‘It makes people vicious and superhuman strong.’
‘Sounds perfect for the infantry, mate.’
‘This is where it gets weird, and I’m not sure I believe it, but there’s a rumour self-assembling nanotech can be implanted to intensify the results.’
‘You’re not going mad, mate. I’ve heard of that. The Americans and Chinese have had that kind of technology for decades. My wife thinks it’s in vaccines.’
‘At least you’re still married, pal.’
They laughed for old times’ sake and ended the call and Johnny stared out over the lake. The concept of it was terrible and depressing at the same time. Conventional warfare was a thing of the past. Drones, poison and cyber-attacks were the norm now. To him, though, the idea of using a combination of chemicals and nanotechnology to turn soldiers into cold-blooded animals was terrifying.
He’d seen war first hand, and he knew that the men who started it were always the ones who survived it and somehow got richer.
‘Theirs is not to reason why, Theirs is but to do and die.’ Tennyson’s words haunted him. He never thought he’d become a pacifist, a conscientious objector, a war denier… not after what he’d done. But it was true. He hated war. But what he hated even more were those who started it. War was never unleashed on human populations innocently. Whatever Neurohydroxy-14was, somebody somewhere had created it on purpose, and something had gone terribly wrong.
Chapter 58
Kelly answered her phone on hands-free as she drove. Johnny sat in the passenger seat. He’d relayed his conversation to her and was now refusing to leave her side. He’d found a nut bar in the car and they’d grabbed drinks from a tiny shop along the A591. She felt revitalised.
The caller was Sandy Cooper.
‘Sandy! Don’t hang up!’ Kelly said. The phone was on speaker hands-free.
‘Why is my photo all over the internet?’
‘We need to talk to you. Tilda Dent is dead.’
‘What?’
‘Paul Burlington assaulted both her and Hank before he went missing. Tilda didn’t survive. He’s somewhere near here; you’re in danger. Tell me where you are, and I’ll come and get you.’
Sandy laughed. ‘I’m not scared of Paul.’
‘You should be; you have no idea what he’s capable of.’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Why don’t you tell me?’
‘You wouldn’t believe me.’
‘Try me.’
‘No thanks, I’ve got another idea,’ Sandy told her. Her voice was icy, final and far away. Kelly suddenly thought she might have left the country already.
‘Where are you?’ she asked her.
She clasped the steering wheel and Johnny glanced sideways at her.
‘Let me come and get you and we’ll talk this over.’
Kelly heard crackles on the other end of the phone, so she knew Sandy was still listening.
‘It’s too dangerous; you have no idea who you’re dealing with.’
‘I do. They came for me, Sandy. You’re not the only one. I need to find Paul, and I think I know where he’s gone. Was he the only one?’
‘The only what?’
