“You got the entire pool of human empathy in the Alpha caste. But I’ll take a look at them too, although it’s much more likely to be a Beta just from a statistics viewpoint. There are far more Betas than Alphas working in the EZD.”
Malcolm toiled away trying to trace the drops. After three hours, he had run out of ideas for how to find out where the drops originated from. He could only hope that Will had fared better.
“Any luck?” Malcolm asked.
“No. I’ve been through this list of personnel and can’t come up with any likely names. I don’t think it’s someone in EZD. I think the mole wants us to think he’s in EZD.”
“Then go back to the drops and see if you can figure out who would have access to all that information who’s not in EZD. I’m going to see if I can find out what Betas working there had a child taken as a Zed.”
“Would the DGI really hire someone with such an obvious grudge?”
“They don’t have much choice unless they want to eliminate most of the Beta population. Believe it or not, some Betas believe in the caste system as it stands.” Those people were inhuman in Malcolm’s opinion, but his job right now was to pursue truth, not to pass judgment.
“Yeah, I’d almost forgotten those kind of Betas existed.”
“If it’s not someone in EZD and it is a Beta, it would have to be someone like a janitor or maintenance personnel.” Malcolm thought out loud while he was hacking into a system he knew he could manage: the medical records of Betas.
“I’ve had that same thought. But how would a janitor get the information about Europania? The Geneticists wouldn’t just leave it laying about.”
“He might have overheard it. Geneticists and Alphas are supremely arrogant. They view Betas as beneath them, and I bet some maintenance workers are invisible to the Alphas at the DGI.”
Malcolm went back to the DGI personnel list to grab some more names to investigate and stopped. It couldn’t be.
“What is it?” Will must have noticed the change in Malcolm.
“Nothing, at least not yet. I’ll let you know.” That seemed to be enough for Will, and he got back to work.
Malcolm pulled up the first drop from the mole. It had come after Will had come on board. Given this context, Malcolm ran through the timeline in his head. He couldn’t believe it, but it made a certain amount of sense, except for the fact that it was unthinkable.
“Will, tell me everything we know about the mole. Just the facts.”
“Well, we don’t know that it’s a he to start, but he has access to DGI information that could only be had by an insider.”
“So no outside third parties that work with the DGI like us.”
“No, the drops include reports that are formatted in a way that is only for internal use. The reports Panacea gets from the DGI are formatted in a completely different way. We know it has to be someone with access to high-level EZD reports. The person would also have to have access to detailed population info. And, of course, he would need to have access to information coming from other nation-states.”
It all fit but one. “You forgot something.”
“What?”
“He also has to be someone who wants to help the Spark of Life Movement.”
“Well yeah, that’s obvious.”
And it was the one criterion the only person it could be didn’t fit. Malcolm ran through the timeline of events again. He closed his eyes and went back to the day he and Kaleana had gone to a party. The invitation hadn’t been out of the ordinary. It was why Malcolm had come prepared. The program on his tab had told him the security cameras were off in the party room. Not surprising, given the debauchery taking place. But the security cameras for that whole quadrant of the house had been off, according to his sweeper. He’d told himself it made sense, that the cameras probably worked on a system of quadrants instead of individual rooms that could be controlled.
He’d made his excuse to go to the restroom. Kaleana had stayed behind, keeping everyone entertained. She’d always played her part well. Malcolm hadn’t encountered anyone on his way to the office. He’d planted the device without any real hope that it would do any good, but it was worth the chance. Even if no one discovered it, he would still need to hack through a more secure system than he’d ever tackled before.
It’d been hard, but not impossible. He’d made it in and gotten more than he’d ever hoped for. What he hadn’t understood at the time was that the hack had been the first drop from the mole disguised as a security breach. He should have known. He should have never been so foolish as to believe he was good enough to actually hack a Geneticist.
He shook his head and smiled as he opened his eyes.
“What?” Will’s confused look only made it funnier for some reason. Then Malcolm remembered everything the mole had done and sobered. He’d never expected the mole to be someone whom Malcolm had sworn to exact revenge upon.
“Walken. The mole is Geneticist Walken.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
“What?” Will’s mind couldn’t process what Malcolm had said.
“It’s Walken. I’m sure of it.”
“How?”
“I should have seen it sooner. I thought I was so clever with that hack. He let me in. It’s the only explanation. I’m good, but I’m not that good. He’s the only person who could have sent us all those different drops and have access to the information necessary to let us know about Europania. This explains why he made sure we got the patent. He bought it specifically to make sure it didn’t end up anywhere else. Once you get past the craziness of it, you see that it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Of course Malcolm was right, but Will couldn’t reconcile the image of the man who had so gleefully overseen Will’s humiliation with the mole. “So he knows that we’re in the movement.”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that dangerous? We always thought the mole didn’t know your identity.”
“It’s incredibly dangerous.”
Will’s mind returned to the party at Walken’s. Looking at the events through the lens of this new information, Will saw that Walken had actually done little things to make it easier on him without overtly being anything that approached nice. He made sure Will stayed in the care of Kaleana. Walken was the one who wanted Will up on the table, which had made it easier on Will’s leg. He had taken a bet with Malcolm that would ensure that Kaleana wouldn’t be egged on to hurt Will more than she already was.
