Vagabonds

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Offers and Promises

Eliza turned away from Joe and Tori, curling in closer to the window as she focused everything she had on that voice, knowing that with a creature like Amile Robillard, one wrong step could mean disaster.

"You tried to hurt my friends," Eliza said in a low, threatening tone, ignoring Tori's waving attempts to catch her attention. "You ordered Martin Bent to kill me. We have nothing to discuss."

Amile chuckled and to Eliza it sounded like wind howling over arctic ice.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding, my dear girl. I have no intention of hurting those boys."

"You called them property," Eliza snarled, her injured hand pulsing against the phone. "You said they had no rights."

"All true things, but not the reasons I'm after them. You see, Eliza, I only want a tiny part of them. The tiniest part of all, if you will." There was a pause in which all Eliza could hear was the grinding of her own teeth. "I want their DNA."

"To stabilize your virus?" Eliza turned to glare at Joe, her heart hammering loud enough that she began to fear she might miss whatever Amile said next. Tori was leaning in close, breath hot against Eliza's neck as she tried to listen in.

"I'm impressed," Amile said. "It looks like your break-in wasn't so pointless after all."

"I'm not helping you. Not for anything."

"Not even for Joe Fagan's life?"

Eliza froze, exchanging a wide-eyed look with Tori. Tori mouthed ask her what she wants.

Instead, Eliza said, "You don't have a cure. That's why your soldier was so out of control when I was there. You don't know what you're doing, but you keep infecting people anyways."

"We don't know what we're doing yet," Amile said, and Eliza could imagine those dark eyes glittering. "It's embarrassing to admit, but you're right, Eliza. We've been fumbling in the dark ever since those boys escaped and took all of our research with them. It's taken us years to catch up after the lab fire, but we're almost there."

Lab fire? Tori mouthed, but Eliza shook her head as Amile continued.

"All we need is a bit of DNA from each of the boys. That's it, just a hair follicle, a sample of saliva. You bring me that and we'll share our... cure. You help me in this small way and Joe lives."

Eliza stared at her friend. His arms were wrapped around his torso as if he could hold himself together with nothing more than will. She frowned, swallowing hard.

"What will happen to him if we don't?"

"He'll go mad," Amile said, the words so short, so brutal, that they punched right through Eliza's defenses. "First he'll attack his enemies. Then he'll attack his friends. Then he'll attack himself. There's nothing to be done. Unless you help me."

Tori was shaking her head, her blonde hair tickling Eliza's cheek. But Eliza stepped away, closer to the window.

"If I bring you these samples," she said, hating herself for even entertaining the idea but hating the way Joe looked more, "You'll leave them alone? Forever?"

"You have my word," Amile said. "I have no interest in your friends beyond the secrets contained in their genetic material. Once we've perfected our virus, they'll be free to do as they will."

"And what do you plan to do? With the virus?"

Amile chuckled.

"Army secrets, dear, but I'm sure you can imagine what kind of use these... enhancements could provide."