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Don’t break down now.It took all of Olivia’s control not to crumple into an anxiety-induced heap onto the floor. Instead, she forced a tenuous smile and said, “I’m ready. Thank you for waiting.”

“No problem. This way.”

When she stepped out into the hallway, the officer purposely blocked the view to her right. When she tried to look around, he said gently, “Please, ma’am, you don’t want to see what’s there. Just follow me to the lobby, okay?”

Olivia nodded, but her curiosity couldn’t be contained. As the officer strode past her, she glanced in the opposite direction. Bile rose in her throat. She immediately averted her gaze.

It was a dead body. Slouched against the wall. Blood pooled beneath it. Patches of it splattered against the wall.

Damn it. Why didn’t she listen? Why did her curiosity always win?

That could’ve been me.She swallowed and clutched her purse tighter, her heart rate jacking back up.

She had walked this hallway, from her lab to the entrance, hundreds of times. Yet, everything now felt foreign. Dangerous. Her eyes darted everywhere, up and down, left and right, as though a specter would materialize out of nowhere to attack her.

However, even in her panicked state, she noticed the two labs between hers and the lobby were intact. No broken doors. No shattered windows.

The intruder had specifically picked out hers to break into.

Why?

“Keep your eyes straight,” the officer said as they entered the lobby.

Olivia had learned her lesson and she did as she was told, like all those times in school when she’d followed the rules.

The fear choking her insides loosened as she joined the crowd of police and ambulances congregating in the parking lot. Officers and EMTs hurried around with authority, talking with other employees.

Safe. She was safe here. Her hold on her purse loosened.

The officer led her to the back of an open ambulance, where a no-nonsense yet comforting woman checked up on her.

“I’m fine. Just a little bit in shock,” Olivia told the woman, who insisted on checking her pulse and looking into her eyes before finally admitting she wasn’t hurt.

I know.Olivia bit back her impulsive response whenever she was proven right. Instead, she thanked the woman. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the stretchers, the bodies covered in black duffel being rolled out of the building and loaded onto another ambulance.

How many had been killed? Icy fear shuddered through her. How had she gotten into this mess? She hadn’t joined Zylotech looking for danger or excitement. Just the opposite, in fact. She loved working in the safety and comfort of her lab, unlocking the secret to vampire blood’s healing powers.

She reached for her bracelet instinctively, seeking comfort. Calm washed over her as if saying she would be all right.

An older officer with a small mustache and a stomach indicating he loved beers too much stopped beside the ambulance. He made the usual perfunctory check on her health.

Is she all right? He’s sorry she had to go through this. Can she answer some questions?

Yes, of course she can.

What’s her name? What’s she doing here so late? Describe what happened. What did she hear? What did she see? Who broke her window? Did the person take anything?

Olivia answered as best as she could, trying to recall every single detail, though at a certain point all she’d cared about was not being discovered. The cop was both comforting yet firm enough to help her along her story, ending with how the other officer had found her.

At the end, Olivia asked, “Do you know who did it? What did they want?”

“It’s still too early in the investigation to know,” the man said. “Thank you for your help, Miss Rodriguez. We’ll call you if we need anything else. Here’s my card. Call me if you remember anything new.”

Olivia nodded and took his card. “I will.”

“Thank you. Have a good night.”

As the officer ambled away, Olivia realized she hadn’t corrected him when he’d called her miss. Doctor, she was a doctor. Her lips twisted into a wry grin. She doubted the officer cared about her professional title.