An elite university. A murder. An FBI investigation.
In the secluded Silicon Valley University of Evolutionary Computation (SUEC), a young researcher, Dr. Nia Johnes, is shot by a mysterious killer. The seemingly idyllic university community is turned upside down as FBI special agent Terrel Wright, CIA operative Dr. Annya Segond and radiologist Dr. Lili Pham work to solve the mystery behind Nia's death. Are the unexplained infections that are plaguing the campus somehow connected? What are the unsettling research activities that the SUEC leaders would prefer to keep quiet? Terrel, Annya and Lili must fight to save their lives and their careers as they race to prevent further deaths and to uncover the shocking truth behind Who Killes Nia Johnes?
An elite university. A murder. An FBI investigation.
In the secluded Silicon Valley University of Evolutionary Computation (SUEC), a young researcher, Dr. Nia Johnes, is shot by a mysterious killer. The seemingly idyllic university community is turned upside down as FBI special agent Terrel Wright, CIA operative Dr. Annya Segond and radiologist Dr. Lili Pham work to solve the mystery behind Nia's death. Are the unexplained infections that are plaguing the campus somehow connected? What are the unsettling research activities that the SUEC leaders would prefer to keep quiet? Terrel, Annya and Lili must fight to save their lives and their careers as they race to prevent further deaths and to uncover the shocking truth behind Who Killes Nia Johnes?
Tuesday, May 24, 2033, 10:55 p.m.
Nia was brushing her teeth when the cell phone rang. She checked the time. 10:55 p.m. Who would call so late? She put more pressure on the toothbrush to clean her front teeth. She liked the minty taste.
The phone rang again.
Nia looked into the mirror. Her eyes looked tired. She would ignore this stupid phone. She could not speak right now anyways.
The phone kept ringing.
She spat the toothpaste foam into the sink, then gargled.
The phone kept ringing.
Nia got so irritated that she swallowed some of the foam. She cursed and glanced at the display: Annya Segond. The emergency physician from the hospital? Dr. Segond had treated her for a pneumonia some time ago. But Nia had no clinical problem right now. Why did Dr. Segond call her? Were any of her friends injured? Or did she know about the infections?
Nia grabbed the phone.
It stopped ringing.
Now, that was annoying!
Nia turned off the lights in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom, where her cozy queen bed waited for her. The day had been hectic. She looked forward to crawling under the neatly folded flowered bedsheet and plunging her head into the silky-soft pillows. She stepped into her walk-in closet, looking for her pajamas.
The phone started ringing again.
Nia cursed again. But this time, she picked up right away.
“Hello?”
“Hello, this is Dr. Annya Segond, the emergency physician at SUEC hospital. Is this Nia Johnes?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“I am glad to hear your voice! Are you okay?”
“Of course, I am. Why are you asking?”
“Nia, I have a request that might sound a little strange to you. Every apartment at SUEC has a security system. I need you to activate it right now, turn off all lights, and close all the curtains—do it now, please.”
Strange indeed. Nia looked around. Her small apartment looked peaceful and sleepy, just like her. “The security system is already activated. I always turn it on when I come home at night. What is going on?”
“Good. Now turn off the lights and close all the curtains.”
Nia shook her head. She looked at the window. It was dark outside. Dim light from streetlamps illuminated a small path and a volleyball court behind the building. There was nobody. In the distance was a sea of redwood trees moving gently with the evening breeze, like a fairytale. Nia pushed a button beside the window. The roller blinds emerged from each side with a purring sound.
“Nia, are you still there?” Dr. Segond asked.
“I closed the bedroom curtains. The living room does not have any. What is this all about?”
“Nia, the SUEC security team informed me that you are in danger. I worked with the security team for many years, and since I live in the building next to yours, they asked me to check on you. In fact, they thought that you were already injured.”
“I’m fine. Perhaps you called the wrong person?”
“You are Dr. Nia Johnes—Johnes with an “h”? A PhD in infectious diseases and postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Walker-Díaz’s lab?”
“Yes, this is me.”
“Is it possible that someone wants to hurt you, Nia?”
Nia hesitated for just a second. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, the SUEC security team thinks so. They intercepted a communication that suggested that you were already compromised.”
“Who said that? And I told you, I’m fine. Perhaps this is just some sick, racist prank!”
“I am afraid this is a real threat, Nia. At least, we have to take it very seriously.”
Nia started to feel uneasy. “You scare me!”
“Please stay calm. I will come by to check on you now. Stay where you are, and do not touch anything. Do not eat or drink anything. Do not open the door. I will be at your apartment in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, Dr. Segond. Hopefully, this can all be resolved.”
