by Raven Steele
That's when I heard it. The whisper of a heavy sigh off to my left. I walked through an older tunnel that branched off of the main section of Ironwood. It took awhile, but eventually it led to an open area with an old foundation of wood and partial concrete. Dirt had filled in the spaces.
This area had been forbidden to me when I was younger, and even now Roman frowned on me coming here. It was too unstable as it was directly below the seaport. If I kept walking, it would eventually lead me to a large drainage pipe that ended in the bay.
"What are you doing in here?" I asked Roman.
He was sitting on an old bucket, his head lowered. "Your life is fragile, Aris, like this room. One wrong move and it could all come crashing down."
"I don't understand."
"I can sense it in this place. The pressure that's been building up for decades." He pointed to a T joint in the corner where two railroad ties had been hammered together. "Like there. I can't see it, but I can feel it. It's straining under the weight of a million pounds. If I touch it, we will be crushed to death."
"Um, maybe we should leave?"
"I sense pressure points in you too, Aris. You must be careful. I know you want to avenge your parents’ deaths, but it must be done in the right way. You have to be smart about this. Take your time."
"Why are you telling me something I already know?"
"Because I got you a job."
"A job?"
"At Bodian Dynamics."
I stiffened. Bodian was the research facility my mother had worked at when she had met my father. She was a manager in their experimental sciences division. After her death, Victor became closely affiliated with the giant company, donating millions to them every year. He gave so much they put him on their Board of Trustees, and three years ago they had given him access to a whole floor in their ten-story building. Roman had been trying to uncover what Victor was working on, but had yet to be successful.
"How did you manage that?" I asked.
"About a year ago, an old colleague of mine was transferred to Victor's division. I recently reached out to him and told him about what a talented young man you are in the biology department at CCU. I might have embellished a few other points, but he agreed to let you come work as his assistant for the summer. We need to know what Victor is working on."
I wasn't sure what part of Roman's confession I should address first. I shook my head trying to wrap my mind around it all. "First, when did you start speaking to people up there?"
As far as I knew, Roman had only spoken to Kristen and that was on the rare occasion she came to Ironwood. People believed Roman had been killed by Victor, as he was never seen or heard from after an encounter with him shortly after my parents were killed. A pang of anger washed over me at the thought of their painful death.
"I've always stayed in touch with Richard," Roman said. "He was a close friend of mine in college. Other than you, he's the only person I trust. And it wasn't me who reached out to him. He contacted me through a letter he gave to Kristen. I told him to contact her should he ever need me."
"What does he want?"
"He said Victor has him working on something that concerns him. He wanted my help with it, but since I am unable to surface, I'm sending you instead."
"Does he know who I am?"
"No, but he knows you're special and crucial to taking down Victor's network. Gaining access to his lab is an important first step."
"Does that even matter at this point? I've already begun to attack Victor's locations."
"People say the Crow has returned." Roman's expression was even, but I swore it had grown tighter. Was he angry? Worried? I could never tell.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"They speak of a man with no fear who has the strength of a thousand men and has skin like metal and can dodge bullets."
I squirmed a little, feeling both embarrassed and yet excited. I never had anyone talk about me like that before. Was this how my father had felt?
"Some people are scared, but others are hopeful and believe things might change." He rose to his feet. "It's a good start."
Because I didn't know what to say, I said, "I think I discovered where they are making rhino dust, one of the places anyway. Tonight I will destroy it."
"Be careful and be prepared." He walked toward me. "Get some rest. You have to be to work at three o’clock today. You'll be meeting with my friend Richard Braxton, the head of their experimentation department. He will explain what he wants you to do and what your hours will be. It shouldn't take long."
I still couldn't believe I was going to have a real job. Not that I minded the work. I would've loved any kind of employment. The closest thing I had ever come was working through various community programs like cleaning up parks or delivering meals to the elderly. Those were always short gigs to prevent any attachments with people. Maybe this would be temporary, too. I hoped not. Science was my best subject.
"I think you will rather enjoy it," he said. "Your mind works much like your mother's." He walked by me. "Remember what I said about pressure points. When faced with opposition, think through your choices and the consequences of each one."
He disappeared into the tunnel leaving me alone inside the fragile room. I couldn't feel the same pressure in the room as Roman could, but I did feel it inside of myself. There was so much anger for what happened to my parents, and what was continuing to happen to the city. I worried one wrong move could send me over the edge and I would give in to the rage that existed in the dark recesses of my mind.
No matter what happened tonight, I couldn't lose control.
I was the hero.
11
I arrived at Bodian Dynamics a few minutes early and rode the elevator up to the seventh floor. When the doors opened, I sucked in a breath. It was much larger and busier than I expected. I imagined the space to be enclosed with hallways and closed doors, but it was an open floor plan. Countertops, white desks, and large pieces of equipment filled the great room. Only toward the back of the great space were there a few closed offices. There were at least two dozen people, all of them immersed in their work.
