by Eve Langlais
“If it isn’t Dr. Frankenstein himself!” Oliver couldn’t help the curl of his lip. “What do you want with me? Where’s Emma?” Because he recalled her being shot, and despite their differences, he didn’t want to see her harmed.
“Emma is fine. As to what I want with you, let’s start with some answers.” The doctor dragged a chair to the bedside and sat, looking perfectly comfortable in his button shirt, tie, and slacks. The picture of yuppie elegance despite the surroundings and the fact that he questioned a man he kept unlawfully imprisoned.
“I don’t have to tell you anything.” Probably not the brightest stance to take, yet Oliver wasn’t about to spill his guts. Figuratively or literally.
“Are you really going to waste both of our time? You know you’re at a disadvantage. You’re a smart man, Oliver. I’m sure you see it’s best if you cooperate.”
Cooperating might get him killed quicker. Best if he stalled. “How do you know my name?”
“Emma told us. Says you know quite a fair bit about the clinic. Which is curious since I’ve ensured all mention of it—both physical and digital—was wiped. And what I missed, my friend Marcus here”—he gestured to a large man behind him with surfer-blond hair—“found and eradicated. So how did you hear about me and the clinic?”
“None of your business.” He strained. “Let me go. You can’t keep me here.” Wherever here was. They’d probably evacuated him from the valley in a helicopter, and he’d been sleeping who knew how long. They could be anywhere at this point.
“I can and will confine you until I’m satisfied you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
“That won’t ever happen.” Again, Oliver’s stupidity gene reared itself and he spoke without thought.
“For a smart man, you’re being awfully obtuse.” Chimera turned to his guard. “Can you leave us alone a moment?”
Marcus didn’t even look at Oliver before exiting the room.
The fact that Chimera didn’t want the man to see what came next had Oliver bucking. “Fucking bastard. Let me go.”
“Calm yourself.”
“I will not calm down.”
“A shame you don’t want to cooperate.”
“Why would I cooperate? It’s not like I can believe a word that comes from your lips. And given the extremes you’ve gone to keep your secret, I’m sure your plan is to kill me no matter what.” Oliver understood the dire situation.
“Such melodrama. And all based on conjecture. Tell me, Oliver”—Chimera leaned close—“what makes you think you really know me? We’ve never met.”
“I know enough.” Cerberus had plenty to say about Adrian Chimera. Some of it glowing. Some of it ripe with jealousy at the younger man with the brilliant mind and ideas.
“How do you know if it’s the truth? Or are you one of those people who just relies on one side of the story? Which seems odd given your occupation. Doesn’t your bio say you like to get to the truth?”
“You know who I am.” Flatly stated.
“It wasn’t that hard to find out given we found your notes. That is why you were at the clinic. You’re writing a book.”
“I’m going to expose what you did. I’m going to make sure the world knows about the monsters so they can get rid of them.” Why did he keep saying things he meant to keep quiet? His gaze narrowed on Chimera. “What did you do to me?” Because, he wasn’t usually this honest.
“Just a little something I cooked up in the kitchen.”
The realization he’d been drugged made Oliver’s stomach turn. “A truth serum?”
“Not quite, because truth is subjective, but it does make you a little more likely to speak frankly.” Chimera smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “So feel free to tell me anything you like. Starting with who gave you the information for your book.”
“No one did. I found it.” He was happy to see the ability to lie remained.
Chimera didn’t buy it for a second. “Since I know there is nothing online to trace back to me, that must mean you spoke to someone. Who was it?”
“None of your business.”
“Everything connected to the clinic is my business,” Chimera snapped, bursting out of the chair and pacing. “If you spoke to one of my patients, then you need to tell me. I have to help them.”
“Haven’t you helped them enough?” Oliver muttered.
“Again, so quick to judge my actions based on only one version of events.”
Oliver couldn’t help but snort. “There are no two sides to this. You experimented on people and made them into monsters.”
“Experimented is harsh and does a disservice to my true purpose.”
“Let me guess, your true motivation was trying to win the award for evil scientific megalomaniac of the year.”
Chimera’s lips flattened into a line. “I healed people.”
“Not going to deny the evil part?”
“I did what no one else could do.”
“Yeah, you created monsters. Way to go.” Oliver rolled his eyes to go with the sarcasm.
“A shame you can’t see the potential in them. The hope.”
“They’re not human.”
“Perhaps not one hundred percent. But does that really matter? Those I treated, myself included, are still people.”
“So you did experiment on yourself, too?”
“I went from crippled in a wheelchair to how you see me now.” Chimera posed, the picture of vitality.
“You look normal.”
“I should hope so. The goal of the treatment is to make people better, not worse.”
“I met the thing in the ruins. A giant blob that sizzles in sunlight and wants to eat flesh. You can’t tell me that’s better.”
“An unfortunate side effect.”
Oliver blinked at him in shock before blurting out, “An unfortunate side effect is shitting your pants, not becoming some weird vampire puddle.”
“There will be bumps on the road as we aim for success.”
“You’re a sick fuck.” Oliver couldn’t help but say it with a curl of his lip. “You don’t care about the people you’ve ruined.”
