“So we don’t have the same blood type?” I asked, not entirely sure what I was looking at.
“Actually, I chose Holly because you do have the same blood type,” Abe explained. “But the presence of the protein, which would normally attach to the enzyme that would kill her, is confusing her blood cells. But look at this.” He put a fresh slide onto the microscope and pulled out a dropper of liquid. The blob of liquid dissipated and Holly’s blood cells now had the same blue halo as mine. “Now let me add yours,” he muttered, dropping some of my blood onto the slide. This time I could see the difference. My blood and Holly’s now seemed to peacefully coexist.
“So wait a minute,” I said, suddenly realizing what Abe was implying. “Without my enzyme, my blood won’t kill a vampire, but my DNA won’t mix unless they have the protein halos. So by adding that, someone could disguise themselves as me.”
“I don’t think they intend to simply disguise themselves,” he said. “The process used to wrap Dr. Hayward’s DNA around Dr. Mielieu’s was similar, but since Dr. Hayward has no enzyme, there was nothing to suppress. In your case, I think they intend to reverse the process once the protein is established. This is what they’ve been looking for all along, Lucy. A way to have both immunity to the enzyme and your abilities.”
I let that sink in for a moment. I knew that there had been labs that had somehow gotten their hands on my DNA for the purpose of creating super vampires because Cynda was living proof that it had worked. But as far as we knew, no one had yet figured out how to adapt my DNA for their own purposes. Until now, apparently.
“Okay, I get why someone would do that to me, but why Cynda?” I asked. “Even if they knew she had the same abilities as me, what was the point in poisoning both of us?”
“Several reasons,” he said with a grim look. “We already know that this Laurie woman had contact with Blackthorn, so it is likely that she knows Cynda shares your DNA. She might have seen Cynda as an easier target if she couldn’t get her hands on you or she might have simply wanted to test the serum to make sure it worked. In fact, didn’t Cynda say she began experiencing symptoms about a week earlier than you?”
“That’s right,” I said with a disgusted frown. “God, that makes me sick. Dr. Mielieu was the one who figured out how to do this, wasn’t she?” I needed someone to blame, even though it didn’t erase any of the guilt I felt over Cynda being dragged into this mess.
“Well, yes and no,” Abe replied with a nervous look. “Initially, yes, I believe she must have figured this out, but there has been a bit of a complication on that end as well.”
“What, she isn’t cooperating?”
“Oh no, she’s very cooperative and very willing to work against whoever did what they did to her. But the problem is what they did.”
“And what was that?” I asked.
“They erased her memory of the formula,” he said flatly. “Instead of reverse engineering, we’ve been working together to figure out her original method.”
“You have got to be kidding me!” My hopes of living a normal life were sunk once again.
“I’m afraid not, but we’re a lot closer now that we know what the significance of the protein is. I’m going to get this information to the doctor immediately and hopefully it will jog her memory.”
“Great,” I said wryly. “In the meantime, what do I have to worry about happening next? Can I even open doors or use the elevator?”
“Of course,” Abe assured me. “The sensors don’t read your blood type, just biometrics.”
“That’s a relief at least.”
“Lucy,” Abe sighed. “Just because you can leave on your own doesn’t mean you should. Don’t forget the most important part of what I’ve told you. You’re still vulnerable to disease, you’re powerless against a vampire attack, and someone who can’t be tracked is looking to assume your identity in the most final of ways.”
“I know,” I huffed. I was getting tired of everyone assuming I was a flight risk. “I’m not going to do anything crazy. I’m just a little tired of being a liability and I’m glad to know I don’t need to be let out of my cage whenever I get hungry. I’ll be a good girl.”
“I’m glad to hear it. And Lucy, don’t get discouraged. This really has been a major revelation in finding the cure.”
“Thanks, Abe,” I said with a sigh and left.
I had just gotten off the elevator in residential when Evan called me. “Are you done with Abe?” His voice was tense.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Would you mind coming up to my office for a moment? We have some… guests who would like to speak with you.”
