Cloud Dust: RD-1 (R-D #1)(60)

"I hope you know that I wanted to halt the Program after the first volunteers died. That was taken out of my hands."

"You don't have much love for the previous occupant of the White House, do you?" I asked.

"None. I begged him to stop, but he already had the product and ordered the study to continue, with or without me. The only reason I stayed with it was to protect the ones I could—the ones who survived. When President Sanders was elected, I didn't feel quite as obligated—she wanted to protect the survivors as well. That's why I went on my Antarctic expedition—to clear my mind."

"Any luck with that?" Rafe asked.

"Not much."

"You thought that since the animal trials were successful, and your first human recipient—you—was a success, you felt it was safe to give to others," I said.

"Yes. That turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. You have no idea how much I regret that. It was simple enough—we found by trial and error, almost, that an older animal would become young again. When I tested the drug on myself, I discovered it had other benefits."

"What benefits?"

"I can heal many illnesses. Sadly, I cannot heal anyone who is destined to die after taking the drug. I tried that. It didn't work."

"Has Colonel Hunter given you information on those sent to eliminate us?" Rafe asked. "Several of them appear to be clones—exact replicas, down to their fingerprints."

"That is frightening," Richard murmured. "Do we still have the bodies? Might I have a look?"

"I believe you should ask," I said.

*

Notes—Colonel Hunter

"I'd be more than happy to let you examine them. The President ordered that the bodies be held without further examination until she found someone she trusted," I said. Richard Farrell sat in my office, asking questions after having a conversation with Corinne.

I shouldn't have been surprised.

"We have one other we captured alive, but he refuses to talk," I said. "We can't identify him, either, but so far we haven't found any replicas of him."

"I'd like to take a look," Dr. Farrell said. "At all of them."

"You're hired," I said. "How soon can you start?"

"Immediately, although I'll need equipment and supplies to run tests."

"If you can solve this riddle for us, I think you can have anything you want."

*

Corinne

It's amazing what can be accomplished in a short time with sufficient motivation. Dr. Farrell had a makeshift lab built in the villa's garages in less than a week. During that time, I knew Nick was closing in on Becker and Gene.

I hoped he'd call for help if he needed it. Auggie hadn't asked me for a report in the last six hours, although I could tell he was getting fidgety. After a brief training session, Maye had been sent to work at the Smithsonian.

She was equipped with tiny cameras and a wire, which several people at the villa monitored. She was posing as a staff photographer, who would be looking for ideal candidates among visitors to include in a brochure. She'd be backed up by several agents, too, who'd come running if she spotted the quarry. I had the idea that Mary Evans would show up, I just didn't know how or when at the moment.

"Bodies just arrived," Ilya said, pulling a curtain back and peeking through the blinds on one of our windows.

"Great. I really don't want to see them, but if it's necessary," I shrugged and kept typing. Yes, I was back to writing the book, but I'd hit the backspace key more than I'd typed words in the past three days.

More than anything, I wanted answers to the puzzles we'd been handed to solve, but without the proper people, I couldn't get to them.

Dr. Farrell agreed to keep Ilya's invisibility trick secret—for now. If the enemy learned of it, they'd know to look for ways around it.

"Ilya?" I stopped typing.

"Cabbage?"

"I think Auggie's about to be hit with divorce papers."

"Not good."

"Very not good. I understand how his wife might be tired of being alone all the time, but this isn't the best time for him to have that pain in his life."

"Should we tell him?"

"Honey, that's a terrible idea."

"What about Dr. Shaw?"

"I don't know," I leaned my head back and moaned.

"I know this troubles you, but it is not your difficulty to sort."

"But if Auggie is distracted, we have a problem."

"Possibly," he agreed. "What about Nick?"

"I think tonight's the night."

"I will be quite interested to see if he survives this."

"That makes two of us."

"How long before we can couple again?" His fingers dropped to my temples and rubbed them gently.

"I don't know. Maybe you should e-mail Leo. I don't have a headache at the moment."

"I don't wish to be the reason you get one."

"Who do you think is sending assassins after you?" I asked. He pulled his hand away.

"Baikov. If he suspects I still live, he will do his best to kill me."