The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(82)

Dr. Curran turned onto the road leading to the SWD Facility. “Did you ask Chief Defender Solomon?”

“No. Not really. She did say something about not having a choice.”

“Really?”

The pod car swerved through the entrance of the SWD Facility. The sensors immediately scanned the car and the gates opened once Dr. Curran and Lindsey were identified as having clearance.

“What are you getting at?” Lindsey asked pointedly. The doctor was definitely giving off a very disquieting vibe.

Dr. Curran remained silent for an unnerving couple of seconds, then said, “The chief defender chose the first objective.” Pulling into a parking area, Dr. Curran let the words sink in.

“I don’t understand,” Lindsey stuttered. “Why would she lie?”

Lindsey and Torran had both regarded Beta City as a bad choice for a mission. Solomon had appeared to agree with them. If she’d chosen Beta City, why hadn’t she told them? Furthermore, why would she even want to go to Beta City?

Parking the pod car, Dr. Curran’s usual stoic expression melted into a more pensive one. “That’s what you should ask yourself and then find an answer. You’re a very clever young woman. I’ve noticed that. You should have been SWD, you know. Not Constabulary. Your gifts are wasted. To have your mind on my team...”

“I am on your team, aren’t I?” Lindsey’s words were clipped. After the warning from both Commandant Pierce and Petra, she was feeling very on edge and defensive.

Dr. Curran settled back in her chair and stared at the black granite wall that encircled the SWD Facility. Finally, she broke her silence. “Those who follow blindly will be blind when danger comes.” With that comment, she opened the doors and slid out.

Lindsey immediately scrambled out of the car and rushed around to confront the scientist. “What do you mean? What’s going on? What do you know?”

Dr. Curran smirked. “That’s the thing, Lindsey. I don’t know what is going on. I’m much in the dark as you are about certain aspects of our mission. At one point, I was foolish enough to believe that at last my eyes were open to all the dark secrets of The Bastion, but now I suspect I am as blind as those poor souls rushing about in the city.”

Lindsey gave the woman a dubious look. Wasn’t Dr. Curran part of the grand conspiracy? “So what you’re saying is that you don’t trust the chief defender.”

“Ah, Vanguard Rooney. I don’t trust anyone.”

“But you’re talking to me.”

“Only because I believe you’re clever enough to sort out what is going on and perhaps enlighten me.”

That remark definitely made Lindsey uncomfortable. How many people knew about her secret abilities? Perhaps they weren’t as secret as she had presumed. It seemed best to not address the hidden meaning laced within the scientist’s words. “I have no reason to even like you. Especially after what you did to my best friend.”

“I liked Maria,” Dr. Curran snapped. “I liked her quite a lot. I did what I felt was best. I erred in some ways, but I had the best of intentions.”

The women glared at each other, and Lindsey had the desire to unleash all her frustrations on the scientist, but refrained. It wouldn’t benefit her to make Dr. Curran her enemy, especially if things were not quite as they seemed with the chief defender.

“I know Maria volunteered, but you had no right to lie to her. You told her there was a cure.”

“The mission was rushed. I wasn’t given the time to find a cure.”

“But you lied to her, and that wasn’t right.”

“I understand that, but we had no choice. I had no choice. I wasn’t pleased with the mission being hurried. I wanted to cure those soldiers. I didn’t want them to die. I gave Maria a different virus because I hoped it would return her to life and provide a cure. I actually liked her quite a lot. Her strength of will, character, and athleticism exemplify the best of humanity.”

Lindsey bristled a bit. The scientist described her friend like she was a specimen. Yet, she wasn’t about to argue that point. Because of the scientist, Maria wasn’t safely inside The Bastion but somewhere out in the dead world and the focus of a manhunt.

“The one thing you need to recognize, Vanguard Rooney, is that nothing and no one is what they seem in this city.”

With that parting comment, the scientist briskly walked away.

Lindsey considered following, but thought better of it. The ride back to the SWD Facility had bought her a little time before the excursion to the Notre Dame Depot. Her nerves a tangled mess, she hurried along the walkway toward the building that housed the squad’s headquarters. The crisp wind tore at her hair, and she fussed with it. At times, she wanted to cut it, but then she remembered her father gently brushing her hair and dismissed the impulse. In a strange way, her long locks were a memorial to him.

Hobbes unexpectedly joined her trek just as she neared the building. “Vanguard Rooney,” he said, and the words sounded teasing.

“Hobbes,” she said, eyeing him warily.

“So after today’s big haul, would you be up for drinks?” Hobbes cocked his head to look down at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Well, if the answer is yes, I am. If not, it’s totally a group thing. All the squad getting together to celebrate. Master Seeker MacDonald already agreed to go.”