“How… how are you alive?” The air seemed to snap around us, the rage almost physical. I made my feet stand their ground and swallowed around the lump in my throat.
“I guess I got lucky.” I whispered too, but I wasn’t really in the position to control it. It only seemed to enrage him more. His mouth thinned, almost disappearing and his fingers dug into my skin even harder.
If I somehow get out of this, I’m going to be a patchwork quilt of bruises.
“Got…got lucky?! I incapacitated you and threw you in a lake with the Loch Ness monster! You should be tiny pieces of fish chow and yet here you are, in Freiburg, walking around like nothing happened. Why won’t you just give up?!” My confidence grew slightly. He hadn’t tried to kill me outright. Something in the carefully contained anger of his body told me he couldn’t, not yet, not now I was here. So, I managed to splutter out the question that had been on my mind since I’d overheard him, all the way back in his dorm.
“Why do you hate me?” The fire burning in his eyes seemed to douse itself for a second as he blinked at me, trying to take in the question.
“What?” It was muttered between clenched teeth but, it wasn’t another death threat, so that was improvement.
“Why do you hate me? Like, you hate me this much and I don’t see why?” It felt good to ask the question, even if it was to a person who could quite easily kill me. He froze for a second, eyes going distant, then refocussed on me, all the rage sparking again,
“Why do I hate you? You tied me up, drugged me and left me for dead.” He gestured with one hand, dropping it momentarily from my arm.
“I mean, actually, I left you cereal bars.” I think I was high on adrenaline. I could hear the words coming out of my mouth and I couldn’t stop them. His mouth dropped open and twitched at the edges and for a second, the guy who had broken into a police station with me fluttered back, before he was replaced with the monster underneath. “But, before that. I heard you on the phone. You seemed so disgusted by me. What did I do?” Part of me was still a little girl confused and hurt by a boy. She wanted answers. I wanted her to shut the hell up.
“You… you kept me in that hell hole for 3 fucking years. I couldn’t leave. I was assigned to stay there until you gave up whatever search you were on. Yeah, we knew about it.” He added, seeing my shocked face, “You’re not as great at this sleuthing thing as you think you are. I mean, were you so blinded by the need to get to your brother that you actually believed I could break into a police station evidence room? God, you idiot. That was a set up and I can’t believe you fell for it. Well, actually, I can. Then, not only did you keep me there for three years, you actually managed to have a break through and find some information out. So, what did you do? You walked straight into my hands. Then, I couldn’t leave until I’d convinced you there were no leads. But you just didn’t give up. You just keep coming back. I mean… a LOCH NESS MONSTER and yet, I couldn’t kill you.” Ouch. I wasn’t going to lie, it hurt to know someone hated you that much, and it was for something that wasn’t even my fault. I crossed my arms, shrugging off his other hand.
“Look, I’m sorry I kept you in such a hell hole, but I hardly knew I was doing it, did I? I don’t feel like that warrants throwing someone in a lake as monster chum. I can’t imagine you ever dealt well with being dumped. What did you do to them? Grind them in a wood chipper? Is that seriously the whole reason you hate me?” I was in this deep, no point in stopping now. His jaw twitched.
“I didn’t- I had to listen to Eli hark on about you for almost an entire year. He wouldn’t shut up about his little sister and how great she was. Do you know how irritating that is? God, I even know that your favourite colour is blue. I don’t need to know that about you and yet, I do. So, it’s hard to like someone when you’re all I heard about, on and on for a whole year. Then you go and do all this stupid shit, over and over again and I just had to deal with it. I could have been here, with the team, developing the newest assets but I wasn’t. I was with you and your brother. It was nauseating.” I stared at him for a few seconds,
“So, what you’re saying is you developed a hatred for me that lead to repetitive attempted murder because of a load of stuff I had no control over? Does that seem fair to you?” He seemed taken aback, some of the fire dying from his eyes,
“Why should it be fair? It wasn’t fair on me.” He snapped.
