Girl Undercover 10 & 11: The Abduction & Dante's Inferno (9 page)

He cleared his throat as though realizing he was making a fool of himself.

“No reason. He’s in the bathroom taking a shower. He’ll be back soon.”

I sat down on the low white couch and patted the seat next to me. “Why don’t you come and sit down, doc?”

He looked at my hand and it seemed he didn’t know what to do with himself. Then he shrugged and sat down, though not as near as I had invited him to do. Leaning back into the couch, he gave a defiant smile, but it came out more like a pained smirk. A pregnant silence followed. Right as I was about to break it, thinking he was going to eat out of my hand from now on, he crossed his arms and asked in a pointed tone, “Have you reconsidered keeping us captive? The longer you keep us here, the deeper you’re digging yourself into a hole that you’ll never be able to get out of unscathed.”

I looked at him, a little taken aback. Okay, clearly, using my feminine charms wasn’t going to make things
that
easy for me. The guy might be a horndog, but he wasn’t a stupid horndog. I would have to try a lot harder to have a chance of making this one crumble.

“Yes, you might be right about that,” I replied sadly, leaning my head back and sighing like I was tired. I could tell that my response surprised the lanky doctor from the way his eyes widened a touch, though he did his best to hide it. I pretended not to notice. “Have the guys been treating you okay so far?”

“Fair.” He uncrossed his arms suddenly. “Listen, if you let us go now, I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you and your friends. Naturally, I won’t say anything to Jonah about how you deceived him.”

I made myself look helpless. “That won’t matter. The fact that I’m breaking up with him is enough to sign my own death sentence. I think you know what an ego he has. He’d rather see me dead than dating someone else. But going back to him is not an option. Apart from his violent tendencies, he’ll insist that I take drugs to become an untouchable. I refuse to do that.”

“I understand. Well”—he cleared his throat, suggesting that his next words would be lies—“we can work around him. I’m tight with his father, who respects my opinion. I’ll be able to make it so you become untouchable even though you break up with him. And I’ll ask him to make an exception for you
and
your friends in regards to being drugged.”

“Really? You could actually make that happen?” I acted like I was totally awestruck by his offer.

He puffed out his chest again. “I most definitely could. In addition to being a doctor on his team, I’m one of his closest advisors. He trusts me implicitly. So let me assure you, if I tell him you and your friends should become special-status humans, he’ll listen.”

“Special-status humans? What’s that?”

“Regular humans who’re part of the elite.” He leaned closer to me. “Since I can tell you know what it means to be forced to become untouchable, you must see how incredibly generous I’m being here because, as I’ve already told you—whatever it is that you’re trying to do, you won’t get away with it.”

“Yes, you did say that.” In various versions, over and over, I wanted to add but didn’t as that would just sound combative. I inhaled and scrunched up my face, as though seriously considering his words for the first time. “And I really appreciate the offer of putting in a good word for us.” I gave him my most sincere smile. “It isn’t like we want to become slaves after all, or God forbid, be used for experiments or killed. I do realize that’s what’s going to happen to most people if Stenger gets his way.”

“Look, it’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of
when.”
He tskd and shook his head, like he truly didn’t understand why I didn’t just accept his offer. “Why don’t you let me help you survive? Don’t you get it? It’s your only chance. Running away isn’t going to do it. And your little attempt at a countermovement will certainly not work.”

I tilted my head and looked at him, trying my best to appear sweet and innocent and feminine. “Why is it that you think it’s so hard for us to destroy Stenger? Can you please explain that to me?”

He sniffed haughtily. “Because the infrastructure is too strong, of course. Didn’t you learn anything being Jonah’s girlfriend? I’m assuming he’s the reason you know so much about The Adler Group and our mission in the first place.”

“Yes, that’s true, but I was sure I didn’t have to take what he was saying that seriously. He has a tendency to exaggerate stuff. What else besides the infrastructure makes you so sure The Adler Group is unbeatable?”

“The virus alone has the power to change the world.”

“Yes, it has certainly changed my boss,” I said and sighed to telegraph that this was definitely not something I was happy about.

