Plagued: Book 1 (19 page)

He looked instantly contrite. “I beg your pardon. Sentimentality must be set aside. However, all this is relevant to the current story.”

“
How?
” Sky whined.

“Your mother should explain that. Emily?”

“Undercover, Helena has established herself as a trusted member of the Victims Army. Quill, as a mercenary for hire. Together they made contact with a group looking to import bloodstock from the U.S. Not just clean blood for transfusions, they also wanted treated stock used in the replication of the bird flu vaccine. That is a very specific order.” Her mother reached for the coffee pot and poured a cup for herself. “Pardon me, I've got to have some of this.”

Sky flicked her eyes to Hugo. He was facing them again.
'I'm sorry,
' he mouthed silently at her.

She looked away. Sorry, could not cover this.

“Not only that, they wanted more. Much more. At least enough for ten or better twenty thousand doses. That information immediately sent up red flags at the British Home Office. Helena and Quentin were put in contact with a greedy little group of the Home Guard here in the Bay Area.”

“How do you know all this, Mom?”

“A pattern was emerging that took me almost a year to decipher. I contacted Philip when the data started to create a disturbing pattern of treason that went very high up the chain of command on both sides of the Atlantic. Together, Helena, Quill, Philip and I have found this is much worse than blood profiteering. A plot behind the plot. Generic vaccine produced from other bloodstock can lead to aberrations in Negatives that go far beyond the enhancements here in the U.S. Aberrations of such power are extremely useful. A very secret part of the Power Company decided to see if they could replicate the effects at will, not only on Negatives but Positives. They have a new blood plague vaccine that works across all blood types.”

“But that's wonderful!” Sky bounced up off the couch. “It will be amazing. Fantastic!” She looked at the others for confirmation. None of them were smiling.

Hugo's father shook his head. “The new vaccine can save everyone, yet gives the enhanced powers of strength, speed, cognitive ability and health to no one. The usefulness of chemically evolved humans is not lost on governments. Especially when we have so few people left. Old is not old anymore. Even in their nineties, men and women remain healthy and strong. Alzheimer and dementia have been eradicated completely due to the vaccine's side effects. No one wants to lose that.”

Sky's mom took her hand. “They held the vaccine back last year, though it was ready to go. The lock-down labs have instead worked to tweak the genetically enhanced proteins from the European generic vaccine to see if they can get a formula that will lead to enhancements in any blood type. The shadowy 'they' are making sure the blood sent to the Cartel in Europe is equal parts new vaccine resulting in no enhancements and tweaked vaccine that could enhance Positives and Negatives. They plan on tracking a control group of children given the vaccine as they mature to see if the aberrations will manifest as predicted.”

Hugo took up the narrative, coming back to face the group. “The world is going to be repopulated. The Negatives are the new dominant race and the government is okay with that. Global power will once again be subject to the pulls of personal ambitions and greed. They want to be prepared for the next step, twenty, thirty years down the line. With this shipment, they seed the ground to see what sort of crop they will reap. Though as usual, America would prefer someone else do the dirty work.”

Philip spoke up. “If their science is right, and I fear it is. The new, refined vaccine will lead to aberrations in nearly every recipient including Positives. Ten thousand children in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East will grow into who knows what.”

“While your government,” Hugo pointed at Sky's mother, “keeps its hand shiny and clean at home.”

“This is an experiment?” Eloise looked appalled. “With the babies born in the coming year as guinea pigs. I've seen a lot in the agency. This though, this is cold.”

“Mom,” Sky turned to face her. “Do you have something to do with this?”

Her mother kept silent, looking at the coffee in her cup.

“
Mom?
”

“Perhaps, I don't really know. I only saw a piece of the puzzle. Communications with other labs around the country and the exchange of data.”

“I contacted Helena and my wife informed MI-6 of the plan. You understand they could not approach the U.S. Government directly since they did not know who to trust. They sent Hugo and I to back up Helena and Quill. Hugo did not know we were actually all in this together until, I believe yesterday.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Hugo gave him an exaggerated salute.

“It made sense that I come as well.” He made a broad gesture with both hands. “You can see that. The University was ecstatic to welcome me back and what could be more natural than for my teenage son to come along? My real mission was to test the samples Quill smuggled out and see if they did indeed have a new protein/enzyme combination. Hugo assembled a team of freelancers to negotiate on behalf of a supposed client. As did Quill. It would seem more realistic to have several bidders. Both were probing weaknesses of the Home Guard profiteers with the aim of liberating the cargo. Our job as a team is to make sure the adulterated vaccine does not reach the Cartel.”

