The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(109)

The older woman gingerly touched the bruise. “There was some conflict earlier, yes. Vanguard Rooney, do you know who’s holding us?”

“Us?” Lindsey stared at the scientist distrustfully.

Dr. Curran pulled up a chair and sat down between the two beds where Lindsey and Torran were restrained. “Yes, us.”

“You’re not shackled.”

“I’m not a potential troublemaker.” Dr. Curran sighed, clenched her hands together, and set them on her lap.

“That’s what the bruise is from? Them making sure you weren’t a troublemaker?”

“I admit I had a bit of a temper tantrum. Considering that I attempted to kill one of Solomon’s people, I got off a bit easy.”

“And they need you.”

Dr. Curran bitterly laughed. “You’ve figured some of it out, haven’t you?”

“They want the virus, so they’re going to need someone who knows how to work with it to ensure it’s properly handled. They’ll also need someone who can create the vaccines, administer it in proper dosages, and all that shit.” Lindsey flopped back onto the flat pillow beneath her head. She didn’t see the point of trying to sit up with her legs bound. “Plus, you created Maria.”

“They hoped I knew where she’s hiding. They were under the false impression I helped save her. They didn’t know I encouraged the castellan to kill her to protect The Bastion. They were surprised when I told them.”

“You’re a f*ckin’ bitch,” Lindsey snarled.

Dr. Curran shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“All of this is your fault.”

Eyes flashing with fury, Dr. Curran leaned toward Lindsey. “If not for me, humanity would not have a chance at survival right now.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but you created a weapon against humanity that the Gaia Cult is going to use to wipe us out!” Lindsey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ceiling, not wanting to even look at the scientist.

“Of course, the Gaia Cult doesn’t see it quite that way. They feel they’re saving the best of humanity by starting a new world with like-minded people that will do away with all tech, return to the basics, and start again. They’ll leave places like this to rot away until it’s nothing more than a memory.”

“And to do that they need immunity like Maria’s.” Lindsey snorted with contempt.

“Exactly.”

“So they kidnapped you, too.”

“Yes, they did.”

“When?”

Dr. Curran stood and leaned over Lindsey so she was forced to look her in the eye. “I know you’re angry, but you’re not the only one suffering right now. Yesterday, no one returned to The Bastion. Solomon’s tiltrotor fired on the transports and destroyed them before they reached the mountain range.”

“They destroyed the food?” Lindsey stared at Dr. Curran in shock. “Killed the transport crews? Why?”

“Malice? Vengeance? Who knows?

“But the transports must have sent out a mayday.”

“Carter rigged a communication suppression system that didn’t allow the transports to call for help.”

“Carter?” Lindsey tried to wrap her mind around the idea of Carter, with his massive build and goofy grin, being a mastermind behind a suppression system.

“Yes, Carter.”

“Of course, your tiltrotor was sabotaged so it would crash into the river. That had been carefully planned out. There was a violent takeover on the remaining tiltrotor. Anyone not Gaia Cult or deemed essential to their plans was killed. There was a scuffle. I tried to kill Yates and Solomon hit me. When I awakened, we had already arrived here. I was interrogated for hours. Finally, they concluded I really don’t know where Maria is located. So then they settled in to wait for Franklin to check in. She never did. So this morning they went looking for you and happened across you on the monorail tracks.”

“So I suppose they want me to lead them to Maria.”

“They do.”

“I have no idea where she is,” Lindsey answered truthfully.

Dr. Curran pressed her lips together in a grim line, slightly shaking her head.

The room was probably being monitored. Was this her interrogation? Did she just doom herself? “I know where she was weeks ago,” Lindsey added, uncertainty filling her. Glancing at Torran fearfully, Lindsey’s heart sped up.

Noticing where Lindsey was looking, Dr. Curran said, “As for Master Seeker MacDonald, they have high hopes he’ll be joining them. His psych test reveals a man who’s very unhappy with the status quo of the city.”

“And you’ve joined them?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Dr. Curran gave her a bitter smile.

Swallowing the hard lump of dread in her throat, Lindsey said, “We all have choices. They just might be hard to live with.”

“Especially if those choices make you very dead.”

“You suspected Solomon of being Gaia Cult, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but I also thought I had more time to put the pieces together.” Dr. Curran sighed, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. “Of course, I shared my suspicions with the one person I trusted more than any other, but she assured me I was being overly imaginative.”