I shifted uncomfortably. We were a large part of the reason for that.
“I don’t mention that to make you feel guilty.” Then he chuckled softly. “Although I hope you do, at least a little bit. Regardless, I need to explain my state of mind when this all started.”
Hi was listening intently, chin on one fist, as if Chance were a master storyteller about to perform. “When what started?”
“My investigation into you four.” Chance stroked the battered folder with a thumb. “Soon after my release, I found this file in my father’s private safe. The project notes of Dr. Marcus Karsten, of the Loggerhead Island Research Institute.”
My eyes widened. “The originals?”
Chance nodded. “Based on where I found this, I knew the experiment was illegal. And I was certain you guys were tied up in it somehow, though for the life of me I couldn’t understand how. I must’ve read these pages a hundred times before I found the link.”
Pieces fell into place. “Cooper.”
Chance tipped an imaginary cap. “I put together the following facts. One: The supervirus was contagious. Two: The test subject was stolen. And three: Tory had a wolfdog of unknown origin.” His gaze turned inward, as though he sifted through painful memories. “I knew there was something different about you. I’d seen it myself on several occasions.”
Shelton leaned forward. “If you knew all this, why’d you restart the experiment?”
“Bad timing.” Chance shook his head. “I didn’t put those things together at first. By the time I realized the new virus was potentially dangerous, I’d already run the first trials. Assisted by an old friend from high school named Will Speckman.”
“So you infected yourselves.” Ben shook disgustedly. “Two dopes, playing at scientist.”
Chance didn’t take offense. “I don’t know when it happened. Or how. It must’ve been early, when we first combined the parvovirus strains using a quirk in Karsten’s notes. That was before I had proper protocols in place. I’ve checked extensively, and no one else who worked in that lab has been infected.”
“You’re sure about that?” Hi demanded. “We don’t need a citywide Viral outbreak.”
“One hundred percent certain,” Chance answered firmly. “Only four people went into that room, and the other two techs are fine. Trust me on this point. My inquiries were . . . thorough.”
“But what about the people Speckman contacted afterward?” I countered. “He obviously passed the virus to Cole and Ella.”
“He couldn’t have.” Chance sifted through the remaining files, then jabbed one with his finger. “I’ve tested every conceivable viral property. The bug Will and I created simply cannot be passed through the air. Nor can it spread through physical or surface contact. Ella and Cole were infected in some other way.”
“Wait!” Ben shot to his feet. “We never told you Ella was part of the Trinity. Yet you didn’t bat an eye when Tory just said her name!”
The air in the room froze. All eyes found Chance, including mine.
Surprisingly, he laughed. “You think I don’t know why you’re here?”
Ben took a step forward, but I held up my hand. “Ben, sit down.”
He shot me a furious glare.
I didn’t flinch. “We’re getting the whole story, right now. After that we can . . . decide.”
Ben muttered something under his breath, but did as I ordered.
Chance continued as if the outburst hadn’t occurred. “I got a call this afternoon. Guess who?”
My expression soured. “Will Speckman.”
Chance nodded. “Very good. After cursing me for a traitor—again—he told me the Trinity were done with us, and that we were on our own.” Chance eyed me curiously. “He also recapped your showdown with Ella in the cafeteria. I won’t deny being shocked. Ella Francis? Honestly! I did not see that coming.”
“You didn’t know Ella was Trinity?” I watched for any sign of deception. “Tell the truth.”
Chance didn’t evade my gaze. “No. I first learned it from Will, this afternoon. You must’ve figured it out some time earlier, and decided not to share.” He winked. “I forgive you.”
“Watch it,” Ben warned. “Tory’s not the one—”
“He’s right,” I conceded grudgingly. “I put it together on the boat ride home from the Yorktown, but wanted to make sure. I’m sorry, everyone. I should’ve told you sooner.”
Hi waved my apology away. Shelton frowned, but nodded.
Ben lowered into his chair, his expression dangerously close to a sulk. “How many friendly chats have you and Speckman had behind our backs?”
Chance took a deep breath. “A few. But they never led to anything. Speckman just likes taunting me. He’s still angry I let him go at Candela.”
“You fired him.” Shelton shrugged, as if that explained it. “No wonder he’s mad.”
“What was I supposed to do?” Chance leaned back against the fireplace, his dark eyes brimming with annoyance. “He became totally unreliable. Plus, I had to bury the project before people found out what I’d done. That meant erasing the files, destroying the samples, and, of course, eliminating the outside staff.”
I bit my lip, thinking. “Did you know Speckman was Viral when you shut things down?”
“No.” Chance’s expression soured. “I thought I was the only one.”
“Okay.” Hi sat up straight, began ticking fingers. “Speckman caught the superbug. Later you fired him. Result: he’s pissed. That all tracks. But how were Cole and Ella infected?”
For a few beats, no one spoke.
“I have a guess,” Chance said quietly.
We waited.
Chance examined his fingernails, seemed uncomfortable with what he was about to suggest. “As I said, the Brimstone virus doesn’t infect through the air, or even by casual human contact. It’s actually a tough bug to transmit.” He paused. “But it can be ingested.”
