by Debra Webb
Senator Wade.
Confusion dumbfounded her for a moment. Was she in some sort of hospital? A psych ward like Kate had been in only at some other hospital? That would explain several things. Including the senator’s sudden appearance. She supposed her tantrums had lent credibility to her need to be here. If the senator had come to help her...
Hope welled in her chest. Maybe he was here to help.
Maybe Richard had sent him.
She sat up. “Senator Wade. Thank God you’re here.”
Whatever she’d thought she saw in his eyes turned immediately to fury. “Do you realize how close you came to destroying us?”
Her hopes plummeted. He was part of it. She shook her head and sagged against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest. “Just go away. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”
“Due to no effort on your part Kate and Cody are fine, but because of you, because of all that you did, your mother is dead.”
For days now, Jill was certain they could do nothing else to hurt her.
She’d been wrong.
Grief ravaged her. Like a wounded animal she cried out with the agony of it, rocked herself gently as she alternately sobbed and keened, her face pressed against her knees. She had done this. Oh, God. She had done this.
He waited for her bout of hysteria to subside and when she looked at him again, he said. “We’re not going to kill you, at least not right away. You’re far too important to our work.”
She waved a shaky hand. “Just tell me,” she said, her spirit broken. “Tell me what this all means. Surely I deserve that much respect—if I’m so important to your work.”
Like any politician given the floor, he became animated, took full benefit of the opportunity to revel in the sound of his own voice.
“Not that you deserve anything, but I’m feeling generous.”
Jill got distracted for a moment with the many ways she’d like to watch him die.
“Forty years ago two brilliant medical minds came to this country looking for a place to further their research. After they arrived in America, they were joined by a third man. It took this team of combined genius two years to find the perfect place to begin.”
“Paradise,” she offered with a dry laugh.
He smiled that oily expression politicians had down to a science. “Oh, yes. Paradise, the perfect place, literally and figuratively. You have to understand that these men were far ahead of their time. They knew people would not be predisposed to their views. Motivation would be required.”
“Benford Chemical,” she guessed, stealing his thunder. She and Paul had figured that out days ago. Pain rippled through her at the thought of him. He was dead and that, too, was her fault.
Ignoring her, he went on, “I was the one they approached with the concept, I saw that it happened. But it was a slow process. Once Benford was seduced into producing the new chemicals, the side effects took time to take their toll.”
She shook her head in resignation. How original. “And what did you get out of this?”
He smiled. “The promise of a senate seat.”
Jill had to turn away. She couldn’t bear to look into those selfish eyes any longer. He’d sold out his town for the mere price of a senatorial seat. She might have been able to generate some forgiveness if the action he’d taken had been on impulse in his youth and then he’d regretted it. But this plan had been in place for years before final implementation. He’d had plenty of time to rethink his actions. Thank God he didn’t have any children. The last thing the planet needed was more of his kind of legacy.
“When the others, your father included, discovered what had happened, well let’s just say that it made them much more receptive to our ultimate plan.”
Jill barely listened during the next few minutes. She and Paul had already concluded the greater part of what he had to say. It was just as her mother had confirmed. Jill did learn that less than a dozen prominent citizens of Paradise knew the truth. Of those, with the passage of time, the number had dwindled to five. Four, he amended, when he recalled her mother was no longer with them.
She wanted so badly to hurt him. The desire was a palpable thing, breathing, growing inside her. Now she understood how her sister had been able to murder her husband. Anyone who had this low a regard for humanity deserved to die.
“You can’t imagine the kind of money involved in this business. It continually amazes me what people will pay for the promise of a perfect child... a little gift that God has failed to provide. Our work is currently limited to the northeastern portion of the country, but we’ll be branching out soon.” He smiled. “If I make that happen, I’ll be looking at a special advisory post in Washington in the very near future. No one will be able to stop us. It’s the beginning of a new era.” His laughter boomed in the confined space. “Really, what have we been waiting for? We can customize every other thing in our life, why not our children?”
Finally, a new reason to live. Jill wanted to make sure none of that happened. She wanted to bring all of MedTech down, starting with this man.
“What about the three original geniuses,” she urged, suddenly feeling compelled to learn all she could. “Where do they fit into all this?”
“Unfortunately, one passed away,” he said solemnly. “The other two oversee from a distance now. Karl actually ran the day-to-day operations. He has, as you can imagine, been replaced by another great mind. With our superior benefits packages we recruit the most brilliant in the field from all over the world.”
“What kind of experiment or genetic tampering was performed on my sister... and me?” She was relieved to know that Kate and Cody were all right. She had sensed that Kate was, at the very least, since they continued to take blood and other samples from her. “I know Cody is a clone or has been cloned. I just don’t know what you did to us.”
The senator looked surprised that she’d figured out that much. “You have been a busy bee.” He straightened his expensive suit jacket. “But I tell you what, I’ll let your next visitor answer these questions for you.” He started to leave but hesitated. “You know, you should thank me. Chief Dotson wanted to terminate you and Phillips right from the start and I wouldn’t allow it. We needed you.”