Hugo spoke up. “My father and I and, I guess, my mother and brother are all working in a Black Ops capacity. The British Government will disavow all knowledge of our actions. Nor will they make any effort to help us if we are captured.”

“That's why,” her mother said to Sky, “when Helena was taken, Quill came to Hugo and then took Kara. To force us to help.”

“He's a nut case,”  Sky said with feeling, looking straight at the Viscount. “Your son is a homicidal maniac.”

“I am so sorry to involve your family like this, Emily, Sky, Eloise.” Philip looked genuinely upset.  “Quill will do whatever he thinks is necessary to save his mother, mission be damned. At the best of times they have only the most tenuous hold on him. Now...I don't know.”

Sky cupped her head in her hands and she shook it back and forth in frustration. “So Quill and his mom are the bad guys who are actually good guys in a psychotic sort of way. And the Americans are bad guys backed by good men with bad motives.”

Philip nodded. “Yes, I think you've grasped it.”

“Right.
So,
the history lesson was very interesting, but I'm sixteen and I can't save the world. I only care about one thing. Saving my sister. How do we do that?”

“We have to rescue Helena, not only because of Quill's threats.” Her mother looked around the assembled group, “If they find others to transport the blood, we may not be able to destroy it and we must, at all costs, destroy this shipment. Assembling this much vaccine again will take years. We can buy the children of Europe and elsewhere some time. We
must
convince the profiteers to accept the money and give us the shipment.”

“You know where the blood vault is. Why don't you just take the damn stuff?” Sky pointed out.

The Viscount leaned forward, speaking earnestly. “We have only grasped the tail of the snake; we would like to find the head. That is where the true poison lies. Tomorrow is Halloween. The Masquerade Ball means all but the most essential Guard and Tactical personnel are at the festivities. That was already the day Quill and Helena planned for the exchange.”

“And my group as well,” Hugo interrupted.

Philip raised his eyebrows. “You hadn't told me that. So they plan to bring the two potential clients together and have a bidding war. All the better. Sky is the only one with easy access to the base. She will take Hugo as her date.”

“I will do
what?
”

“We must get Kara back. The only way to do that is to cooperate.”

Her mother put her hand on her waist. “That means you have to commit treason.”

Chapter 20

Blood Allergies

Sky looked from her mother to the Viscount and back. “Treason? You want me to commit treason?” She pulled away from her mother, backed away from all of them. “I am not okay with that, even for Kara.”

Judging by their expressions, Sky thought no one knew what to say.

It was Hugo who spoke first. “No one is asking you to actually commit a treasonable act. Just get me on base as your date. After that, stay at the party, be with your friends.”

“Yes,” the Viscount nodded. “I believe Quill and his people already have their entrance planned to free Helena. He will provide us with time and place. I will know more later in the afternoon.”

“That part of the operation will not involve Sky,” her mom said pointedly.

“Definitely not, Emily. Sky,” Philip St. James spoke directly to her. “The only reason you are here is to understand we are in this together and will do anything necessary to retrieve your sister. The less you know of the details, the better.”

Eloise stood. “I need to go. I have appointments waiting and tonight I'm on duty at the Power Company. Emily has a secure channel to contact me. Philip, will you see that Sky gets home when you're done?”

“Of course, of course. I will drive her myself.”

Emily got up and walked with her sister to the foyer. “Go ahead, ask me.”

“All right.” Eloise cleared her throat. “Emily, what are you doing here?”

“I took a personal day,” she answered as though speaking from a script. “I'm waiting for clearance to see Kara. I'm not sure if I'll get it.”

Sky looked at her aunt and mother, she was about to ask what the heck they were talking about, when the Viscount put his finger to his lips.

“What about Sky?” asked Eloise with great sincerity. Even though Sky was only standing across the room. “She could really use some time with her mother. Things are tough since Rickey was shot. She's devastated.”

“Sky thinks I'm in the Persian Confederacy, we need to keep it that way for now. I can trust Kara to keep the visit to herself.”

“Is everything all right at the office. You look tired.”

“Things will work out, I'm sure,” she said stiffly. “ I just really want to see Kara.”

“We miss you, Emily. All of us.”

“I miss you, too.”

They hugged and with a wave, Eloise walked out.

Sky looked at her mother wide-eyed. “Can I talk now?”

“Go ahead.'

