombs, guns, death crowding around her. She didn’t have words to describe the fear rushing through her. “Peachy.”
    Most people climbed off the floor and crouched in their seats. No one spoke for several minutes until the gunman in front nudged the driver with the barrel of his gun and indicated they pull off on a dirt road.
    Annie heard whispered alarm from a few people. The pit in her own stomach felt like lead. Traveling on a deserted road wasn’t a good sign.
    After they had wound down a one-lane dirt road and stopped in a small valley, surrounded by sun-baked hills on every side, the leader ordered the driver