“What sample population?”
“As you know, one of my companies is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. And what’s one of the easiest ways to insert DNA into the body? As a vaccine. So I’ll simply administer it in a common vaccine, like a flu shot. Nobody will even know.”
“That’s barbaric! You’d be killing everyone who got the vaccine!”
Owens shook his head. “No, not everyone. Remember that the enhanced genes from your child will be much better received by the human body. But still, you’re right. Many will die. But some will survive. And those who do deserve to continue on.”
“So you don’t care how many people die?”
“The planet can’t handle all these people, Samantha. It was just a matter of time before someone stepped in to remedy the problem. You heard Drew talking at our dinner back in Iceland. Remember the plan he mentioned? To cut the population to 1 billion and give the remaining few the enhanced genes? It’s a good plan except that it was based on human decisions. Some rich, powerful people sit around a room and decide who should live and who should be eliminated. Who should get the enhanced genes and who should not. It all comes down to who has the most money and who provides the most value to the people who have the money.”
“And your plan for killing people is somehow better than GlobalLife’s?”
“I see the future in a much larger way, Samantha. GlobalLife just wants to give this technology to the rich. But money doesn’t earn you the right to continue replicating an inferior lineage. Doing that simply means continuing to support the weak. What I’m doing is letting nature pick the winners and losers. That’s the way it should be. My plan ensures that humans continue to live on this planet for years to come. I’m creating a stronger human race. One that could actually survive a catastrophic natural disaster or an attack from an alien species. I’m looking out for humanity. I’m recognizing what needs to be done long-term for our survival on this planet, and I’m doing it.”
What he was saying about the future was too much for my mind to accept. I tried to stay focused on the events that had already taken place.
“Why didn’t you just stop GlobalLife years ago, before the Founders got so involved?”
“I explained this to you back in Iceland. The Founders are a very powerful group. Once they learned about the genetic technology, it was too late. They insisted on having it. Yes, I’m a very influential and powerful man, but I’m just one person. My opinion wouldn’t change their minds. They wanted the genes and the powers that came with them. Luckily, the Founders are now convinced that the genes won’t work. I can thank your rebel group for that.”
“What rebel group?”
“Please, Samantha. There’s no need for games. I know all about the rebel group. And even though they didn’t intend to, they actually helped me when they spread those rumors about the technology not working. It was brilliant. It was the first step in getting GlobalLife to discontinue their research on the genes. You see, I don’t need GlobalLife’s help anymore. I know enough now to take it from here. After those rumors started, I knew the Founders would pull their funding. So all I needed to do was secure the remaining gene samples so those idiots at GlobalLife would stop tinkering with them. I should have never let them have the alien remains all those years ago. And now, they never will.”
“But Eve took the samples from the vault. Did you know that she’d do that?”
“I’ve been working secretly with Eve for years because of her connections at GlobalLife. I told her that when the time was right, we’d steal the genes and sell them and she’d make a fortune. She had no knowledge of my actual plans. Anyway, I’ve had people keeping an eye on her over the years. When I learned that you’d gone to Eve’s apartment and picked up her daughter, I figured you had a plan to get the genes from the vault.”
“You knew the genes were in the vault this whole time? Then why did you have Dave and Jack search those files, trying to find out where they were?”
“That was simply busywork meant to keep you and Erik around. Eve told me the genes were in the vault months ago.”
“Did Eve tell you she was planning to steal the genes the other night?”
“No. Because she didn’t steal them. You did, Samantha. I don’t know exactly how. But I’m guessing it had something to do with controlling Eve’s mind. Whatever you did, it worked out perfectly. My men followed her to GBL Capital, and as soon as she left, they were waiting to take her and the genes. It couldn’t have worked out better! I got the genes and Eve got the blame. I became a hero for turning her in. My good friend Orton Wolcott took it from there, suggesting we test the hybrid genes on Eve.” Owens smiled. “It all worked out quite well in the end. No loose ends.”
“Your plan may have worked so far, but it ends here. You still don’t have Erik. You never will. He’ll never go with you.”
“Oh, but he will. Because I have you, Samantha. And he will go wherever you are. You see, Erik really does love you, more than anything in this world. He may not say so, but everyone sees it. You see it, too. You just won’t admit that it’s true. Doing so would mean that you’d have to accept the pain that you’ve caused Erik by your rejection of him. And you can’t stand to see him in pain because you love him, too. Don’t you see? Your destiny was chosen long ago, Samantha. You and Erik are meant to be together.” Owens sighed. “You’ve caused so many problems by not choosing him. So now, I have to take matters into my own hands. Make things right again.”
As Owens talked, I realized that GlobalLife had only played a small role in a much larger plan. Owens was the man behind it all, pulling the strings the whole time. He got people to play along without even knowing what they were doing. And his goal was to get Erik and me together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
A Kiss
Owens’ endless talking bought me more time to try to get into his brain, but the effort was taking a toll on me. My mind felt weak and the scenarios that often flashed in my head during times of stress weren’t working. I scrambled to think of other ways to bring down Owens without hurting Colin.
