My feet wouldn’t obey.
“Come on, Lexie.” Asher pulled me along with him until we stood in front of the desk, then he moved to shield my body with his.
Danvers crossed the room to her keyboard and typed a command one-handed. The gun never moved.
Instantly, the sirens stopped mid-screech, and she looked up with a cold smile. “That’s better. Now you can tell me exactly what you’re doing in my office.” Her eyes narrowed. “And how exactly you’re still standing.”
I glanced at Asher, and he shook his head, eyebrows furrowed. “Why wouldn’t we be standing?” I asked.
Danvers tapped her fingers on the desk, and my skin crawled at her appraising gaze. “QT has a very special security system. When you started here, you received an inoculation to be recognized by the system, correct?”
I nodded, suddenly chilled as I remembered Grant’s injection.
Danvers continued. “If the security system is activated, anyone without that vaccine is immobilized. Frozen in place until the system is rebooted. Except, I reengineered the system to paralyze everyone who had the inoculation. Every scientist in the building is currently standing frozen. Why aren’t you two?”
She waited for us to answer, but I had no idea. If it had something to do with Grant’s injection, why would Asher be unaffected, too?
Finally, she shrugged. “Whatever the reason, it still doesn’t explain why you’re in my office. Though I doubt I need to ask.” She raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at us. “As soon as Amy told me Lexie had reworked the equation, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you discovered the full truth. I should have moved faster.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I? Branston is paying me very well. And when we succeed, I’ll have my choice of projects. I might even decide to run for office. You have no idea how powerful we are. Or how far our reach goes.”
I shook my head. “But why build a weapon of mass destruction?”
“Don’t you remember how well it worked for the Middle East? People were terrified. What better advantage than the ability to destroy an entire state? Money, resources, approvals, grants… The governments of the world will be throwing those things at us when they learn what we can do.” Her eyes flashed with determination as she spoke.
I frowned at her. “Branston is evil. They’ve experimented on children, performed genetic experiments — all without the subject’s consent. They’ve crossed the line.”
“There is no line. There’s only survival of the fittest. Or, in this case, the most powerful.” Danvers smoothed the front of her suit and smiled kindly, a ghost of her old mentor self returning to haunt me. “Branston is just a shell for a larger, more powerful group, and now, with this ultraviolet catastrophe, they’ll be able to take their place at the table. Listen to me, Lexie. When this goes down, you want to be on the right side. Come with me. Branston has been saving a place for you since you were born. You, too, Asher. We could build great things.”
I took a step toward the door. “Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think using science to blackmail your way into power is a great thing. So, on that note, we’ll be leaving.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. My plans will be wrapped up tonight, and while I was supposed to bring back as many of you as I can, I don’t think anyone will blame me if you get caught in the explosion. I know Branston may be disappointed, but somehow I don’t think their techniques would work on you anyway.” She smiled. “Besides, what’s one little girl to mourn when this whole facility and all of its scientists disappear? I’m glad your father felt up to coming. All those loose ends will be wrapped up nicely in the explosion.”
The blood turned to ice in my veins. Dad was supposed to be at home tonight, still recovering. What the hell was he doing here?
Asher squeezed my hand. “Don’t listen to her,” he said. “She’s trying to freak you out.”
“Ah, if I were trying to freak her out, I’d tell Lexie her mother came, too. We’ve been trying to recruit her back to this branch of QT for years.”
My knees buckled, and Asher had to hold me upright. “You bitch!” The hatred in his glare could have started a bonfire. “You’re never going to get away with this.”
“And who’s going to stop me? A bunch of teenagers? I don’t think you realize what you’re up against.” She pressed her communication device. “Send in the team now. We’re good to go.”
The building shook, and outside the window, bright lights flooded the QT grounds as three helicopters touched down in the parking lot. Men in dark uniforms swarmed the building, and I clutched at Asher’s hand. His touch was the only thing keeping me sane right now.
She gestured with her gun. “Both of you, sit down, backs to each other.”
Asher and I sank to the floor, but we still held hands behind our backs. The steely glint in her eye told me she’d shoot us where we stood if we disobeyed.
“Isn’t that too sweet? Guess you got over Amy, huh, Asher? I wondered how long she could keep your interest.”
“Why is she helping you? What is she getting out of this?” Asher demanded.
“More than she ever got from QT. How can one genius compete against so many? With all of you the same, there’s no way for her to get ahead here.”
“What are you talking about?” Asher demanded
A sly smile twisted her lips. “Didn’t you know? You, Amy, Max, Zella and Lexie were part of a Branston test. They altered your DNA to make you even smarter than you might have been, but that also means all of you are the same now. And Amy wants to be special. It was very easy to convince her that she could find that at Branston.”
Danvers’ words sparked another connection.
Altered DNA.
Grant’s shot.
The security system vaccine.
Neither had affected me.
But maybe both had changed because of me, because of my altered DNA.
My head still throbbed from the scream of the sirens, and everything started to fit together. I’d mutated the vaccines. Maybe Asher had as well. We were part of the security system now. That’s why the sirens had sounded like they were inside my head, why I’d had such a hard time moving.
Danvers continued. “Lucky for Amy, Branston has projects that even you haven’t heard of. And you won’t be there to make her look average. It’s a win-win for everyone.”