“Oh, boo hoo, you poor baby. You know I actually liked you right? I thought I could trust you. I did trust you.”
“Well that was stupid. What did you actually know about me? Pretty much nothing. It’s not my fault you were acting like a silly little girl with a crush.” Before I could stop myself, my hand was flying towards his face, connecting with his jaw as a fist. My mouth dropped open as his head snapped to the side.
Well, that’s done it. Well done.
He turned back to me, rubbing his jaw. His eyes were flat now. He grabbed my arm, the one that had just punched him clean across the face and yanked me forward,
“This conversation is over. Come on.” He dragged me alongside him, not even looking down at me, eyes focussed on the corridor ahead. My shoes squeaked along the lino. I assumed he was taking me to Rick. It would be nice to meet the guy behind all of this, were it not for the sneaking suspicion that Caden wasn’t going to let me out of here alive. That kind of put a damper on things. More rooms flashed past, the windows showing yet more scientists with more machines. I hadn’t had any idea the organisation was this big when I’d been at the lab in Scotland. There, it had seemed like a small operation. Here, almost every few metres there was another room, another group. I hated to think how many experiments were going on in here, how many scientists believed they were doing something admirable.
Eventually we turned a corner. This corridor, although still the same lino and metal, felt different. It was bare, no doors on either side, no windows. I dragged my feet across the floor, wincing as Caden pulled me forward, fingers digging into already-forming bruises. I started grumbling under my breath, ignoring the daggered looks he sent to me. In the distance I could see the end of the corridor, framing one single door. The closer we got, the more Caden seemed to stiffen up. I guess even psychopaths were scared of someone. The door wasn’t marked, imposing itself on the hallway with all the airs and graces of a boss’s office. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten as we came to a halt. Caden looked at me sideways, opening his mouth as if he was going to say something but whatever it was floated away into the echoing silence of the hallway. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was to be honest; he’d looked almost apologetic, which didn’t fill me with confidence for what awaited me on the other side of the door. He sighed, the sound hanging between us, then raised his hand, ready to knock on the door,
“Wait…” my voice sounded tiny in the cavernous space around his, but I needed something, anything to delay this. He paused, hand stopped in mid-air, “I want to know, was there any part of you, any part at all, that actually felt something for me?” Maybe, if he did, he would reconsider. He began to respond then stopped, as if unsure. I saw his gaze harden seconds later.
“No.” It was said sharply, clipped. A little part of me slumped; there went my only escape. Before I could say anything else, he raised his hand again and knocked this time, three short, sharp beats. There was a pause then the door seemed to click, pulling itself sideways. He pushed me through. I stumbled into darkness, my eyes trying to adjust. The lights came on, a gradual fade in, dousing the room in bright halogen light. Caden stepped into the room behind me and I jumped as I heard the door swing shut. I couldn’t see anyone, but I’d learnt that that meant nothing. Directly in front of us was a desk, cluttered with stacks of paper. I half expected the chair to swing around and present the infamous Rick Laws, complete with evil cat. It didn’t and I was kind of glad because I don’t think I would have been able to stop myself from snorting. But there was movement. A figure appeared from behind a bookcase to my left. I jumped slight
ly and tried to cover it up, but I know Caden saw it. The figure walked towards me until his face was completely in the light.
“Ah, Miss Ari. So very nice of you to join us. I’ve been so wanting to meet you.”
Chapter 14
The man in front of me didn’t look anything like the picture I’d built up in my head. I’d imagined Rick Laws as a crazy-eyed maniac, unsettling with a psychotic grin. That definitely wasn’t this man; he looked, well, normal. Like a businessman that you’d pass on the street. He was tall, much taller than Caden who seemed to shrink in his presence, with short black hair, ebony skin and piercing blue eyes. They were unsettling, yes, but not because he looked psychotic. They seemed to burrow into your skin. I struggled to look away but eventually I cast my gaze to the side, creeping a look at Caden. He was staring straight ahead, not making eye contact, but his hands were clenched and from what I could see he looked a little…scared?