Jill clenched her teeth to hold back her response. If he wanted a show of gratitude he could just wait until hell froze over.
The guard who had remained nearby, unlocked the door again to allow the senator’s departure. Jill sat up straighter, waiting to see who would walk through the door next.
Richard Lawton.
“Richard?” The name was barely a shadow of sound. Her heart rushed into her throat.
“I hope they’re treating you well.”
She scrambled off the cot and to her feet. This couldn’t be. She surely heard him wrong. “How can you be a part of this? You’re an attorney... a law professor. My friend.”
“When the Manning brothers came to this country they were looking for someone who could keep them out of trouble with the law. Someone who knew the system. They didn’t need another medical mind.” He smiled and for the first time she realized how sinister that smile was. “They needed me. I’ve always been there, watching from a distance as Wade said.”
She shook her head, refusing to believe. Her last hope was dashed.
“I made sure your application to Ole Miss was accepted. I agreed to oversee you there. Take you under my wing, so to speak.” He laughed. “I must say, you threw them all for a loop. They expected you to stay in Paradise where they could monitor your progress. But you had plans of your own.”
Suddenly it all made sense. He’d recommended a place for her to live. A doctor when she needed one. What a fool she’d been. Now she understood why every time she went into the doctor’s office they always insisted on taking a blood sample. She’d been too busy to wonder back then. Between work and her studies, she’d barely kept her head above water. But Richard had always been there, supporting her in any way she
needed.
Fury exploded inside her. “Did they tell you to seduce me too?”
His smile was tight, but there, just beyond the condescension she’d never noticed before. “No, that was a perk I opted to take advantage of on my own.”
“You bastard. You killed my father and my mother.”
He nodded. “We did kill the Judge. He became a liability. But your mother killed herself. She tried to prevent our men from bringing Kate and Cody back. Her death was unavoidable.”
That agony welled inside her again. “What about the people in the village?”
He shook his head sadly. “There was a terrible fire. Several of the inhabitants died. The others escaped into the mountains.”
Jill would bet Willa Dean was one of them who had escaped. There was something about her. Like Paul, she saw things... felt things.
“Did you come here to gloat?” she demanded, wishing she had a weapon—anything to cause injury.
“I chose to deliver certain news personally.”
She stilled, her knees going weak. Fear constricted her throat. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any news he had to pass on. But she had little choice.
“As you well know I encouraged you to seek out Paul.”
The sound of his name was like a stab deep into her heart.
“I did that because he was one of ours as well and I wanted the two of you to join forces.”
That revelation nearly floored her. “What?”
“He was an identical twin. His twin’s life was terminated early during development in hopes of enhancing the surviving twin. There were a few other manipulations but I won’t bore you with those.” Richard folded his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “The outcome was nothing short of spectacular. His advanced cognitive level and heightened sensory perceptions were unparalleled. He was very special. It wounds me deeply that he had to die.”
Jill threw herself at him, pummeled his chest with her fists. She screamed at him, called him every despicable name she knew. He restrained her efforts easily, until she was too weak to fight anymore. Finally, she jerked free of him and curled up on the cot once more, her back against the wall.
“Get out of here,” she demanded hoarsely. “I can’t bear to look at you.”
“You think you are the only one grieving?” he demanded sharply. He moved toward her and sat down on the cot. She scooted as far away as possible. “Paul was my son.”
A sob tore from her throat. “No!” She refused to believe him. She and Paul hadn’t spoken of his parents... but he’d certainly never claimed Richard.
“I was the sperm donor and a young law student I once knew intimately was the egg donor. She agreed to surrogate the pregnancy as well.” He stroked his chin a moment. “You see the initial process of conception had to be performed repeatedly in the lab until the right genetic manipulation created the enhancements we hoped for. Once the split zygote had developed into embryos in her womb, the life of one twin was terminated.” He shrugged. “Unfortunately the surrogate had to be terminated once the birth was accomplished since she started asking questions. Paul was adopted by a loving couple who served their purpose until he was old enough to survive on his own, and then they were disposed of.”
Her heart ached for Paul. Now that she looked more closely at Richard, she did note vague similarities. Square, chiseled jaw. Dark hair and eyes. She shuddered. Paul deserved better than to be compared to this evil man.
She glared at him with complete hatred. “Weren’t you worried that Paul would figure this all out once he delved into my sister’s case? He could have exposed everything.”
Richard laughed softly. “It was worth the risk. I needed him to fall for someone... to trust someone. The situation with Kate just presented the right opportunity that’s all. You performed marvelously, by the way. He fell completely for you. Put your safety before all else which ultimately cost him his life.”
When Jill would have ranted at him again, he stopped her with an uplifted palm. “But, not to worry.” Richard smiled down at her. “All is not lost. My hopes were completely fulfilled. Your most recent blood test revealed that you’re pregnant. I know my son was the father.”
