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Morton insisted on going with Daniel to see Dr. Helmsby. Daniel took the cat under his arm and to the apartment elevator. When they reached the car, he placed Morton in the passenger seat.
“Mind if I shift?” Morton asked.
Daniel responded with a puzzled stare.
“Not the gears,” Morton said. “Out of this cat suit. Just for a few miles or so. Coughing up fur balls for months on end is one bad side effect of being a cat.”
“Backseat and don’t let me see,” Daniel said.
Morton cocked his head. “I thought you’re comfortable around me.”
“I am. It’s just . . . right now isn’t the best time.”
“I understand.”
Morton hopped over the seat into the rear floorboard.
The half hour drive into Pittsburgh was pleasant. Constant rows of autumn trees made the Appalachian Mountains seem more a painter’s landscape than reality. The low droning of the car eased his mind.
When they reached Pittsburgh, Daniel was surprised at how much improvement had come to the tarnished city where they had been imprisoned three years before. Most of the buildings had been renovated, repainted, or bricked, but a lot remained dismal because hundreds of residents had sold or abandoned their properties and never returned. Hundreds of other residents had never been accounted for, either.
The electrical gates and fences had been torn away, but in some places, remnants of the barriers were still evident. Several cement towers and forgotten fence posts had been missed by the transportation department, but for the most part, Daniel saw the city he hadn’t seen in quite some time. A new pioneering city was emerging.
The decayed streets had been repaved, smooth with yellow and white lines. New trees had been planted along sidewalks. Even though many sidewalks weren’t repaired, pedestrians stormed the intersections, busy with their lives, hopes, and ambitions.
Along the way the craters where the first strategic missile strikes had been fired were filled with truckloads of gravel to set new foundations for destroyed buildings and parking lots. Total reconstruction was still a year or so away, but the progression flowed smoothly. With time, men, women, and children might again enjoy a time of prosperity in the once dark, shadowed areas that plagued his dreams.
At least the thick fog had dissipated. The shifters were gone, alive only in his memories and his frequent nightmares.
It was frightening to know how evil some people allowed themselves to become. All the horrors he and the other survivors had suffered were invented by a man’s desire to manipulate genetics beyond its normal boundaries.
Daniel approached Fort Pitt Bridge that crossed the swollen Monongahela River and held his breath. In that instant, he almost turned the car around. Cars and trucks sped along the refinished bridge as though nothing had ever happened. Apprehension gripped him midway across the bridge. He didn’t want to enter TransGenCorp where Dr. Helmsby now worked. His curiosity to what secret experiments the scientists had been performed there wasn’t that demanding. He didn’t want to know what Helmsby had learned about Idris’ sick science.
Some things were best left undiscovered, he reasoned.
Daniel suddenly remembered the desperation in Lucas’ plea for help. Only grim circumstances brought such words from Lucas. Never before had he uttered any tone of despair. Lucas faced tribulation unfaltering. Help wasn’t a word in his vocabulary. Not until today.
Daniel kept driving.
Morton leapt into the front seat and peered out the side window. He then looked at Daniel with genuine curiosity and asked, “Are things back to normal?”
“I don’t know that they’ll ever be normal, but they have improved.”
Once they left the bridge, Daniel veered onto the off ramp and followed the highway until they reached TransGenCorp’s security gates. An armed soldier came to Daniel’s window and requested identification and purpose. The soldier turned and stepped into a bulletproof-glass office, picked up a phone and conversed with someone while looking at Daniel’s driver’s license.
While the soldier talked, Daniel looked beyond the chain-linked barriers to see Army jeeps, a helicopter, two tanks, and a line of military officers with their weapons slung over their shoulders. They guarded the perimeter.
Daniel wondered why security was so heightened, and then he noticed the American at half-mast for the dead senators.
Beyond these men and artillery, the office doors of TransGenCorp nestled in the rock face of the mountain. It was difficult to believe this operation was housed inside old coal mining shafts from centuries before. Even if attackers fought their way past the small Army troops, they’d have a hell of a time blasting into the headquarters due to the dense mountain rock.