Walken had been horrible. But Will supposed he could be the mole. “What do we do now?”
“It’s time we confront him and get the truth. I won’t sit around waiting for him to make the next move.”
The word “confront” conjured up some unpleasant possibilities in Will’s mind. “You’re not going to let what he did to me interfere, are you?”
“What?” Malcolm’s eyes narrowed in confusion.
“He’s our mole, Malcolm. We couldn’t have done any of this without him. I just know that you can be a little irrational when it comes to me. I’m fine with what happened at the party. I knew it was likely when I agreed to go. This doesn’t change that. We got even more out of the deal than I thought we would when I agreed to do it.”
“There is nothing irrational about wanting to flay that man for hurting my lover.”
“Think back, though. It wasn’t him. I mean, he was the same amount of hideous as all Alphas are—except for you—but it was the other two Alphas who were there doing it. Walken’s Zeds weren’t involved in anything involving pain. It was the others who wanted to see me beaten. And what could Walken have done? If he’d spoken up and done anything more than he did, it would have been suspicious.”
“He could have not had such a get together to begin with. There was no reason for it.”
“It maintained his cover and yours. You were getting ready to overhaul the collars. There couldn’t be any doubt about your intentions. The other two Alphas there were left in no doubt of your suppo
sed feelings toward Zeds. There had to be a reason he had them there.”
Malcolm paused, and Will saw his mind retreat behind his eyes in thought. “They are two of the biggest gossips.”
“See? I’m not saying you need to like him. I’m just saying you need to hear him out and realize that he’s useful to us. Don’t let your feelings for me cause you to do something rash that will ultimately hurt the movement and me right along with it.”
“I won’t. I promise. I am going to request a meeting with him under the pretense of discussing our business arrangement.”
“Good. I can’t wait to hear his explanation.”
“You won’t be there.”
Will didn’t think it’d be that easy. “Why not? This isn’t going to be like last time. There’s no good reason for me not to be there. In fact, there’s every reason for me to come. For one, two sets of eyes and ears are always better than one. And for another, me being there will help prevent you from doing something stupid.”
“You know, I managed to get through life without doing too many stupid things before I met you.”
“Ah, yes, your life was just swimmingly perfect before I came along. You only do stupid stuff when you involve your heart, and ever since I came along, you’ve been doing that too much. Before you even fell in love with me, you challenged a Geneticist in my defense. So no, I don’t think you can be trusted to not make stupid decisions on your own.”
“So you’re going to what, be my chaperone?”
Will nodded. “In a way. You know it makes sense for me to be there. Are you going to send him a message now?”
Malcolm glanced at his screen. “No, it’s too late tonight. He’ll know it’s not business when he sees I sent it after midnight. Let’s go get some sleep and I’ll message him first thing after breakfast. I want it to blend in with all of the other messages I’ve exchanged with him.”
As much as Will wanted to jump on this, he knew Malcolm was right. Sending a message now wouldn’t get them a response any sooner. It would only hurt them, take away their advantage. “You’re right.” Will locked down his computer then stood and reached out his hand to Malcolm. “Let’s go.”
When Malcolm’s hand slipped into Will’s, a sense of surety filled Will, and he knew that this development would send the movement forward faster than even he had previously imagined.
When they entered their bedroom, the sight of the bed had Will yawning. It’d been a long night staring at a screen. The white sheets, one of the few changes Will had made to the black room when he moved in, beckoned to him. He shucked off his clothes and collapsed into bed. His whole body relaxed along with his mind. Given who the mole was, the future looked bright indeed.
* * *
The next day, Will found it increasingly difficult not to divulge their newfound knowledge. No one but he and Malcolm even knew about the mole. As far as everyone else was concerned, he and Malcolm were regular operatives in the movement, not privy to anything special. All they knew was the information Will and Malcolm shared with them as needed.
Will lay on the beach, his eyes closed, the warmth of the sun bathing his body and the sand beneath his back providing a comfortable bed. Despite sleeping in until right before breakfast, he could still use a nap. They’d all decided that a vacation day was in order. They’d earned it. The weariness from months of work seemed to descend on him all at once. Given a choice, he’d fall asleep on the sand and not wake until tomorrow.
Lips descended on his in a gentle kiss. It was about the only thing that could draw Will’s attention away from his comfortable sunbathing. When he opened his eyes, instead of Malcolm’s eyes staring back at him, he saw his chin. Malcolm leaned over Will from behind his head, blocking the sun and allowing for an interesting upside-down kiss. Malcolm pulled away and sat next to Will.
“What was that for?” Will lifted his head and squinted in the sunlight.
“An excuse to come sit next to you for a bit of private conversation. Besides, watching you lying so peacefully makes me want to disrupt your peace in the most delicious way.”
“All right,” Will said as he closed his eyes and laid his head back down. “You get on top.”
Will took pleasure in the chuckle that escaped Malcolm’s lips. He’d never tire of happy sounds coming from a man who had once appeared so haunted, bearing a load that left no time for frivolity.
“I have news. Walken has invited us to his home.”
