Chapter 46 #2
“Why not?” Dan counted off on his fingers. “He’s a good man, he treats her well, and he’s not about to use her for a punching bag.”
Nathan was quiet for a moment, then gave a grudging nod. “Point taken.”
“You can’t protect her all the time,” Dan admonished gently. “Besides, she’s smart. She knew enough to contact you, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Hey, Nathan?” Gary asked. “Are we allowed to ask where you’re taking us? Because it certainly isn’t home.”
Nathan glanced at Gary in the rearview mirror.
“I have a late call to make, and I’d like you two to tag along.”
Dan blinked. “At this hour?”
“Let’s say I’m not giving him the chance to pack his bags and skedaddle before we get to talk to him.”
And just like that, Dan knew their destination.
About ten minutes later, Nathan pulled onto a driveway. Unlike many of the houses in the street, lights showed in the first-floor windows of the two-story property.
“Looks as though he’s still awake,” Gary commented.
Nathan gave a snort. “I’m surprised he can sleep at all.” He switched off the engine.
“Do you think he knows it didn’t go according to plan?” Dan mused.
“I guess we’re about to find out.”
They got out of the car, went up to the front door, and Nathan rang the bell. A moment later, it opened, and Professor Martin stood there, his smile fading when he saw them.
“Detective Mitchell, Mr. Porter… isn’t it a little late for a visit?” He peered at Nathan. “And who might you be?”
Nathan held out his badge wallet, and Professor Martin stared at it.
“The Department of Homeland Security? Oh my. Then you’d better come in.”
If Dan hadn’t known better, that surprised tone and the harmless-elderly-man act would have fooled him in a heartbeat.
They followed him into the living room, where he gestured to the dining table at the far end. “I’ve made myself some chamomile tea. I wasn’t sleepy. Would you like some?”
Gary and Nathan refused, but Dan gave a polite smile. “I’d love some.” They pulled chairs out from around the circular table and sat while the professor took another cup from the wooden cabinet.
Finally, he joined them. He clasped his hands on the table in front of him.
“What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
Gary glanced at Nathan, who cleared his throat. “We’re here to talk about Project Thanos, Professor.”
A momentary flicker sped across his face, then it cleared. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t know what that is.”
Nathan leaned forward, mimicking the professor’s body language, his fingers laced.
“You can do better than that, Professor Martin. I’m sure by now you’ve been informed that your field test didn’t take place. You must have been in contact with your wife.”
Professor Martin frowned. “Michelle? She’s away at the moment. In fact I haven’t heard from her since Friday. She was supposed to call me yesterday afternoon.” He picked up the pot of tea and filled the cup, then handed it to Dan.
Their fingers brushed, and the brief contact sent a spark of realization through Dan. He looked closely at the professor. “You’re worried about her.”
Professor Martin stared at him. “Why… yes, I am.”
Dan glanced at Nathan. “He’s telling the truth.”
“What?” The professor gave him an indignant stare. “Of course I’m telling the truth.”
Gary regarded him with a steady gaze. “You expected her to be back by now, didn’t you? From Johannesburg?”
Professor Martin blinked, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came from his lips.
“Then maybe you don’t know after all,” Nathan said in a quiet voice. “So I’ll tell you. She didn’t deliver the pathogen. No one in that stadium is going to become infected with smallpox.”
Professor Martin could have been carved out of rock, he was so still and so silent. At last he spoke. “What have you done with my wife?”
Nathan sat back in his chair. “We’ve done nothing with her. We don’t even know where she is. We were hoping you did.” He paused. “We know everything, Professor.”
Professor Martin curled his top lip. “I doubt that.”
Dan stared at him. “Doesn’t the fact that we know what you named your project tell you something? We even know how you came to call it that.” Another pause. “It was because of your son, Dale.”
A spasm crossed the professor’s face.
“I’m sorry,” Nathan began, “But you need to come with us.”
His eyes flashed. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ve got important work to do. Now that Samantha is gone, I have to finish what we started.”
“Which important work would that be, Professor?” Gary locked gazes with him. “Completing the machine? Or cutting down the world’s population?”
There was no mistaking the shock that registered on Professor Martin’s face.
Dan almost felt sorry for him, knowing there was one more shock to come.
A shock he was about to deliver.
“Sam will carry on with the work,” Dan assured him in a soft voice.
Professor Martin gaped at him, his jaw slack. It took him a moment to recover.
“She… she’s alive?”
Dan nodded. “And she won’t be tempted onto the same path. You’ve shaken her faith in the project, certainly, but she’ll bounce back. And then she’ll persevere.”
He jerked his head toward the window as headlights filtered through the curtains and a car engine could be heard.
Professor Martin let out an audible sigh of relief. “That must be Michelle.”
Nathan got out of his chair and went over to the front window. He peered through the curtains.
“It isn’t. In fact, it looks as if you have more official visitors.” He flashed a glance at Gary, and a ripple of unease trickled down Dan’s spine. He got up and followed Nathan into the hallway.
Nathan opened the door, and Dan craned his neck to see who was paying a call on the professor.
Two men in dark suits stood beneath the porch light, one slightly in front of the other.
“We’re here to see Professor Martin.”
“He can’t see you right now,” Nathan replied.
The man held out his badge wallet. “I think you’ll find this says I can.
Don’t worry. We’re here to protect him. We’ve had him under surveillance for a while.
” His eyes gleamed. “Longer than your agents who’ve been doing the same thing.
I don’t think it’s in the professor’s best interests to talk to you.
” And before Nathan could stop them, they brushed past him, past Dan, and into the living room.
“Professor, if you’d like to pack a bag? You’re to come with us, sir.”
Nathan hurried into the room after them. “He isn’t going anywhere with you.” The echo of the professor’s words would have been funny in different circumstances.
The second man turned to face him, holding up a badge wallet. “I’m afraid he is, Mr. Chambers. We’ll take it from here.” He pointed to the door they’d come through. “You can go now.”
Nathan didn’t move, and for a moment Dan was sure he was going to stand his ground. The agent merely arched his eyebrows, and Dan could almost hear the unspoken words.
Did I stutter?
Then Nathan’s shoulders slumped, and he glanced at Gary and Dan. “It seems our visit is being cut short. Let’s go.”
He sounded deflated.
Dan looked to Gary, who shook his head.
He knew what that meant.
Don’t rock the boat.
Professor Martin rose, watching as Nathan, Gary, and Dan left the room. Nathan headed for the front door, his back rigid. When they were outside in the cold night air, he glanced at the door that swung shut behind them.
“And that, as they say, is that.”
“Who were they?” Dan asked. Except even as he asked the question, he knew.
“CIA. You wouldn’t think we were on the same side, would you?” Nathan strode to his car. The sleek black vehicle next to it gleamed in the porch light.
“We can’t leave it at that,” Gary protested.
The resignation in Nathan’s voice couldn’t be missed.
“We don’t have a lot of choice.” He unlocked the car. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
“This isn’t over, is it?” Dan’s stomach was tight.
“As far as the CIA is concerned, it is,” Nathan retorted.
“Does it matter who takes him into custody, as long as someone does?” Dan demanded.
The silence that followed was so freaking cold.
Nathan stared at him. “What makes you think they’re taking him into custody?”