“On my way,” I said and disconnected the call. Evan’s obvious irritation could only mean one thing. When I got off the elevator, I saw that I was correct.
“Good afternoon, Agent Cervantes, Agent Kurtz,” I said in my most pleasant voice, nodding to each in turn. Cervantes’ head swung back and forth from me to Evan as if she was watching a completely unbelievable tennis match.
“What kind of a joke is this, Conroy?”
Chapter 22
“I assure you, Margaret, this is not a joke,” Evan said with an irritated edge to his voice. “Lucy, as you are well aware, the government is interested in studying your DNA. I’ve explained several times in the past why what they are asking is completely unethical, but our friends here are insistent that they have only the best of intentions. Whether or not I believe them at the moment is moot. Would you care to explain why they are wasting their time?”
I looked from Agent Cervantes to Agent Kurtz, who was uncharacteristically nervous and even seemed to shrink away from my gaze. “Did you verify that they are in fact who they say they are?” I asked Evan. “After all, I imagine it wouldn’t be hard for a mod to fake being Cervantes, considering she’s a vampire.” At that, Agent Kurtz’s eyes widened at his superior, who shot me a withering look. I guess she hadn’t felt the need to disclose that tidbit of information. Color me shocked.
“What exactly is it that you are implying?” she asked me.
“They’re the real deal, Lucy,” Evan assured me. “I made sure of that before they even got out of the garage.”
“Then take it,” I said, smiling wide as I extended my forearm in their direction. I might have allowed my fangs to descend for effect. “Have as much as you need, for all the good it will do you.”
“So it’s true then?” Cervantes asked me. “You no longer carry an elevated enzyme level?”
“Want to kiss me and find out?” I answered flippantly, noting the warning look that Evan shot me. Knowing when to shut my mouth had never been my strong suit and I found that there were certain times when I lost this ability altogether. Unsurprisingly, those times tended to be when there were government agents with overblown senses of importance around.
“Look,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t know what Evan has or hasn’t said, but truth be told, this hasn’t been my day, so I’m sorry for my crass attitude. A while back, I started getting sick, which doesn’t happen to me. Turns out it was because my enzyme levels were dropping. Currently, they’re gone and honestly, that’s the least of my worries right now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Lucy,” Agent Kurtz said. “But if you don’t mind, we’d rather have more than just your word as proof.”
“All of the proof you need is in my appearance,” I shot back. “Do you honestly think I look like this on purpose? But fine, I understand why you wouldn’t believe me. If you need blood, Abe just took a vial not more than an hour ago.” I pushed up my sleeve to show them the bandage in the crook of my arm.
“What about Cynda Gillman?” Cervantes asked Evan. It was all I could do not to slap the agent.
“Cynda is currently suffering the same affliction as Lucy,” Evan replied. “And she’s a minor, so you would need her father’s permission, not mine.”
“Miss Gillman’s parentage is a technicality that we can and will overlook if that’s wh
at it comes to,” Kurtz informed us.
“If you even think about pulling that kind of bullshit, I will not be responsible for my actions,” I warned him in a low growl. “I said you can take mine, but Abe is busy at the moment and no offense, but neither one of you are doctors, so you’ll just have to wait.”
“I’ve sent for Dara,” Evan said, trying to regain order in his office.
“You see, Conroy,” Cervantes said, waving her hand at me. “We’ve given you more than enough time with your experiment, but it’s obvious that rehabilitation doesn’t work. This is why we’re moving ahead with registration.”
“You’re what?” I shrieked.
“Lucy, please calm down,” Evan said with more than a hint of warning this time before turning his anger on the agents. “You and I both know that your proposal is full of flaws and will send this city and the country at large into chaos. Announce to the world that vampires exist, and you’ll only succeed in escalating the culture of fear and ignorance that is already appallingly high.”
“The government is aware of the potential for backlash, Mr. Conroy, but the ends justify the means,” Cervantes countered.
