Murder Genes (41 page)

Kyle didn't get much of what Andre had said.
 
But he kept listening because he needed to listen.
 
He
needed
to know why Mom had died.

"My wife is named Mara.
 
She was one of the earlier ones sent to Morir."
 
Andre rubbed his eyes.
 
"I loved her dearly, we all did.
 
When she was taken, I turned my research towards proving that The Code was not deterministic.
 
I broke a hundred laws and hid from a hundred governments and spent millions of my own dollars into the research.
 
But I couldn't prove anything because I didn't have a study that showed someone with the murderer gene going through life without killing anyone.
 
Anyone with The Code had already been put into Morir.
 
Even if I could prove that in sufficient time, any number of excuses could be made.
 
Other scientists could argue that someone with The Code may fail to murder, but it was their intent to murder that was dangerous.
 
Intent is difficult to prove in evidence.
 
Even more difficult to prove the
lack
of intent.

"I realized that the only way to prove The Code wrong was to prove the reverse.
 
That someone without The Code could be a murderer too.
 
I realized that this was the quickest way to stop the madness of Morir, I'd prove to the world that the Laws behind Behavioral Genetics was wrong altogether."

It sounded like he and Mom believed in the same things.
 
It sounded like Mom could've been his
friend
.

"I prayed that I would be quick enough to save my wife," Andre continued.
 
"Now however, I do not think Mara is still alive, though I hope that she is.
 
More importantly, I dream that my research will change the world and stop the persecution of those with The Code in future generations.
 
That is why today is a day of celebration."
 
Leena had brought in a tray with wine glasses and bottles.
 
She poured sparkling cider in the kid's glasses and red wine in Andre's.

It was too strange.
 
Andre inviting Kyle into the family.
 
Andre telling Kyle that he wouldn't hurt him.
 
All of them sitting together like friends.
 
The way that Andre got wine and the kids didn't, like he was a good parent.
 
How
good
Andre saw himself, regardless of the fact that he'd killed Del and many more.

Kyle took the cider and poured it behind him onto the floor.
 
He held out the cup again and gave Leena a meaningful look.
 
She hesitated and when Andre gave a consenting nod, she poured the wine into Kyle's cup.

"Drink, because today is the day we have PROOF that Behavioral Genetics is not a Scientific Law."
 
Andre raised his glass and everybody but Callie and Kyle raised it back.

Andre's face was flushed and he didn't seem to care.
 
He just kept talking.
 
"We have the evidence that shows you killed El, we have the video proof that you chose to kill him.
 
That you intended and were not forced to kill him.
 
We have proof that you don't have The Code, verified by the government's latest test publicized while you were under investigation, reinforced by our own studies.
 
We have proof and video of every step in our experiment, under the regulations of the Natural Science Methods.
 
Documented and stored with the regulating bodies.
 
You, Kyle, are going to save millions of lives."
 
Andre gestured with his glass again.
 
"Raise your glass, Kyle.
 
The world has you to thank."

"What about the injections?
 
You gave me injections before I killed El.
 
You made me into a murderer, what does that prove?"
 
Kyle spoke softly, ignoring the toast, staring at the blood-red drink that only adults drank.
 
Like it was something evil that stopped being evil the instant you were over a certain age.

Andre shrugged.
 
"No, I didn't make you anything.
 
Remember, epigenetics are DNA expressers, not DNA changers--according to modern science."
 
He gave himself a small smile.
 
"All I injected into you, Kyle, were standard genetic accelerators.
 
Genetic researchers use it to speed up their studies.
 
It's been standardized and well-researched in the epigenetic movement for use in all Behavioral Genetic studies."

"So my strength, my speed, the way I'm thinking."

"Just you growing up faster than you should, Kyle.
 
You'll be an adult in no time, though your height may suffer with all the energy your body is devoted to developing the other aspects of maturity."

"What about my eyes?"

"Sharper like an eagle?
 
Yes, with enhanced growth and development of your epigenes, it is a common side effect."

"And El?
 
They didn't discover my DNA."

"It is a theory that the epigene, when stimulated enough through harsh and powerful experiences, can actually change the makeup of your core DNA.
 
It's not a theory anymore, is it?
 
And since
everyone
has epigenes, I've not only proven one, but two things.
 
That DNA can change and that murder can happen even without The Code through the right amount of stimulus to a child's epigene."
 
There was an eagerness in his eyes as he said it.
 
"The test would have been over then, if you'd been caught."

"The people I killed, they were part of the study?" Kyle said.
 
And Del?
 
Did you just use her to get me in jail?
 
To get me in trouble?
 
Why did you kill her Mr. Scientist?

"Yes, we drink to them, too," Andre said.
 
"Many people were sacrificed for this, but not nearly as many as the people oppressed by government and the UN ...millions of lives, Kyle.
 
And how else could I do a study on murder without death?
 
And compared to the number of people that are dying in Morir or the ones who'd die if I led a violent revolution against The Code...I've saved so many lives at the cost of a few.
 
We
have.
 