I blinked, uncertain what to make of Chance’s statement. Then the answer hit me.
My hands shot to my mouth. “No!”
Chance nodded grimly. “I think Will infected Cole and Ella on purpose.”
Hiram half rose from his chair. “Holy sh—”
“Who would do that!?” Shelton blurted. “That’s crazy!”
“Will may be a little crazy.” Chance shook his head. “He was weird in the lab, always asking strange questions. Poking around where he shouldn’t have. Will was really upset when he lost the job. Made some threats. Frankly, I was glad to be rid of him.”
I shuddered. “If Speckman did that, he’s a monster.”
“No argument here,” Chance said. “But I’m almost certain I’m right. At first I couldn’t explain Cole’s and Ella’s accelerated incubation period—they cycled through their sickness much faster than Will and I did. But a direct viral dose, concentrated and ingested, is the most likely answer. Will must’ve stolen Brimstone samples soon after he discovered his Viral condition, but before I fired him. A tight window, but it was there.”
Despite everything, I still thought of Ella as a friend. For someone to intentionally infect her with an illness was unconscionable. That went for Cole, too.
“When did you first suspect this?” I asked.
“A few days ago.” Chance anticipated my next question. “When I got the lab results, and learned the mutations hadn’t stopped.”
Ben sneered. “When you found out your science project might kill us.”
“Might.” Chance rose, began pacing before the fireplace. “As I told Tory, I’m not positive about anything. But I’m reasonably sure the cellular evolution will continue. And that’s dangerous, obviously, unless we have an antidote.”
His eyes strayed to the metal box sitting on the coffee table.
He didn’t destroy all of the samples.
/> A synapse fired in my brain. “You already have it, don’t you Chance?”
His eyebrows shot up, then he smiled ruefully. “Nothing slips by you, does it?”
Shelton popped up, pointed a shaky finger at the box. “There’s a cure for being Viral in there?”
“Sweet Lord,” Hi croaked, staring at the container.
Ben slapped his armrest, glaring at Chance. “We don’t need a cure!”
“You may!” Chance shot back. “Your virus was different from my mine, but the results are nearly identical. My experiment used the same viral ingredients, and followed the same process as Karsten’s. And my research shows we face the probability of future mutations. How do we know those changes won’t kill us all?”
Ben looked away. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Go ahead, then.” Chance pointed at me. “But you don’t decide for her.”
“And you do?” Ben snarled.
I shot to my feet. “Stop it, both of you!”
Eyes locked, Ben and Chance continued to stare each other down.
I placed a hand on Ben’s arm, felt his muscles tense at my touch. “We haven’t even gotten to the heart of this yet.”
“Very true.” Hi squirmed in his chair. “What about the Men in Black chasing us?”
Ben shrugged me off, remained standing with his arms crossed.
Shelton and I retook our seats.
Chance hadn’t budged from the hearth. “Tell me what you know.”
“No, Chance.” My voice grew hard. “Not this time. Explain why Ella thinks you know something about our pursuers. Now.”
His shoulders slumped. “I may be responsible. Possibly.”
Ben grunted, but I waved him silent. “What does that mean?”
Chance’s voice grew wooden. “You know how Will claims to have hacked my files? Even my private ones?”
I nodded, hiding my embarrassment.
“Someone else did, too.” Leaning forward, Chance snagged a blue folder from the pile. “A few weeks ago I ran a system check, and discovered that another unknown user had accessed the Brimstone files. My private document had been opened as well.”
My heart skipped a beat. “The agents.”
Ben bristled. “Meaning, they know almost everything.”
Chance nodded unhappily. “I kept everything but Karsten’s research in that database.”
Hi raised a hand. “Question. Why would a secret government agency break into your computer in the first place? Are you Batman? Because if you are, that could score you some much-needed points right now.”
Chance rubbed his eyes, responded in a weary voice. “I think they were looking for something else. Lately I’ve discovered that my father was involved in dozens of shady deals like his one with Karsten. I think someone was investigating Candela, and stumbled upon Brimstone by accident.”
A flash of insight. “Will Speckman is a disgruntled former employee,” I said, wincing at the implications. “Perhaps agents approached him like they did Madison, and he cooperated.”
“That’s my guess.” Chance ran a thumb along his eyebrow. “Maybe Will got scared, and thought the suits were after him. Or maybe he tipped them anonymously, trying to throw them off his own scent. In any case, he clearly sold me out at some point.”
I thought of the last few nights. Three traps, each intended to deliver us to our stalkers.
Goose bumps puckered my arms.
This is bad.
“So everything is your fault.” Ben smiled coldly. “I knew it.”
Chance waved a tired hand. “Whatever makes you happy, Benjamin. But let’s not forget, if you guys hadn’t royally screwed with my head months ago, none of this would’ve happened. And now I’m Viral, too.”
“Not our kind of Viral.”
“Would y’all quit!” Shelton ripped off his specs. “I just wanna know who’s chasing us!”
“I don’t know who they are,” Chance swore. “I just know they’re out there.”
