The Immortality Virus

by Christine Amsden

  Grace turned to leave. She did not hesitate as she strode to the door. She knew Matt wasn’t bluffing–if she walked off this case now she’d be dead or worse–but she wasn’t bluffing either. If that was the consequence, then so be it. She didn’t think she’d survive the case anyway. It had always been a risk.

  She had almost reached the elevator when Lucas called for her to stop. She hesitated, turned, and saw Matt striding across the spacious lobby. He looked out of place outside his office. Or maybe it was his flustered expression that looked out of place.

  “Please step back into my office, Ms. Harper.”

  She knew she had won, but she did not so much as smile at her victory while she followed the old timer back into his office. Suddenly, his hair looked grayer and his face looked more lined. She had a sudden sense of standing in the presence of living history and realized if aging returned to normal, such living records would no longer exist.

  Mr. Stanton closed the door and poured himself a tall glass of water. “We may be here for a while. Would you like some?”

  He held up the pitcher of water. Grace had a sudden flash of Ethan, offering her a glass of water to accompany a meal that should have been her last.

  “Grace?”

  “Um, yes, that’s fine.”

  He lifted an eyebrow, but did not inquire further. He carried two tall glasses of water to his desk, placed one in front of her, and sat down. “Please, sit.”

  She did.

  He pulled from his drawer another diary, much like the one he had given her save this one looked older somehow. She knew instantly that this was the original. The other had been an incomplete copy.

  “There are hundreds of years worth of messages on this diary,” Matt said. “Far too many for me to play for you now. Jordan continued to dictate messages to his wife, even after she died. I don’t think he ever quite believed she was dead. He often spoke of, ‘Not believing it until he saw her grave.’”

  “You’ve listened to all of them?” Grace asked.

  “Yes,” Matt said. “I found it shortly after my father died and I spent most of the rest of that week listening, though I already knew what much of it said.”

  “I’ll take a summary, if it’s honest,” Grace said.

  “No lies,” Matt said. “I was hoping you wouldn’t need the whole truth. I convinced myself Jordan went off to find Alex and that would be the end of it. He speaks of Alex often throughout the years.”

  “Then why didn’t you just go yourself?” Grace asked.

  “Jordan is still proud of what he did all those years ago. I’m asking him to turn it all upside down. I wasn’t sure he’d come willingly.”

  “So then my job is to–what? You want me to capture him for you?”

  “Possibly,” Matt said. “I’m hoping not. I did offer him freedom.”

  It took Grace a moment to parse the meaning of that. “You know where he’s been the last four hundred years, don’t you?”

  “He’s been right here in this building,” Matt said. “I only found out three months ago, but my father knew, of course. He found him after Jordan fled from the scene of that murder and offered him a job in exchange for not turning Jordan over to the police.”

  “A job to come back here and finish what he started?” Grace asked.

  Matt nodded. “My father had him. I think he knew Jordan didn’t really kill those people, but he was a pretty ruthless man. Jordan grew to hate him.”

  Something in his tone made Grace think to ask, “As you hated him?”

  Matt shrugged. “Hate is such a strong word. It definitely fits Jordan, though. My father convinced him that creating and releasing that virus would serve all humanity. Jordan still believes it. Hang on.” He pressed an old-fashioned power button on the portable diary and said, “Play entry from July 16, 2050.”

  My Dearest Margaret, It’s July 16, 2050,

  Mr. Stanton came to talk to me again today. He’s the sorriest sack of shit I’ve ever run across. Pardon my language. He expects me to believe after I get this virus released, he’ll help clear my name and get Chrissy put in jail where she belongs. Why would he do that? He’s got me right where he wants me, and it won’t stop with this virus. Mark my word. If I live for an eternity, it will be here.

  But it doesn’t matter. I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing it for you. When the virus is released, you’ll be well again.

  I love you,

  Jordan

  When the recording stopped, Grace asked, “Didn’t his wife die back in March of 2050?”

  “Yes,” Matt confirmed. “It would be another year before my father told him, just after the release of the virus. In case you’re interested, that was September 3, 2051. A strange flu epidemic hit the world that fall. A handful of people died but most recovered in a few days. Nobody ever put that small and short-lived epidemic together with the timing of The Change. Most people are convinced it happened a decade later.”

  They fell into silence for a minute as Grace let the weight of the information fall down around her. Then she found herself wondering something else: Why hide this?

  It didn’t take long for her to answer her own question: Because Jordan’s the one who killed Mr. Stanton Sr., with Matt’s help. She wondered if more recent diary entries would have details.

  If it did, it was the proof the Kansas City Establishment needed. She realized she had what she needed to take Matt down if she had to–which was exactly why he hadn’t told her this.

  “You said you intended to let Jordan go?” Grace asked.

  “I did let Jordan go,” Matt said. “I thought he would continue to help me anyway. He said he would, but perhaps I should have realized four hundred years would make even the most honorable man lie for his freedom.”

  “When did you let him go?” Grace asked.

  Matt hesitated.

  “It was the day your father died, wasn’t it?” Grace asked. “The day you stole the holosuit.” She stopped and reconsidered. “Wait–Jordan has the holosuit, doesn’t he? The man could look like anyone and you didn’t see fit to tell me?”