The officer returned and handed Daniel his license. He said, “Go straight ahead and park in the B lot. You’ll see the signs. Another officer will show you to Dr. Helmsby’s laboratories.”
“Thanks.” Daniel nodded.
He tried to swallow the heavy lump in his throat. Although he had nothing to hide, the brief checkpoint unnerved him. During those few moments when the man was on the phone, he realized a computer glitch could print out incorrect identity information that placed his life into jeopardy. Worse things had happened where men had been shot to death because their social security numbers had been typed incorrectly, and they had been mistaken for someone else.
He looked at Morton. “What could Helmsby be working on that required the military to protect TransGenCorp?”
“I don’t know, but it will be worth the look.” Excitement rose in Morton’s voice and expressions.
“Perhaps.”
After parking in the B lot, Daniel opened the door. Morton pranced from the car and followed Daniel to the front doors. Daniel scooped the yellow tabby into his arms when a guard stepped outside and blocked the entrance.
“Sorry, sir,” the officer said. “But no outside animals are allowed inside for sanitary reasons.”
Morton’s eyes narrowed. He spat at the man. The action was enough to make the guard step back.
“The cat’s with me,” Daniel said. “Dr. Helmsby will be interested in seeing him. Call him to verify if you wish.”
Morton offered a low, agitated growl and bared teeth. The guard nodded and opened the door for them to pass through.
When the door closed behind Daniel, he said, “Behave yourself, Morton.”
The cat leapt to the floor and looked up at Daniel. “I was behaving. Imagine what I could have done had I shifted my appearance into something more sinister. Unsanitary? Phhht.”
“Just mind your actions, okay?”
“Very well.”
The silver halls made the building cold, heartless. The shimmering walls gleamed beneath rows of fluorescent lights. At the information desk, another soldier looked up from several surveillance screens.
“You’re here to see Dr. Helmsby?”
“Yes.”
“Follow me.”
At the end of the center hall, the man pushed the elevator button. When the doors hissed open, he motioned for Daniel to enter. “He’s on the second floor. The entire floor has all his laboratories. He knows you’re here, so he should meet you in the hall.”
“Thanks.”
Daniel pushed the button and the doors closed. A few seconds later the doors opened to the second floor, but Helmsby wasn’t there.
“Typical,” Morton said.
Though Daniel didn’t reply, he agreed. Helmsby was never where one expected to find him. His mind operated on his own secret agenda. Only he knew which experiment he needed to attend to first. Like clockwork, Helmsby met his own obligations and answered to no one else. Daniel guessed the same was true with the military personnel surrounding the laboratories.
“Comb the halls?” Morton asked.
“What choice do we have?”
“None.”
“Your ears are keener than a normal cat’s, right?”
Morton smiled. “Of course.”
“Then you should be able to hear him doing his laboratory activities.”
“Helmsby? No. He’s very meticulous. Quiet. He hates noise. Rarely did he listen to music while doing lab work. He’s quite a boring person, if you ask me.”
“Then we search the halls.”
The echo of a phone ringing and being answered caught Morton’s attention. His right ear rose. He said, “Down the left hall, last door on the right.”
***
Daniel stopped outside an office door. Helmsby leaned back in a swivel chair with the phone pressed to his ear. He noticed Daniel and waved him to come into the office. Helmsby quickly ended the conversation and stood with a broad, nervous smile. He placed the phone into its wall cradle.
Helmsby had gained weight; at least thirty pounds of lean muscle, making his tall frame more imposing than Daniel remembered. His skin was pale, which indicated he still spent all his time inside his laboratories.
“You’ve bulked up quite a bit,” Daniel said. “Are you working out?”
Helmsby shook his head and laughed. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t time for that.”
“Steroids?”
“Heavens no.”
“You’ve certainly gotten heavier but not fat. How’d you manage that?”
Helmsby shrugged. “I think it’s a side-effect from the injection I gave myself after Maria attacked me.”
Daniel’s studied him. “What injection?”
