Leopard Dreaming (52 page)

‘Oh, great. And what’s your Plan B for me, if Freddie’s DNA is too old or damaged to produce a healthy baby?’

Not that she’d ever hand
any
child to Kitching under any circumstances.

‘We’ll be harvesting enough eggs from you to satisfy trial and error for quite some time. My people have also compiled a list of alternative sperm donors. All carriers of the gene, and mostly relatives.’

‘Keen for the chance yourself, obviously.’

‘As it happens, I’m bottom of the list, due to treatments for high blood pressure, prostate and stomach ulcers. But perhaps you’d like to see the others.’

Mira screwed up her face, hardly believing her own ears.

Kitching took a crumpled page from his hip pocket, still warm, which made it feel even creepier. Unfolding it, she found two columns of names with portraits and vital statistics; the first column all strangers.

‘Those are my adult sons and grandsons,’ he explained. ‘All superior candidates due to their health, fitness and intelligence. Not as prone to abnormalities as Freddie, but suitable for gene splicing under strict lab conditions. The second column is for nephews, cousins and other candidates who’ve tested positive.’

All fifteen seemed handsome enough to father a smart-looking child, but the idea of being mated under a microscope with an uncle or cousin repulsed her on a whole new level. The second column startled her in a different way. Many faces she recognised. Top of the list: Ben, Bohai, Jinhai, Clyde Moser and the musician, whose real name, Leonard Héron, appeared in brackets.

‘There will be three stages,’ Kitching explained, as if she’d already agreed. ‘Harvesting, processing and implantation, all within the first month. We’ll only need to call you in for an hour or so for all subsequent checkups. Or we can send specialists out to you for the next ten months.’

‘Don’t you mean nine months?’

‘More likely ten. A human pregnancy is thirty-eight to forty-two weeks in duration. It’s only called nine months by laymen because a month usually passes first, before pregnancy is confirmed. In your case, there’ll be no doubt from day one of implantation.’

Mira shook her head. ‘Even if I did lose my mind enough to agree, there’s no way you’d ever leave me alone for ten months.’

‘Oh, you won’t be alone. Permit me to clarify. Aside from the monthly checkups, you’ll be required to live with the surrogate father, who’ll also serve as your driver and bodyguard until the birth.’

‘Surrogate?’

‘We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure it’s someone you care about, and we just eliminated Lockman, so I’m sure you’ll have no argument. After the birth, the baby will be removed and reported dead, and you’ll both be free to go your own ways. Or join us permanently. Whichever you wish, if you’ve come around to our goal by then.’

Mira kept her hand against the wall, hardly knowing what to think, let alone say.

‘We all know how you feel about surveillance, bodyguards and your freedom to go anywhere. This solves all our problems, at nearly no cost to you aside from time and a little morning sickness.’

‘Surrogate,’ Mira repeated, unable to get past that part. If not Lockman, she felt sicker with fear that she already knew who he meant. ‘Please don’t let it be poor Ben.’

‘I must admit, I never expected him to be up to it. Must be the painkillers.’

‘After all he’s been through?’ Mira snapped. ‘How could you abduct him again?’

‘Oh, please. That was Garland. Interfering bitch is always trying to stay one step ahead.’

‘I’m confused. Have you got him or not?’

‘Oh, he’s here, but we didn’t abduct him. We merely extended the invitation and he came willingly.’

‘Yeah, sure, and I can really picture that conversation.’

‘Ask him yourself. He’s living proof that my brother was shafting me. According to that fortune-telling manuscript, your friend was supposed to go nuclear when he heard we had you.’

Mira’s heart quickened, fearing the worst. ‘I want to see him.’

‘We’re on our way. There’s only one other hitch I need to discuss with you first.’

‘Gee, only one?’

‘Three in one, to be more precise. In the interests of a successful project and lowering the friction between us, I’m attempting to be straight with you from the start this time. The current rate of failure for spliced implantations is two thirds. Therefore you’ll be seeded with triplets initially. You won’t be required to carry all three to full term, obviously. If a second viable foetus does happen to survive the first eight weeks, it will be transferred to a surrogate mother, requiring you to stay overnight at a hospital of your choice for a minor operation. Will that be a problem?’

Mira laughed. ‘If you think I’m trouble, wait until you’ve got an armful.’

‘I’m quite serious.’

