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quiet, Cosward moves over against the wall as the sound of rushing footsteps fills the hallway. Suddenly, three men in black suits with guns drawn race past them, stopping at the end of the hallway they quickly burst into the apartment.
    “Opposite way NOW!,” Clovis says as they quickly scamper out of the laundry room taking the stairs they race down and sneak out the back exit of the building and into an alley. Catching their breath they crouch beside a large blue dumpster.
    “What the hell was that? Why would those guys be bursting into the sample woman’s apartment?”
    “They wouldn’t be unless they’re federal agents and I doubt they were looking for her,” Clovis says.
    “Then who are they looking for?” Cosward asks.
    “Us,” Clovis says looking him square in the eye.

CHAPTER 20

 
 
    Jim throws his hands into the pockets of his loose fitting khakis while pacing in his office. “I know you won’t believe this but I had to call someone to get this checked out.”
    Jim tells him about the strange envelop and the initial meeting. “They claim to be a private archeologically group testing three samples of very old human flesh. But something’s not right about the whole thing.”
    “You think the samples are from murder victims?” Joey asks while rubbing his double chin.
    “No. These samples are very old, we’re talking centuries, ringlets, small ringlets of flesh like when male infants are circumcised,” Jim tells him.
    “Is that what they are?”
    “I don’t know what else they would be.”
    “Strange,” Joey nods his head back and forth while sitting in the chair by Jim’s desk and taking notes in his small black notebook.
    “No kidding and why so secretive, what’s the big deal?”
    “They must have them illegally somehow, like from a museum or something and they don’t want anyone to know.”
    “That’s for sure. I may be getting paranoid but I swear someone’s following me around in traffic. I mean are these guys tracking my every move? What the hell is that?”
    “Whatever they’re up to it doesn’t sound good,” Joey says.

 
    “In a way I don’t mind doing business with them. The moneys great I mean really great and that’s all I want, but it’s not hardly worth it if I’m sitting in prison five years from now for being involved with them.”
    “I see what you mean,” Joey says with a concerned look on his face.
    “I just need to know—.”
    Jim turns his head in response to the knock on the door as it gently opens.
    “Hi,” she says leaning in with her dirty blond hair falling to one side. Joey can’t help but notice her pristine white smile and tight fitting light blue turtle neck sweater, the kind of young lady Joey would love to meet in a bar sometime.
    “Kind of in the middle of something right now,” Jim says.
    She looks around seeing Joey “Oh, I’m sorry you said over the phone I could meet you here tonight.”
    “Oh yeah that’s right, I forgot. Do me a favor, can you wait in the lounge downstairs and I’ll be right down,” Jim tells her.
    “Okay,” She smiles and closes the door.
    “Cute, friend of yours?” Joey asks smiling.
    “Aw, no just a student,” Jim says blankly.
    “I didn’t know biology professors had groupies,” Joey laughs.
    “Groupies are the least on my problems. Listen, I need to know what my liabilities are with these guys. Am I going to end up going to jail? Are these guys dangerous? That’s what I want you to find out.”
    “Okay, how much do you know about them?”

 
    “Not much. I have a phone number if I need to call them but I don’t have any names to go on. I’m supposed to meet with my contact again on Thursday to pick up the second sample.”
    “I can shadow you and then follow the contact. That’ll at least give us something to start with.”
    “Something sounds good,” Jim says as he finally stops pacing.

CHAPTER 21

 
 
    “Something’s not right. I don’t know who the guy in his office