see what we’re up against. How can you trust anyone when she can offer them the keys to the fountain of youth?”
“Which is why you didn’t share the entire truth with Colonel Connelly,” said Desh knowingly. “And why you kept me under surveillance.”
“Exactly. I don’t trust
That could well have been her plan, Desh realized. She had told him her goal was to recruit him to her side, perhaps their discussion was prelude to her revealing what she considered the ultimate recruiting tool.
“I can’t be bought,” said Desh firmly. “Even with extended life.”
Smith nodded. “Again, I believe you. Your military records show that you are a man of impeccable integrity, Mr. Desh. But even so, any man who says he wouldn’t be at least a tiny bit tempted to drink from the fountain is a liar.”
“Including you?”
“Including me,” acknowledged Smith.
Desh pursed his lips in thought. Smith had referred to his military records and said they spoke to his integrity. But Kira had claimed to have made a thorough study of him, including these records. If this was true, she would have known how highly he valued his integrity. In fact, she had said that this trait, among others, was the reason she wanted to recruit him in the first place. But if this were the case, she would have known any attempt at a bribe, regardless of the lure, would have failed. So maybe this hadn’t been her plan, after all.
Smith had cleared up some questions but many more remained.
“So what about the terrorist connection and Ebola plot,” said Desh. “Is this just a fabrication? Did you invent it to get everyone hunting for her?”
“I wish this were the case,” said Smith gravely. He yanked the steering wheel to the left to avoid a grisly mass of fur and blood the headlights had suddenly revealed ahead of them. “But I’m afraid it’s very real,” he continued a few seconds later, the car steady once again as the unrecognizable road-kill receded behind them. “And with her abilities you can be sure the attack will succeed.”
Desh looked confused. “But why would she work with terrorists?” he asked. “It doesn’t make any sense. What can she gain from a bio-weapons attack? She has all the money and power she could want.”
“You would think,” agreed Smith. “But apparently not. We don’t know what her angle is on the Ebola plot. But rest assured, whatever it is, it moves her agenda forward. She’s a far better chess player than we are. Just because we can’t understand one of her moves doesn’t mean it’s random.” He shrugged. “Maybe she plans on blackmailing the government to call off the attack in the eleventh hour. Maybe she wants to get in bed with powerful people on both sides of the war on terror for her own ends. We don’t know. All we know is that the threat is very real and she’s behind it. Stopping this attack is still the primary purpose of the Op, regardless of any other reason we have for wanting her.”
Desh shook his head irritably. “That’s bullshit and you know it!” he snapped. “Getting the secret of extended life is the primary purpose of the Op.” Before Smith could respond he added, “Suppose I had her in my sights, and I knew for certain that killing her would end the bioterror threat. Would you have me pull the trigger?”
“It’s not as easy as that,” replied Smith. “We need to know what she knows about the Ebola plot. Taking her alive could well be the only way to stop it.”
“You’re ducking the question. I asked a hypothetical. Would you support killing her if you knew,
Smith hesitated. “It still isn’t that simple. If you killed her, you might stop the murder of several million people, but at the expense of extended life for all of humankind now and in future generations. Where do you draw the line? Would you save two million people from dying an average of thirty years sooner than otherwise, even if you knew it was at the cost of preventing more than six
“I see,” said Desh in disgust. “So it’s just a tradeoff. An easily solved mathematical calculation.”
“Not necessarily. But there are important considerations that need to be made. Who’s to say that humanity will ever have this chance again?”
“So if two million people have to be sacrificed for the greater good, so be it?”
“Look, the point is we’re talking about a hypothetical here. It’s unlikely that killing her will stop the bioterror threat. In fact, it’s more likely that killing her before she can be interrogated will
“Maybe,” said Desh dubiously. “But I doubt it. She’s the only one capable of perfecting the virus they’re planning to use. Unless it’s ready to go, everything I know tells me that killing her will end the threat. But regardless of whether you believe that or not, just do me the favor of not pretending this is mostly about bioterror.”
Smith frowned. “Even if I conceded your point, how does this change anything? Kira Miller is still out there somewhere, and we have to find her.” He paused and then added pointedly, “And you could be the key. She took a huge risk capturing you. The question is … why?”
“I don’t have any idea.”
“Another move that doesn’t make any sense,” said Smith in frustration. “If all she wanted was muscle, she could have as much as she needed at any time. You’re not wealthy or highly-placed. As good as you are, with her brilliance and resources and unknown benefactors, you had very little chance of finding her. Given everything we know, you don’t merit even becoming a pawn in her chess game, let alone a piece of higher value. But the risk she took was uncharacteristic, so we must be missing something.”
“I’m just as mystified as you are.”
“I doubt we’ll ever figure it out,” said Smith. “Her enhanced mind can work on a plane that we can’t come close to reaching. The question is,” he added pointedly, “are you still important to her for some reason?”
“Why do I suddenly feel like a worm right before the fisherman sticks it on a hook?”
“Look, Mr. Desh, you represent an unprecedented opportunity to finally get a handle on this woman. We have to seize this chance. Will you help us?”
Desh considered. There was still something about Smith that he didn’t quite trust. His gut told him there was far more to this story. But regardless of Smith’s ultimate motivations, there was no question Kira Miller had to be stopped. And Desh knew that, alone, he was overmatched. And even if he refused to help further, this wouldn’t stop Kira from coming after him again if she was intent on doing so.
Desh frowned deeply and then nodded. “Okay … Smith. I’ll help you.” He waited until Smith turned from the road to glance at him and then locked onto his eyes with a laser-like intensity. “But this time we’re going to do it my way.”
The darkness was beginning to gradually give way to the coming dawn, and tiny flecks of water appeared on the windshield as the early morning drizzle that had been forecast arrived on schedule. In another month this same precipitation would result in snow flurries. Smith set the wipers to a ten second delay between strokes and waited for Desh to spell out his terms, the silence of the twilight drive broken only by the intermittent squeaking of the wiper blades.
“Pull off here,” instructed Desh, pointing.
Smith raised his eyebrows. “A shortcut to your apartment?” he asked.
“No. It makes more sense for you to drop me at Griffin’s apartment. I need to retrieve my clothes and watch,” he explained. “Not to mention my SUV.”
Smith said nothing but exited the highway as instructed, decelerating rapidly to a stop at the end of the long off-ramp. He glanced at the gas gauge and proposed they stop for fuel. Less than a minute later they pulled into a nearby gas station. While Smith began to fill the tank the gnawing in Desh’s stomach reminded him just how hungry and thirsty he had become. He also realized that he didn’t have his wallet with him and was forced to borrow ten