"Can I help you?" a woman sitting at a desk in front of me asked. Her brown hair had been pulled into a tight bun. On the front of her blue blouse, she sported a beaker pin.
"I am… Adam Smith," I said, barely remembering to give my fake name. "I'm here to see Richard Braxton."
She typed something into the computer in front of her. "I'll let him know you're here. Have a seat."
I lowered into a cushioned, black chair trying to pretend the woman wasn't staring at me.
I didn't have to wait long, thank goodness, before a tall man with balding, silver hair and a long, white lab coat approached me. He walked with a limp, favoring his left leg.
"You must be Adam," he said. "I'm Richard Braxton. My friend spoke very highly of you."
I stood and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Let me show you around." He turned and walked me through the maze of equipment and counters. He introduced me to several employees, commenting on their different levels of expertise. Although Roman, a well-respected scientist in his time, had taught me everything he knew about science, I still felt out of place. I had never matched my skills against someone else's and I hoped I would be able to contribute to their work, even if this was a temporary job.
"Our assistant lab techs work over here," he said. "They will help you with whatever you may need."
A familiar scent, like a freshly squeezed lemon in sweet lemonade, reached my nose and my knees grew weak. My breath hitched, and I grabbed the nearest counter for support. A woman with dark hair tied back into a ponytail with a blue ribbon turned around when she heard Richard's voice. My heart stopped. Emma's eyes widened when she saw me.
"This is Emma Lamrey," Richard said. "She's a recent lab technician from CCU. She's only here for the summer, like you, but she already fits right in, as I'm sure you will, too. She will help you fi
gure out the ropes when I'm not around."
"Dr. Braxton!" someone called from across the room.
"I'll be right back," he said and quickly turned on his heel and limped away.
"I didn't know you worked here," I said, truly surprised. I thought I knew everything about her.
"How would you?" she asked. "We just met."
"I mean, I thought you just worked at the diner," I clarified.
"And I thought you said you worked as a mechanic. How in the world did you get one of the most sought-after positions at Bodian Dynamics? I would've killed to work directly under Richard." Her voice teetered on anger.
"I'm not just a mechanic. I'm also majoring in biology at CCU and always score the highest in my chemistry classes. I guess he saw something in me he wanted."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't see it."
"Give it time." I smiled as I met her gaze. Her eyes drew me in, and I remembered what it used to feel like to be around her. The world was alive and hopeful. I could do anything, be anyone.
Her gaze caught mine and buzzing heat passed between us. I wanted to take her into my arms, to show her how much she meant to me. To give back just a fraction of the joy she’d unknowingly given to me.
Her face flushed at the intensity between us. She cleared her throat. "I have to go."
She brushed by me and as she did so, I couldn't help but lift my fingers from my hip, just barely enough to brush her lab coat in passing. It was so hard to be near her and not touch her. I desired a lot of things: freedom to be who I wanted, a life above ground, to take out Victor. But I would give it all up to be with her. Through her, I was able to see a life full of happiness. And I would spend every day making sure she was happy, too.
Richard returned a moment later and continued to show me the rest of the lab. We ended up in his office in the back corner. He closed the door behind us and said, "Have a seat."
I did as he asked, lowering into a single chair across from a metal desk.
He pulled his chair away from the other side and circled it next to mine. He sat down and leaned toward me. In a quiet voice, he said, "It's been a long time since I spoke to my good friend Roman. If it had been anyone else who asked, I never would have accepted you into this position. But he said you were different from anyone I would ever meet. He also said you could help me figure out what Victor is up to. Victor's had me working on something recently I don't feel comfortable with, and I don't understand the data. Roman said you would be able to help me decipher it. Honestly, I'm not sure how that's possible, but I trust him."
"Show me everything you have," I said.
He stood and circled around to the front of his desk where he withdrew a large manila envelope. "It started about eight months ago. Victor came to me with a single vial of blood. He didn't tell me where he got it, but he wanted me to find a way to single out a specific protein. He said I would know it when I saw it because I never would have seen anything like it."
I flexed my jaw muscle. There's only one person's blood Victor would have studied and that was his own, especially if he was looking for a specific protein. It worried me that Victor was having it studied. "What does this protein do?"
"I tried asking him a few times, but he refused to answer my questions. About six weeks ago I finally isolated it. It's fascinating to say the least. When Victor found out, he told me to replicate the protein and make it into a liquid that could be injected into the bloodstream. I told him I didn't think that was a good idea as we needed to test it first, but he said to mind my own business or I would lose my job."
"What do you think he wants it for?"
The office door flew open.