“What the
hell
was that conversation?”

“Plausible deniability. Now if Eloise is questioned, she can say, yes, she did see me. I told her I was taking a personal day and that I would not see Sky but might visit Kara. Eloise hinted I looked tired, perhaps there was trouble at work.”

“She can pass a lie detector test,” Hugo's dad added. “Since she will not be lying that the conversation took place.”

She looked from her mother to Hugo and his father. “Who
are
you people?”

The Viscount's cell phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, he held up one hand. “Give me a moment while I take this.” He walked out into the hall, speaking quietly.

Sky's mother remained where she was. “Do you hate me, Sky? For lying to you?”

Jumping off the couch, she went to her mother and hugged her fiercely. “I love you, mom. How could that change? I already knew you worked for the government. Just not quite how
much
. You're a patriot. I'm proud of that. I wish you didn't have to go away all the time. And what's with the lies about Persia? You couldn't say you were in New York or D.C.?”

“Cover stories were not of my making.”

“What's weird is thinking Dad was some kind of secret agent.” That, thought Sky to herself, was an understatement.

Sky's mom worked her fingers through the tangles in Sky's ponytail. “Do you remember a lot about him?”

“Kind of.” Then she shook her head. “No. That's a lie. Not much, actually. A couple of Christmases and birthdays that are sort of mixed together. Watching Disney movies with him and Kara. I have a really vivid picture in my head of him watering the flowers in the backyard and smoking a cigar. Is that strange?”

“No. He loved gardening. And cigars. He'd like that you remembered that about him.”

“You guys used to fight, Kara told me. She said she'd take me upstairs or into the backyard when that happened. Did he really die in the PharmCon riots?”

“Yes, just not as a lawyer.”

“Did you love him? I mean...” she nodded towards Hugo's father. He'd been watching them both and looked quickly away. “You know.”

“I cared for him very much and I never regretted our marriage because I wouldn't have wanted any other children than my two girls.”

Sky made a doubting face. “Really, Mom? Even Kara?”

They exchanged conspiratorial smiles. 

“
Even Kara.
I'll get her back to us, Sky. But, God forgive me, I can't do it without help from you.”

Sky stiffened and pulled away. “Mom, I'm not sure about this. There must be someone official who can help us. Everything I've learned in tactical training since I was a little kid was to prevent crimes, not abet them.”

Her mom gave a deep sigh. “I know, I know. For one thing, I believe Quill is too smart for any of us. And I was not exaggerating when I said this conspiracy went high up. We could all just disappear.” She snapped her fingers. “As quickly as that.” 

“Emily,” Hugo's dad motioned for her mother to join him. “I need to clear up a few things about tomorrow. Could I...” he let the sentence trail.

Her mom nodded and with a last gentle tug at Sky's hair, went to join him.

Sky had a few things to clear up herself. She walked over to stand by Hugo at the big picture window. “Quill said he came to the forest to kill me. So he certainly knew I was there. I think you lied when you said you didn't know who I was in the ER when we first met. You knew exactly who I was. You must have.”

He thrust his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor, hesitating before he spoke. “I...I didn't know what to say. It made it sound like I was stalking you.” 

“Did you know your brother wanted to kill me?

“Yes,” he met her eyes then, unblinking. “He declared his intentions to do just that. Said he wanted to kill your mother and sister. I thought that's why he'd come. He didn't really care about the mission. That was my mother's duty.”

Hugo's words sent an icy chill up and down her spine. “Why would he want to hurt us?”

“Payback for what was done to him. He blamed your mother for the vaccine. The generic vaccine formula that gave rise to ABRs.”

“That doesn't make any sense. My mom worked in the lab as mathematician and in pattern recognition. Or so you say.”

“God, I didn't think a family that keeps more secrets than mine existed.” He took his hands out of his pockets, reached out to take her arms and turn her to face him squarely. “Because she's the one who leaked the formula when she was released from lockdown at the lab. On orders from your government. They wanted Britain, China, Japan, and the rest to make variants of the vaccine. See what would happen. My father says they did not know the enhancements and blood plagues would follow. I don't believe him.” He dropped his hold and looked again at the floor, his face almost anguished. “Both our families have blood on their hands, Sky. No, not just on their hands. Their drowning in it and taking us down with them.”

Sky felt herself go pale at his words. “You really think my mom is capable of something like that? My mother and your father?”