  Matt shook his head. “You don’t understand.”

  She understood plenty. She understood she could have been staring straight at Jordan and never have known it. For all she knew, Matt could be Jordan. “Enlighten me.”

  He glanced out the window and then back at Grace. “Do you see that?” He gestured outside. “You think I’m an evil man–I can tell–but that’s what I’ve been trying to solve for longer than I can remember. I’ve got my own fortune, I didn’t need my father’s, although he had considerably more than I did. I just wanted to find a way to help them. Nutri-bar drops almost cause more harm than good, though I did my share of those. Birth restrictions don’t work on the unregistered masses. Some thought we should do more nutri-bar drops and put birth control in them, but I couldn’t bring myself to force medication on people.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Grace asked.

  “You said you wanted enlightenment,” Matt said. “It’s a slow process.”

  Grace shut up and leaned back in her chair, just listening. She was still predisposed to dislike this man who had lied to her, thrown her in harm’s way without enough information, and who was probably doing all this for his own selfish reasons, but she could hear him out.

  “I bet Ethan Lacklin put all kinds of strange notions in your head about me when he held you captive. I should have expected that. He’s a liar. He’ll say or do anything to get what he wants.”

  Matt took a sip of water. “The day I hired you, you gave my spy the slip. I fired him and put three men on you. I’m not sure what you did after that until Sam contacted me to say you were with him. What were you doing during that time?”

  She had been at the police station, but she couldn’t tell him that. She searched for a lie, but found none forthcoming.

  “I’m not the only one keeping secrets, am I? I had a feeling the rest of The Establishment would be
after you. They probably took you to the police department. No, don’t argue. They’re after my blood and would use anyone or anything against me. They probably didn’t so much ask whether I killed my father, but rather whether you had proof.”

  Grace worked to keep her expression impassive.

  “I didn’t kill my father,” Matt said, “but there is definitely enough circumstantial evidence for them. They just want to warn their own offspring away from killing them. I don’t know why they bothered to have kids if they were so scared of them.”

  “Are you suggesting,” Grace began, “that you stole the holosuit to free Jordan, but he then killed your father of his own accord?”

  “Yes,” Matt said. “After that, it became essential I find him quickly, which is why I hired you. You’re the best. I needed that, blacklist or no, and I thought–mistakenly it seems–that The Establishment may have forgotten you by now.”

  “And you didn’t tell me all of this because you don’t trust me?” Grace asked.

  “Would it have made a difference?” Matt asked. “The logical place to start was still Alexander Lacklin. And now things are even more critical. Too many people have reasoned out what you’re after. If we don’t find Jordan before someone else does...”

  He dropped the end of that sentence, but Grace didn’t fill it in the way she thought he wanted her to. If Matt didn’t find Jordan, then someone else would have the secret to immortality. Someone who might take away his own chance at it.

  Or, came a small voice at the back of her mind, someone like Ethan, who would destroy the source of the information and make sure the world continued to suffer.

  Compared to that, was Matt so bad? She didn’t know. She needed time to think.

  And what of Jordan? What did he want? If she turned him over to anyone at all, he would be a prisoner. The man only remained free so long as he remained unidentified.

  “Grace, will you finish this case?” Matt asked.

  “If I can,” was all Grace would commit to.

  Chapter 25

  As Grace rode the elevator down to the lobby, she wanted nothing more than to escape the building, clear her head, maybe get a good night’s sleep, and talk to Alex. She knew finding Jordan was time sensitive, but just at the moment she couldn’t decide if Matt was a friend or foe–murderer or victim. Maybe all of the above.

  She practically ran into Sam as she flew out of the elevator. Damn. She’d wanted to leave without running into him.

  “Are you my new chaperone?” Grace asked when Sam fell into step beside her. “I don’t need you.”

  “Matt feels differently,” Sam said. He wasn’t smiling. “He said I should stay with you until this is over.”

  That could present a problem. She’d told Alex to meet her back at her apartment. She’d even given him the code combination. Somehow, she didn’t think Sam would approve of her being so friendly with Lacklin’s grandson–on a personal or professional level.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Grace said. Then, because she couldn’t think of anything else to say, “I work alone.”

  “There’s one for the cliché hall of fame,” Sam said. “You don’t have a choice, though, and neither do I.”

  She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. There were too many battles to fight; maybe this wasn’t one worth fighting.

  They didn’t speak on the way back to Grace’s apartment. He became her silent shadow as she ducked through crowds and pushed her way onto trains, completely unconcerned as to whether he could keep up or not. He did, but that didn’t surprise her. They had both lived in the city for a long time and knew how to navigate the public transit system.

  Finally, as they entered Grace’s apartment building, Sam spoke. He had to grab Grace by the wrist to get her attention. “Wait.”

  “What?”

  “Before you get to work, I just want you to know that I’m still your friend.”

  “Sam, we’ve never been friends.” In fact, she’d had precious few friends in her lifetime. Everyone in her life seemed to want something from her, including her mom and sister who only called when there wasn’t a man in their lives.