“Do they?” Dara had just come into the office carrying a small medical bag. “I’ve read your proposal, Agent Cervantes, and it is damning not only to the murderers among us, but to you and I as well. By passing this law, not only would I be stripped of every medical license and certificate I’ve earned, I would lose the ability to practice medicine and psychiatry. You would have to step down as head of GTAC and voluntarily wear the label of criminally dangerous, or face incarceration in a facility for the mentally unstable. Or did you think that you were above the very actions that you yourself wrote?”
“That proposal is classified information.” Though her voice was steady, I could see the rage flashing in Cervantes’ eyes.
“You are correct,” Dara replied with a calm smile. “And as the senior psychiatric advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s ethical review liaison, I received a copy of the proposal from the director himself for review.”
“You’re an advisor to the ethics liaison? Isn’t that a conflict of interests?” Cervantes asked.
“Actually, no, it’s protocol,” Agent Kurtz explained with some discomfort. “Advisors to the committee are regularly culled from those of us who are directly involved with the shadow operation in question. As the advisor from GTAC, I too received the proposal this morning.”
For once, Cervantes was speechless. Surprisingly, so was Evan. If he had any idea his wife was an advisor to the ethics committee, he was doing a great job of hiding it.
“Are you ready, Lucy?” Dara asked me. I nodded and held out my arm. She removed the bandage and a small drop of blood beaded on my skin. “Well, that’s a relief,” she said and stuck me with the needle. “I don’t know how I would have found your vein otherwise,” she explained.
“No offense, Dara, but if I didn’t already have a hole in my arm, I would have demanded we wait for Abe,” I said with a small laugh, but I really wasn’t joking. Dara was terrible with needles.
“Will this suffice?” She asked, holding up a small test tube full of my blood.
“That should be plenty,” Cervantes replied, nodding to Kurtz, indicating that he should retrieve the vial.
“It won’t jump out of the tube and bite you,” I added sarcastically, earning me another round of dirty looks, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t exactly having a great day and I was still a little miffed at Evan for treating me like a criminal earlier.
“You’re free to go, Lucy,” Evan informed me. Dara followed me out of the office.
“Okay Lucy, talk to me,” she said as soon as we were on the elevator.
“Where do I start?” I asked with a derisive laugh. “Cervantes isn’t going to be happy when she realizes we weren’t lying about my blood. I swear to god, if she goes after Cynda next, I’ll kill the bitch myself.”
“She won’t,” she promised. “Kurtz will likely be getting a reprimand from the council for demanding yours without alerting them first. After the fiasco with Eclipse, the government isn’t taking any chances. Shadow ops aren’t getting anywhere near as much leeway as they want us to think.”
“Are you sure about that?” I asked. Sure, Cervantes had sent her proposal through the proper channels, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a plan B that she was willing to implement without notice.
“Kurtz and I are by no means the only advisors to the committee,” she replied with a conspiratorial wink. “But Lucy, getting defensive with the government isn’t doing anything to help our cause. What exactly happened before I showed up?”
“Nothing really. But having Cervantes basically call me a wild animal on top of everything else that has gone miserably wrong for me lately was the last straw and I snapped,” I explained as we reached my apartment. “You might as well come in, that is, if you don’t have anything else to do for a while.”
I started a pot of coffee and took a look around the apartment. With the exception of a single jacket hanging on the coat rack, there was no evidence that I shared the apartment with Andre. I found out, well, mostly by stalking him via GPS, that he had been staying in his old room. That was another thing that bothered me. Ben had not been with him for the last couple of days.
“Who has Ben?” I asked.
“Ben is staying with Lona and Miles right now,” she said. “I thought you knew that?”
“No, I haven’t seen him in a week,” I said. “When I got stuck like this, Andre asked me to stay away so that I don’t scare him. I figured that either I’d go back to looking normal or Andre would explain my appearance, but now Andre’s avoiding me. I’m worried that Ben thinks I’m avoiding him because of something he’s done.”