“I care more than the institutions that failed them.” Chimera didn’t back down. His expression turned angry. “Do you know how many people I saved when hospitals convinced families to pull the plug, in order to free up beds? Those patients were sentenced to die, but because of me, they lived. The man who lost three of his four limbs serving his country? Able to walk again and play sports.”
“You make it sound good. But let me guess, that guy who grew his limbs, he’s got something wrong with him, doesn’t he? Because if this cure was so bloody awesome, you wouldn’t be so determined to hide it from the world.”
“I hide it because people aren’t yet ready to understand.”
“You’re right. We don’t understand because what you’re doing is inhumane.” Oliver couldn’t seem to help himself being angry instead of using the conciliatory tone he’d need to be set free. “If the world found out about you, your patients, the monsters you made…”
“They’d hunt us down and murder us. I know.” Said quietly. “Do you think that doesn’t prey on me at night? I worry about them all. Despite what you think, I know each of their names.”
“But do they remember?” he asked.
Chimera’s chin dropped. “Unfortunately, not as many as I’d like. Which is why I must gather them all. Even the broken ones. Who told you about the clinic?”
“I told you, the internet.”
“You’re lying.”
“Hit YouTube and you’ll see the same newsfeed I did from that doctor dressed like the devil.” Oliver mentioned the very public video that was debunked by news sources within hours.
“You did not go exploring in the mountains in that specific spot because of a hoax.”
“Except it wasn’t a hoax.”
“Only a few people actually believe that. I doubt you were one of them. You seem the skeptical sort who nee
ds proof.”
“Which I found and already uploaded to the web,” Oliver said with a sneer. “You’re too late.”
“Am I?” Chimera smiled. “We intercepted your transmission. You didn’t reveal a thing.”
The knowledge burned. “You won’t get away with this. Others will come snooping, too.”
“Only if the informant keeps talking. But that’s not going to happen because you’re going to tell us everything you know. Name? If you don’t have one, then their appearance.”
“I am not going to tell you shit because I know you’ll kill anyone who snitches about your secrets.”
Chimera offered a cold smile. “You know what they say about loose lips.”
“You’re a murderer and a monster.”
“It’s not murder when it’s about survival.”
“Not going to deny you’re a monster?”
The other man arched a brow. “Monster? Or next stage of evolution? It all depends on what lens you choose to view my actions. I prefer the term visionary.”
“What you’ve done is evil.”
“It isn’t evil to save lives.” Chimera defended his actions.
“It is if you’re making people into…things.” Uttered with all the disgust he could manage.
“Such a harsh assessment. I know a few who’d take offense.”
“I’ve seen the results of your experiments.”
“I will admit that not all of them turned out quite as I hoped.”
“Gee, you mean to say you didn’t mean to create a giant octopus?”
“You met Matty?” Adrian asked. “That was unfortunate, what happened to him. Too much, too quick. I learned from that mistake.”
“Apparently not, because you kept going, didn’t you? Twisting people to your own purpose. Trying to change the face of mankind. You can’t be allowed to get away with it. You and your monsters need to be destroyed.”
“Even Emma?”
The subtle query had him thinking of her. The delicateness of her features. Her kindness when he’d done nothing to deserve it. She shouldn’t be punished.
“A real doctor could probably help her return to a normal life.”
Chimera’s lips twisted. “The real doctors gave her only a few weeks to live. I cured her from the disease riddling her body.”
“You made her into a freak.”
“At least she’s not an ass like you.” A woman stepped into the room, her skin a shade of brown that glowed with health. Her body very toned in leggings and a form-fitting tank top.
“Lucky me, another of Chimera’s ass-kissing sycophants.” Oliver recognized her from the valley.
“For a guy tied to a bed, you’re awfully mouthy. And useless, from the sounds of it. Has he told you anything?” She addressed that query to Chimera.
“Oh, he’s had plenty to say. Did you know he thinks we’re all monsters in need of culling?”
“I’d hate to disappoint him. Let me grab a shovel and I’ll bury him in the woods.”
Oliver didn’t doubt for one minute she’d kill him. “Getting rid of me won’t stop your secret from coming out.”
“Maybe not, but I’ll feel a whole lot better.” Said with a not-so-nice smile.
Chimera chided. “Jayda, no taunting our guest. How am I supposed to get him to talk?”
“He’s got a pretty face. Let’s see how attached he is to it.” Jayda rubbed a fist.
“I don’t think hitting him is the proper tack to take.”
The first thing Chimera said that Oliver agreed with.
“If you need someone to sweet talk him, then throw Margaret at him. She had Emma eating out of her hand in minutes.”
“What have you done to Emma?” Oliver demanded. “You’d better not have hurt her.”
“Us, hurt her?” Jayda turned an incredulous gaze on him. “You’re the one threatening to expose her to the world. Do you know what they’d do to someone rare like her? It’s a good thing we found her. Now she can be with people who don’t treat her like she’s worthless and scary.”
“I would have found her help.” The words sounded as weak out loud as they did in his head.
The look Jayda cast on him found him wanting. “I’m going to join Marcus on patrol before I twist this guy’s head off.”