“I had developed a trial drug that I hoped prevented the patient, in this case, me, from getting infected or tainted blood if we suffered a bite from a shifter. Let’s say that I took a gamble after she slashed open my shoulder and used it on myself.”
Daniel smiled. “Not a bad side-effect to suffer.”
“Not at all.”
“It prevented you from changing. Are there any other side-effects?”
“Nothing else that I’ve discovered. I do self-blood analysis every few months just to keep tabs on myself. None of the results indicate I’ve been infected. But I have grown stronger and seldom even catch a cold.”
Morton leapt onto a stool near Helmsby.
“You still have the feline shifter, I see,” Helmsby said, reaching to pat Morton’s head.
“Why does everyone insist on doing that?” the cat asked. “My appearance isn’t that adorable.”
Helmsby laughed. “I see that I didn’t skimp on the sarcastic gene.”
“Nowhere near,” Daniel replied.
Morton scoffed.
“How long has it been, Dan?” Helmsby asked, clasping Daniel’s hand with a fierce grip. “Two years now?”
Daniel looked away. “Closer to three, I think.”
Helmsby patted Daniel’s arm and pointed to a cushioned chair beside his unkempt desk. “Take a seat and relax. It doesn’t look like you’re getting enough sleep. Is everything okay?”
“I sleep when I can.”
Helmsby stretched back in the swivel chair and folded his hands behind his head. He studied Daniel, and his smile never faded. “I believe the last time I saw you was at the convention when the newspapers and press wanted to have us all together for the photo session and interviews. Oh, and of course, at your wedding two weeks later. How is Julia?”
“She’s doing great.”
Helmsby rested his feet on the desk. “And Felicia?”
“Growing, talking, and learning everything she can.”
“Great. That’s fabulous. What brings you here?”
“Lucas.”
“Luke?”
Daniel nodded. “He’s in some trouble.”
“Again? What’s he need now? A higher mountain to dive off of?”
Daniel shook his head. “No, it’s more serious than that. He’s in jail.”
The smile drained from Helmsby’s face. His hands shook, and he nervously reached for a pen. “Why? What did he do?”
“He’s being accused of murder.”
Helmsby lowered his feet and sat up. “Murder? Lucas might be guilty of a lot of things, but I think even I know him better than that.”
“You didn’t hear about it? It was on the news.”
Morton rolled his eyes.
“Dan, I don’t own a television and certainly wouldn’t be tempted to watch one. Internet news can’t be trusted, so I don’t even read it. The closest device I have to a television is my smart phone. I only use it when Nancy calls. My time is consumed by the government’s demand for my research on what experiments TransGenCorp conducted.”
“I should have known. How is Nancy?”
Helmsby stood and walked to the coffee maker. “She’s fine. She’s on sabbatical in Germany right now. Want some coffee or green tea?”
“Sure, coffee,” Daniel said. “Black. No sugar.”
Helmsby poured coffee into a mug and then he poured green tea from another dispenser into a measuring cup. He handed the mug to Daniel. “Here.”
“Thanks. Sabbatical? Where does she teach?”
“Oh, she doesn’t. She just finished her nuclear physics doctorate at Stanford.” He sipped his tea and stared at a pile of papers on his desk. “NASA’s offered her a high scale job, if she decides to bite, but she’s more a wild spirit these days than she was at the research center. NASA wants her to help design nuclear propulsion engines.”
“She doesn’t like the idea of that?”
“She could do it easily enough. But there’s another space agency in Germany that’s caught her attention. She speaks fluent German, so there’s no problem with her fitting in.”
Helmsby stared at Daniel, smiled, and shook his head.
“What is it?” Daniel asked.
“After what we all went through together at the research center with you and Lucas killing shifters and scouring the streets for supplies, I never once thought you’d give up biology to become a novelist? How’s that treating you?”
“Much quieter. Less dangerous. How’d you learn about my novels?”
“Nancy, of course. She’s read all three and can’t wait for the next one to hit the stores. She mailed me her copies and asked that if I ever see you to have you autograph them. Could you indulge her that favor?”
“Sure. Where are they?”
“On the bookcase behind you.”