“Andre asked you to hide from Ben?” Dara seemed genuinely confused by this.
“I couldn’t blame him for that at first, but I don’t think I’m changing back any time soon.”
“Andre asked Miles to take him in out of concerns for your health, to protect you from picking up any illnesses he might bring home from school. Ben’s aware of the fact that your appearance changed.”
This was interesting news. As a human-vampire chimera, we learned pretty early into the school year that Ben’s immune system was susceptible to the usual bugs and viruses that went around elementary school classrooms. Had Andre told me he was sending Ben off with Miles and Lona for my own safety, I wouldn’t have questioned his decision. Deliberately telling me that my appearance was terrifying was unnecessarily cruel and sadly, more in line with his heartless behavior earlier today.
“Have you seen Andre lately?” I asked. “I won’t go into all of the details, but it kind of got ugly when he was interrogating me earlier and I get the impression that there’s more going on than some secret mission or big lead.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t seen Andre at all this week either,” Dara said with a sad smile. “I doubt you need to be suspicious, but I can see why you would be upset. Evan doesn’t always mention his secret missions to me. I admit that this caused some setbacks early in our relationship. It took a long time for me to accept that he wasn’t running around behind my back every time I couldn’t reach him.”
“Do you think that might be because you’re a ‘secret’ member of the ethics committee?” I asked, putting air quotes around the word secret.
“Oh, believe me, Evan was just as surprised as Cervantes was when I let that one slip,” she said with a chuckle. “Not that I couldn’t have told him if he asked,” she added hastily. “But no, Evan didn’t know that I report to the committee, so whatever his reasons for being tightlipped about what Andre has been up to had nothing to do with that.”
I dropped the subject. I was still determined to find out what Andre was hiding from me, but as I spoke to Dara, I began formulating a plan and I didn’t want to give her any reason to suspect that I might be up to something. Instead, I spent the next hour telling her a
ll of my other worries, including the guilt I felt over Dr. Hayward’s disappearance and the fact that everyone else, from Evan to the government, seemed to have written her off as dead.
“Not everyone,” she informed me. “Your father has been the biggest advocate for trying to locate the missing agents as well as the doctor. I think he feels just as responsible as you do.”
“I feel bad. I kind of got snappy with him for flirting with Dr. Hayward,” I admitted.
“That’s natural,” Dara assured me.
“Yeah, but I can’t help feeling responsible. Maybe if I had encouraged him instead, Dr. Hayward might have come out here or he might have stayed out there and she’d be safe.”
“Lucy,” Dara looked at me with a laugh. “I’ve known your father since high school. The only woman he’s ever been interested in was your mother. Even if he was interested in Dr. Hayward, I doubt he would have dropped everything to start a relationship. You can’t beat yourself up over this any more than he can. If she’s alive, we’ll find her.”
She was right, but it was still a big if. After making me promise that I wasn’t going to do anything crazy, like pick any more fights with the government, Dara left. This gave me just enough time to take a short nap before putting my own plan into action. I might have promised I wouldn’t get in trouble with the government, but I never promised I wouldn’t try to find out what everyone was trying to keep from me.
Getting out unnoticed would be the easy part. Kaylee, one of the vampires who lived at headquarters, was working the night shift at G2, so I told her to wait, and I’d walk with her under the guise of having business with the new vamps. As long as she was the one to use her credentials to open the doors, there would be no record of me leaving the building.
Becoming truly invisible was the harder part. Even though I wasn’t registering on the hemograph, my phone was still connected to the network, which meant that even if I turned off my GPS, the phone’s main processor held a nearly indestructible transmitter that was always connected to the main computer. Besides, I needed my GPS to ensure that I wouldn’t accidentally run into other members of the team. Fortunately, I had a way around this as well, but pulling it off was going to require some of my best sleight of hand work yet.
The Eyes of the Sun: The Complete Trilogy Page 84
