That was worth living for.
When noon approached, Petrov called for a break.
"Lunch will be here soon," he announced, shutting down his workstation. "Let's clear a table."
The food arrived a few minutes later, carried by a young human male whose eyes never quite met theirs. Two containers of rice, three of vegetables, one of chicken, and one of beef. The portions were more than generous, so what was meant as a meal for two was plenty for three.
They brought their stools to the work table that they had set up with plates and utensils and dug in.
"It's good," Mattie said after taking a few bites of everything. "Which kitchen does it come from, do you know?"
Dimitri shook his head. "No clue. At first, I thought it came from the hotel kitchen, but the delivery arrived from a different direction."
"It's either from the brothel or the administrative staff's kitchens," Mattie said. "Supposedly, both are of excellent quality. The ladies in the brothel are considered high-value assets, and they are fed accordingly."
Petrov grimaced. "If they can eat at all. The drugs they pump them with kill their appetite."
Nodding, Mattie returned to her plate, but now she was just picking at her food instead of enjoying it as she had only minutes ago.
Why did Petrov have to open his big mouth and spoil the mood?
Dimitri wiped his mouth with the supplied paper napkin. "Since you don't have to work until four, we could take a walk after lunch. Maybe check out the harbor."
The island seemed to be in turmoil, which was good for conducting a secret investigation, and since turning immortal, Dimitri's mind was even less subject to Dave's compulsion. He could actually think about escape now without getting a headache. The harbor seemed like a good place to start.
Mattie shook her head. "I don't want to be out there. I feel safe here. In the lab." She let out a breath. "This is the only place where I do feel safe right now."
"Mattie—"
"Please don't." She lifted her hand to stop him. "I know you think I should face my fears or whatever, but my fears are not irrational. I'm in real danger from Tarik. Staying here with you and Konstantin feels like a sanctuary. Outside, the lion's den awaits, and this little sheep is not walking right into it to be devoured."
Dimitri set down his container and put his hand on her knee. "It's okay, Mattie. You do what feels right for you."
She leaned into him. "Thank you."
When they were done with lunch, the clock on the wall read 1:47.
"Time to get back to work." Petrov rose to his feet and pushed his stool back to his desk.
After Dimitri and Mattie collected the empty containers, he returned to his workstation, and Mattie sat on a stool and watched him prepare the injections.
The new enhancement protocol he and Petrov had established required daily injections, the microdosing working better than the once-a-week protocol that Dr. Zhao had used.
It was more work, preparing the perfect formulation for eight different bodies six days a week, but the results were so much better.
He barely made it in time, but two o'clock came and went, and Dave hadn't shown up.
"He's late," Petrov said. "He's never late."
"Perhaps he is busy in the mansion," Mattie suggested. "Eight strong bodies can be very useful for clearing debris."
For some reason, Dimitri didn't think that Dave would be doing such work. He was much more useful for controlling minds.
Another fifteen minutes passed. Then thirty. Dimitri found himself checking the clock every few minutes, willing the door to open and Dave to walk through it with his unsettling, synchronized movements.
The door remained closed.
"Something's wrong," Mattie said quietly.