Daniel walked to the bookshelf and took a pen from his coat pocket. “Did you read them?” he asked, but then shook his head. “Of course, you wouldn’t. Probably not technical enough for you.”
“Actually I did read them. They’re quite damn good. Delayed three days of work for me though. I couldn’t put them down.”
Daniel faced Helmsby, half expecting the geneticist to finish his joke. Instead, Helmsby gave a modest nod to reassure Daniel that he did actually read them.
Daniel quickly penned several words for Nancy and signed his name. After he set the books back on the shelf, he noticed a framed photo of Nancy. She had blossomed at an early age and looked more woman than a teenaged lady.
“She’s finished her doctorate? She couldn’t be more than eighteen.”
“Not quite that yet. She’ll be eighteen next spring.”
Daniel couldn’t hide his surprise.
Helmsby smiled. “I told you that her I.Q. is substantially high. Near mine. Possibly well above mine. While we were holed up inside the research center she had nothing else to do except study. I insisted on it, and she obliged. By the time she applied to college, she tested high enough to skip subjects and started her Masters. She finished that inside a year and started on her physics program. She’s way ahead of her peers.”
Daniel shook his head in disbelief. “Indeed.”
“I’m proud of her,” Helmsby said, his voice choking. He regained his composure and said, “She’s progressed much better than I hoped. With all the bad things that happened our last day inside the research center, I was concerned that the trauma might deter her want to learn and advance in the field of science. She’s proven herself to be a very strong, young lady.”
“I’m proud of her, too. Envious actually. When you speak to her, tell her congratulations for me.”
“I will.”
“How is Margaret?” Daniel asked.
The question jolted Helmsby. His face became grim. His grief altered his countenance. Tears formed in his eyes, and he looked away. He cleared his throat and said, “She’s dead, Dan.”
Sudden shock turned Daniel’s stomach. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. When?”
“She died about six months after you and Julia exchanged vows.”
“Damn, I’m so sorry.”
Helmsby shrugged. “It happens, Dan. There was nothing the doctors could do.”
“How did she die?”
Helmsby looked away, hurt by his loss. “Cervical cancer. It’s the damnedest thing. By the time we got her to a hospital, which was the day after our liberation from the research center, they took blood and conducted several series of tests. When the report came back, she had less than three weeks to live. Had we gotten out of the research center six months earlier, she would have survived. I’m certain of it.”
Daniel remembered the dark bags under Margaret’s eyes the last day he had seen her. She appeared weak and frail, but he’d never thought her body was being eaten by cancer.
“But you had patented injections to cure cancer. Didn’t you have any in your lab?”
Helmsby shook his head. “For some damned reason, Dan, they just didn’t work. We did give her several after her pap smear came back abnormal, but her body rejected the properties of the medicine. She was the first person that the vaccine didn’t cure.”
The irony was more than Daniel wished to dwell upon. Helmsby had won the Nobel Prize for the cancer vaccine, and yet, the vaccine had proven useless to the very woman he loved.
“Any ideas why?” Morton asked.
“No. I didn’t bother investigating further, although I do have cell slides of her tumor to research whenever I can deal with my loss.”
Tears formed in Daniel’s eyes. “You’ve not given yourself time to grieve?”
“There isn’t time, Dan. I’ve too many projects that demand my immediate attention.”
“Those things can wait. You have to let those locked emotions out.”
Helmsby clasped Daniel’s shoulder. “The current projects I’m working on cannot wait. If you’ll take your seat, we can talk further.”
“About what?”
Morton sat on the edge of the desk while Daniel returned to the chair across from Helmsby’s desk.
Helmsby sat in his chair and looked toward the closed door. He leaned across the desk and spoke in a low tone. “You see, Dan, all the events that took place the final night we were at the research center might have been part of a front. I don’t think the real Idris was taken into custody.”
“He cloned himself, too?” Without realizing it, Daniel replied in hushed tones as well. After considering it a moment, he wondered why Helmsby had suddenly acted like he was revealing secrets he didn’t want anyone else to discover. Wasn’t Helmsby the head of TransGenCorp now?