Will sat up at that. “I thought we were going to meet him here?” He didn’t particularly care for the idea of entering Walken’s home again.
“I left it open. I didn’t want to rouse suspicion one way or the other. He suggested I come over with one of my Zeds for lunch tomorrow.”
Dread filled Will. He’d made peace with what had happened the last time he saw Walken, but he didn’t like the thought of being put in a similar position again. “Is anyone else going to be there?”
“It doesn’t sound like it. I think it’s going to be just us. He might suspect that we know. Even if he doesn’t, I won’t allow a repeat of last time.”
Logically, Will knew that he was as safe with Malcolm as he was in their home, but he liked the idea of familiar surroundings, especially when discussing such seditious topics. “Is there any chance this might be bad for us?”
“It’ll all be in the approach. I’m certain it’s him, so it doesn’t benefit him to expose us. If something happens to us, we have ample evidence to take him down. I plan to tread carefully, give myself deniability until he confirms it aloud. I don’t anticipate any problems. My biggest concern is you.”
“I’m fine. It can’t possibly be worse than last time, and my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I need to see him again and know that he’s the man who’s been helping us.”
“I understand, but I’m not sure if we should let him know that you’re involved.”
“Well, he specifically asked for you to bring a Zed, so I have to come.”
“I know. I’m torn because I don’t want you to leave my sight, but the prudent thing might be to send you from the room when discussion turns toward the movement.”
As much as Will bristled at that idea, he couldn’t casually dismiss Malcolm’s concern. Which option would best serve the movement? It might be better for Walken to believe Will was in the dark about Malcolm’s clandestine activities. “I’ll do whatever you think is best, but as we’ve been over before, I’m no safer whether he knows or not. It might be good for him to know that I’m involved.”
“I can’t see an advantage to it, but I am leaning toward keeping you with me for my peace of mind. I like you where I can see you.”
“You know he’s not going to kidnap me or anything. That would be idiotic.”
“Don’t joke. My nerves can’t handle it. Until we have a better idea of what’s going on, I’m not sure I want you out of my sight.”
“All right. I admit I’d prefer to stay and hear what he has to say. This is pretty big.”
“It is, but only if he’s genuine.”
“If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have warned us about Europania. There was no reason for that other than to protect the movement.”
Malcolm nodded. “Like you, I have a hard time trusting any Geneticist, no matter what evidence can be presented to the contrary.”
“Hey,” Nick called. “We’re going inside to have a dance tournament. Wanna come?” He swam toward shore along with Tony, Rufus, Stu, and Carson. Syrus listened to a book on a lounger.
Will looked to Malcolm.
“I’m fine with not getting any work done today. We all deserve it,” Malcolm said.
“Yeah, we’re coming,” Will called back. Both he and Malcolm stood and held hands, making their way toward everyone else. Nick leaned in and whispered something to Stu that put a mischievous smile on Stu’s face.
“Will, you want to rinse off the sand before we leave?” Nick wagged his eyebrows and eyed Will and Malcolm’s joined hands.<
br />
Will caught his meaning and broke out in a grin. “Yeah, good idea.” He darted into the ocean, catching Malcolm off guard and tightening his grip against Malcolm’s sudden struggle.
Nick and Stu joined in the effort, coming up behind Malcolm and pushing him in as Will pulled.
“Wait! Stop!” Malcolm’s cries were silenced as soon as they got him in up to his waist and Stu jumped on his back in an attempt to tackle him. Nick barreled into Malcolm’s side, and he lost his footing, tumbling into the ocean.
Will couldn’t contain his laughter as Malcolm emerged from the water, slicking his hair back with his hands. “You’ll pay for that,” he teased, his smile and the twinkle in his eyes negating any threat his words might have held.
“Ooh, you hear that, Stu? We’re in trouble. What do you think that’ll mean? Writing ‘I will not dunk my Alpha’ a hundred times before we’re allowed dessert tonight?”
“Nah, he l-l-looks mad. Maybe we’ll o-o-only get half our dessert.”
“I’m entirely too soft, but I can give as well as I get.” Malcolm lunged at both Nick and Stu, easily taking them under.
Nick spluttered to the surface. “I consider myself suitably punished.”
“No, but you will once I school you at that dance game. Go get it set up and I’ll take both of you on.”
“Woo-hoo!” Stu cheered as he made his way to the shore with Nick. While Malcolm observed plenty, he rarely took part in games.
“As for you,” Malcolm came closer to Will, “you’ll get your due for your part in this little rebellion tonight.”
Will tried unsuccessfully to contain his laughter. “Big words from the man who bends over for me every night.”
“All right, enough back talk.” Malcolm dunked Will under the water.
The pressure of Malcolm’s hand wasn’t much, but Will didn’t resist, and he took notice of Malcolm’s other hand around him, supporting him on his way to the surface. He knew Malcolm still worried about him in the ocean with his leg, but rather than irritate Will, the concern touched him. Will looked out for Malcolm as much as Malcolm looked out for him. He had learned to get over these little gestures toward his leg. They weren’t demeaning, only signs of support. That was what it meant to be partners.
[In Distress 02.0] In Pain Page 22