Double Take Read Online Free PDF

while Russo unlocked the restraints.
    “You didn’t need the cuffs,” Russo said.
    Torrez snorted. “I don’t think you’re in a position to criticize, Carmine.”
    Russo set Dyer into the backseat of their rental and closed the door, then joined Henry and Torrez, who was standing with Burden a few feet away. The SFPD men had their arms folded across their chests.
    Burden spoke first. “The captain told me that Dyer killed Ms. Dettlinger. He said you’d explain the rest.”
    “Yeah, well, I think it’s best that we just leave it at that, okay?” Russo turned, but Burden spoke up.
    “No, not okay. This is my case, and if I'm gonna have an unsolved on my record—or worse, if I’m gonna let a murderer go free—I deserve an explanation.”
    Torrez’s face was hard. “Tell him, Carmine. Or I will.”
    Russo shared a cold stare with his friend.
    “Don’t look at me like that,” Torrez said. “You asked me to stick my neck out as a personal favor, and I did that. Once. I can’t have a murderer running around loose in my city—”
    Russo held up a hand. “Now wait just a fuckin’ minute, Harmon—”
    “I’d like to know what the hell’s going on,” Burden said. “For chrissake, we had another guy in custody for this.”
    “That was going to be taken care of,” Torrez said through clenched teeth. “Wasn’t it, Carmine?”
    Russo rubbed his eyes with a thick hand. He looked around, made sure no one was in earshot. But the lot was empty and the wind was so fierce that any speech would be carried away and harmlessly dispersed over the city below. He glanced at the doctor, and then turned back to Burden. “Dr. Henry here is engaged in a top secret military project.” He nodded at Henry to continue, who gave Russo a look of reticence.
    Finally, apparently realizing that he had little choice, Henry said, “I’m not at liberty to disclose the more sensitive aspects of the project, and I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but given the circumstances...” Henry glanced at Russo, and then continued. “We’ve been prepping trials on a drug, Propanalol-d, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. I work for a special branch of the military. DARPA, ever hear of it?”
    “They develop cutting edge technologies for the Army,” Burden said.
    Henry frowned. “That makes ’em sound like some high tech Silicon Valley startup. Truth is, they’ve been around for over 50 years. They’re responsible for research and development of the kinds of innovations that’ve kept the US military ahead of its enemies. Ballistic missile defense, GPS, the Internet, robotic systems, thought-controlled prosthetic arms—and dozens of other things you’ve never heard about.”
    “And this post-traumatic stress drug is one of those ‘innovations’?”
    “Detective Dyer is the first human to use it in an uncontrolled setting.” Henry cleared his throat. “This was not a sanctioned experiment. Lieutenant Russo’s an old friend, and when he told me about what had happened with Ben—Detective Dyer—I knew I had something that could make a difference in the young man’s life. I knew him when he was a little kid.”
    “I don’t understand how this drug could help,” Burden said. “What’s done is done. Nothing’s gonna change the facts or bring his fiancé back.”
    Henry turned slightly against a brisk gust of wind, appeared to debate whether or not to proceed, but then said, “When we remember a trauma, our brainstem releases noradrenaline, which tells the amygdala to strengthen that memory, ‘burning’ it in, making it more traumatic. This new PTSD drug, Propanolol-d, blocks this.”
    “Try that again,” Burden said, “without the ten dollar words.”
    “That was the dumbed down version.” Henry gathered his thoughts, and then started over. “Memories are created by chemicals in the brain. If we alter those chemicals, we can alter those memories. Bury them beyond the mind’s reach.” He held out his