Helmsby shrugged and whispered. “If you had the capability to do so, and you were in his position, wouldn’t you? If there were the threat of being captured as a prisoner, you’d send your clone. Not yourself.”
“True, but why do you think a clone was taken into custody?”
“I did extensive cellular research on his DNA. The telomeres were far too short for it not to be a clone. Besides, Idris was unusually strong. Few men have the strength to snap handcuffs apart. His clone did.”
“Have you questioned him?”
“Can’t. He died six weeks after his capture. His body was frozen. We’re keeping it in storage until I’m certain I don’t have other experiments to perform.”
“Are you certain it was a clone? I mean, couldn’t it be the real Idris, and after he sustained his injuries, he just died?”
“No, Dan. The injuries Idris’ clone Lydia had inflicted and those he received during his apprehension healed too quickly. But it was something else that alarmed me more.”
“What?”
“His body had some kind of self-destruction code tacked into his DNA. If he wasn’t injected with genetic enhancers within a specific time period, his body underwent biodegradation. Polymers dissolved and cellular functions ceased operation. That’s why he died so quickly.”
“So you believe Idris is still alive somewhere?”
“Certainly.” Helmsby nodded and then peered nervously at the closed office door as if he expected someone to barge in. “And what better way to continue doing his experimentation if everyone else thinks he’s dead?”
“You think he’s still manipulating genetic experiments?”
“I stumbled across some overseas addresses where he has already shipped crates of shifters for large sums of money. To conduct scientific projects like he does, you have to secure outside finances unless you’re already wealthy. Genetic engineering is expensive. But somewhere he has another underground laboratory either established or under construction. Within a couple years he’ll develop stronger shifters and clones than he already has. His technology was unmatched, which makes it more difficult for him to gather all the materials he needs secretly.”
“Lucas wanted me to talk to you about his situation.”
The expression on Helmsby’s face indicated that he had allowed Lucas to slip from his mind. “About what?”
“He wants to know about his clone. What are the chances that man is still alive? You said before that these clones probably couldn’t survive longer than two or three years. Do you still believe that?”
Helmsby rubbed his chin, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling. “After conducting my research on Idris’ clone, I’d say Lucas’ clone is very much alive, but only if Idris keeps the genetic enhancer injections on schedule. Without them the clone will die. Why does he want to know about his clone?”
“He believes his clone killed those four men.”
“Four?”
Daniel nodded. “Two senators and two guards at a courthouse in D.C. One of the senators was Godfrey.”
“Damn.” Helmsby scratched the back of his neck. The sudden news made his uncomfortable. “Even if I can show evidence that his clone is still alive, I’d doubt any court would accept the evidence into trial.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“The only way to prove his innocence is to find his clone and bring him back alive.”
Morton stopped licking his forepaw. His eyes narrowed. “And how would you begin such a search?”
“You said that there was coverage on television?”
“Yes,” Daniel replied. “Quite detailed and clear.”
“Can you get me a DVD copy of the footage? I need to review it to ease my mind.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I haven’t seen Lucas since I last saw you, so I’d like to watch the coverage and see if his behavior matches that of Idris’ clone.”
Daniel’s frowned. “Or whether it is actually Lucas?”
Helmsby shrugged. “I have to know. Do you realize how foolish I’d look if I try to get the charges dropped and Lucas is lying?”
“I see your point.”
“Like I mentioned earlier, I think I know Lucas well enough to say there’s no possible way he’d kill anyone, especially anyone of the political agenda. Certainly not Godfrey. Idris has reason to eliminate any political figures that thwart and suppress the genetic reformation.”
“So I should find Idris and then I’ll find the clone?”
“If the clone committed the murders, yes. Idris would have assigned him to do it so he still controls biotech research laboratories somewhere. But it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find him alone. Quite frankly, I doubt the CIA or FBI will buy your theory, either. Hell, they might be involved themselves. It’s risky to put your nose where people don’t want it.”
Daniel sighed. “I can’t let him be executed for something I know he didn’t do.”