“Who’s your boss?”

“The captain at the precinct where I work. I’m a police officer.” I had decided that I was going to go with the truth, though not the entire truth. It was better if Dr. Juback didn’t realize that I was a detective with several achievements under my belt, and instead thought I was fairly new in the force. “I started a year ago.”

He looked surprised. “Really, you’re a cop? How does a cop become the girlfriend of someone like Jonah? Did you arrest him?” He snickered to himself, apparently finding the idea of this quite entertaining.

“No, we just met at a club one night last year. He became obsessed with me.”

“Hmm. How did you find out about what his father was planning? It’s not a matter you throw around lightly, or ever. I can’t imagine he just brought it up one day.”

“No, I’m sure he told her,” a male voice said. Dr. Juback and I both turned our heads in the direction of the voice. Dr. Kelly had appeared from the bathroom and was standing next to the dining room table. His hair was wet and slicked back and, unlike his colleague, he didn’t mind wearing the clothes we’d supplied them with. He wore one of the T-shirts and shorts. “From what I’ve heard, the boy can’t keep his mouth shut. He told you, didn’t he?” He looked at me expectantly.

“Yes, he did tell me,” I confirmed, thinking how convenient it was that Dr. Kelly showed up right then. “That’s how I learned about everything. One night after we had made love, he just started talking about it. I was stunned to learn what was awaiting me and the rest of the world and didn’t believe him at first.”

“What did he have to do to make you believe him?” Dr. Kelly asked, looking very interested, having taken a seat on one of the chairs around the dining table.

I thought about the meetings Ian had told me about and the labs with people. He’d said there were labs in America.

“He took me to a rally with politicians and businessmen,” I replied, “and then to a lab to show me some of the hybrid humans. I also saw some of the experiments they did on a couple of regular humans. After that I just had to believe him.”

“Yes, that’ll do it,” Dr. Kelly mused, nodding.

“He kept saying that he didn’t want to lose me,” I continued. “That was why he’d decided to reveal everything, so I would understand how important it was for me to start the drug treatment that would turn me into an untouchable. If I refused, he claimed his father would have me killed, like everyone else who refused to become an untouchable.”

“I don’t understand why you would have to take drugs to become an untouchable when you’re his girlfriend,” Dr. Juback said. “That should have made you an untouchable by default. A special-status human like me and Dr. Kelly. He cannot have trusted you very much.”

“I guess not. I haven’t ever given him reason not to trust me, though.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s all so confusing. Maybe he never really trusted me. In the latter part of our relationship, he acted more and more erratically, so who knows what was going through his head.”

“Well, if he didn’t trust you,” Dr. Juback continued, “he could have given you an injection against your will. After you’d received that, he would never have had to worry again.”

“Not if he wanted her to stay the same,” Dr. Kelly inserted. “Injecting her with Zoc would have turned her into a robot with no will of her own. No personality. Did you forget that we have yet to get liquid versions of Zoc 2, not to mention computerized ones? Only the slow-acting pills are available at the moment. He’d need her to take them every day for at least a week for them to take full effect.” He turned to me. “Didn’t you say that he said he didn’t want to lose you, and that was why he told you everything?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “he did say that a lot. What’s Zoc 2?”

“More sophisticated versions of the original Zoc virus. Zoc was invented to turn the masses of regular humans, the underclass, into zombies more or less and thus easier to control. Then Stenger wanted the virus to do other things—control humans while at the same time they retained their personality essentially. Well, most of it. Any impulses to rebel would be gone, of course. Basically, they would become eunuchs. Castrated.”

Dr. Juback gave him a dirty look. “Watch your tongue.”

Facing his colleague, Dr. Kelly threw out his hands in response. “What does it matter if I tell her about the different kinds of drugs we have? We both know she’s fooling herself into thinking they can stop Stenger.”

Dr. Juback just glowered at the other doctor, harrumphing.

“Why would Stenger care if the underclass had personality or not?” I asked. “I’d think it would behoove him for everyone to be zombie-like. They will all die eventually anyway, right?”