The whole world came to a screeching halt. I slowly rose to my feet, my blood running cold through my veins, pulsing with an intensity that made me want to lose control. The monster I had grown to hate over the years, the man I had fixated on, the man I dreamt about killing with my bare hands stood before me. He was my height with well-defined muscles even though he must've been at least thirty years older than me. Victor looked at Richard first, then his gaze slowly moved to me, almost as if he knew what we were talking about. He could've easily been listening in on our conversation. I'm sure his hearing was just as good as mine.
I curled my fingers into my palm and flexed tight. It's all I could do to keep from attacking him right here. I only hoped my eyes wouldn't give me away. I tried to appear casual, but it was difficult.
"Who's this?" Victor asked. His dark hair was slicked back, making it look like he had just gotten out of the shower. The beginning of a brown beard grew on the bottom half of his face, contrasting with the neat look of his navy blue suit.
Richard fumbled over his words. "This is Adam. My new assistant from CCU. He comes highly recommended."
Victor stepped close to me, almost too close, and extended his hand. "So you have a great mind. We need those here. I'm Victor. Your boss."
I looked down at his open palm. I could end it right now. Take Victor's hand, break it in half, knock him unconscious and have the police come arrest him. I almost did just that, but then I remembered that the Physician had just been let go. No doubt the same thing would happen to Victor. This must've been what Roman was talking about when he told me to make good decisions. I needed evidence first and a legal system who would put him away.
"Do you have something against shaking a man's hand?" Victor asked, an edge to his voice that made the air grow thick.
"No. I just didn't think I would ever meet you." I forced myself to shake his hand. It was hard not to squeeze until every bone in Victor's hand broke. He squeezed back just as hard.
"Whatever you've heard about me," he began, "it's probably all true." He let go of my hand and laughed. Richard joined him, but it was an uncomfortable chuckle.
"Did you stop in for any particular reason today?" Richard asked.
"I just want to see if you've made any progress. In light of recent events, I'd like to speed up our timetable."
Richard fidgeted with a pencil. "I've already told you, you can't rush these things. We need to go through the proper testing channels."
Victor glanced at me. "Well, now that you have an assistant, you should be able to complete things twice as fast. As for testing, let me worry about that."
Richard opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly when someone else entered the room. I glanced over. Dax Baxter, better known as the Physician, walked in. He was almost two inches taller than me and built like a tank. He was dressed in a pink dress shirt that barely fit him. Just above the collar was the head of a viper tattooed on his neck. I guessed the rest of the snake had been inked into his chest. I couldn't help but notice it was in the same position as the crow on my neck. A coincidence?
Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "You should be in jail!"
Victor's eyebrows rose and he glanced at the Physician before looking back at me.
The Physician's lips curled into a sneer. "Do I know you?"
Anger burned through me again. I had waited my whole life to be in a room with Victor so I could destroy him, and now not only was my dream being realized, but I also had the number two worst criminal standing feet away from me. But the Physician had just been released from prison. He would be out just as quickly as I could throw him in. The timing wasn't right.
Unless I killed them both.
12
The thought of feeling Victor's warm blood on my fingers made my chest muscles quiver in anticipation. The intensity of the image temporarily stunned me and I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I just meant that I heard you were arrested. How did you get out?"
"Because I'm innocent." He smiled at this, and even Victor chuckled.
Then the Physician's smile disappeared, and he stepped close to me. I was struck suddenly by an overwhelming feeling of power radiating from him. There was something different about this man, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
He leaned in inches from my face and said, "I hel
p keep this city running. Without me, the people of Coast City would fall into chaos. Someone needs to decide who is diseased and who isn't."
Victor laughed out loud and slapped the Physician on the back. "I love this guy. So dramatic." He glanced back at Richard, still smiling. "Get what I want or the doc here might think you're diseased."
The color drained from Richard's face.
Victor laughed again. "I'm screwing with you."
Richard laughed uncomfortably while I resisted the urge to punch Victor's teeth in.
Victor turned toward the door, but at the last second he looked back at me, his expression serious. "Why do you feel familiar?"
"Feel?" I asked.
The lines between his brows creased as he stared at me, and for a moment, I swore I saw sadness lurking behind his eyes. "Never mind. Let's go."
He left the room with the Physician behind him.
As soon as they were gone and the door closed again, Richard exhaled a breath and leaned back into his chair. "I hate when they visit."
"How close are you to making the serum with the new protein?"
"Close. Once it's finished, Victor will take it from me and I'll have no idea what I might've unleashed on the world."
It was my turn to sit down. If Richard really was close to creating something like my mother had with V proteins, then that could only mean one thing: Victor was trying to change people into what he was, what I was. If that were to happen, then it would make it extremely difficult for me to defeat Victor.
But that wasn't even the scary part. If Victor or anyone else discovered the truth about V proteins and what happens if you die with them inside you, then the city would have a far bigger problem on their hands. Only my mother and Roman new the truth. I guess my father might've known, but he died in the explosion with my mother. Vampires can't survive fire. Roman found this out by waiting for my father to emerge from the burned building. He never did.