“We were followed today.” Hi jabbed a finger into his palm. “On the way here. Our fan club was watching the Morris Island bridge, which means they know who we are, and where we live.”
“How long before they just snatch us up?” Shelton whispered.
“And what about the Trinity?” Hi said. “Their flare powers are stronger than ours. Not fair.”
“No they aren’t,” Ben seethed, irritably tucking his hair behind his ears. “Not in this lifetime.”
“We need some kind of edge.” An idea was slowly forming in my head. “A way to catch the Trinity off guard, and convince those morons to work with us. Or to at least stop screwing us.”
Chance opened his mouth, but the words never escaped.
Every light in the room died at once.
From downstairs came the shriek of breaking glass.
Everyone froze.
“What was that?!” Shelton hissed in the darkness.
Footsteps swept past me.
A whirring sound. Followed by a low hum.
Fluorescent track lighting flickered to life above the study door.
“We lost power.” Chance had crossed to a small LED touch panel built into the wall beside the entrance. A red light was blinking on its face. “The manor has a backup system, of course.”
“Something broke.” Hi’s finger shook as he pointed at the door. “Out there, in the house.”
“You’ve got a cat or something, right, Chancey?” Shelton was tugging an earlobe double-time. “Mr. Whiskers likes to knock over vases?”
“No.” Chance cracked the door and stuck his head into the dark hallway. After several tense seconds, he closed it with a thud. Chance turned the massive lock, sealing us inside, then hurried to a bookshelf in the corner of the room.
As the boys and I huddled beside the chairs, uncertain what to do, Chance began fiddling with a painting bolted inside the towering cabinet.
“I don’t like this.” Ben strode to a window and looked outside.
I rushed over to Chance, who was tapping a keypad cunningly hidden within the picture’s gilded frame. Brigadier General Harold Barnabas Claybourne glowered at me from its oily surface.
My heart raced. “Chance, what is it?”
“The motion sensors are blinking.” A catch released and the portrait swung outward, revealing a security monitor behind it. “We may have visitors.”
Hi and Shelton joined us, peering over my shoulder. Ben stayed by the window, squinting down at the gardens below.
Chance called up an image of the main foyer.
Four men were crouching in the darkness.
As I watched, stunned, the quartet crept down the entrance hall in standard two-by-two formation, hand-signaling with military efficiency.
“Oh crap.” Hi’s voice cracked.
Shelton grabbed Chance by the shoulder. “Tell me there’s another way out of this room.”
Chance was staring in disbelief. “The alarm didn’t sound. How is that possible? This system cost a fortune, and it’s failed twice! I reset everything when I let you guys in, so—”
“Chance!” I waved a hand in front of his face. “There’s no time. Where are your guards?”
“I dismissed my team weeks ago.” With a look of morbid fascination, Chance watched the intruders steal through his residence. “I was sick, and had to hide my condition. Then I started practicing my flares at night. I assumed that my Colombian-drug-lord-rated security system was more than enough protection.”
Adrenaline flooded my system. “Not against these guys.”
“Oh man.” Shelton locked his hands together on the crown of his head. “That’s not the Trinity. You think those town car dudes followed us here?”
“Impossible.” Ben had moved to a second window. “We lost them across the ri
ver. They must’ve come for the lord of the manor.”
I looked at Chance, who shrugged. “Does it matter?”
The four men reached the atrium and gathered by the stairs. Each wore night-vision goggles. Two carried devices I couldn’t identify—held two-handed, the objects resembled snub-nosed shotguns, but appeared to be made of plastic.
Hi began slowly backing from the door. “They’re right outside.”
“Relax.” Chance shook his head, as if just returning to the present. “This study is my safe room. Don’t be fooled by appearances—that door is steel reinforced and magnetically sealed. It’d take a missile to knock it down.”
Chance yanked open a drawer below the painting, exposing a gleaming equipment board. “These windows are bulletproof and welded to their frames. There’s a trunk line providing power, along with a dedicated com link that runs through the manor’s foundation. I don’t know how these bastards got inside without tripping the alarm, but we can hole up in here while I contact the police. They can’t—”
As he spoke, the lights on the equipment board went dead. With a dull clack, the halogens above the door winked out, leaving us in near-total darkness.
“So much for that theory,” Ben hissed.
“What’s that sound?” Shelton, somewhere to my left. “I think it came from the doorway.”
“The magnetic seal disengaged.” Chance’s voice was tight, though I couldn’t see his face. “We can slip away through the corner window. There’s a fire escape attached to this side of the house. I know how to disengage—”
Look out!” Ben dropped to the floor just as a spotlight split the air above his head. The megawatt beam cut across the room before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Ben crawled over to where the rest of us crouched before the cabinet. “At least two more men in the garden. Can’t go that way.”
Chance cursed.
“Keep thinking, bro!” Hi’s voice had risen several octaves.
Suddenly, I felt an odd tingle in my brain.
Bloodred eyes flared to life beside me.
Startled, I stumbled backward, barging into someone behind me. Hi yelped a complaint about smashed toes.