I want you to recognize the contribution you are for science."

He couldn't hold it back anymore.
 
The real question, the only one that mattered.
 
"Mom.
 
Why'd you kill her?"

Andre looked away.
 
"The experiences, they had to be harsh enough to do damage to certain areas of your brain, kill the parts that make you the kind kid that you were.
 
Vicious experiences that no one should have to go through."

Kyle had already killed El by then.
 
Andre had said it himself, the experiment had been over when he'd killed El.
 
That had been enough.
 
Killing Mom had changed
nothing
.
 
So why had Mom REALLY been killed?
 
"And the man that killed her?
 
The cowboy man?"

Andre's lips twitched.
 
"The media tries to cover things up, but no matter what, it is impossible to have tracked down
all
those with The Code.
 
Especially the kind that murdered and were in hiding
before
Morir was even built.
 
He was a Murderer, one of many that are still at large that the media tries to hide."

"You hired him," Kyle said.

Andre nodded.
 
"Yes."

"With money."

"Yes."

Kyle stared at the man.
 
Hating him.
 
Truly hating.

Andre put his glass down.
 
His smile finally let down, the first time it had this whole time.
 
"I'm sorry it had to be you, Kyle.
 
I would have done it differently if I could.
 
I did do it differently, at first.
 
I started with my own family as my test subjects.
 
Each one has played a part in the development of this study, taking injections and being manipulated for the purpose of the greater study.
 
Each is willing because they love their mother and understood why we had to sacrifice to save people just like her.
 
Like your birth father, Kyle."
 
Andre paused, and his eyes dropped to the table.
 
"My son Jeff, he was going to be THE test.
 
Before he died."

"Before I killed him," Kyle said.

"Yes."
 
Andre slid the drink away to the side.
 
"Before you killed him."

Now, finally, Kyle knew.
 
Now, finally, Kyle picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
 
Mom had died because Andre wanted revenge on Kyle for Jeff's death.
 
THAT was why Mom had been killed.
 
And that, also, was why Kyle would kill Andre.

The wine tasted horrible.
 
It felt great.
 
He looked at Andre as he raised his glass.
 
Cheers.
 
"So you used me," Kyle said.

Andre nodded.
 
"I used you because someday I knew you'd understand why I had to do what I did.
 
You were the right age, too.
 
My family, all except Jeff were under or overdeveloped already.
 
You had to be just the right age, right after The Code would've expressed and been detected, the same time that your epigenetics would just begin to develop and begin maturing."

"And not because I killed your son," Kyle looked from under his brows.

Andre raised narrow and shivering eyes to Kyle's.
 
"No.
 
Not because of that.
 
That was an accident and I well know that.
 
Callie told me what happened.
 
You were virtually, random selection."

He was a liar.
 
A big, fat, liar.
 
"What about Del, and Tim?
 
Did they know?
 
Were they part of the experiment?"

"Only my family knew anything about the experiment," Andre answered.

It hurt like a fresh wound, like Mom had just died and Kyle was watching the News follow Tim away towards Murderer City.
 
Kyle's eyes snapped to Callie.
 
"You said that
everything
was the experiment."
 
Mom and Tim had really loved him, and they were dead because of him, too.
 
It wasn't fair.
 
He'd doubted them and hurt them because he couldn't trust them.
 
Because of what Callie had said.

"Callie did say that," Callie's father answered for her.
 
Callie looked up and he could see that she'd been crying the whole time.
 
Tears and tears, her whole face was wet.
 
"And because of it, she almost ruined the whole experiment," Andre continued.
 
"It was lucky that you interpreted what she told you incorrectly.
 
We managed to use your paranoia to our advantage."

"You were a part of this from the start?" Kyle asked Jess.

She nodded.
 
"I'm sorry, Kyle.
 
You're a nice kid.
 
It was hard to watch."

"Your injections?
 
The stuff you told me and Mom, Mom's injections, Ryant dying?"

"Lies.
 
We made that silly story up for Del's injections and it was easy to fake Ryant dying.
 
We practiced."
 
Jess shrugged as she answered.

"All of us were part of this from the beginning," Andre said.
 
"But all of us had to sacrifice as well.
 
There were many more steps than you could see or know before we were able to perfect our study parameters."

"I never wanted to hurt Kyle," Callie said.
 
"Even if it helps people, doing things like this is wrong."
 
She whispered and her eyes stared unfocused in front of her.

"Shut up, Callie," Ryant said.
 
"You have to be cold and keep your emotions out of things to do a good study.
 
You almost ruined everything.
 
Mom and Jeff would be dead for nothing if you'd messed up any more."

"There has to be a better way," Callie said.

"There isn't," Andre said.
 
"Not in the time we had.
 
The better option was gone after they built Morir and started punishing people for crimes they didn't commit.
 
Sometimes it takes drastic measures for drastic results."
 
His smile returned.
 
"Kyle.
 
I meant it when I said welcome to the family.
 
For everything you've sacrificed and done.
 
You are one of us.
 
The adoption is real, and we can be your real family."