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Senator Johnson got out of the limo outside his office building. He walked to his receptionist’s desk and motioned for Carter and Magnus to take a seat.
“I’ll be right back,” Johnson said.
Johnson walked past the receptionist and entered his office, closing the door behind him. Magnus rose and looked around.
“What are you doing?” Carter asked.
“We part ways now,” Magnus replied.
“What? Why?”
“You have the senator to help with this. Besides, he didn’t act like he really wants to assist me. I’m still a prisoner in his eyes.”
“Nonsense.”
“Carter, I’ve been around enough people to know when a man doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m guilty. It’s best that I head on to Texas and get things settled properly.”
Magnus extended his hand and shook Carter’s.
“Magnus, I wish you’d stick around.”
“Tell the senator that I will testify against Grayson. But for right now, I need to go.”
Carter nodded. “Good luck.”
“And to you, too.”
***
Johnson sat at his desk and pressed a saved number on his cellphone list.
“Yes? What is it Senator Johnson? I saw the news report. Good job. I’m quite impressed.”
“I have even better news, sir.”
“What is that?”
Johnson chuckled softly. Something he had not done in quite some time. “Outside my office are Dr. Carter and the escaped con.”
“Really? Why are they with you?”
“They’ve asked me for their help.”
“Help? With what?”
“They want to stop the prisoner trade. Dr. Carter wants Sylvia released. Magnus wants to testify in court against you.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Senator Johnson, can you bring them in?”
“I can do a lot of things, Mr. Grayson, provided you do something for me.”
“Joe?”
“Yes,” Johnson replied coldly. “Let him and Sylvia go. I want video proof that Joe’s been released from the mind control chip. You do that, and I bring these two in for you.”
“Consider it done.”
“I need proof, Mr. Grayson, or I swear I use these two men to bury you beneath piles of legal actions. Money cannot buy your way out of a Congressional Hearing. You understand that?”
“Finally growing a backbone, Ralph?”
“You crossed the line with my family. When I have proof that Joe is free of that chip, send me video via my phone.” Johnson didn’t wait for a reply. He ended the call. For the first time in a long time, he felt powerful and in control. He wished he could have stood up for himself a long time ago.
***
Senator Johnson stepped outside his office and noticed Magnus was gone.
“Where did Magnus go?”
“He had some personal business to take care of.”
Johnson shook his head. “No. That’s not good. No. We need him. Maybe we can find him if we hurry.”
“He said that he’d testify in court against Grayson.”
Johnson stormed past Carter and out the doors.
“Did you contact Grayson?” Carter asked.
“Yes.”
“And he agreed to meet?”
“He did, but he won’t be happy that Magnus has left.”
“We don’t need him to get Sylvia.”
Johnson shrugged. “Maybe not, but Grayson will be suspicious that Magnus isn’t with us.”
As they neared the senator’s limo, they noticed both of Johnson’s bodyguards are unconscious on the sidewalk.
“Dammit!” Johnson said. “I should have kept a guard on him.”
“He’s not violent. He didn’t even take one of their guns.”
“It’s obvious that he doesn’t need a gun. He’s probably more dangerous than you ever gave him credit for.”
“No, I’ve been around him for nearly seven months. He’s a gentle giant.
“Yeah, well, tell that to my men. Mars was probably the best place for Magnus to have remained.” Johnson headed to the limo and opened the rear door. “Come on, Dr. Carter. Grayson’s patience is less than my own.”
Carter looked at the rear door nervously.
Johnson sighed. “Well, do you wish to free your sweetheart or not?”
“Coming.”
***
After an hour, a short video arrived on Johnson’s phone. He hit ‘play.’ Joe spoke and informed Johnson that he was okay. He seemed groggy and believed he had just arrived at Olympus Mons. Grayson had kept his word. Johnson relaxed with an internal sigh of relief.
“Where is the virus?” Johnson asked.
“As soon as I know that Sylvia is okay and no longer under the chip’s control, I will hand it over.”
The driver turned the limo into the rear parking lot of Grayson Enterprises. Two of Grayson’s large guards approached the rear of the limo. Carter noticed the sudden nervousness in Johnson’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Carter asked.
“Nothing. Let’s get this over with.”
“I need my briefcase,” Carter said.
Johnson picked up the phone and told the driver to pop the trunk. Then he and Carter exited the rear of the limo. “Get your case and let’s hurry.”
Carter leaned into the trunk and opened the briefcase. He grabbed the badges of his former coworkers on Deimos and shoved them into his left coat pocket. He carefully slipped the vials into the right pocket and then he pulled out the briefcase.
***
The two armed guards escorted Johnson and Carter into Grayson’s high-rise office and then they stood beside Grayson. Carter held the briefcase handle with both hands, resting it in front of himself. Sylvia stepped from behind the desk and walked around to face Carter.
Carter looked at her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
Grayson grinned. “As you can see, her Sleeper Chip has been deactivated.”
