Hard Line - Pamela Clare Page 0,20
see it used for violence.”
“Like Einstein’s research and the nuclear bomb.”
They started down the stairs to the lower level.
“Yes, exactly. Some are happy to sell their work to the Department of Defense or private contractors, but many aren’t.” It wasn’t a problem for Samantha because her work had no military applications—not yet anyway. “Sometimes, professors don’t have a choice. The university owns the research and sells it to military contractors.”
“I get it.” He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, while she fumbled in the pockets of her snow pants for her room key.
“There’s also the growing militarization of Antarctica, with governments like China, Russia, and the US playing fast and loose with treaty regulations.” She found her keys, unlocked her door, opened it. “Many of us see any armed presence here—and that includes you Cobra guys—as undermining regulations that have maintained Antarctica as a science preserve for decades.”
If this offended him, he didn’t show it.
“We won’t be here for long. May I come in?”
“Yes.”
He followed her into her room and shut the door. “What about you? Is that why you thought we’d be assholes?”
“I didn’t put it that way.” She’d take her words back if she could. “I knew some football players in high school and boys from NJROTC, too, and they—”
“What’s NJROTC?”
“Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps—a pre-military program for high-schoolers. They had big egos. They bullied kids like me, smart kids.”
“Bullied you?”
Did he not know the word?
“They called me names, hit me, made fun of me, told me I was ugly.”
Thor frowned, his blue eyes looking into hers, his expression serious. “I’m sorry to hear that. That’s not the kind of men we are.”
“I see that now. Is that what you wanted to discuss?”
“No, but thanks for your honesty. Be careful around the Russian team members, okay? We don’t know anything about them. We don’t know if they were lying or telling the truth, but they know you were at the crash site. They know you retrieved something from that wreckage. If I were you, I wouldn’t let them into my room or go anywhere in the station alone, especially not the service arches or ice tunnels.”
“Okay.” Well, darn.
Could she admit to herself that she’d hoped he’d come here to kiss her?
As if.
A man like him could have any woman he wanted.
She took off her parka, touched at least that he’d thought about her safety. Then again, that was his job. “You really think they’re behind this?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Do you believe they flew out to the crash site with weapons in the middle of austral winter just to lend us a hand?”
It wasn’t impossible, but it was highly implausible. “No.”
“If they’re here to get a second chance at the package, they could try to get it through you. I’m serious, Samantha. Don’t take risks. We’ll be leaving when the weather allows. You should be safe once we’re gone. I’ll put together a more specific security plan for you this afternoon.”
A security plan?
“What about the … package?” She used their term for the Golden Horde components. “We don’t have much security here—no surveillance, no keycard entry systems. Most doors aren’t even locked. There might be a safe in Steve’s office.”
His lips curved in a grin that made her pulse quicken. “We’ll keep it secure. Don’t worry about that.”
She waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. “Right.”
He reached for the doorknob. “Do you want to join me for supper?”
Warmth rushed into her cheeks.
What the hell was wrong with her? Was she so sexually deprived that attention from a good-looking man made her blush and messed with her head?
You’re smarter than that.
“I’m going to get some coffee and then check on the telescope. I’ve missed an entire day of work.” Yes, she was turning him down cold—until the moment she didn’t. “But, yeah, I’ll meet you there. Six?”
What had she just done?
“Sounds good. Thanks again. You might have saved millions of lives today.” He opened the door, turned back. “You should get a medic to look at that cut.”
Then he was gone, leaving Samantha to stare at the closed door.
Thor met in private with Tower, Jones, and Segal for a quick debriefing, sharing in detail all that had happened so far.
Tower stared at him from the computer screen. “The Russian team is there? At Amundsen-Scott?”
Segal leaned in so Tower could see him. “I believe they were telling the truth, sir. We didn’t have the time to run over to their plane to see whether it