As the lab door opened and two guards entered, Petrov lowered the volume on his speaker.
It was a routine check that the guards performed at least twice a day, even though the lab no longer housed prisoners.
"Everything okay here?" the one on the right asked.
"Everything is fine," Petrov said. "But we are worried about what happened this morning. The explosions were quite loud. We thought that the island was under attack."
The guard's expression didn't change. "It was a gas leak in the basement. A human crew was working near the emergency gas tanks and didn't follow proper safety protocols. The tanks exploded and killed the entire crew."
That was convenient. With the crew gone, there was no one left to tell what had really happened down there.
"The explosions must have damaged the mansion," Dimitri said. "Anything serious?"
"Part of the backyard collapsed, but the building itself suffered only minor damage." The guard's tone made it clear that the questioning was over. "We'll check the rest of the facility now. Continue your work."
The three of them remained silent until the guards completed their tour of the facility and departed, but the moment the door clicked shut behind them, Petrov cranked the music back up.
"Gas tanks in the basement," he muttered in Russian. "What would they need gas for? Heating in the harsh tropical winter? I bet everything in that mansion runs on electricity. And the story about the crew working down there right next to those tanks and ignoring safety protocols is just ridiculous. They are covering up something, and I wonder if it has to do with Lord Navuh's absence."
Dimitri glanced at Mattie, who was looking left out.
"When the Eight come for their shots today, I'm going to ask Dave about getting Mattie assigned to the lab," he said in English so she could follow.
Petrov raised an eyebrow. "Do you think he has the authority to transfer her?"
"It seems to me that Dave does whatever the hell Dave wants, and the new lord plays along."
Losham was probably under Dave's compulsion and was just a puppet. Perhaps Dave had imprisoned Lord Navuh in the basement of his own mansion, and those explosions had been the lord's escape attempt?
It would be ironic if Navuh had become a prisoner on his slave island.
Petrov cast him a glare. "That's a very dangerous thing to say here," he said in Russian. "You should be more careful."
"I think it's worth asking," Dimitri said in English. "I'll tell him that we need someone to help with equipment cleaning, sample preparation, and other basic tasks that will free us up for more complex work."
Petrov nodded. "Let me do the talking. I'm the authority in this lab. Dave will be more inclined to grant the request if it comes from me."
His boss was right, and Dimitri was grateful for Petrov's help. Somehow, the guy always came through for him despite being drunk seemingly all of the time.
Petrov sighed heavily, his expression turning wistful. "I should have thought of my lady friend at the brothel for the job, but those ladies are too valuable on this island. No one would have approved transferring one of them to lab assistant duties."
"I'm grateful that Mattie isn't valuable that way," Dimitri murmured.
"I'm grateful to be worthless," she said.
"You're worth everything to me."
The words slipped out before he could stop them, and for a moment, the lab fell silent except for the wailing Russian vocals. Mattie stared at him, her eyes wide, and Dimitri felt heat creep up the back of his neck.
Petrov cleared his throat. "Well. That was lovely. Now, can we please get back to work before Dave arrives and we have no injections ready for them?"
"We should." Mattie got up from her stool. "Give me instructions on what to do. I can start cleaning vials or making coffee or wiping floors. There is still plenty of time before I have to leave for the bar. Today, my shift starts at four. Thursdays are usually slow in the hotel, and Anil said I could come in late."
That was good. Dave usually arrived at two in the afternoon, so she would be there when Petrov asked to hire her. The presentation of the request would flow better with her in attendance.
For the rest of the morning, Dimitri forced himself to focus on preparing the right formulations for Dave's eight bodies, while Petrov worked on synthesizing the next batch of compounds. The music played on, an endless parade of Russian melancholy that felt less oppressive than usual because Mattie was there.
She cleaned equipment and wiped tables, but the truth was that there wasn't much for her to do in the lab. Nevertheless, she seemed to enjoy being near him as much as he enjoyed being near her, and that was precious.