Startled, her arms wrapped protectively around her middle. Her body trembled so hard she could scarcely remain sitting upright. No matter how often she thought she’d cried herself out, she learned that she had not. She was carrying Paul’s child. She shook with the force of her grief. If only he was here... just for one moment so he would know. But wait…
She drew in a deep breath, grabbed her wits with both hands. “That’s impossible.” She shook her head. “I’ve been on the Pill for years.” She’d never missed a period. Not once.
Her old friend laughed at her, just as the senator had. “Dear, dear, Jillian. I’ve been keeping up with you for years.” He gave her a pointed look. “I know everything there is to know about you. Those pills you take everyday are not for birth control. We took care of that little issue months ago. We’d already planned to get the two of you together, recent events simply made that happen sooner than we’d anticipated.”
Her heart started to pound. Then it was true. She was pregnant and she was here. “I hope you rot in hell.” She pressed her hand to her trembling lips, tried to hold back the sobs that rocked her once more.
Richard stood to go. “I’ll check on you from time to time, Jillian. Please take good care of yourself. I’d like my grandson to come into this world as healthy as possible. I have enormous plans for him.”
She scrubbed at her face with the back of her hand. She had to find a way to stop him... to get out of here before her baby was born. But first she had to know one thing. “Wait!”
He paused at the open door where the guard stood poised to lock it once more.
“Yes?”
“I need to know what you did to Kate and to me? What kind evil was imposed upon us?” She prayed it was nothing that would harm the new life she carried.
He smiled patiently. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew. You are merely as God intended. Until now you’ve served as nothing more than the control.”
“And Kate?” her voice quaked, her stomach fisted in knots.
“As soon as we’ve equalized her neurotransmitters or some such malady, she’s going to make history despite the annoying infertility problem. We can live with that minor defect.” His smile widened to that sinister expression she now associated with the man. “Kate is our first human clone.”
Shock rumbled through Jill like an earthquake, the tremors deep under the surface, the fault line across her heart.
Long moments after Richard had gone, the reality finally sank in. She’s going to make history.
Jill’s eyes closed and her breath caught on a sob. Paul’s child was growing inside her. Whatever she did from this moment forward, she had to be very careful. She could do nothing that would risk this child.
She’d lost Paul. She would not lose his child.
~*~
He had to wake up.
As if coming from deep within the bowels of the ocean, Paul swam upward, through the murky water, the need to breathe a searing pain in his chest.
But he couldn’t stop... had to swim harder... faster.
Jill needed him... he could feel it. She was waiting for him to come and rescue her.
He broke through the surface.
He gasped, sucking in all the air he could.
His eyes popped open.
Blinding light.
He blinked, tried to focus.
The hospital.
Alabama.
Shot.
He looked at the IV bottle hanging on the pole to his left and remembered the nurse had sedated him that way. Gritting his teeth he ripped the tape from his skin and jerked out the IV needle.
“Whoa there!”
Paul swiveled his head to the right.
Tom Cuddahy pushed out of a chair and rushed to his bedside. “I think you needed that t
hing, buddy.”
Thank God.
“We have to get out of here.” Paul pushed upward, pain spearing through him. He ignored it, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
“Wait now. The doctor said—”
“I don’t care what the doctor said!” he roared. “They’ve got her. I have to get back to Paradise.”
“Okay, let’s be calm a minute.” Tom used both hands stop-sign fashion to make his point. “Just take a breath and bring me up to speed.”
“You got the files?” The mere effort of holding himself upright took every ounce of strength Paul possessed. His breath was ragged from it. He’d sent a copy of Connie Neil’s files to Cuddahy’s email address before attempting to leave the townhouse. That was the reason he’d gone back into the living room while Jill waited at their escape route. Was probably the reason he’d gotten shot but it was a risk he’d had to take.
“Got’em,” Tom confirmed. “Had a hell of a time figuring out what it all meant. But I got there.”
“They’ve got Jill. We have to go after her.”
“Here’s the deal,” Cuddahy said carefully, staying in front of Paul so that he wouldn’t jump out of the bed. “I’ve got a team in Paradise already. They’re keeping an eye on MedTech, LifeCycle and the local brass. But I haven’t made a move. I was waiting on you.” He shrugged. “The files are incriminating in themselves, but I had a hunch there was more and I didn’t want to tip your hand if you had one.” He exhaled a big breath. “I have to tell you, I did some sweating until I heard from that doctor yesterday. He said he almost didn’t call... thought you were just delusional. Hell, I had no idea where you were, man. I had your figured for dead.”
“So did I.” Paul frowned, trying to recall how much time had passed. “How long have I been here?”
Cuddahy didn’t answer right away. Paul glared at him.
“A week.”
Paul swore. Jesus Christ she could already be... No! He refused to believe Jill was anything but alive and waiting for him. “How is that possible? I lost all concept of time.”