Perfection

by Larissa Emerald

  “We need to chat with Captain Avery. The volunteers will keep watch here.”

  Cal and Kindra followed, and a short time later, they were back at the precinct and in Avery’s office. York dropped into a chair, and Kindra and Cal selected seats for themselves.

  York leaned forward, his body tense, ready for a fight. “Any news from Seville?”

  “No,” Avery said. “There are procedures to follow, and Seville knows it. They’re being completely uncooperative—going on the defensive, taking the position that they’re not to blame for the children’s illness and it’s not their responsibility. Passing the buck to the World Health Organization and other genetic facilities. And shifting the blame to Dr. B-Zaika, claiming this is due to a mistake in her part of the D Generation genetic code.”

  York launched into a curse-filled tirade. He’d been through something like this when his son had been ill.

  Kindra’s face turned red as her eyes met Cal’s, then one by one each person’s in the room.

  Pulling himself together, York stood and paced. “What’s our legal stance? Can we go in there and access the computer tonight? We’re out of options. As it is, six of the GEI parents didn’t get on board with our makeshift cryo units. And I can’t blame them. But dammit to hell—” He slammed his fist on the desk.

  Kindra flinched.

  “Red tape’s the problem.” Avery ran a hand through his blond hair. “The government has ultimate authority, but the Committee has the right to protect proprietary information. A court will have to decide who wins.”

  “But we’re out of time,” Kindra said. “Those children will pay the price if we wait.”

  “Then I guess it boils down to if Seville’s prepared for us and how knowledgeable you are about their system. And how lucky we get,” York said.

  They all listened to the procedure and debated the pros and cons of breaking into Seville. Kindra voiced the one certainty that superseded everything else. “We’ve got righteousness on our side. We can’t just sit back and watch kids die.”

  York faced Avery, hands on hips, and waited.

  “Okay,” Avery agreed. “You have the go-ahead.”

  York was pumped. For once, he understood his mom: doing something was better than doing nothing. Both GEIs and Coders were being hurt by this virus, but only one person was doing the hurting. He would bet on it. Two of the biggest questions remained: who and why?

  Chapter Twenty-three

  York inhaled a deep breath before he waved his police ID beneath the computer scanner at Seville. Kindra’s gaze darted about, perhaps checking to see if any of her former colleagues were around. It was two in the morning, so he didn’t think that was likely. They might encounter the personnel assigned to work on the virus, but that was all.

  A backup team led by Cal waited nearby, ready for every scenario they could think of.

  The system accepted the police override and the door unlocked with an almost inaudible click. Inside, Kindra took the lead. They proceeded directly to the main lab. The entire facility was computer operated at night, with androids working the robotic processing continuously to analyze samples.

  Kindra checked the robotic workbenches behind glass stations, then the computer. For a long while, she typed and scanned and reviewed data. The androids went about their business as if she weren’t there. She had brought samples of blood and DNA from the children they’d overseen today, so she put them into the automated synthesizer. It would go through the steps of separating out the genomes for analysis.

  “The first step is to amplify the DNA strands using a G6-thermal cycler to micromanage DNA synthesis. Structural nucleic acids and protein analysis can then be done automatically using a combination of NMR, PST, and crystallography. Crystallization often takes hundreds to thousands of experiments to create a protein crystal suitable for X-ray crystallography, but an automated micro analyzer can allow nearly a million different crystals to be created at once.”

  York understood very little of what she said. She sparkled like the sun, completely dominating while in her element. He loved watching her. He loved that she was so bright and talented and sexy. He couldn’t stop his feelings for her, despite the fact they were completely incompatible and their union was illegal.

  “Glad to see you, Kindra,” Comp Nine said.

  “I’ve missed you,” she replied.

  The tiniest pang of jealousy coursed through him, a hit of electrical current, because he longed to hear those words spoken to him. About him. I’ve missed you. He shook his head, then heard a weird snapping noise.

  Had it been the computer? Whatever it was, the machine didn’t kick them out, so he was good with it. Watching Comp Nine, he wondered if computers could be jealous of other computers. Could Nine feel animosity toward HERO, the massive computer doing the specialized genetic work?

  Finally, she pushed back in her desk chair and crossed her arms in front of her. “I don’t get it. The computer seems to be missing steps. It’s as if someone set the wrong parameters.” She shook her head in disgust. “No one here would do that unless it was intentional.”

  “Like they were trying to ensure the analysis would fail or give false results?”

  “Yes,” Kindra said. “I corrected the anomaly, though, so let’s see what we get.” She pressed a button to begin the analysis.

  The words Catastrophic Failure flashed on the screen just long enough for the message to register in his brain. Then an explosion shook the building. York looked at Kindra as something knocked her to the floor. His heart pounded against his ribs as he ran to her, ceiling tiles raining down like missiles. He threw himself on top of her and dragged her beneath a table, keeping her shielded beneath him. The glass of the workstations had shattered, the pressure and sound deafening to his ears. More debris came crashing down.

  After a couple of long minutes, when everything seemed to have settled, he touched Kindra’s shoulder, running his hand down her back. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” she answered, her voice trembling.