‘So am I. Good luck when they hit their teen years.’

‘Just because they’ll
come
from you doesn’t mean they’ll
be
like you. How alike are you to Freddie? Or to me? Each child is unique. I learned that from my own kids and grandchildren.’

‘Who are basically normal, I presume. You’re talking about breeding more monsters.’

‘Unlikely. They’ll have the best care. Same as all my offspring; my greats and my little greats. They’re all happy, healthy and thriving in their tropical island communities — impending war notwithstanding. They live under surveillance far worse than you ever have. They have
all
the world superpowers watching them, not just a shadow general who can’t get her head out of her own cleavage. And there’s not a single slow or disabled child amongst them. Except maybe one little grandson aboard the
Black Eel
, who’s hard of hearing at times.’

‘Obviously that’s because your mother’s blood diluted when it came through you into another race. And tell me, how happy would any of those little kids be if you were home all day bugging them instead of me and my friends?’

Kitching sighed heavily. ‘Give me a child who can perceive all the treachery in the world and I’ll give you a world without treachery. In the meantime, I’ll stick to Plan A; staving off the war over resources using my own private stash of weaponry and technology.’

‘You sound like you’ve been planning this much longer than a week.’

‘On the contrary. I’m winging it. Always have been where the larger goals are concerned. My biggest worry is the same this evening as it was this morning. That you may attempt to abort the babies after I’ve set you and your friends free. I don’t think you appreciate what a huge risk I’m taking. If Garland gets her hands on you, it’s likely she’d manipulate you into wrecking my game again.’

‘Boo hoo. That’s no risk to you. You can find me anywhere, anytime.’ She clapped her chest twice. ‘Exhibit A. So don’t you dare suggest keeping one friend as insurance.’

‘You’re forcing me to consider it. I’m getting strong signals that you’re harbouring secret reservations and perhaps plans to rebel.’

She planned on far more than that, but she wasn’t about to reveal any of it to him yet. ‘You should be more worried about Ben. He may have come here willingly, or by whatever trickery, but you can’t fool him for a whole year. Not even a week. He’ll never agree. He used to work with kids on the mainland, so he’ll never raise one for you, or hand it over at birth. And never a newborn that he’s been protecting as if it was his own.’ She laughed at the idea. ‘I’m the one who’s drugged out of her mind, and yet you’re the one who needs to wake up and come back to reality.’

‘Those hurdles are dodged easily if you ensure he has every reason to believe that he
is
the father, with daily “practice” over the next three weeks. There’s no reason for him to know about this little arrangement at
all. We can conduct your implantation during a regular check up with your “own doctor”. And as for handing it over, he won’t need to do it personally. Fragile X infants rarely survive their first night anyway, so when the child is taken for cleaning and weighing, that will be the last he’ll ever see of it.’

‘And if he insists on seeing the body?’

‘We’ll have a suitable replacement on hand from a medical university. Relax, my dear. For every question and hurdle you may have, rest assured my team have already prepared an answer and action plan. You’ll have the best of all worlds, be safe, and enjoy the best medical care. You have my word on it.’

‘Heartless bastard. This is so wrong, and in so many ways I’ll need ten months just to list them all. I want to see Ben
now
!’

‘We’re nearly there. Your decision first, please, Mira.’ He tugged her to a halt, demanding it. ‘If I return your matron all the way back to Serenity within the hour, and let you watch her arrival live via satellite as proof, will you proceed with a pregnancy willingly, including initial harvesting today, subsequent implanting by the end of the month, plus all monthly checkups — and finally handover at birth? Or shall I be forced to restrain you suitably in a faraway private facility for the full term?’

Mira threw up her hands in exasperation. ‘Well, when you put it that way, what choice do I really have?’

‘Let’s just say you’d be crazy to go on fighting me.’

Mira scowled with all the hatred she could muster. If he thought she’d ever cooperate, he’d be dreaming. But in the meantime, she realised that pretending to agree would get her closer to Ben, while also buying a little more time for Maddy to wake, and Lockman to track her to Kitching. She bit her lip, and nodded tightly. ‘Fine, okay. What do I care about kids anyway?
Provided I see that satellite surveillance of Maddy getting home within the hour, you’ve got me.’

‘Deal,’ Kitching said, seeming relieved — until a knock at the door interrupted them.