“That’s the idea, yes, but it’ll take many years for all to die,” the chunky doctor explained. “If ever. Stenger keeps changing his mind on that point. We will have to see if it’s not better to keep the underclass alive after all. Keep them as house slaves and pets. Be that as it may, lots of elites would enjoy a house slave or a pet with some personality in the meantime. It sounds like Jonah would like you to become his pet. Someone he’d enjoy but at the same time could control. From what I know of Stenger’s son, I can’t say I’m very surprised to hear this. And that he so recklessly revealed our mission in the process.”

I huffed. “Yeah, not me either. Thank
God
I never started taking those pills.”

“When did you decide to leave him?” Dr. Kelly asked.

“Almost as soon as he’d proven to me that he was telling me the truth about The Adler Group and its mission. I was appalled and had already started to think of ways how to stop it from happening, but I was of course not about to tell Jonah that. He seems to think his father’s worldview is just dandy himself. No, it was smarter to act like I was going to do what he wanted. So I said I would start taking the pills, but first I needed to take care of my sick mom. He was not only okay with that, but insisted on having his father’s doctors take a look at her, giving me no choice but to abduct you two. Do you agree with the mission?” My question was directed at Kelly, who I sensed was not as sold on Stenger’s worldview as Juback.

As I had suspected, he looked away for a moment, revealing far more than any words ever could. Then his gaze returned to mine.

“It’s not a matter of agreeing or not,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s a matter of surviving.”

“I see. So you believe the only way to survive is to join the cause.”

“Yes. If you can’t beat them, join them.”

I narrowed my eyes, daring him to avert his gaze again, and pressed on, “But you don’t actually agree with it then?”

He looked suddenly tired, as if he had aged a couple of decades in the blink of an eye, and that was answer enough for me. His eyes darted nervously toward the other doctor, who kept staring at him. It was clear that he wanted to tell me no, but couldn’t make himself. Finally he just shrugged his shoulders. “I will always do what’s needed to survive for me and my family. My skills in the medical field are essential for The Adler Group’s continued success, which keeps us safe.”

“I can’t fault you for wanting to protect and provide for your family,” I said softly. “That’s only natural.”

My phone rang then. I found it in my purse that I had thrown on the floor. It was Jonah. I hadn’t heard from him since he’d hung up on me so abruptly the other day. I’d better talk to him, give him some attention. Hopefully, that’s all he wanted.

“Excuse me,” I said to the two doctors, “but I need to take this.” Pressing Talk, I answered. “Hello.”

“Hey, how’s it going?” Jonah asked. “Any progress with your mom?”

“Yes, she’s getting a little better. How are you doing? I miss you.” Just saying those words made me nauseous, but I figured I needed to act extra sweet after the fiasco during our most recent conversation when I’d tried to convince him to let me see his dad. That had obviously not gone over well with him.

“I miss you, too. I can’t wait for you to come back. Tell those doctors that they’d better hurry up fixing your mom.”

“I’ll definitely tell them that,” I replied, making myself smile. The doctors were both watching me as I spoke, and it was written plainly across their faces that they were well aware with whom I was speaking. I moved away from them and into the hallway where Sergei sat, just in case one of them got any crazy ideas and started screaming something to alert Jonah. That would be the last thing I needed.

“The club isn’t the same without you,” Jonah said in an intimate tone.
“I’m
not the same without you.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you to say. It shouldn’t be too long before I’m back.”

“Let’s hope so. I’m feeling weird lately.”

“You’re feeling weird? Really? How?”

“Like I’m being watched.”

Chapter 8

“So you have to be more careful,” I told Ian over my disposable. As soon as I was done talking to Jonah, I had left the apartment and called Ian. When he answered, I gave him a rundown of my conversation with the doctors, as well as what Jonah had told me. “We both know that it’s not just him being paranoid here as you
are
watching him all the time. Is it possible that he’s spotted you?”

“I highly doubt that,” Ian replied. “If he saw me hanging around his house, I’d know it. With an anger management problem such as his, he’d throw a fit and attack me.”

“Yes, that’s true. He’d probably try to
kill
you.”