He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“You’ll crack.”
“And you wouldn’t?” I ask.
“No.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“Because I’ve seen a lot worse than you have.”
And no doubt done a lot worse too. But Justin’s judgment is also my fear. It was why I kept quiet while the two of them sparredover my capabilities. I have no defense against the unknown. Can I handle watching and recording the sort of suffering they’re alluding to? What if Justin’s right? What if I crack?
“We won’t hold it against you if you walk away,” he says silkily, laying out his words like an experienced trapper. “Kane will understand.”
No doubt he will. I recall Kane’s patience with the various animals I brought to him to treat. Some of them he had no choice but to euthanize, and I remember how compassionately he treated them in their final moments.
I stare at Justin’s arrogant, indecently handsome face. Kane has left me in the hands of a man who openly expresses his doubt in me and exploits the lack of faith I have in myself. But Kane believes I can take on this undercover role and that’s what I cling to now.
“I’m going through with it,” I tell Justin.
Surprise shapes his features. “Sure you’ve got a hard enough heart?”
“I’m certain you’re more qualified in that area, but Kane appointed me for this task.”
And not you, are my unspoken words.
His jaw tightens. I struck a nerve.
“We’ll soon find out if you live up to Kane’s expectations.” Seeming to tire of baiting me, Justin hangs an elbow over the back of his chair and says briskly, “All right, let’s talk about your role. What we’re trying to do here is emulate what BUAV did to HLS.”
“Uh, BUAV?”
“British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection. Now known as Cruelty Free International.”
“Right.”
“Of course, you know what HLS stands for.”
“Of course,” I say, too quickly.
He hooks an eyebrow at me.
“Okay, no.”
Justin shakes his head in disbelief. “Where on earth did Kane find you? Next you’ll be telling me you don’t know vivisection is the cutting into live animals for scientific research.”
“Don’t start,” I warn him.
He blows out an irritated breath. “HLS was Huntingdon Life Sciences, a large contract testing laboratory. BUAV managed to sneak an undercover operative into HLS. The operative kept a diary, detailing everything she witnessed in there. She also managed to secretly film evidence of unbelievable animal cruelty.”
“What happened?” I ask, captivated.
“The public release of her diary and video footage caused HLS’s share price to drop and its investors to rethink their association with such a notorious company.”
“How long did the operative work there?”