“Any signs of trouble?” Chimera asked.
“No. Just a funny feeling in my gut.”
“Should we move?”
She shrugged. “And go where? In one respect, dickhead over there is right. We can’t keep hiding forever.”
Chimera stroked his chin. “I just need a little more time.”
“We ain’t got time. Won’t be long before people notice there’s something strange about us and word gets out.”
Strange how? And why did Jayda keep saying we? Was she also one of the Chimera secret patients? Staring at the woman, Oliver didn’t see anything abnormal about her. No horns. No glowing eyes. Then again, Chimera himself looked fairly normal. If Cerberus hadn’t told Oliver what Chimera had done, would he have known the man was one of the monsters?
Jayda left, and Chimera turned his attention to Oliver again. “Before you ask, she is.”
“Is what?”
“One of those monsters you’re determined to hate. Which begs the question, who is the real monster? The people who wanted a second chance at life or the man who would see us all eradicated because he fears us?”
“You’re changing the face of humanity.”
“And?” Chimera queried. “Perhaps you’ve not noticed, but studies have shown that only species that can adapt as their living conditions change survive.”
“Except people aren’t adapting naturally. You’re changing them with science.”
“And you should be thanking me. The world is in dire peril. The climate is shifting. The oceans warming. If you listen to experts, we could face a worldwide cataclysmic event within just a few decades. We’re talking about the extinction of humankind if we don’t do something.”
“If you believe them,” he muttered.
“Are you a climate denier, Oliver?” Chimera asked.
Yes and no. He’d written a book that dug into the subject in depth, but he wasn’t about to start arguing with the man about it. “You can try and paint what you do any way you like. It’s still wrong.”
“I see. So you think we should all die and good riddance. Fascinating. And are you the man to do it? Will you be the hand that holds the gun and kills us?” Chimera asked, heading for Oliver’s feet and untying them.
The question was a two-edged blade. On the one hand, Oliver did believe in ending the life of monsters before they could multiply and spread their taint. On the other…some of them looked all too human. Like Jayda and Emma.
“Maybe we don’t have to kill, but you certainly shouldn’t be allowed to roam free.” Oliver stuck to his guns.
“Squeamish about culling. What does that leave? Prison?”
“You don’t need punishment, but you also can’t just wander around freely. Something could be arranged.”
Adrian’s brows lifted. “Perhaps they’ll place us in a zoo where humans can gawk, because putting people in cages for daring to live is so very humane.”
“Stop twisting my words.”
“How is it twisting? You are the one saying it. The one who believes we shouldn’t exist or should be restrained.” Chimera reached for Oliver’s wrists and untied him.
Freed, Oliver didn’t immediately move, mostly because he suspected some kind of trick. “Why are you untying me?”
“Because, contrary to your belief, we are not murderous monsters.”
“Why did you kidnap me? Did your crew mess up and think I was one of your secrets?”
“They weren’t sure at first, but some bloodwork and the fact I didn’t recognize you sorted that part out.”
“Why didn’t you kill me when you discovered I was out to expose you?” It made no sense. And why did Chimera talk with him? Was it because he
planned to dispose of Oliver? In that case, it didn’t matter what he revealed. Oliver would take it to the grave.
“I agree killing you would have been easier.” Chimera smiled. “It was discussed you know. Once my crew, as you called them, realized you weren’t one of us and posed a danger, they recommended extermination. But I talked them out of it once I saw your notes. How old-fashioned of you to pen them rather than type.”
“Those were private,” Oliver exclaimed hotly.
“As was my clinic and my work. That didn’t stop you from digging. Be happy I found and read them. They at least gave you a motive for your actions. You’re writing a book about my life’s work. Quite flattering I have to say.”
“I doubt you’ll think so when I’m done.” He tried to wrack his brain to see what his notes might have revealed. He’d not brought his notebook that mentioned his interviews with Cerberus. He wondered if those he’d scanned and stored as a PDF in the cloud had been wiped. He hadn’t dared check for fear they’d disappear too.
“You seem convinced you know the story. And I am saying you only glimpsed one tiny portion of it. You want to know why you’re really here? Because you’re a test, Oliver. You’re going to spend some time with me, Jayda, Emma, and the others. You’re going to meet these people you so easily call monsters. You will talk to them. Eat with them. See them every day.”
“To what purpose?”
“Why, to give you fodder for your book. And, who knows, perhaps by the time you’re done with your research, you might realize that the true monsters aren’t the ones I cured but the one who is allowing his own jealousy to put everyone at risk. You listened to Dr. Cerberus and his one-sided tale. Now, don’t you think it’s fair I get a turn?”
“Who?”
“Don’t play stupid. I know exactly who spoke to you. It’s in your damned notes.”
“I never said a name.”
Chimera sneered. “You didn’t have to. Only one other person could have known and told you about some of the things you referenced. And let me just say, Cerberus is far guiltier in some respects than I ever was. At least I could claim I did it to help people.”
With those words, Chimera turned and left through a door that spilled sunshine into the room for a moment before it shut. Oliver didn’t hear the sound of a lock, nor did anyone return to tie him up again.