With all seriousness, Helmsby eyed Daniel evenly and asked point blank, “Can you be absolutely certain he didn’t do it?”
“Yes.”
Helmsby shook his head with disappointment. “I wish you’d have said, ‘No.’”
“Why?”
“We’re still on the top of Idris’ chief enemy list. We’re a threat to everything he does. If he’s still alive, he wants us dead. We know too much.”
“So?”
“Don’t you see? What better way for him to kill us than by doing what he did before? He placed Lucas’ clone right in the midst of us. We didn’t discover him until it was nearly too late. Lucas being framed for murder might be his next plot.”
Daniel frowned. “How? Why would Idris bring so much media attention to Lucas if he wanted to plant the clone again?”
“Question: Do you know for certain the real Lucas called you? Or is the real Lucas the one they’ve taken into custody? If it’s all staged to appear something it’s not, then we’re in danger.”
“Damn. I never thought about that.”
“Nor would they expect you to. If the real Lucas isn’t in custody, this is the perfect opportunity for them to send us on a wild hunt, separate us out, and kill each of us unexpectedly. They know how close you and Lucas are. Brothers in everything except blood. You’d give your life for him, and he, you.”
“That’s true.”
Helmsby offered a wry smile. “Seems we’re back to where we were in Pittsburgh.”
“What do you mean?”
“We cannot trust anyone.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Daniel replied. “You’re inside TransGenCorp, which is highly protected by the military.”
Helmsby laughed nervously. “And that guarantees my safety? Daniel, please, since when has the government given a shit about people like us? When my purpose ends here, then what?”
Although Daniel didn’t believe Helmsby’s life was in any jeopardy, he didn’t reply. It was possible for Idris to bribe a guard to have Helmsby shot inside one of his labs, but unlikely. From what Daniel understood, the guards at TGC were assigned bunkers that housed them for six-month periods without leave. The biggest risk for an assassination plot came when the new guards replaced the old ones.
Helmsby changed the subject. “Dan, since we were freed, have you kept in touch with any of the others who lived in the research center with us?”
“No, not everyone.”
“Doug is dead.”
“Doug?”
Helmsby nodded. “He died outside a bar in Tampa a few days ago. He was stabbed to death for what few dollars he had in his wallet.”
Though Daniel remembered Doug mostly for his alcoholic problems, a tinge of remorse stirred inside his mind. Doug had been a good friend during those years of scavenging. As an entrance guard at Helmsby’s Research Center, Doug would have died fighting to protect any of the surviving occupants. Daniel was sorry to hear the loss.
“I’ve wondered why you abandoned us, Dan.” Helmsby blew steam off his tea before taking a sip. “It’s not something you’d have done when we were trapped in Pittsburgh.”
Daniel looked away. “Maybe you didn’t know me as well as you thought.”
“What are you implying? We all regard you as a hero.”
“Don’t. I never have. I never placed the obligation to lead on myself. I only took the position because Lucas refused it. The last excursion when I discovered we were fenced in by militants and the world outside the fences still carried on, I almost didn’t come back.”
Helmsby nodded at Morton. “That’s why I sent Morton to keep an eye on you. I realized you were burnt out and might not be alert enough to protect yourself.”
“No. I didn’t mean I was almost killed. I left the research center and thought about not returning. I couldn’t handle the pressure and didn’t like sorting through all the bickering. Seeing everyone hungry and depressed brought me to the level that I didn’t wish to live anymore. Everyone else was better off without me.”
Helmsby smiled. “But you did come back. That’s your instinct. To help others. And yet, you’ve not once visited me or called to check on Kyle.”
Daniel winced at the mention of Kyle’s name. In a way, when he had thought Kyle had died during the mock missile attack, he had learned to deal with the loss. But after Julia found Kyle in his maimed and degenerated form, Daniel’s level of grief increased. He blamed himself for Kyle’s condition. Although he’d never say it aloud, he wished Kyle had died to spare his former student of being the humiliating creature he had become. Or was it to spare himself the additional guilt? Somewhere deep within Kyle’s devolved mind was the exceptionally intelligent, gifted student Daniel missed. Kyle’s dreams and ambitions had been shattered.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said, avoiding eye contact with Helmsby. “You’re right. I should have checked on him. I just haven’t had the courage. How is he?”