“Is Erik really coming?” Owens asked. “Or was that a lie to buy you time?”
“He’s coming. And other people are coming. A whole army of people from the rebel group.”
Owens laughed. “If they were coming to rescue you, they would be here by now. Now let me ask you again. Is Erik coming or not?”
“Yes. He’s coming. And when he does, what do you have planned for us?”
“A helicopter is waiting on the rooftop helipad to take us to my private plane. We’re going to my home in Switzerland, the one you refused to go to earlier. There you two will live the lavish lifestyle you deserve. It’s where you’ll raise your many children.”
“And what will you do with Colin?”
“He’ll stay here. Someone will eventually come and get him.”
I knew Owens was lying. “Can I say goodbye to him?”
“I suppose I could let him speak for a moment.”
He ripped the tape off Colin’s mouth. “Get out of here, Sam! Run while you still can! He’ll kill me no matter you what you do. I love—”
“Enough!” Owens fastened the tape over Colin’s mouth. Then he aimed the syringe at Colin’s neck again.
“Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should run. Or maybe I should fight you. We both know you’re putting that needle in Colin no matter what I do.”
“You won’t fight, Samantha. You’re not able to.”
It was true. I couldn’t attack him with that needle in his hand. “So where are your security people tonight? Shouldn’t they be here protecting you?”
“I don’t need a security team when I’m here. I have built-in security throughout the penthouse. The technology is more reliable and more loyal than any human being. You can’t get out of here unless I let you out. And before we leave, you and Erik will be exposed to a little something to calm you for the trip. That way you won’t try anything w
hen we get outside. When you awake, you’ll be in your new home.”
“You’re drugging us? That’s your—”
“A visitor has arrived, Mr. Owens.” A woman’s voice spoke robotically in a British accent. It came from a speaker on the wall. Then an image appeared on a screen next to the speaker. It showed Erik standing at the front door.
“Let the guest in,” Owens said as the image faded. We heard Erik enter. “We’re back here, son,” Owens called out.
“Erik, he has the needle with the alien genes an inch from Colin’s neck.” I knew if I didn’t tell him, he’d come running in and attack Owens.
I continued trying to contact Owens’ mind. Suddenly I felt a small wave of energy like I felt when I first started reading minds. The energy felt dark, just like it had with Eve. I didn’t let go of it but kept focusing on it, trying to make it stronger.
Erik walked slowly into the room. I could tell that he was trying to get into Owens’ mind but couldn’t.
“Good evening, Erik,” Owens said. “So good to see you again. I’m disappointed with your late arrival, but it did give me a chance to explain my plans for the two of you. Samantha can tell you everything later.”
Owens kept talking. Erik and I remained quiet, trying to get into his mind. I was sure I couldn’t talk telepathically to Erik while also keeping hold of my weak connection to Owens’ mind. But I tried anyway. I held Erik’s hand, hoping to at least draw on his energy.
“Erik, he needs to drop the syringe.”
“Yes, I’m trying.”
My pulse raced when I heard Erik in my mind. How could he hear me? And how could I hear him while still connected to Owens?
“We have to hurry. I’m in Owens’ mind but only partway,” I thought to Erik. “Help me take it over. I need your energy.”
“You’re too attached to Colin. Your emotions will get in the way. Let me do it.”
“No. I have to do this! Please!”
I felt Erik’s mind backing off slightly, his energy transferring to me.
Owens’ voice turned dreamy yet deranged. He had clearly lost his mind, probably from whatever pills he was taking to prolong his life. “Just looking at the two of you side by side brings me so such joy. You truly are the golden couple, perfect in every way. The beginning of something bigger and better than I ever imagined.” He sighed, keeping his eyes on us. “I can’t stop admiring my work. Before we leave, I must make one final request.”
“What more could you possibly want?” My head was throbbing, but I couldn’t let go of the mind connection I had with Owens.
“A kiss,” he said, grinning. “It’s a simple request. I just want to see you two kiss.”
Erik looked at me. I looked at him and then over at Colin. I didn’t want the last image Colin had of me to be one in which I was kissing Erik.
“No,” I said. “You got everything else you wanted. We’re not giving you that.”
Owens put the needle so close to Colin’s neck that it nearly touched his skin. “Kiss,” he ordered angrily. “And not something quick. I want a real kiss.”
I looked at Colin again. He closed his eyes tight, as if sending me a message. I turned to Erik. “Okay, fine. We’ll kiss.”
Erik leaned over and slowly kissed me. I felt even more energy transferring between us.
“See? It’s just as I said,” I heard Owens say. “You two were meant to be together.”
As my connection with Erik grew stronger I was able to push past the scrambled brain waves in the air and go deeper into Owens’ mind. But I hit a barrier before I could get fully inside. I pushed harder but kept hitting resistance. “Put the needle down,” I thought inside Owens’ head, not sure if the message was even getting through. “Step back. Drop the needle.”
As I repeated the words, I could feel Owens’ mind getting confused. I assumed it was caused by his own thoughts trying to override mine.
Suddenly I heard a loud crash and a thump. “No! Get it out!” Owens screamed. “Help me!”