“Good,” Carter said. “The senator and I are here to negotiate the trade.”
Grayson smiled at Senator Johnson. Johnson looked down at the floor as he stepped away from Carter. Both guards pointed their guns at the doctor.
“Sylvia is free to go,” Grayson said. “But I must insist that you continue working for me, Dr. Carter.”
“That wasn’t part of the agreement,” Carter said.
Grayson nodded to Henry. “Take the briefcase.”
Henry did so.
Grayson glanced at Carter. “It’s the best offer that you’re going to get.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken.” Carter removed the virus vial from his pocket. He held it up and squeezed tightly. His eyes grew cold and narrow. His voice altered. “Sylvia and I both leave or you die.”
The guards tightened their grip on their guns.
Furious, Grayson flicked his gaze at Johnson. “You let him take the virus out of the briefcase?”
Johnson raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t know where he had it. He told me it was stored elsewhere.”
“Let us go,” Carter said. “Or I swear I’ll crush it.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Johnson said.
Grayson smiled. “Listen to the senator, Carter. You break that vial and Sylvia dies as well as all of us. Is that what you want?”
Carter looked at Sylvia. Tears formed in her eyes. His hand shook.
“Why are you doing this, Carter?” she asked.
“Because too many people have died because of Grayson. It needs to end now.” He reached into his other pocket and took the ID badges and flung them into the air. “This is what remains of my coworkers on Deimos. That’s why I will crush this if you try to force me to stay.”
Perplexed, Sylvia stepped toward Carter. “You’d allow my death to do that? I thought . . . you loved me.”
Sweat beaded on Senator Johnson’s forehead. “Carter, put down the vial. Please.”
“You betrayed us,” Carter said to the senator.
“No,” Johnson replied.
“That’s how it looks to me. No wonder you got worried when Magnus left.”
Johnson pointed at Henry. “Take Grayson into custody.”
All three guards looked at one another with strange glances.
“My men don’t answer to you, Johnson. You should know that.”
“They had best, Mr. Grayson. If they don’t, and Carter bursts that vial, we’re all dead. There isn’t a cure. From the look in Carter’s eyes, he’s not bluffing.”
“What makes you so certain he’s not bluffing?” Grayson asked.
“Because he had the same look as you do whenever you blackmail me. That ends today, by the way. Justice will finally be served. Your reign over Mars and this enterprise ends, too. Either they cooperate and take you into custody, or they’re looking at life sentences.”
Henry took a set of handcuffs and approached Grayson. “Sorry about this, sir.”
“Don’t worry about it. Johnson has no idea what kind of payback he’s facing now. You know what to do.”
“Enough with your damned threats!” Johnson said. “I’m sick of catering to you.”
Grayson’s jaw tightened. “Senator, you’ve made the worst mistake of your life. Trust me, this isn’t something you want to do.”
“No, it’s something I should have done a long time ago.”
With tears in her eyes, Sylvia looked at Carter. Hurt and betrayal softened her eyes. “I really thought you loved me.”
“I do.”
“No, if that were true, you’d never have made such a threat in my presence.
“I came here to make certain Grayson released you from his custody. My threat was a bluff, nothing more. Magnus has promised to testify against Grayson and I will, too.”
“I’d really like to believe you, but I can’t.”
“I’m sorry, Sylvia.”
“Me, too.” She walked past him toward the door.
“Please, wait,” Carter said.
Sylvia stood with her back to him. “No, I never want to see you again.”
Senator Johnson turned toward Carter. “I need that vial, okay?”
Carter looked at Johnson and then at the vial.
“Carter,” Johnson said. “Don’t worry. I will make certain it’s incinerated before we leave the building.”
Carter shook his head. His eyes grew distant and his voice changed. “No, I can’t. I came here for one reason. I can’t leave until Grayson is dead. I must do it for her.”
Sylvia turned with a strange look on her face.
“For Sylvia?” Grayson asked. “She’s free.”
“No, not her. For the female alien that healed me. She ordered your death and I promised to carry it out.”
Grayson frowned toward Johnson. “Can’t you see that you’re dealing with a lunatic?”
Johnson nodded. “So it appears.”
The intercom on Grayson’s desk beeped. Grayson nodded toward the guard closest to his desk. The man pressed the button.
Shelly said, “I’ve finally decoded the block placed on the Deimos video footage. Uploading it to you big screen now.”
Henry pressed the remote and the screen glowed to life. The footage showed Dr. Carter injecting sick patients with needles and the patients stiffening in death. In other clips he chased healthy staff members down corridors and battered them to the floor with a broom handle before injecting them with poison. Some of them he killed by slashing them repeatedly with a scalpel.
In the last clip, Carter, obviously ill and deranged, sat on his bed with a syringe. His door opened and a nurse stepped to the side of his bed and placed her hand against his forehead, checking his temperature. Carter became enraged and choked her until she fell limp in his grasp. He lowered her to the floor and injected her with the needle. It was Wanda.