Burden the hand

"Burden the Hand" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction story where family secrets and amazing technology collide. A young woman named Nikki Varden is captured by the evil Jerome Van Ostrand, who wants to use her connection to her dead father's inventions for his own selfish gain. Nikki discovers her father isn't really dead but in suspended animation, and his legacy includes a mind control device people are willing to kill for. The story keeps you guessing as Van Ostrand tries to trick Nikki into giving up her father's secrets so he can live forever, but the real hero, who has been hiding all along, steps forward to save Nikki and stop dangerous technologies from falling into the wrong hands.