Bohai poked in his head with a small, polite bow to Mira. ‘Colonel, your brother is awake and causing trouble again. And your other guests have arrived.’

Kitching nodded. ‘Very well, son. Please invite them to spend some quiet time with Mrs Creed until we send for them. Shall we go?’ he added to Mira.

She nodded, keen to see the others safe and well finally, but as Kitching opened the door for her and ushered her out into the next hall, alongside Maddy’s gurney, Mira made the mistake of assuming he meant to take her to them.

‘I’ve never known anyone who could sleep so long from a conk on the head.’

Gabby heard the male voice without recognising him at first. She woke into darkness, with the putrid taste and smell of diesel fumes thick in the air.

As her eyes adjusted to the poor light, she came to realise she was in a very large echoing room, with Darkin’s face looming close over hers.

‘She’s awake,’ he said, leaning away on his heels. ‘Still, it’s a bit hard to tell with this stunned-mullet look on her face.’

‘I’m dazed, rock star. Get off me.’ She slapped his hand off her forehead and scrambled to sit up, shrugging him off again as he tried to help her stand up.

‘Oui, and what happened to your accent?’ he teased.

‘It’s a brave man who tries to mock me. If you were born an Aussie with a surname like Biche, you’d hang onto your parents’ accent too.’

‘That’s sad, but definitely understandable. And also not the sexiest thing about you.’

Gabby blushed unexpectedly, which embarrassed her even more. ‘Get out of my way.’ She shoved past him to take a better look at their surroundings. ‘Where the hell are we?’ The vault-like room seemed as big as her old high school stadium.

‘Underground,’ Darkin replied. ‘In the bunker, I think. They took our weapons.’

‘Captain Obvious. Where’s the light coming from?’

‘Luminescent fungus.’ He scratched off a small patch from the wall until his fingernail glowed. ‘Not nearly enough of it; just a thin sheen on the south and east walls.’

‘Luminescent?’ Gabby rolled her eyes. ‘Have you got any idea how rare that is? The conditions have to be perfect. And how do you know east from west down here anyway? For these kinds of subterranean moisture and temperature conditions, they must have moved us much further north, around Cairns maybe.’

‘Orrrr,’ he said, turning his back to her, ‘we could still be at longitude twenty-seven degrees south, latitude one-fifty-three east. Do you want to know specific minutes and seconds, or would you prefer to know depth?’

Gabby rushed back to him, and found him holding the small glowing face of a compass — just one of many components in a compact army knife.

‘I saw the same kind of grid numbers flashing at me on the
Limo
when she ran aground.’

‘Exactly where were you hiding that?’ With his tight leather jeans, she’d been fully aware of every crease and curve on him. ‘No, forget I asked.’

‘I swiped it from a guy they called Kurst.’ He knocked on his head, letting her hear the thickness of his skull. ‘I came around while they were still fetching us in here.’

‘You’re a thief?’ she asked, stunned again. ‘Is that how you massed all your riches?’

He looked hurt at first, but cracked a grin as he closed up the knife and tossed it to her. ‘A lot of my groupies are pickpockets, and anything they take I like to get back without any fuss or harm done.’

‘Oh.’ She caught it, but couldn’t read any of the writing or symbols. Holding it up closer, she startled as her neck chain reached out for it. ‘Magnetic too, I notice.’ The writing remained all Japanese to her, though. ‘You can read this?’

‘Read it, write it, sing it. Here’s the chorus, sweet cheeks: we’re still stuck down here.’

Gabby heard movement deeper in the darkness, and as her eyes strained to see that far she saw Tarin standing in the back of a Hilux ute with her good hand stretched up, feeling along the top corner of the windowless wall for any cracks or weaknesses. Behind the truck, scattered about on the ground, lay clumps of camping gear that looked as if it had been scratched out of the ute by a wildcat, or whipped out by a cyclone.

Nearing the debris field, Gabby also noticed a long web of dents and scratches down the side of the vehicle, and an assortment of twigs hanging out from the bullbar and chassis. Both the front and rear windows were shot through, as if by bullets, along with the central rear view mirror inside the cab, and the CD player. Strangest of all, sitting sideways in the driver’s seat, a long-haired brunette looked to be shell-shocked and terrified. Drenched in sweat, she was squatting with her knees tucked up to her chin, sobbing and clinging to her seat belt. She mumbled constantly about a snake and spiders, as if that’s all she could see.