Wither With Me

CHAPTER 46 - BURIED IDENTITIES

Marcus leaned back on the chair, deep in thought. Nothing seemed to have changed in the laboratory. It wasn't the first time they fought back against a lethal disease. It wasn't the first time the team worked under pressure. It wasn't the first time they were forced to pack everything up and evacuate the building. Neither the asphyxiating, oppressive countdown nor having a potential enemy within their ranks appeared to disturb the team's discipline too much.

He turned a bit on his seat and took a look at the lab. Immersed in their screens and documents, his teammates had no time to worry about anything unrelated to the task at hand. Especially Elizabeth. She hadn't even looked at him since he came back.

'I guess it was to be expected...'

He sighed and, for the umpteenth time, went over his conversation with Colonel Rowan.

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"You know why you're here, don't you, Dr. Marcus?" said Rowan.

Seconds before, the colonel had ordered the armed guards to abandon the room. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since Marcus had set foot in the research center, and he had already been left alone with the head of the entire operation. What pushed the colonel to be so overconfident? Those keen eyes scrutinized him, reading every inch of his facial expression, every twitching muscle.

"Yes, I know."

"I'm aware of what happened. After escaping Saint Marie, you requested that the convoy take a detour in order to retrieve a certain item, which I assume you had previously hidden to protect it during the incident... A briefcase." the colonel leaned sideways and grabbed a metallic briefcase from the floor, placing it on the table. "This one, to be precise. You know what's inside, correct?"

Obviously, Marcus knew what was inside the briefcase. It was easy to understand the rhetoric in that question. Rowan didn't seek to obtain information, but to raise Marcus' awareness about said information.

"You are perfectly aware of how much we've had to sacrifice in order to obtain these samples. Do you think we'll have another chance to get our hands on a stinger queen's remains? The last time we tried, we triggered a Convergence. This was only possible thanks to that girl's existence. A queen with partial immunity? What are the chances of something like that? Go on, run to your lab. Do the calculations. But keep them to yourself. I don't need to see them."

He set the briefcase aside and crossed his arms on the table. He was still staring at him.

"You're the odd piece, doctor. We know there's a spy among us. We know someone is working behind our backs. We don't know about their goals, but don't you think it would've been smarter to keep a low profile? Why steal the samples? Why cooperate with us now? I want answers, Doctor Marcus."

"I'll be honest with you, colonel: I never intended to come back, or return the samples. But the course of events ended up leading young Lilian here. I'm out of options. We've placed several valuable targets within their reach, and the idea of us forever snatching those prizes away is keeping them on their nerves."

"Them...?"

"ZEUS. That's how they call themselves. I was one of them. There wasn't a spy, colonel; but two."

He said it. He had openly admitted his treason. He hoped the colonel's common sense was strong enough to deter him from executing him right there. At least, Marcus expected him to not do it until hearing what he had to say.

"On which side are you on right now?"

"Do you think I'd be here if I wasn't on your side?"

"I have no reason to believe you, doctor. Any information you can provide will be of interest, but don't forget I'll be the one to judge your credibility."