“I understand how difficult it is for you, Dan. Honestly, I do. It’s difficult for me to work with him because of how intelligent he used to be.”
“But he’s better, isn’t he?”
“No. I don’t believe he’ll ever fully recover. Even with all my genetic engineering background, I can’t help him evolve back to what he once was. Dementia at his level cannot be reversed. No drugs can repair the holes in his brain tissue once prions have fulfill their course.”
“So he has no hope at all?”
Helmsby shook his head. “No, I’ve done everything I possibly can. But he does mention your name every day. What little memory he retains revolves around you. He doesn’t recall saving Julia after he attacked her, but he cannot forget you.”
“Do you know what happened to cause his degeneration? Since there wasn’t any nuclear fallout from the missiles like the media had speculated, how did he end up like an animal? His DNA shouldn’t have altered dramatically.”
“No, the bombs dropped on Pittsburgh weren’t fully charged. They were a distraction to evacuate the city and leave us there to die. If they had been nuclear, no one outside our fallout shelter would have survived. Hell, most of the shifters probably would have died, too. Since there was no actual fallout, I have to agree with you. Kyle’s DNA shouldn’t have suffered to the degree it had. Not from those missiles.”
Daniel frowned, took a sip of coffee, and said, “Then what transformed Kyle?”
“His dementia stems from feasting on dead shifter brains and any humans he preyed upon. That alone is why I have difficulty being in the same room with him. Cannibalistic traits don’t easily disappear. The taste for human flesh and blood becomes a need. I keep alert whenever I’m around him. Two armed guards enter his room with me. I never visit him alone.”
Morton glanced from Helmsby to Daniel and said, “Surely, something can repress his desires to eat humans. I’m genetically the same as those shifters, but I’ve never had an appetite for blood or flesh. Of course, my palette doesn’t quiver for Purina Cat Chow, either. Don’t let the orange fuzzy suit deceive you.”
Helmsby rested his elbows on the desk. “It’s a desired effect acquired from eating the same food over and over. I assume Idris reared shifters on human blood withdrawn from prisoners. You, on the other hand, I was careful what I allowed you to eat.”
“Really?” Morton said. “I don’t recall any five-star meals.”
Helmsby looked at Daniel. “Anyway, Dan, would you like to see Kyle before you leave?”
Daniel didn’t know what to say. He hated seeing Kyle less than the person he had known. However, Daniel’s overbearing conscience needed to see what had happened and whether Kyle had recovered even a small fraction since the day when Julia re-introduced Kyle to him. Perhaps refreshing his mind by witnessing Kyle’s degeneration, he could replace his guilt with a renewed anger toward Idris. A heated drive to pursue General Idris might enable him to rescue Lucas before it was too late.
Helmsby noticed Daniel’s delay in answering. He placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and said, “You don’t have to, Dan, if you don’t think you can handle it. He’d be none the wiser should you choose otherwise.”
“No, I should talk to him. You said that he’s asked about me?”
“Every single day.”
Daniel looked at Morton for moral support. The cat offered nothing more than a simple shrug like he did during their chess games, which indicated, “It’s your move, not mine.”
That didn’t surprise Daniel. Morton often played the psycho-analysist by placing the decision on the one asking the question rather than giving a definitive answer. He was a cat with a Freudian approach to everything.
“I should see him. Perhaps my presence could unlock other memories for him.”
Helmsby stood. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
“It might help.”
“It can’t hurt,” Morton said.
Helmsby placed the office phone to his ear, pressed two numbers, and said, “Is Kyle awake? He is? Good. I’ll be there in a few minutes with some visitors. Yes, make sure he’s alert.”
He hung up and gave Daniel a serious stare. “He’s been sleeping a lot more lately. With dementia, that’s generally a sign that he’s in the final stage before he dies. So, you’ve come just in time."