“Direct.I appreciate that.”Russo smiled.It wasn’t a pleasant expression.“You’ve been quite the thorn in my side, Mr.Ashton.Particularly in the matter of my former accountant.”
Bryn shrugged.“He broke the law.”
“But wouldn’t have been convicted without your particular skills.”
Bryn remained silent.There was no point denying it.
“It cost me three offshore accounts and a shell corporation in the Caymans,” Russo continued, his voice hardening.“Not to mention the inconvenience of relocating several operations.All because of your…unique talent.”
“What have you done with Dr.Frost?”Bryn asked, changing the subject.
“Dr.Frost is continuing his important work,” Russo answered.“Though he may regret his loose tongue for some time to come.”
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“He was naïve.He won’t be again.”
“Where are we?”
“Somewhere temporary.By this time tomorrow, we’ll be on our way to more secure facilities outside US jurisdiction.”Russo leaned forward.“Somewhere your talents can be put to better use than harassing legitimate businessmen.”
“Is that what you call yourself?A businessman?”
“Among other things.”Russo’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.“You and I are not so different.We both see what others cannot.”
Bryn glanced at his restraints.“If we’re not so different, why am I the one in cuffs?”
Russo straightened.“Precautions.I know what happens when people underestimate you.”
“Why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?The shooting outside the hospital—that was you.”
“Well, not me personally.I’m not that good a shot.I might have hit you by mistake and if I’d wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”Russo locked eyes with Bryn.“I prefer to make use of valuable resources, not waste them.”
“I’m not for sale.”
“Everyone has a price, Mr.Ashton.Or if not a price, then a pressure point.But we’ll get to that.First, I want you to understand exactly what you’ve stumbled into.Let’s take a walk.”
He gestured to one of the guards, who released Bryn from the chair but re-cuffed his hands behind his back.He was careful not to make skin-to-skin contact.
Bryn followed Russo from the room because there wasn’t much else he could do and he had to admit he was curious.They walked through a maze of corridors and he guessed they were underground.The basement of a big building maybe.There’s no natural light down here.Reminds me of The Facility.
A gray metal door opened into a lab where several people were working at computers and benches.Dr.Frost was among them.He was haggard, a fresh bruise darkening his left cheek.A flicker of guilt and fear crossed his features when he spotted Bryn.When Russo walked into the lab, everyone froze.
“Carry on, everyone.Frost, show him,” Russo commanded.The hum of activity restarted while Peregrine Frost went over to what looked like a large cooler.He entered a code on its digital lock and the lid hissed open, releasing a plume of vapor.Frost removed a transparent cylinder containing what appeared to be tissue samples suspended in a clear solution.
“Thanks to the enhanced version of Thanacrine, the genome integration has progressed,” Russo said.“Our latest enhanced subjects can regenerate tissue at remarkable rates and possess strength well beyond normal human or gene-enhanced capacity.”
“What do you want these ‘super’ people for?”Bryn asked.“You’ve killed so many wolves and vamps already.Your own lab staff in Boston too.Innocent people.”
“Collateral damage.Inevitable when we’re working on the leading edge of science.The lab staff…well, that was down to you and Boston PD.Couldn’t have an augur poking around in their heads after all.”
“You’re experimenting on real people!”
“To make them better.It’s called evolution.We’re still crawling out of the primordial swamp.Imagine the advantage we would have in so many situations.We’d be invincible.”
“We?”
“The United States, of course.”