  He helped her out. “Be careful. Some of the walls and cubicle frames may be unstable.”

  “What happened?” she asked, holding her head and looking around.

  “Something blew up.”

  Cal burst into the room. The plan was for him to keep watch from outside, but the explosion obviously scared the shit out of him. His expression shifted from terrified to relieved as he saw they were okay. Then his gaze swept the room. “Look.” He pointed to the computer screen.

  York and Kindra both turned. On Nine’s screen, a message flashed in red.

  Warning: HERO Disconnected.

  “Do you know where that’s housed?” York asked Kindra.

  She nodded frantically. “Yes. This way.”

  She led them to the far side of the building. The damage grew worse the closer they got to the HERO computer. Finally, they came to an impassable area blocked by debris. “The room is right through there.” She pointed in the direction of a computer housing room.

  Cal looked at York and stated exactly what he was thinking. “This was not an accident.”

  York shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. The computer was rigged.” He paused, brushing chunks of drywall from his hair. “Which means our perp is someone inside Seville.”

  * * *

  Kindra shook uncontrollably. She thought of Brianna, waiting for her mother to find a cure. Tears filled her eyes. Images of tucking her little girl into a cryo-pod flitted through her mind. What would happen to Brianna if something terrible happened to her mother? What if Kindra couldn’t find a cure? What if the virus wasn’t curable?

  No. She forced back the tears, getting control of herself. She couldn’t believe one of her colleagues was behind this.

  How sick…

  “Nothing more can be done here. Let’s go,” York said. “The investigation team will handle it from here and send in their bomb technicians.”

  Cal, Kindra, and York pushed their wa
y through chunks of downed tile and wall debris, their path growing clearer the farther they moved from the computer room and toward the exit.

  Outside, a SWAT team was pulling up to the curb in armored transporters.

  “Take Kindra to the transporter,” York said over his shoulder to his brother. “I’ll be right there.”

  She wanted to sit down and close her eyes. She’d never been through anything so traumatic. She couldn’t think; her thoughts were jumbled.

  When she climbed into York’s transporter, the seats felt cool and reassuring. From where she sat, she could see York and the emergency vehicles. He headed for the lead SWAT vehicle and the commander in charge. He spoke to a short man, seeming to introduce himself, and showed his ID. After chatting with the guy for several minutes, he jogged back toward her.

  And, oh, she was ready to welcome him with open arms. Her tough, powerful, and handsome problem solver had saved her life.

  * * *

  They formed a small parade marching through the precinct. Every eye watched them as they filed down the hall to Captain Avery’s office. Avoiding eye contact, Kindra folded her arms across her chest and curved herself inward.

  Inside the captain’s office, her tension eased. Cal got them drinks, and Captain Avery asked several times about her comfort. York was the only one out of sorts. The horrible scowl on his face made her wonder how this was the same man who had so gently helped with the children.

  “I’m sorry,” York said, his voice gruff. “I should have suspected that might happen. I should have stopped you. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  She eyed the cuts and scrapes on his arms, his torn shirt hanging in places. Then she glanced at her own clothes, at the backs of her hands, scratched and bruised. Her stomach clenched, and she fought a wave of nausea.

  Was this what it was like to be a Coder? She knew Coders faced death far more often than GEIs, but she’d never given it any thought until the virus struck. Now she recognized a kinship with York—and felt so very alive.

  She swallowed and forced slow, controlled breaths as if she were in a unity session. She looked up at him. “Yes. I’ll be okay.”

  “Now what?” Cal asked.

  Kindra fought the urge to dwell on the what-ifs of the explosion and instead focus on Cal’s question, but doubts and negative thoughts crept into her mind. What if whoever was behind this knew what she’d tried to do and came after her again? Her mind raced, struggling to analyze the available options. Where was she going to have the analysis done now? Her brain was foggy. “The supercomputer is history. The next best thing will be to take the samples to one of the other HERO computers. London or Tokyo are perhaps our best options.”

  York’s gaze softened. “Your recommendation?”

  “London,” she said without hesitation. “My father is in charge there.”

  “Very good,” Avery said. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements for your trip. York, you will accompany Dr. B-Zaika. Cal, round up every employee at Seville and begin interrogating them.”

  “Yes, sir,” York said with a nod.

  Kindra tensed at the sudden direction events had taken. She hadn’t spoken to her father in nearly two years. Life had moved too fast after she’d brought Brianna home.

  The little girl in her looked forward to seeing him, but the adult Kindra…not so much. She never felt like she measured up to his expectations. And now with her involvement with a renegade virus…she was worried he would somehow find her responsible for the genetic error. Did a weakness in the genetics leave these children vulnerable? She didn’t have enough information yet to determine that. Only time and study would tell.

  In the meantime, she wasn’t sure what she would say to her dad.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Kindra was full of nerves when she stepped off the plane after the three-hour flight. Although many of her friends adored air travel, she did not. The anxiety of everything going on at home had her nerves on edge as it was. Added to that, the anticipation of seeing her father after such a long time gave her goosebumps. To say she was not at her best was an understatement.

