The Chimera Vector (The Fifth Column #1)

Chapter 53: Ever an Ill Death

‘These bullet-resistant vests,’ she said, ‘it’s not like the movies. One little bullet and it feels like I’ve been hit with a sledgehammer.’ She ripped the Velcro to remove her vest and inspect the damage. ‘And that one little bullet compromises the whole vest. If I want to stay protected I need a new one.’ She discarded the vest and reached for her wallet. ‘Or I could inject myself with the Chimera vector.’

‘I’m guessing you’re not planning on having children then?’ Denton said.

‘Actually, that only works for women carrying the dormant psychopath gene.’

‘That’s a bit sexist,’ Denton said. ‘For the men it doesn’t matter, but for the women it has to be dormant. Are you sure you got your science right? You know, in case you plan on putting a bun in the oven later.’

Cecilia smiled. ‘I have to be sure. Inability to metabolize ammonia. Massive immune response. Organ failure. Brain death. That’s the last thing I want.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Sophia said, her voice weak, short of oxygen.

Cecilia’s smile grew wider. ‘Oh, I suppose you thought it was just a little sterilization for those poor, poor women,’ she said. ‘I lied. It’s a little more than that.’

She tossed the wallet to Sophia.

Jay snatched it and opened it.

‘Inject her with both Chimera vectors,’ Cecilia said. ‘We don’t want her dying on us just yet.’

‘Which one?’ Jay yelled.

Cecilia smiled. ‘Take your pick.’

Damien took the wallet from Jay, then used sign language to talk to him so Cecilia couldn’t eavesdrop. ‘Two are Chimera,’ he signed, spelling the word letter by letter. ‘What are the other two?’

‘One has to be the flu cure,’ Jay signed. ‘She can’t have Sophia sick forever.’

Damien handed the violet syringe to Jay.

Jay pulled off the plastic cap and squirted some of the fluid into the air.

It might be a Chimera vector, it might be the flu antidote, or it might be lethal, Sophia thought.

Jay pulled back the sleeve of her Fifth Column-issue pajamas, found a vein and injected slowly. Then the crimson syringe.

Damien passed Jay the blue one. ‘What’s the fourth one?’ he signed.

‘If it’s in the wallet, it can’t be too bad,’ Jay signed back.

Jay injected the blue one. Damien passed him the amber syringe, and he injected that too.

‘OK, good,’ Cecilia said. ‘Enough with the pointless sign language. Get back in your cell, boys. You too, Denton.’

Sophia’s vision cleared. The fire in her damaged lung was receding.

‘And ever an ill death may they die,’ Denton said.

The Elohim aimed their PEP rifles at Cecilia.

Sophia turned her head to see Denton smiling.

‘You should’ve killed me when you had the chance,’ he told Cecilia.

Cecilia looked surprised at first, then angry. Her jaw worked and her lips pursed firmly together. She drew her pistol.

Before Sophia knew what she was doing, she had her pistol in her good hand. She squeezed a double tap through Cecilia’s heart.

Like a discarded marionette, Cecilia slumped backwards.

Sophia was on her feet, a new-found reserve of adrenaline burning through her. She moved away from Damien and Jay and aimed her pistol at Denton.

‘How did you do that?’ she said.

‘A little anti-Cecilia mojo. I had Adamicz install it separately, just in case.’

‘Does that mean we have it?’ she said.

Denton shook his head. ‘It decays soon after you’re deprogrammed. It only works if an operative is reprogrammed before it can decay. Which, it seems, is what Cecilia is doing with her bodyguards.’

‘Was doing,’ Jay said.

Denton walked over to Cecilia’s body and picked up her pistol. ‘If you want to leave, I suggest you do it now.’

‘You’re letting me go?’ Sophia said.

Denton checked his pistol magazine. ‘How else will these boys get their payment for helping you?’

Sophia lowered her pistol. ‘What if I come back to kill you?’

Denton grinned. ‘Then I’ll have to stop you, won’t I?’

Sophia didn’t return the grin. ‘What are you going to do now?’

Denton looked down at Cecilia’s lifeless body. ‘Clean up this mess.’