the agent you were looking for. As a bonus, so were a few members of Ares.”
Hashimoto leaned forward. “A few but not all. Valerik’s killers will now come for us.”
“And that concerns me.” Marx crossed her legs and looked up at the ceiling. “But I’d still like to know who Fox met in Azabu.”
“It could be Walsh.” Hashimoto turned to Tanaka. “You were able to follow him from the airport, weren’t you?”
“He didn’t arrive at the same time as Fox, nor was he spotted at Narita Airport. I’m assuming that he must have slipped into the country through the American Base in Okinawa.”
Marx looked back at Tanaka. “Then we need to concentrate more on keeping a closer eye on whom Fox contacts. Valerik mentioned that Ares has a mole within the CIA, but he didn’t know who it was. We can assume that this mole will be keeping tabs on Fox. As long as this continues then Ares will not find us.” She glanced at Hashimoto, who had an expression on his face that said I sincerely hope so.
Marx leaned forward and rested both of her elbows on the desk as she turned to Hashimoto. “Onto another matter. How’s the recruitment process going? I heard that there was a problem during the experiment this morning.”
“Not at all. None that wasn’t fixed.”
Marx raised a curious eyebrow. “Oh really? I tend to believe that when you have two test subjects undergoing the same experiment and one of them goes postal, then there’s a problem. A very serious one.”
Marx then saw the worry in Hashimoto’s eyes. She hadn’t seen this look since she first introduced herself to him with evidence of his involvement in human trials several years ago.
“I assure you that there’s no problem. Everything’s in order, as it should be.”
“Then forgive me for not sharing your optimism. In fact, I learned that the young woman who conducted the experiment, Dr. Nita Parris, was injured during the experiment. I also learned that she didn’t follow procedure.”
“Our findings over what happened this morning are still inconclusive. That’s why I’ve decided to terminate any further experiments with the new variant of Clarity.”
Marx brought her hand to her chin as she kept her arms crossed. “That’s a bit premature, don’t you think?”
“Why do you say that?” asked Hashimoto.
Marx stared at him through slightly narrowed eyes. You already know the answer. “What do we know about Dr. Parris?”
“The Boeisho has checked her out,” said Tanaka, diverting Marx’s attention towards him. “In our opinion, she’s clean.”
“You see, Dr. Marx, everything that goes on at Hexagon, stays within Hexagon,” said Hashimoto.
Marx looked back at Hashimoto. “I’d still continue researching the new variant of Clarity. I still get a feeling that something was overlooked. You just need to look a bit deeper.”
Hashimoto nodded. “I will.” He then scratched the back of his neck. “In relation to Pandora, you told me earlier that you had something to add to it. To make it more efficient for our cause. Were there any positive results?”
“I’ve formed my own team of scientists, and I’ll meet them later on, after breakfast,” she replied. “So far everything looks promising. But to be absolutely sure, I’m going to need to use the young gentleman I had asked you to spare.”
The Commissioner looked at Marx and squinted. “You’re going to use a live human being as a lab rat?”
“Why not?” She looked back at the Commissioner. “After all, this is science. Didn’t your biology teacher ever tell you that science could be fun?”
Chapter 24
Hexagon Pharmaceuticals
Parris rushed into the atrium of the East Wing after having travelled under the overcast and humid conditions outside. But where she headed didn’t have any windows, so it could stay miserable outside for all she cared. The large digital clock in the atrium read 8:23 AM. She wasn’t expected until ten o’clock that morning so she knew she wouldn’t be missed. Last night’s visit to Hexagon was a quick in and out. Once Parris made it to Hexagon, she signed in at the security desk in the atrium, got what she needed, signed out with the contents in her purse, and headed home. The masking agent didn’t take long to make and she gave Levickis three more syringes in a pouch for him and the others. She kept one for Fox in the glove compartment of her car. Whoever came in contact with him first would give it to him.
Having only slept four hours was murder on her body. Even with two cups of coffee, she still felt groggy. “Hardly anyone in the East Wing this early, guys.” There was no answer. “Guys?” she said again.
“We hear you, Dr. Parris.” Dobbs’s voice boomed through her earpiece, causing her to grab at her ear as she made a face.
“Turn the damn thing down, Dobbs. Lord. You trying to make me deaf?”
“Sorry about that.” His voice was a lot quieter. “Is that better?”
Her ear still rang. “Yes. Isn’t there a way for you to check your equipment?”
“I said I was sorry.”
Parris rolled her eyes. “Sure, fine, whatever.”
“Hey, lighten up a bit,” said Levickis. “This is no walk in the park for us either. We’ve just come through the tunnels and have reached the mainframe. It’s cold, damp, it stinks, and I know I stepped in something back there.”
Levickis’s voice became quieter, as though he were talking to Dobbs. “Have you located the POP yet?” This was the point of presence, an access point to the internet.
“I think it’s right here,” said Dobbs. “I can see the end of the fiber optic backbone cable, router, and switches. I see a free port here. I’ll connect the laptop and see if I can ping the mainframe…yup, the mainframe’s responding-Packets, sent equals four. Zero percent loss-we’re plugged in.”
Parris pressed the B4 button. “Anyway, I’ve just walked into the elevator.”
“Great, we’re ready to link up,” said Dobbs.
Parris looked up at the floor light above the door and watched them all flash. B2, then B3, and finally B4. The elevator slowed to a stop a moment later.
“It’s a go, Doc. We’re in,” said Dobbs.
Just in time. The elevator doors opened. The guard looked up from reading his magazine as Parris walked into the room and nodded. She smiled at him and looked to the left of where he sat and saw the entrance to the Safe. She reached into a pocket inside her tote and took out the security card Dobbs gave her and stopped in front of the control panel.
“The code key is one, zero, four, and five,” said Levickis as she swiped the card. When the display above the keypad asked for the authorization code, Parris punched in those numbers. When she heard the beeping sound, she opened the door and passed through.
“It’s all yours. We’ll hear from you when you get out,” said Dobbs.
Parris put the clearance card back into her bag and walked through the door, which automatically shut behind her. She heard static in her earpiece, and eventually the volume was turned down from Dobbs’s and Levickis’s end.
She stood inside a large white-walled hexagon-shaped room that was about twenty feet all around with an eight-by-five-foot window straight ahead of her. Through the window, she saw rows and columns of discs all tightly stacked together as a cluster.
In front of the window, was a flat screen monitor with the HEXAGON logo as its screen saver, a compact disc drive, and a wireless keyboard and mouse, all on a white fiberglass desk with a white metal-backed chair in front. Everything was where it was supposed to be, just as Dobbs has told her the night before.
Parris sat down at the computer, reached into her tote and removed the SCSI CD, inserting it into the drive.