Surely not? He’s actually crazy. If he’s scared, what the hell is this guy like.
Rick drew my attention back to him by clearing his throat. I met his gaze again, instantly wishing I hadn’t. He was smiling at me, a soft smile that seemed completely at war with the intensity of his eyes, arms lightly folded until he was sure he had my attention; then he unfolded his arms, leaning back on the desk behind him.
“I hear you’ve been causing quite a bit of trouble.” He had a voice like velvet. I could see how he convinced so many people to do something illegal. I didn’t answer but kept my gaze locked with his. If I had any chance of getting out of here, I definitely couldn’t be seen as weak. He chuckled and it rolled over my skin in a gentle wave. I could feel Caden’s tension radiating in waves beside me. Rick’s eyes flicked to him and something passed over his face, almost like disappointment. “From what Caden here had been telling me, you’ve somehow managed to outsmart him more than once.” His voice dropped and I got the sense that it wasn’t a comment directed at me but at Caden. The flinch I saw out of the corner of my eye confirmed it. There was a beat of silence before Rick continued, “What I really want to know my dear is how. I left one of my best to ensure you never found your brother and yet here we are. It’s just lucky that Eli has no idea you’re even here.” His smile was still gentle but there was an undercurrent of steel in his words, as cold as the icy blue of his eyes. “So, tell me, how did you, a pretty unremarkable girl, with no background in survival training or intelligence work find and break in to not one but two of my facilities, not counting our little decoy back in England?” His question hung in the air. I realised, as the silence drew on, that I was going to have to answer this one.
“A little bit of luck, a little bit of help and a whole lot of rage. Also, you have shit security.” Even to my own ears I sounded like I was being a smartass. Instantly, his entire demeanour changed. The smile dropped off of his face and his jaw clenched. He pushed off from the desk and stalked towards me until we were nearly touching. I craned my neck up to maintain the eye contact.
“You little shit. You think this is funny?! You could have and may still completely derail everything I’ve worked towards. And for what? Your brother? I hate to break it to you sweetheart but it’s not exactly like your brother was all that worried about you for the past three years. He’s been living out his dream. You would have held him back.” He spat the words at my face. I didn’t respond, but it was still a punch in the gut.
No, he was concerned. Remember the notebook? He missed you. He cares about you. He’s still Eli. This guy is just trying to get to you.
I couldn’t help but wonder why Eli hadn’t tried to get back to me though. If he’d been here, been alive for three years and he hadn’t even tried to get a message to me. Why? I cast a glance at Caden, and another idea formed in my head.
What if Caden set the notebook as a trap? He was obviously in Scotland when I was but for some reason, he didn’t choose to approach me until after I’d found the lab.
His eyes flicked towards me, like he felt my gaze, but they were unreadable.
“I seriously doubt Eli was living out his dream here. It’s a hell hole. You think what you’re doing is so great, but it’s monstrous. It’s crazy. Just like you, I guess.” I held my breath as my bait registered. If I wanted any information, I needed to get the upper hand. Right now, Rick had it, but from how he’d been reacting it was clear he had a few triggers. In my experience, the best way to get people to reveal anything was to get them angry. They stopped thinking about what they were saying and just reacted. I heard Caden mutter something under his breath, but it was drowned out by the shout from Rick.
“I’m not crazy!” You most definitely are. “You’re just like everyone else; they never understand what I’m doing here. They think its wrong, but I’m helping humanity. My research will help cure diseases.”
“That wasn’t what I saw. Mutated hybrid animals killed and left to rot on the floor of an abandoned lab. What use would medicine have for a half-wolf, half-polar-bear hybrid? Or the Loch Ness Monster? Don’t kid yourself that you’re helping science. You’re only helping yourself.” Caden hissed something again, this time a bit louder so I could hear.
