Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(87)
“Seven of us,” I whispered mostly to myself.
Dr. DeWeese’s face turned toward me. “What did you say?”
“I said ‘seven of us.’ There were seven in the control group.”
“Seven of the control group survived. That’s right.” Sandra smiled. “Oh my God. She knows.”
I tilted my head, studying the monster in front of me. What riddle was she spewing on about now? “I know that you’re the devil.”
“How did you know there were seven?” John asked.
If it was possible for my heart to beat any faster, it did. My eyes went in and out of focus. I willed my heart to slow. “You told me,” I squeaked. “That day we talked at Wellington.”
“No, I didn’t. I told you that I had no idea how many of the original clones had survived.” He cupped his chin. Rubbed the stubble across his jaw. “You have the journals, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” This was bad.
Dr. DeWeese tilted his head backwards, stared up at the ceiling, and let out an enormous laugh.
I didn’t see anything resembling humor in the situation. The female voice overhead reminded us, “LAB WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN THIRTY MINUTES.”
Neither Sandra nor Dr. DeWeese seemed the least bit panicked.
“Where are the journals, Sarah?” Sandra asked.
It was my turn to laugh. “Your lab is going to blow up or melt in acid or whatever in thirty minutes. You’ve got me locked inside a high-security room. No one knows where I am. And you think I’m going to hand over the one thing my father left behind to protect me? You both are seriously demented.” I turned to Dr. DeWeese. “Does Jack know what an a-hole his father is? Does he know that you’re behind all this?”
His face fell just a little before he recovered. “My son will understand. It’s time you both grow up.” He inhaled deeply, then took a step forward. He had such a kind face, like Jack, yet when I looked deep within Dr. DeWeese’s eyes, I saw something that was completely unlike Jack. Something profoundly corrupt. “Lexi, my son loves you, and for good reason. You were created for him. To complement him. You both are beautifully cloned to be better than Sandra and me. To accomplish miracles Sandra and I have only dreamed of.” He glanced sideways at Sandra, who smiled. I wanted to puke all over both of them. He continued. “You two could change the world. Join us, Lexi.”
I rotated my shoulders back and stepped toward this vile man. “We are better than you, but not because you altered our DNA to be smarter. We are better than you for a reason that is beyond your understanding. You… you…” I lifted my hand and drilled my forefinger into my temple. “You two are crazy.”
“You haven’t seen crazy,” Sandra said. She no longer had the calm tone she had when we first entered the lab. “You will tell us where the journals are.”
I walked over to a swivel chair in the corner of the room and sat. Though the blood in my veins raged like a mad river after a storm, I willed myself to appear calm. “I don’t think so.” I had no way of getting out of that room without help, and I was not about to hand over the one thing Sandra needed from me. I had meant it when I’d said I would die first. “Question. If you designed us to be these über-healers, how did the other supernatural aspects of our abilities come about?”
Sandra shrugged. “Those were unintended side effects of the genetic manipulation. But a most welcome bonus.” She smiled. “Not the first major scientific breakthrough based on unintentional consequences.”
“You mean you have no idea?” I asked.
“Well, it seems that some of the abilities are extensions of your personalities,” Sandra said. “From what I’ve heard, you, like me, are somewhat of a control freak.” She glanced at Dr. DeWeese. “Therefore, it makes sense that you can manipulate people’s actions with your mind. Jack, like John, is extremely aware of those around him. So, he can get into peoples minds, talk to them, hear them. According to John, he has been very aware of you since the moment he knew you existed. The fact that he can hear your thoughts and communicate with you so easily makes sense. I could go on, but we simply don’t have time.”
Dr. DeWeese wiped his palms on his khaki pants. He was nervous. He had disappeared before the night of the gala. Did Cathy know that he was with Sandra? Was she part of this? Instinct told me the answer to both of those questions was a big fat no.
“I think it’s time you knew who the real enemy is, Sarah. We are not your enemy.” She pointed back and forth between Dr. DeWeese and herself. “You have an opportunity to be a huge part of American history. To be a great service to your country and the world. We want you to thrive, not run from your true destiny.”
“What are you babbling on about now?” I raised both brows.
“We are not the only country developing genetically modified ultra-intelligent humans,” Sandra said. “We were just the first. And the IIA is responsible for assuring that the United States continues to be the best. Other countries have already developed genetically mutated animals and insects that are being used in counterintelligence missions. Spiders, for example, mutated to slip through cracks in the walls with microchips in their bodies designed to spy on important military and political meetings.”