  As they stepped on the people mover taking them through the airport corridor, she messaged her dad to let him know they’d arrived.

  York called Captain Avery. Disconnecting, he halted and pulled her off to the side. “Avery said they have all Seville employees in for questioning except for B-Watson, A-Isaac, and B-Cobb…who haven’t reported yet.”

  “Does that mean one of them is the killer,” she asked.

  “Perhaps.”

  Inside the terminal, York rented them a transporter. “Highly inadequate, but it will have to do,” he complained.

  “Oh, the hardship. They didn’t have anything custom-made?” She tried for a smile, the sample bag clutched to her chest.

  They found their transporter and headed straight to King’s Genetics Centre. York was attentive and seemed intent on putting her at ease, but after the attempt on her life and then the explosion, he remained on high alert. His eyes darted to every corner and shadow.

  Maybe he thought they were being watched. If someone at Seville Center had created the virus, he or she could have followed them here. It wouldn’t be hard to predict that she would turn to one of the other HERO computers next.

  At the KGC, she checked in at the reception desk and then led the way up to Robert A-Zaika’s office. A rush of childhood memories assailed her as she walked the tan halls and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. The smell of the familiar floor cleaning solution tweaked her nostrils. So little had changed since she was last here years ago.

  York strode at her side, his eyes watchful.

  When Kindra reached her father’s office, she knocked. The door opened and her dad stepped back to usher them inside.

  “Hi, Daddy.” Her heart bounced into her throat. She reached both hands out to him.

  “Hello, Muffin.” Her father took her by the arms and held her away from him. He looked at her for a long minute, then pulled her to him, squeezing her in a big bear hug. “This is so much better than video chats,” he said with a soft Scottish accent. He set her back, peering over at York.

  “Daddy, this is Lieutenant York Richmond, the bodyguard I told you about.”

  “Yes, well, I’m glad you’re looking after my little girl, what with computers blowing up and all. Unbelievable.”

  York nodded.

  Kindra was glad she’d decided not to mention being shot at.

  “Let’s go to the lab, shall we?” her father suggested.

  Kindra knew exactly where she needed to go and led the way. She’d grown up in this center. When they reached the lab, she removed the virus samples and set them out, ready to prepare them.

  “I’ve read the reports you sent me, but fill me in,” her father said.

  “The virus attacks the brain. For some reason, it only affects D Generation, but now it’s appearing in Coders.” She paused. “I had to put Brianna in a cryo-pod.”

  His eyes widened. “She has the virus?”

  Kindra’s throat tightened. “Yes.”

  York stepped forward. “We determined the virus was introduced via a popular toy—the Global Doll. The victims seem to have contracted it from the doll itself or from contact with an infected surface. It also spreads from person to person from direct contact.”

  “Good to know. I’ll tell you what. We’ll get everything set up and started here. Then the lieutenant can take you to the hotel so you can rest while the computer analyzes everything.”

  “No,” she refused. “I can’t. I have to stay.”

  York placed a hand on her back. “It’s been a long day. I think your father’s right.”

  She glanced from York to her father to the computer. The only rest she’d had in twenty-four hours was what she’d managed on the flight. “I… I don’t know.”

  “You won’t be able to help Brianna if you’re exhausted,” York said. “The computer won’t work any faster
just because you’re watching it. We’ll return later.”

  * * *

  At the hotel, they grabbed a quick bite for a late lunch, and then he thought he’d use some smooth talking and teasing to persuade her to try something different. The case had him tense, Kindra had him tense, and he was wound so tight he was ready to spring. He wanted to lead her into a different world, if only for a few hours. The case wasn’t going anywhere.

  “How about we do a holographic relaxation experience?” he offered. “It might help.”

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “It’s not really me.”

  He took her hand and gave her a tug. “Come on.”

  She shook her head.

  “How about a unity session, then?”

  Her face lit at the idea. It felt good to see her pleased. “Okay.” If that’s what would make her happy, he was all in.

  She asked one of the hotel staff and got directions to the unity room. It seemed all the high-end accommodations offered a room on every floor. Who knew?

  Kindra led the way into the unity room, closed the door, and took a position on the floor. He did the same. He counted it as something that brought them together, a way for him to be part of her GEI world.

  He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, relaxing, feeling more connected to her than he ever had before.

  * * *

  An hour later, York gazed out the window. Freezing rain covered all of London. There was no way they were going outside until they had to. And, call him selfish, but he wanted more time alone with Kindra before they returned to the demanding world ill children. York messaged Kindra that they would order dinner in her room. Tucking a bottle of wine in the crook of his arm and holding two glasses, he knocked on her hotel room door with his free hand.

  She opened it. “Mmm. I could use that.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, then took the glasses from him.

  He kicked the door closed with his foot. She looked beautiful this evening, although anxious. Full of anticipation.

  “After dinner we’ll head back to Kings for the results. I admit I’m nervous. Dad hasn’t called. If a vaccine was found, I would have heard from him. What if it can’t be found?”