  “That’s true,” Sam said. “Then maybe I should say I’d like to become your friend. It’s been a long time. We had a lot in common and I bet we still do.”

  They probably did. All the more reason not to become friends. It wasn’t what she wanted from Sam. It never had been.

  “There’s someone at my apartment,” Grace told him by way of changing the subject.

  “Oh?” Sam’s face fell. “A man?”

  “Yes, a man. Alexander Lacklin.”

  It took Sam a minute to register the name. She could tell when he did. “Jordan’s grandson? What’s he doing here?”

  “He helped me escape and saved my life. Now, he wants to help me find his grandfather.”

  “But not for Matt,” Sam said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Sam pursed his lips but didn’t say anything else about it until they reached her apartment. She started to enter the code when he put a hand over hers to stop her. “Don’t trust him. Don’t trust anyone.”

  “Don’t worry. I haven’t trusted anyone in a very long time.” She meant it as a jab and it seemed to work, because he withdrew his hand.

  She punched in the code and opened the door, preparing herself for any number of reactions from Alex or Sam. But she didn’t prepare for the fact that Alex wasn’t alone.

  Chapter 26

  Grace didn’t see a face at first, just a mass of unruly brown hair. It came at her with a guttural cry as if from a wounded animal. Grace blocked a feeble punch and held the arms at bay while she studied the face.

  “Meg!”

  “How dare you?” Meg said. “I told you I was happy there! How dare you make them let me go?”

  Alex came up behind Meg and took her gently by the arms. She turned and buried her face in his chest, sobbing. Part of Grace wanted to tell her to get her paws off him, but most of her just wanted to know why she was so upset.

  “What’s going on here?” Grace asked.

  “I found her in the hallway when I arrived this morning,” Alex said. “She came in just ahead of the army, from the sounds of it. My sister let her go, just like you asked.”

  “I told you I was happy!” Meg screamed again. “I had a home there.”

  “But you’re free here.” Grace heard the pleading tone in her voice. She thought Meg might take some time to adjust, but she hadn’t really considered that the girl would resent her for setting her free. Why hadn’t she? Arrogance, probably. That and she hadn’t had a real friend in too long. Maybe never.

  “What am I supposed to do here? Live in a trash can? I have no skills.”

  “You were learning to read,” Grace pointed out. “I’ll teach you. You can be my assistant.”

  Meg turned slightly to look at Grace. Her eyes were red and puffy. “It’s not really freedom if I don’t choose it.”

  Grace lowered her eyes to the floor. She hated shame. It was the worst emotion. It meant she had done something wrong. “I’m sorry. When this is all over, I’ll take you back.”

  Meg swallowed, hard. She didn’t respond, though. She let go of Alex and made her way through the only door in the apartment–the one leading to Grace’s bedroom.

  “I think she’ll be okay after she’s had some time to adjust,” Alex said. “She just doesn’t know what to do. I’ve been trying to reason with her all day.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t just stand in the doorway,” Sam said. She’d almost forgotten he was there.

  “Right.” They walked inside and Grace closed the door. Alex eyed Sam, but didn’t say anything. He just waited for Grace’s introduction. “Alex, this is Sam.”

  “Good evening!” chirped the voice locked in Grace’s computer terminal. Her face turned scarlet as she realized it had responded to its name–Sam. Most unfortunately, both Sam and Alex realized the same thing.r />
  “The ex-boyfriend.” Alex’s face was impassive, but she thought she saw the edges of his lips curl downward.

  Sam had a strange half-smile on his face.

  “Um, look, we have work to do here.” Grace walked as casually as she could over to her computer terminal and removed the power pack.

  “Poor Sam,” Sam said.

  Grace didn’t look at him. “Can we focus?”

  Sam smiled and nodded once. Alex glared at him but also nodded. If she’d been a different type of person, she might have enjoyed the tension between them.

  “I don’t think Jordan is in the city. The trouble is there’s no way out right now.”

  “Matt might be able to help get us out,” Sam said, “But where do you think he is?”

  She’d been giving this a lot of thought and only one place made sense: The cabin where he had hidden out while on the run from the law. It would be a familiar pattern for him. She described her theory to Alex and Sam.

  “It’s a good place to check,” Alex said slowly, “but I’m not sure I agree. My uncle was waiting for someone to come looking for Grandpa. If Grandpa got in touch with him, if he was hiding out at the same place he’d hidden before...”

  “Then Ethan probably already has him,” Grace said. “Would Ethan kill his own father?”

  Alex shrugged. “He was willing to kill me. If he’s got Grandpa then I don’t think we’ve got much hope of finding him alive.”

  Grace considered for a moment and then shook her head. “If Ethan had Jordan, would he have been so panicked?”

  “Maybe, if he thought Grandpa left a trail others could follow.”

  Great. She had no means to launch a rescue mission if Ethan had Jordan. Maybe Matt did, but she would need to make sure Ethan had the man first.

  “Ethan lives in St. Louis,” Grace said. “Either way, we need to leave the city.”

  “I can talk to Matt,” Sam said, “but there will be people following us wherever we go. If we go tearing off after Jordan without backup, somebody else is likely to get to him first. Or Ethan will kill him.”