by Kathy Reichs
Out.
Free.
Puzzled by the sensation of moving air, Hoke glanced toward the suite’s entrance. The double doors were slowly drifting shut.
Odd.
The Dragon lumbered to her feet and stuck her head out into the corridor.
Empty.
Shrugging, she returned to her desk and resumed the serious business of snacking.
CHAPTER 49
Leaving the library, Hi and Shelton began the fifteen-minute hike to the marina.
“I hate walking through town at night,” Shelton said. “There’s hardly anyone else out here.”
“It’s barely ten o’clock and we’re in the tourist district,” Hi replied. “You afraid of getting mugged by a granny from Jersey?”
“It’s dark. I’m just saying.”
“I’m not worried.” Hi gestured to the storefronts. “I think it’s safe between Abercrombie and Lacoste.”
A half block up the streetlights died, drowning the sidewalk in gloom.
“Okay,” Shelton whispered. “How about now?”
“Keep moving, wimp.”
Hi picked up the pace. Seconds later, he spotted two men idling at the corner of King and Hasell. Both wore tight black clothing. Neither spoke.
Without a word, both boys stopped.
“Shelton.” Hi’s silent alarm was blaring. “Something’s not right here.”
“So not right.”
“Let’s go another way.”
“Another way sounds great.”
They crossed King and headed east up Hasell Street. The wrong direction, but neither minded the detour.
“My temple is up ahead,” Hi said. “We can cut over on the next block.”
At K. K. Beth Elohim, they turned and checked the murky darkness at their backs. The street was empty.
“That’s what I get for making fun of you,” Hi said. “Now I’m spooked for no reason.”
Shelton laughed. “Yeah, we’re not exactly Jason Bourne, are we?”
Feeling foolish, the boys turned right. Two blocks south, they arrived at the old marketplace. In the dark the structure looked like a giant sea serpent running down the center of Market Street, creating narrow alleys along both sides.
“Crap,” said Hi.
The two men now stood on the opposite side of Market. One was smoking. Both were watching Hi and Shelton.
“Holy buckets,” Shelton whispered. “Haul ass!”
The boys fired down the alley to the north of the market. After they turned, the structure blocked the shady duo from view.
“We’re going the wrong way!” Shelton’s voice wobbled with the effort of speed-walking.
“I don’t want to pass those guys. Do you?”
Shelton didn’t bother to reply.
They continued east past the market’s older portion, now dark and abandoned for the night. At the next cross street, they stopped to look over their shoulders.
And nearly wet their shorts.
The men were in the alley skirting the market’s south side. Watching like predators tracking a meal.
“Move,” Shelton whispered. “Keep going.”
“Bay Street,” Hi said. “We’ll go all the way around.”
Footsteps bounced off the cobblestones. Both boys turned.
The men had crossed to the north alley and were moving toward them. The distance was closing fast.
Hi and Shelton looked at each other. Fight or flight? No contest. They tensed, ready to bolt.
The world receded.
Darkness.
Falling.
SNAP.
Voltage slammed through Shelton and Hi. Their surroundings sharpened into crystal clarity.
The footfalls quickened to a trot. Their pursuers were closing in for the kill.
“Run!” Shelton screamed.
The boys streaked like greyhounds. Feet hammered behind them. The chase was on.
Hi’s eyes now pierced the darkness like night vision goggles. Inside the market, he noticed a darker patch among the shadows.
Grabbing Shelton, he veered right. Shelton changed course with ease. As one, they slipped into the pitch-black structure. Crouched behind an overturned table. Held their breath.
Their pursuers paused just outside the opening. Their panting sounded to the boys like roaring wind. They could smell sweat, sense agitation.
“Where the hell are they?”
“Damn! I’ll cover the street; you check in there. Don’t let them get away!”
The footfalls divided. One pair pounded east. Receded.
The other pair crept toward them, gravel cracking beneath leather soles like exploding popcorn.
Then silence.
Hunkered down, Hi and Shelton saw their pursuer stop. To allow his eyes to adjust to the dark?
“Come on out.” The voice was high and whiney. “We just want to talk.”
The man moved one foot forward.
A soft click cut the stillness.
The boys’ hyper-human ears registered the noise.
Their eyes met. Gold haloed their pupils.
They knew.
A gun had been cocked.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” The voice now came from the darkness to the right. They could see its owner clearly. Tall, arms and legs sinewy inside the tight black fabric.
The man inched forward, unsure of the footing. One hand was outstretched, feeling its way. The other clutched a gun.
Shelton and Hi shared the same understanding. Our enemy can’t see. We can. They scanned their surroundings, eyes shining. Looking for weapons.
There.
Two brooms stood angled against the wall behind them. Each had a stout wooden handle.
Moving silently, the boys armed themselves.
Wait.
Wait.
Finally, the thug drew level with their hiding place. His gun swept back and forth in front of his body. Amateur. Foolish.
Shelton edged closer, not needing to be told. His broom handle arrowed between the man’s legs. The man stumbled, but somehow kept his balance.
Fast as lightning, Hi smashed down on the man’s outstretched hand. The gun hit the cobblestones and ricocheted into the shadows.
