Rapid dinging drew Sam from a deep sleep; glancing at the clock, she frowned.

"Too early," she groaned, "doesn't anyone know it's two in the morning." Rolling onto her side, she pushed into a sitting position. The rapid dinging continued, "Who could need to get a message through so urgently?"

Rubbing her eyes, she pushed to her feet, heading for the desk in her room. Turning the laptop toward her, she pressed a few buttons and squinted into the screen's bright light. Shaking her head and rubbing her hands over her face, she sank into the chair, pulling the laptop toward her and clicking on the desk lamp.

"What ... is going on?" she murmured, reading again and opening a few attachments, "it can't be ..." she gasped, "they're... under a protective detail."

"Where is Cherry?" Stan asked, standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Did the notifications wake you up?" Sam asked.

"Of course they did. They wouldn't stop," Stan said, handing Sam a cup of coffee, "guess we're going to need this if we're working this early," he said, sinking into a chair next to Sam, "what we got?"

"An open can of worms," Sam said, turning the laptop slightly toward him, "Cherry's parents aren't dead, and neither is she."

"Then what the heck is going on?" Stan asked, frowning.

Sam stood sipping her coffee as she paced the length of the bedroom.

Another piece of the puzzle.

So much to answer for, so much harm done, so many lives ruined and family's destroyed. The question was .... why?

"Sam?" Stan watched her pace, "why are you pacing? What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm thinking," Sam said, sipping her coffee, "pacing helps me think."

"Okay, and my other question?" Stan asked.

"I'm working on a ... classified project," Sam said, continuing to pace and sip her coffee, "it's an ... investigation .... into ..."

Stan waited, but she didn't finish her sentence, "Into whom?"

Sam stopped pacing and stood staring at the laptop until Stan turned to the screen, reading through her documentation, "Isn't this that multinational company that has a finger in many pies."

"Yes," Sam nodded, "including genetic engineering."

"You're kidding," Stan turned to her, "engineering genetics is illegal."

"It is," Sam nodded again, "but there are certain ... corporations who use covers and think they are getting away with what they do to sentient beings."

"What does this have to do with Cherry?" Stan asked.

"I'm not sure," Sam sighed, "that company I wasn't supposed to land the job with falls under the umbrella of these ... people. The coffee shop is also owned by the corporation," Sam said, "at least it answers that question."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Has Cherry been part of this for the past five years?" Stan asked.

"Not intentionally," Sam said. "I was recalled after her parents died as I was the only one who was an emergency contact in the event her parents passed. However, those pictures taken twenty minutes ago show her parents are not dead, but very much alive."

"Who are the armed people around them?" Stan asked, pointing to people in several pictures, "they are all the same, never changing. A security detail?"

"That may be what they are called," Sam said, "but notice three of the five are watching the couple, not the surrounding area. These two don't have any guns but something that looks like tasers. Why would they have those if they were protecting them? It wouldn't hold against an attacker of any skill set."

"It wouldn't do much against anyone. Unless the tasers are to be used on Cherry's parents should they step out of line. The details there to control them," Stan whispered, "just as Cherry's security team did with her. I noticed them the day you two were at the beach."

"Yeah, even if she goes out alone ... she is never alone," Sam sighed. "I remember her having to log her environmental change on a device she carried around with her ... her clothes even have tracking devices embedded. Apparently, her security detail also acquired the clothes she wore. I know she bought her jeans, t-shirts and running shoes herself, so I don't think those were tagged."

"What a way to live. If this corporation was involved, aren't they the people with those fully automated apartments and houses?" Stan asked.

"Yes, they are," Sam nodded, "Cherry was staying in one of their buildings."

"If they own the building, why was her apartment destroyed?" Stan asked, "a cover-up, perhaps?"

"I don't think so," Sam shook her head, sliding into the chair again, "look at this report from the fire department."

Sam pointed out a section in the document, "Look at this passage."

Stan read silently before frowning, "Self-destruction?"

"Yes, which can only mean that Cherry didn't follow protocol, and the apartment began the self-destruct sequence as soon as she closed the door. It would have stopped if she had returned before the countdown ended, but she didn't, so ...boom."

"Then where is she?" Stan asked, "she has to be somewhere. No one disappears entirely."

"Not normally," Sam said, looking at Stan, "but if you're designed to ... it's the easiest thing to do."

"Creepy," Stan shuddered.

Sam smiled, "The question we should be finding answers for right now ..."

"Where can she have gone to disappear entirely," Stan said, "there are not many."

"Exactly," Sam nodded, "the information has to be here somewhere ... we just need to find the answer."

"I'll get my laptop if you don't mind sharing the information. We may get through it quicker," Stan said, finding Sam staring at him strangely, "or you can print it all out, and we can do it that way."

"I like that idea better," she said, "my printer is in the study. Would you mind bringing it here?"

"No, but wouldn't it be easier just to print the documents, and I can fetch them," Stan asked, finding Sam staring at him strangely again, "or not. I'll get the printer."

"Thank you," Sam smiled and nodded, "that would be a better idea."

"You have trust issues," Stan muttered, leaving the room and returning a few minutes later with the printer, "where do you want it?"

"You can set it up on the table end," Sam said, "thank you for collecting it."

Pulling paper from a cupboard, she loaded the machine and began printing the documents.

Stan stared at her as she meticulously watched each document print, "You really do have ... issues."

"So I'm told," Sam said, "but I'm still alive."

"Fair enough," Stan nodded, "how can I help?"

Sam handed him a stack of papers, "Start with that," she said, "we're looking for anything that Cherry could use to stay off-grid."

"Okay, you think she is trying to get away?" Stan asked, sinking into his chair.

"I don't think she knows she needs to get out from under their control," Sam said, "I think Cherry needs to get away from everything and will head somewhere that will ensure she has the peace and quiet she needs."

"Fair enough," Stan nodded, "looking for vectors and parameters ... let's get to work."