“Stop.” I couldn’t. It was too late. All the rage I’d felt, all the hurt and the pain from losing my brother had bottled up over the past three years and now I was looking at the man responsible for it all and I was furious. I didn’t care about what he would do. I just wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt me. I didn’t see the slap; it was only after my face was wrenched to the side that I registered something had hit me. I turned my head back to Rick, his features contorted into something almost animalistic. I could see now why Caden was scared of him. He was a monster. But I wasn’t backing down. I rubbed my jaw, easing the sting of his hand.
“That wasn’t a denial.” I kept my voice even, measured, making sure I didn’t shout or show emotion. Someone full of his own self-worth, who couldn’t control his anger right now, would find that infuriating. I was betting it was smarting that I was a small, young and a girl at that and I had, as he had said, jeopardised everything he had worked for.
I’m not done yet.
He was panting, the fury emanating off of him in waves. I stretched up onto my tiptoes so I was closer to his face.
“Don’t kid yourself.” I whispered. He let out a scream of frustration, every inch of the composed businessman vanishing and spun round to punch a fist into his desk.
“Fine! You think I’m only doing this for myself? You don’t even know what I’m doing. I can make the world its own theme park! I’m bringing to life the mythical creatures that everyone wishes they could see. It’s going to be incredible.” He was talking with a kind of fervour, a gleam in his eyes as he stared at me. I wanted, very much, to take a step back or just run as far away from him as possible.
“No one wants to see that thing you’re pretending is the Loch Ness Monster. If that gets near anyone, it will kill them. That’s hardly going to be something everyone wishes they could see.” I couldn’t believe that he thought people would enjoy seeing that. How were they going to stop it from slaughtering everyone? Was that the ‘control’ measures they were talking about in the previous Lab? Rick scoffed at me, turning to pace across in front of his desk.
“You don’t see it do you? You can’t, not yet. But you will. Everyone will thank me.” He was murmuring now, “Plus, it will bring me millions.” I think he had forgotten I was here; me and Caden. He had a faraway look in his eyes as he traipsed around. That, more than his anger, was terrifying. Suddenly, he stopped pacing, turning back to look at me. His eyes were focused again, any of the cloudiness long forgotten.
“We are not here, Miss Farrow, to discuss me and my plans. We are here to discuss you. You have become a thorn in the side of GAI and the best way to deal with thorns is to remove them.” I swallowed as a chill ran down my back. He was back to the businessman now, every inch calm and collected. He ran his hands down the lapels of his suit, smoothing them, leaning b
ack against the desk again. If Caden wasn’t clearly terrified of this man, I imagine he would have wished him good luck. I could almost see the thought forming in his head. This meeting was very quickly going south; I needed to somehow make myself valuable.
“If I don’t come back, everything I’ve found out about GAI will be released. Including the locations. The government will be all over you and your company before you can blink. Then what will you do?” I was bluffing. I had everything stored, but I hadn’t told anyone about it; even Jake couldn’t guess what I needed that well. But they didn’t know that. I hadn’t told Caden I was storing everything. Looking back now, I was glad I’d kept some of the investigation to myself. I saw his eyebrows raise as they both considered what I’d said. I knew they didn’t know whether or not to believe me. I just had to sell it, “You wouldn’t want photos of your failed experiments and your documents released onto the internet for anyone to see, would you? I have copies of all of it. Even a couple of pictures of your very own Nessie. It will be great publicity up until you’re shut down by every organisation under the sun for animal cruelty and illegal activity…” I trailed off, letting my words hang between us. I could see Rick’s jaw working, the tendons jumping under his skin as he worked over my words in his head. Unless they had a way to hack my phone, they wouldn’t be able to disprove it. It would be whether or not he was worried enough that it might be true. Eventually he huffed and motioned Caden over. Snapping to attention, Caden walked to the desk, shooting me a glance as he went by; I couldn’t read it. I looked around the rest of the room as they talked in a hushed whisper. One side seemed to be full of books and from here I could make out the titles on the spines of a few of them.
Under Loch and Key Page 21