Shelton didn’t hesitate. Slipping forward, he jabbed his broom into the man’s rib cage.
“Hmmmph!” The thug doubled over.
Hi reversed his grip, whipping his broom handle 360 degrees and slamming it across the back of their assailant’s head.
Wood cracked on bone.
The man dropped. Lay still.
No time for celebration.
The warriors bolted from their hiding place.
Raced the darkened streets.
Didn’t slow until they hit the water.
CHAPTER 50
“Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for hours!”
Venting felt good. I still had adrenaline up the wazoo.
“Sorry,” Hi said. “The research took longer than we expected. And the hit men slowed us down.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes.
“Two dudes tried to cap us!” Shelton was wired higher than I was. “We took one out, gave the other the slip.”
Hi and Shelton bumped fists.
Ben held up a hand. “Stop. Explain.”
They stepped all over each other telling the story.
“Who’d be after you?” Ben asked.
“The same fools from Loggerhead,” Shelton said.
“Why?”
“We know about Heaton’s murder, so now they want us dead. Right?”
“Maybe.” I wasn’t so sure. “Seems like a lot of trouble over a forty-year-old crime.”
“Tory, we used our flare this time,” Hi said. “The change gave us powers. Super senses and super strength.”
Shelton concurred. “It was amazing.”
“You’re not the only ones.” Ben shared our adventure at LIRI.
“So Karsten is banking cash to run secre
t experiments?” Shelton whistled. “And we walked right into it.”
“Whatever he’s doing, records of the project aren’t in his office,” I said. “Must be in the lab. Did you guys learn anything useful?”
“Could be.”
Shelton and Hi took turns explaining the findings.
“So some parvoviruses do transfer between species,” Hi summarized, “and there are human-infecting strains. But the human form doesn’t infect dogs, and the canine form doesn’t infect people.”
Something bothered me. What? The answer stayed hunkered deep in my brainpan.
“What’s the human form called again?” I asked.
“Parvovirus B19,” Hi said. “The scientist who named it found the first example in his nineteenth petri dish.”
“B19,” I repeated, more to myself than to the others. Was that the message that was nagging? Why? The name was as generic as mud.
Still the answer refused to surface.
I closed my eyes.
Think. Think.
No go.
Just then Coop bounded into the bunker. Now that he was stronger and more spirited, we were allowing him free run of the nearby dunes.
The puppy wormed figure eights around my legs.
“Coop, whoa!” I barely kept my feet.
Tucking his tail, the puppy crawled beneath the table and whined softly.
I rubbed his back and made comforting noises. I hated when he got scared. He’d suffered enough at Karsten’s hands.
I was scratching Coop’s ears when the subliminal message finally broke through.
B19.
That’s it!
“Guys!” I yelled. “I know what happened! Karsten must have—”
Hackles rose into a prickly ridge along Coop’s spine. He growled, eyes fixed on the bunker’s entrance.
I whipped around.
From outside came scratching, then the unmistakable sound of someone squeezing through the opening.
A shadow appeared on the floor.
We drew back into one corner, shocked that someone had found our secret hideout. Whoever it was had us trapped.
A form emerged from the crawl. Straightened. Glared at us with undisguised malice.
It was the last person I expected to see.
CHAPTER 5
“Tory Brennan.”
Karsten spat my name as though it were something bitter on his tongue.
I gaped, thunderstruck.
Our bunker was practically invisible. How had Karsten found it?
The boys stared in dejected silence. Game over. We’d lost.
“So this is where you plot your little larcenies.” Karsten smirked, amused by his own wit. “How quaint.”
Karsten’s eyes suddenly widened, then narrowed to slits. I followed his sightline.
To Coop.
The puppy was planted before me, legs splayed, ears flat, fur bristling. His lips were curled, revealing glistening white teeth.
Coop’s eyes stayed on Karsten as a low snarl rose from his throat.
“It’s true.” Karsten’s voice trembled with rage. “You took him.”
“Yes,” I said evenly. “We did.”
I stroked Coop’s head. He remained tense, alert to Karsten’s every move. Ready to strike.
“Who told you to do it?” Karsten glanced about, dropped into a chair. His yellow sneakers were splattered with mud. “Who are you working for?”
“What are you t-talking about, m-man?” Shelton stuttered with nervous agitation. “We d-don’t work for an-anybody!”
“Bullshit!” Karsten’s outburst shocked me. I’d never heard him use profanity. “How did you get through the doors, the locks? Don’t insult my intelligence by claiming you acted alone.”
“Sorry, but it’s the truth.” I crossed my arms. “We weren’t even there for the dog. But when we found him, we had no choice.”
“Then why did you break in? And how did you do it? Tell me everything. Now!”
Seeing no other option, I did.
I explained the mad-bomber monkey. The crusted dog tag. The sonicator. Stumbling upon the secret lab. Discovering the story of Katherine Heaton. Finding the skeleton. Being shot at in the dark.
Karsten was quiet for a very long time. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer.
“You actually found a body?”
“We did,” Ben said.