Erik and I broke apart. We turned to see Owens lying on the floor. He’d somehow fallen, knocking over the metal table that was next to him. He was curled into a ball, his arms wrapped around his abdomen.
“Get it out! Help me!” he called out frantically. “Don’t just stand there! Hurry up!”
Erik approached him. Owens rolled onto his back. Something was sticking out of his chest. It was the syringe. But only the very top. The rest of it was lodged deep into his left side, blood pouring from him.
Owens began gasping for breath. “I think it punctured … my lung. I can’t … breathe. Call for … help.”
I hated seeing people suffer, even Owens. “Where’s a phone?” I asked him, scanning the room for one.
Erik grabbed my arm. “Sam, you’re not seriously going to help him, are you?”
“Of course she … is.” Owens could barely get his words out. “She’s a good … just like we … programmed her to …”
“It’s too late, Sam. If he survives the wound, the genes will kill him. Just like they killed Eve and everyone else who got them.”
Owens continued to gasp for breath, almost like he was drowning. And then he was gone.
I raced over to Colin and took the tape off his mouth. “What did he give you?”
“I don’t know. He said the paralysis was temporary. He said he wanted me to feel the pain when he put the genes in me.” Colin wiggled his fingers. “I’m getting a little feeling back. I can move my hands now.”
“I’m so sorry, Colin. We shouldn’t have left you alone at the house.”
“It’s not anyone’s fault. Who knew Owens would do this?”
“I should have.” Erik nudged Owens with his foot, making sure he was dead. “Something about that son of a bitch has bothered me since day one. I should’ve listened to my gut. But I gave him a break because he helped us get out of GlobalLife. I should’ve known he was just using us.”
Colin looked down at Owens. “So what just happened to him?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “He tripped, I guess, and the needle accidentally went into his chest.”
“No. He didn’t trip,” Colin insisted. “He jammed the needle into himself. And then he fell.”
“What? No, that can’t be right. You had your eyes closed, remember?”
“Yeah, but I opened them again.”
“Colin, I didn’t want you to see Erik and me—”
“Sam, I’m telling you that I saw Owens do it. He jabbed the syringe into his own body.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I was in his head trying to get him to back away. I guess I must’ve confused him. Unless—” I glanced at Erik. “Did you do this?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. How could I do that? You were the one controlling him.”
I didn’t question Erik any further. I wondered if the barrier I’d felt inside Owens’ head was Erik. Had he entered Owens’ mind and made him stab himself? But how? I was drawing off Erik’s energy and using all his strength. There was no way he could make that happen by himself. What happened to Owens had to be an accident.
“Let’s get Colin and go into the other room. I don’t want us anywhere near Owens, even dead Owens.” I walked behind Colin’s chair, pausing when I saw the open vault. “Wait a minute.”
I went into the vault and picked up the metal box that Eve had stolen days earlier. Inside were the vials containing the alien genes.
“Are they all there?” Erik was behind me. I handed him the box as I spotted another smaller box sitting there. It held five vials. Two of the vials were the ones we’d taken in Iceland. The other three Owens had probably taken for himself when he first discovered the genes, which meant that he’d had them all along. He could have stopped the timer in Erik and me without ever involving GlobalLife. Erik and I never needed to get those genes in Iceland.
I showed the vials to Erik. “I think this is everything.” I smiled. “All that exists.”
He smiled back. “Let’s destroy this shit.”
We moved Colin outside of the room, then went back in and smashed the vials on the tile floor. I searched the cabinets for any corrosive chemicals I could find. Erik and I dumped them over the spilled vials, covering the floor with liquid.
Erik stared at it. “Damn, that felt good.”
“Really good,” I said, admiring the mess it made.
We got out of the room and shut the door. “Did you tell anyone where we were?” I asked Erik as we moved Colin farther into the main room.
“Yeah. They should be here soon, if they aren’t already.”
“How did you get here so fast, Erik?”
He grinned. “I stole a motorcycle from a guy who was at the house. There was so much going on and so many people there that I took the key from his jacket and left. Nobody even noticed. It’s a hell of a lot easier to get through traffic with one of those.”
“So when did you tell everyone to come here?”
“I didn’t. Brittany did. I told her where I was going before I left. I had her wait before telling anyone so they wouldn’t try to stop me.”
“Go see if they’re here. I’ll stay with Colin.”
Erik couldn’t get the front door open. It was locked shut with whatever security contraption Owens had set up. He went back to the room we just left. Within seconds the door opened.
“Ha! Not that secure, is it?” he said as he left the penthouse. The door remained open.
I sat next to Colin and held his hand, which was now moving normally.
“I’m sorry you had to hear all that stuff about Erik and me being a couple. Owens was completely insane. Don’t believe a word he said. And that kiss? It was all for show. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Yeah, it’s okay.”
“And what he said about Erik? It’s not true. In fact, Erik and Brittany are kind of dating now. Well, Brittany is a little farther along in the relationship than Erik, but—”
A Chosen Destiny (The Samantha Project Series #3) Page 27