Listen (Muted Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

all but curled in on herself. Jemma used her free hand to cover Naomi’s, sending a surge of reassurance.
    The woman looked up at her, blue eyes wide, a bruise spread across her cheek.
    “Did it work?” At Josh’s message, Naomi looked down again, curling in on herself further and raising her hand.
    What happened to her? wrote Jemma, leaving her left arm under Naomi’s hand. At Josh’s blank look, she continued. She’s been hurt.
    Understanding crossed Josh’s face, and he waved a hand dismissively before typing. “There was an incident with one of the guards. Don’t worry, he’s been fired.”
    Fired? And you think that’s okay? We’re here helping you, helping everyone, you said. Against our will. Jemma’s hand was shaking as she wrote, and she barely registered when Naomi pulled away, covering her head with her hands. You have us completely at your mercy, and it’s okay that someone got hurt because the person who did it was fired?
    Josh blinked at the paper, then shook his head. “Of course not, but what were our options? Now, if you’re ready to continue, it looks like we were having some success.”
    Jemma shook her head, hard, ignoring the pounding behind her eyes. If they could do this to someone who didn’t seem like she’d hurt a fly, what were they doing to people who might actually resist? I’m done , she wrote. I’m not jumping through any more of your hoops until I know Jack’s okay, until I’ve seen him in person.
    “As I said yesterday, I can’t authorize that.” Josh looked frustrated, confused, his brow furrowed and mouth pulled down to one side. “They’ll never approve it.”
    Then we’re done here . Jemma set down the crayon and crossed her arms, watching as Josh started typing on his keyboard.
    Almost immediately, Dr. Harris entered the room and a female guard led Naomi out with a gentle hand on her arm, shutting the door firmly behind her. Josh continued typing, and Dr. Harris watched Jemma disapprovingly.
    “You know it would have been better to just go along with it,” typed the scowling man.
    Jemma kept her arms crossed and pressed her lips together more tightly.
    Some of Josh’s displeasure had eased, and he continued typing. Jemma fought down a surge of hope.
    “For the record,” typed Josh so she could hear, “Naomi is here because she volunteered to help us test a family member. She wants to help. She’s been a little jumpy since the incident, understandably, but we’ve assigned her a new guard to keep her safe.”
    If this was how they treated volunteers, Jemma really didn’t want to think about how badly her demands could backfire. At least Naomi had cooperated and should be fine.
    Dr. Harris tapped his foot. “We could have accomplished so much more today.”
    Jemma stared at him. He was really worried about a time table in all this? Maybe it shouldn’t surprise her.
    A guard entered, and Dr. Harris nodded impatiently, then retrieved Josh’s tablet, studying it and the readout from the monitor. Josh gestured for Jemma to join the guard, exasperation on his face.
    She was still the pet, only she’d peed on the carpet.
    The guard led Jemma briskly through the halls, passing more windowed rooms, before stopping and pointing at one of the windows.
    He was in the room, in a chair just like she’d been in minutes earlier, wearing identical navy blue scrubs and a frown on his stubble-covered face as he watched the technician next to him. He turned to face the window, and she saw her own emotions reflected on him; joy in seeing her, frustration at being kept apart, anger that they were in the situation, relief, annoyance, hope.
    It was Jack.
    And he was okay.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    FOUR
    Searching
     
    “Jack!”
    Even the resulting silence that told her the message hadn’t gone through didn’t lessen her thrilled frustration at being able to see Jack with only a piece of glass between them.
    He tried to rise, but the scientist or