“Scientists can be cruel and clinical beings. Aided and abetted by the government, well,” he gave a mirthless laugh. “That's how you get atomic bombs and fun things like that. And your family is not without a bit of clinical detachment.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

“I've said too much,” his voice became flat, emotionless.

She shoved him. “Don't play that game, Hugo. Everything you say is something you want me to hear. Even I have figured that much out about you.”

“Do you really want to know?”

She made a face at him. “Just tell me. You know you want to.”

“Fine. Your sweet and lively pet psychic Aunt Eloise is a top interrogator for the Power Company.  There's a bunker at the plant, a place Company people take suspects for interrogation. Underground so no one can hear the screams. Admittedly, most of them are not nice people and deserve to be on the receiving end of a bit of pain and suffering. She helps them suffer accordingly.”

To Sky's great surprise, she slapped him as hard as she could. She hadn't really planned on doing that. It just happened. “You shut up! Just shut up. You don't know what you're talking about,” she raised her hand as though to hit him again.

He didn't try to defend himself. He stood there, staring at her. “I do, actually. Ms. Murphy, could you come here for a moment?” he called over his shoulder. “Or should I call you Emily? I feel we know each other so well already.”

Her mother and Philip St. James both stopped talking to stare at them. They must have heard the slap. The Viscount started to take a step forward. Taking his arm, her mom held him back, shaking her head.

“Your daughter thinks her aunt is a good person. You and I both know she has another side.”

Her mother's face hardened. “We all have another side. One we prefer to keep hidden from those we love. Your father, Eloise, and I have lived through horrifying times and been forced to do terrible things.”

“Ah, you mean like leaking the vaccine to agents of the British government when you got out of lockdown? Those sorts of terrible things?” 

Emily Murphy gasped. “Hugo, no.”

He waved one hand in the air. “Too late for that. She knows.”

“She knows nothing!” Philip shouted at his son, coming into the room. “Nor do you.”

Hugo's hands balled into fists as the Viscount closed the space between them. Sky's mom moved quickly, inserting herself bodily between father and son, arms wide to keep them apart. When she spoke, though, it was to Sky. “We thought we were doing good, I swear.”

Hugo snorted in derision.

She kept her eyes on Sky. “We were told the government wanted to keep the formula secret to ensure America's power. The people who approached us, people we trusted, said they disagreed. Hundreds of millions of lives were at stake. Five of us were able to smuggle out the information over the next six months.”

“And you
believed
them?”

“I was twenty-five years old, Hugo. A mathematical genius with little real world experience before they locked me up in the labs. Yes, I believed them.”

“And do you still believe them, Mom?”

Looking squarely into Sky's eyes, she said, “No, I do not.”

For Sky, the room was quickly filling with the peppery smell of anger mixed with the cinnamon and sour sweat scent of strong emotion. There was something else as well. Flat and heavy, like drying mud. Looking carefully at her mother's face, she realized that must be the smell of despair.

“I have connected far too many disparate dots over the past few years and realized the picture they make...” Without finishing her sentence, Emily Murphy abruptly left, walking across the living room and entry hall and out the front door.

Sky didn't know you could feel your heart actually break. How naïve she was, because you could. Really feel it. The stabbing pain as her heart ripped made her gasp. Everything Hugo had told her over the past few days was true.

After only a moment's hesitation, Philip followed, striding out and slamming the door. Sky saw the two of them through the window on the porch. He put his arms around her and Sky's mom didn't resist.

Hugo took a step closer.

Sky held out both hands. “Get away from me Hugo St. James. Don't you dare touch me.”

He stopped, both hands outstretched. “Sky, please.”

“
Sky, please
what?” she groaned. “What else can your family possibly have to say or do to me? You and your brother's plots and counter-plots have wrecked us. Maybe forever.”

“I'm leaving. After the Coronation.”

She actually hadn't expected him to say that.

“What?”

“I'm dying.” He gave a rueful grin. “The plague is in my system. Still dormant but only a matter of time. A month, maybe two if I'm lucky. I was hoping to make it until Christmas, now, though.”

“But a full blood transfusion...”

“Is not going to help,” he finished her sentence. “Not once the virus is in the circulatory system. I'm sorry, I've been a real ass this past week. Trying to come to terms with the mission, the threats to you, to Europe, to all of us. I found out that night in the hospital. The first night we met. I just,” he shrugged. “I know I should never have taken that first step. Never have made contact. I think though, all this would have happened anyway. It's too big for me, Sky.”

Rickey had said the same thing. She made a move, almost reached out to touch him before she stopped herself.