CHAPTER THREE
“There’s been a development,” Kael called Cullen to report the present situation. He told him of the other assassins and the fact that he killed them, all of them.
“I assume there is a reason you killed them, considering they were on a mission similar to your own.” Cullen was casual and cold, his usual approach to everything, and Kael respected that.
“Dr. Elias Vance is my chosen beloved.” He stated clearly, and the line fell silent, heavily silent for a few seconds.
“His research cannot go forward. Whatever you have to do to end the threat against us, you must do.” Silence fell once again.
“One man’s life cannot be held above the lives of millions.
I understand the power of the bond, and I know you will do everything in your power to protect and defend.
The Council believed we weren’t acting fast enough, so they sent more assassins to eliminate the problem, and as you know, they won’t stop until the objective is met. ”
Kael understood the undercurrent of every word Cullen was saying. His position was between his chosen and his people, and he was going to have to figure it out. “I will stop this, but I need time.”
“I can’t promise you they won’t send more people.
I have no control over the Council. I can give you twenty-four hours and will provide you with whatever support you require to end this nightmare and save your chosen.
” He paused and took a breath. “This time tomorrow, I will do what is necessary to protect our people with no regard for anyone involved. I’m sorry that’s all I can promise. ”
“Thank you, sir. I know what is at stake, and I recognize the position that you are in.” Kael glanced over at Elias’s bedroom window and noticed the lights were still on.
He wasn’t sleeping, and sympathy for the young doctor washed over him.
It wasn’t an emotion he felt very often, so it unsettled him for a moment.
“I also need you to know that I will defend my Chosen until my last breath.” Kael made himself clear.
“Understood.”
Elias sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands, trying to piece together when his life had taken such a dangerous and treacherous turn.
He worked at the university; he was a lecturer and grant writer.
He wasn’t into the dark side of science; he didn’t work for thugs.
How did his research, which was such a wholesome and beneficial endeavor of health and healing, become a source of evil and murder?
Kael had stood between him and death, willingly putting himself in mortal danger.
Did he do it for money? That seemed extreme, but that was the nature of a bodyguard.
He thanked him a couple of times, but Elias felt that he still owed him something, something more than just thank you.
He wanted to trust him; something about the man inspired faith.
He rolled his head back on his shoulders and closed his eyes.
The weight of the day was hanging heavy around him, and sleep would not come.
He listened for Kael in the outer room but heard nothing.
His mind wandered to the bodyguard. Mercier must have hired him; no one else would be aware of his work or the dangers therein.
Orion Mercier did not care about Elias’ life; he only cared about his work and results.
He wanted health and longevity, and he saw its possibilities in Elias’ data and in the results he had presented.
A man of Mercier’s age would find the idea of immortality very attractive.
There was no altruism here, and no hope for the greater good.
Mercier was doing it for himself; everything he gave was for his own ends.
The more Elias considered his situation and the people involved, the more he felt the world closing in on him.
He couldn’t trust Mercier, so with that fact in mind, how far could he trust Kael?
He worked for Mercier, not for Elias, so his loyalty belonged to the billionaire.
Would Elias remain alive only as long as he was useful to Mercier?
Would Kael abandon him to whatever was out there hunting him?
Suddenly agitated, he got up, walked into the bathroom, and splashed water on his face.
Standing there leaning on the sink and staring into the mirror, he realized each and every mistake he’d made.
In the rush to succeed and the need to prove his theories, he’d set aside truth and honesty.
He overlooked and ignored things that compromised his integrity, credibility, and ethics; he had set aside his own sense of decency.
He'd never worked with anyone like Orion Mercier or the Mercier Corporation.
The man was ruthless and let nothing get in his way, and Elias knew this, but let his own desires and aspirations cloud his judgment, and now he had hired killers after him.
Mercier skirted the law, stepped on people, and used his money to get him anything and anyone that he wanted.
The plasma had been presented to him, and he ran with it, with no questions.
He said it was the key to developing a serum that would protect and heal cells and would, theoretically, extend natural life.
Mercier had taken Elias’ work and expanded into supernatural territory, and at the time Elias saw nothing wrong with that and had accepted his help eagerly.
Elias never questioned where the plasma had come from; he simply recognized its properties and how it fit into his design.
It came from somewhere, or rather, it came from someone from a living organism.
Mercier shut down any queries, and Elias chose not to persist. He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, but it did nothing for his overall disheveled appearance.
When he stepped out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, Kael was standing by his bed waiting for him.
He was a handsome devil, tall and solid, with a confidence that ruled.
Elias would follow him anywhere. Elias didn’t speak, just looked at him and waited.
Kael motioned for him to sit down, and Elias did as he was told and took a seat on the edge of the bed.
Kael walked over to the window and peered out at what, Elias wasn’t sure, but he was keeping watch.
“The Mercier Corporation has been compromised, the building has shut down, and your boss, Orion Mercier, and his lackeys have gone into hiding.” He stated flatly, with no emotion, simply to make him aware.
It made sense that the killers would also target Mercier and his people, but that didn’t make Elias feel any safer.
“They won’t stop at disabling the location.” Kael looked at him with eyes that burned right through him. Elias suddenly felt guilty and low. “Everyone involved in the research must be neutralized.”
“No one knows what I’ve been working on, only Mercier and me. He was too paranoid to allow others in on what he saw as his own bid to live forever and what he saw as a financial boon.” Elias looked away, unable to hold Kael’s judgment.
“Tell me.” Kael sat down next to him on the bed and took Elias’ hand in his. It seemed natural and easy. Elias held on, feeling the warmth and security of his touch. There were no guarantees that he would survive this night or that he would ever work in research again, so why hold this secret?
He started three years ago, presenting his work at the beginning to secure funding.
There were holes in his theory, and his design lacked support, but one day someone took him seriously, and then money started to flow, and a workspace was offered.
“I was grasping, and when the Mercier Corporation offered to fund my research, I jumped at the chance.”
“How did you develop this theory? What did you base it upon?” Kael asked the probing question.
“It’s going to sound crazy,” Elias spoke just above a whisper and glanced away from Kael.
“Try me.” Kael squeezed his hand, and Elias felt a surge of support rush through him. It was a strange sensation.
“Many years ago, I witnessed something impossible. I saw a crash victim heal right before my eyes. It was nighttime, and I was out for a walk, and the collision took place not more than thirty feet in front of me.” Elias thought back to that night and recognized that it was the beginning of all of this, and part of him wished he’d never gone for that walk.
“It was miraculous. I witnessed a complete healing, and it took no more than a few seconds. They were unconscious for most of it, and when they came around, they acted like there were no problems, although the paramedics took him to the hospital.” He glanced at Kael, who was listening intently but not commenting.
“I got access to a copy of their hospital records, and then suddenly all paperwork disappeared, and their very existence disappeared. From those records, I began studying everything I could about him. It wasn’t much, but I was able to ascertain that the healing element or enzyme was most likely contained in the blood. ”
“You would have needed his blood,” Kael stated.
“I took scrapings from the pavement where he lay before it was washed away.” Elias took a deep breath and looked over at Kael again.
“A few scrapings of dried blood wouldn’t have been enough to support you through all your trials. Where did you get the samples you’ve been working with currently?” Kael leaned in, and his closeness, along with his touch, was mesmerizing. Elias wanted to tell him everything, and he did.
“Orion Mercier provided the blood samples.” He told him everything, from his first meeting with the billionaire Orion Mercier to the tests, setbacks, and the pressure that was building. He explained and described everything.