“Please don’t let your guard down, Nia. I will be there shortly.”
Nia hung up the phone. Her mind was spinning. Dr. Segond had treated her several times for minor illnesses at SUEC hospital. Nia remembered the ER physician as a pretty middle-aged woman who was professional, competent, and trustworthy. But she also remembered some rumors last year that Dr. Segond had been pursued by the FBI. Who knew? Perhaps Dr. Segond was the threat here. But when she had met Dr. Segond in the hospital, Nia had found her to be a very likable, experienced physician. Nia had recovered from her pneumonia in no time.
Perhaps someone else had just pretended to be Dr. Segond? Any woman could have called and pretended to be her. Nia tried to suppress her nagging fear. Could someone know about her discovery? Whoever the woman was, perhaps she just wanted to come to her apartment in the middle of the night and destroy the files.
Nia stepped into the living room, where her laptop sat on a large desk besides the window. She grabbed it and stuffed it into her backpack. She walked towards the entryway of the apartment and slipped into her sneakers. Just in case.
There was a faint ruffling noise. Nia looked around, trying to locate it. Did it come from the door? She stared at the plain, paneled front door. There was the sound again. Has Dr. Segond arrived already? No, she could not arrive that fast. And if it were her, she would surely ring the doorbell or say something.
Nia stood perfectly still as she watched the apartment door, about two meters in front of her. Did the door handle move down? She squinted her eyes. The door handle is moving!
Nia held her breath as she stared at the door. Her heart pounded up to her eardrums as the door opened slowly. She tiptoed backwards, away from the entrance.
The door opened some more until the deadbolt clicked in. Four fingers in a dark leather glove appeared in the small gap between the door and the doorframe, then moved upwards towards the metal bolt, carefully palpating the culprit that was blocking the door.
Nia jumped around. She grabbed the backpack, opened the living room window, and hopped through the window frame onto the decorative balcony in front of it. The balcony planks squeaked under her weight, and the balcony tilted downwards. It was on the second floor.
Nia looked down. Below her was the outdoor volleyball court. Nia had played many games there with the SUEC sports team. The floor had built-in shock absorbers, so it should be possible to jump. Perhaps. Nia adjusted the backpack on her back, then carefully climbed over the railing of the balcony, which continued to sink under her weight.
A loud blowing sound filled the air. Nia looked back and saw the door fling wide open. The alarm system kicked in, and a loud siren ended the silence of the night.
A person in a dark motorcycle suit and helmet stood in the doorframe, scanning the room, then looking at Nia behind the open window. They quickly raised their left arm and pointed a gun at her.
Nia heard a high-pitched noise beside her right ear. She cowered down, grabbing the railing, then letting her body slide down and leaping off the building. She landed on the soft floor of the volleyball court, jumped up, and ran as fast as her feet would take her.
Set in the not too far future of 2033, Dr. Nia Johnes has been researching what seems like a top-secret project. But for some reason, her findings are worth killing over. Even before she was gunned down by a mysterious assailant, the university she worked for (notable for their high-tech and medical research) has faced the threat of security. Nia, unfortunately, was not so fortunate to escape (luckily we learn this in the beginning of the book so we don't get too terribly attached to the character).
Now, CIA agent and ER physician Dr. Annnya Segond is investigating the threat that lead to Nia's death. Between Dr. Segond, FBI agent Terrel Wright, and radiologist Dr. Lili Pham, we uncover the truth behind Nia's medical research and her assailant.
Firstly, I have to say the storyline is exciting and intricate. I do love a good medical mystery. However, I think for the average mystery reader, the medical terminology could get confusing. There were a few terms and diagnoses I had to look up. But Elizabeth Link dedicated this book to her students so I think the target audience is for medical students/those in the medical field anyway.
At first I felt the narration was a little dry for my taste. It was a tad bit stiff and some dialogue didn't seem to flow naturally. However, we do learn that all of these characters come from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities so it's possible that this was intentional. When I came to that conclusion in my mind - "not all people talk or act like me" - I actually started to enjoy it. I felt like the author did a good job of changing the dialogue to make each character sound unique to the reader.
The story itself was a little complicated for me to get through. I had to get past that Annya wore a ton of hats - CIA agent, medical researcher/investigator, and ER physician. But I liked that she combined all of her knowledge and experience throughout the investigation. She was by far my favorite character.
I recommend this book to readers who have at least a general understanding of medical terminology. This is a medical mystery after all. I think those in the healthcare field will get a kick out of a book that's geared toward them. I sure did.