“Katherine Heaton.” I watched for a reaction. “But gunmen chased us away. On your island.”
Karsten’s eyes went far away.
“Katherine Heaton.” Barely audible. “All my years on Loggerhead, she was there all the time.”
I was surprised. His sadness appeared genuine.
Nevertheless, I pressed.
“You were angry we brought the police. And you have access to monkey bones. That makes you a suspect.”
“Stupid girl!” The acid was back in his voice. “Katherine and I were classmates at St. Andrew’s High. She was a friend, a fellow lover of science.” A bony finger jabbed the air in my direction. “I was devastated by Katherine’s disappearance. Don’t speak of things you know nothing about!”
“I’m sorry.” I was. Karsten’s words rang true. “But someone buried Katherine Heaton on Loggerhead Island. That someone stopped us from revealing that we’d found her remains.”
Karsten’s eyes drifted. For a moment he seemed to debate with himself. Then he refocused.
“I have no idea. Katherine’s death is a very cold case. One unlikely ever to be solved.” Karsten stood. “You children have committed a serious crime. More serious than you know.”
“We’re not the only ones,” Hi shot back. “Your twisted experiment was unauthorized.”
Karsten straightened his glasses. “Is that so?”
“It is. We found proof this afternoon.” I couldn’t help myself. “Did you enjoy the aquarium?”
Karsten stiffened.
I poured it on.
“You don’t list your sick tests on the official register.” I pulled the deposit slip from my pocket. “And you’ve been taking money on the side. How’s that work, Dr. Karsten?”
Karsten’s face went ashen. His hands trembled, curled into fists.
For the first time, I felt fear. Was the man crazy? Desperate? We were alone out there, miles from help.
Instead of lashing out, Karsten removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When the thick lenses were repositioned, a different man peered through them.
“You’re right,” he said quietly.
Excuse me?
“My project was secret. Illegal.” He inhaled deeply. Exhaled. “I pray I haven’t caused irreparable damage.”
“Like torturing an innocent puppy?” I demanded.
Karsten glanced at Coop. Coop growled.
“Why’d you do it?” Ben asked.
Karsten shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try us.”
“To save millions of canines from untimely deaths. To create a cure for parvo, not just a vaccine.” The thin lips drew up in a humorless smile. “And yes, to make a fortune doing it.”
As before, Karsten’s demeanor changed without warning. His fist slammed his palm.
“I took every precaution! That door was supposed to be impenetrable. No one knew of that lab but me.”
“If that was your goal, why not get approval?” Shelton asked. “Why sneak around?”
“I know why.”
Eight eyes shifted to me. I could feel Karsten trying to read my mind.
“Dr. Karsten created a new virus. A dangerous experimental strain. A hybrid of canine parvo and Parvovirus B19.”
Karsten appeared to shrink in on himself. “How could you possibly know that?” he whispered.
“We saw the clipboard by Coop’s enclosure. You infected Coop with something called Parvovirus XPB-19.” I glanced at Shelton and Hi. “Tonight we learned about a human strain called Parvovirus B19. Doesn’t take a genius to do the math.”
Defeated, Karsten didn’t bother to protest.
“The names could be coincidence,” I went on. “But that’s not how I know.”
“Then how?” he asked quietly.
“Because we caught it, Dr. Karsten. We’ve been infected.” I spread my arms wide. “You turned us into Virals.”
CHAPTER 52
“You’ve been sick?” Karsten blanched. “Describe your symptoms.”
He moved one yellow-sneakered foot in my direction. A growl from Coop drove him back into his chair.
“What are you experiencing?” He studied me like a bug on a pin. “Tell me! Leave nothing out.”
No one spoke.
“I’m the only one who can help you,” Karsten pleaded. “You must believe me. I never meant to harm anyone. You know how hard I tried to maintain security.”
Right,” Hi snorted. “Try changing the default code next time.”
“Default? What? That code was supposed to be randomly generated!”
Ignoring him, I looked a question at the others.
“How can we trust him?” Shelton was skittish.
Karsten answered. “You’re infected with a dangerous variant of parvovirus.” He held up his hands. “What I did was stupid. I admit it. We’re past that now. We need to make sure your lives aren’t at risk.”
Shelton still looked dubious. I couldn’t read Hi or Ben.
Fingers steepled, Karsten spoke in a lecturing tone.
“Tory guessed correctly. I inserted DNA from canine parvovirus into the genetic code for B19. I was searching for a mechanism to weaken the canine form.”
Karsten looked from face to face.
“I’ll never know if the approach would have been successful. I destroyed the new strain immediately after the dog was stolen. The paperwork, too.”
“Why destroy it?” I asked.
“Testing indicated the virus might have the potential to infect humans. I hadn’t followed proper protocols. When I lost containment, I panicked. My credentials were at stake.”
“Your credentials!?!” Hi exploded.
“Let me make this right!” Karsten practically begged.
“Let’s tell him,” Ben said.
A beat, then Hi and Shelton nodded.
I told Karsten about the blackouts. The nausea. The fatigue. The chills and sweats. All of it. His shoulders drooped more with each new detail.
