Relentless (30 page)

He leaned his head back, spent. ‘‘There, that’s it . . . That’s the secret I’ve been holding on to for five years, the thing that no one knows. Not even Lisa. I made a deal with the devil to save my skin. I’m a—’’

‘‘A
coward
,’’ Grant said bitterly, but without raising his voice this time.

‘‘Yes,’’ Daniel replied. ‘‘And now I’ve got the rest of my life to try to make up for it.’’

Grant wanted to say more, but he was still angry and didn’t trust himself.

When Grant remained silent, Daniel picked up his story. ‘‘I created methods of detection that were noninvasive,’’ he said. ‘‘If I had to do this, I was determined that no would be hurt because of me. Most of the people I tested never even knew they were being studied. And every day I hoped and prayed that I would never find what I was looking for. But I had to at least
try
, or I was dead.’’

Daniel shook his head and then offered the tiniest hint of a smile. ‘‘When those thugs attacked me and my lab was destroyed . . . a part of me was
relieved
. It meant no more working for Paragenics, no more research. The tracer filling is gone from my tooth; it was knocked loose during the attack. I can finally, legitimately, get out from under their thumb.’’

Grant was still frowning angrily at Daniel, yet as his temper cooled, he tried to keep telling himself that Daniel had only done what most people would do in the same situation. And the poor guy was certainly broken and defeated enough as it was, without needing anyone else’s judgment.

As Grant processed these things, along with Daniel’s story, one question rose to the surface.

‘‘You said you made regular reports to them. You called me on the phone over a week ago, so you’ve known about me and what I can do for at least that long. Did you tell your superiors about me?’’

‘‘Of course not!’’ Daniel looked startled, almost offended.

Grant was unabashedly suspicious.

‘‘Grant, you wouldn’t even be sitting here if they knew about you!’’

‘‘All right,’’ Grant conceded. But another thought was buzzing in his head—one that had been building for a while as he’d listened to Daniel’s tale. ‘‘What if I’m one of those people Paragenics experimented on? Or maybe I’m the product of one of their competitors, like Inveo Technologies. Could I be one of their successes?’’

Daniel sat up straight, his eyes suddenly brighter.

‘‘That’s just the thing,’’ Daniel said, his eyes wider now than Grant had yet seen them. ‘‘
That’s
what I came here to tell you. Despite the millions of dollars Paragenics poured into its experiments . . . despite everyone that died at their hands . . . they
never
had a success. At least, not one that survived more than a few hours. They even abandoned Project Threshold about a year ago and filled in their underground labs with concrete, to make sure no one would follow their work. The company still exists, and they told me to continue my clandestine research on the off chance that I might succeed. But the ‘Threshold’ was never crossed. They never succeeded at all.

‘‘Somehow, entirely on your own . . .
you did
.’’

36

‘‘Drop it, Fletcher.’’

‘‘Why won’t you tell me what she said?’’ he replied, watching her with those magnified eyeglasses of his.

‘‘I’ve told you before, what Marta and I talk about stays between the two of us,’’ Morgan told him, massaging her forehead.

‘‘But something’s different this time, I can tell,’’ he whined. ‘‘She told you something about Grant, didn’t she? Something big. Something you didn’t want to hear.’’

Morgan cut her eyes away from him, mildly irritated. It was then that she noticed how full the Common Room was today. Quite a few visitors staying this week.

Every one of them were Loci, of course.

‘‘I’m not answering your questions, Fletcher.’’

‘‘You just did.’’

‘‘Will you leave it alone?’’ she said, louder. A few others in the room turned and looked.

‘‘Why are you so intent on trusting this guy?’’ Fletcher said, his volume rising to match hers.

‘‘Why are you so intent on
not
trusting him?’’ she shouted.

Fletcher frowned and leaned back in his seat. Everyone in the room was watching now. Morgan
never
shouted.

‘‘I’ll say it again. His ring may be different than everyone else’s,’’

Fletcher said. ‘‘But it can’t possibly be
that
important.’’

‘‘And yet,’’ Morgan said, leveling her gaze on him, ‘‘it
is
.’’

‘‘How do you know?’’ Fletcher challenged.

‘‘Because his coming was predicted over seven
thousand
years ago,’’ she replied, to audible gasps throughout the room. Not one of the Loci knew of the existence of the stone tablet, aside from herself and Grant. ‘‘
Believe it
, all of you. In fact, let everyone know,’’ she said, turning to address the entire room. ‘‘The magnitude of this cannot be overstated. He is
the Bringer
. And his time is near.’’

‘‘
You
breached the Threshold, Grant,’’ Daniel said. ‘‘This is the reason I’ve been trying so hard to find you. I couldn’t care less about what Paragenics might want with you—I just want to
help
you. Because you’ve succeeded where no one else
ever
could.’’

‘‘But I
didn’t
!’’ Grant protested. ‘‘At least, I never
chose
to. Everything that’s happened to me has been completely outside of my control.’’

‘‘Which is the unavoidable point we keep coming back to . . .’’ Daniel thought aloud, nodding. He looked away, considering this for a few moments, following this thought to its conclusion . . .

And then a dawn of comprehension passed over his face and his mouth opened as he looked up at Grant, locking eyes with him.

‘‘All these years,’’ he said urgently, ‘‘I’ve known
what
Paragenics and their rivals were up to, but I never knew
why
. Why was it so important for them to cross this threshold?
Why
were they willing to risk illegal experimentation with such a high body count? What could
possibly
be so important? And now that I know your story . . . I think I’m finally beginning to understand.

‘‘I assumed,’’ Daniel continued, ‘‘that Paragenics was doing what they were doing for military applications. Power. Money. I figured they were trying to create a new breed of soldier—and probably for the highest bidder. But they failed miserably, and their work was abandoned.

‘‘From what you’ve told me, though, it looks like the results they were after are appearing in hundreds of people—if not more—entirely at random. From a spectator’s point-of-view, there’s
nothing
connecting all of you to one another, except for these strange rings on your fingers. But what if there
is
something that connects all of you?’’

Grant took Julie’s hand in his and leaned forward in his chair, desperate to understand. ‘‘What, then?’’

‘‘The Loci you mention—
all
of their abilities could have strategic defensive or offensive applications, if used correctly. They make you unique—or more
advanced
than your average human. So
if
advanced human beings are popping up all over the world
now
, then the logical conclusion is that there must be a reason for it. I told you I saw a purpose, a design in all of this. What if that purpose isn’t one that science can explain?’’

‘‘Then what could explain it?’’ Grant shoved his hand close to Daniel’s face. ‘‘I mean, look at this thing. There’s no way it just landed there on its own.’’

‘‘If it’s not a natural occurrence,’’ Daniel said quietly, ‘‘then it must be a
super
natural one.’’

Grant leaned back, looking at Daniel anew. ‘‘I don’t believe in the supernatural.’’

‘‘. . . Said the man who was placed inside a new body.’’

‘‘But you’re a scientist! How can you possibly believe in some hocus-pocus explanation for all this?’’

‘‘Grant, you have to understand . . .’’ Daniel said, taking on his best scholarly tone. ‘‘Scientists study the order of nature. But one thing science has
never
been able to explain is
why
that order exists. Why are there scientific laws that hold the universe together? Why doesn’t everything spiral out of control, into chaos? As much as we try to reason our way around it, some parts of our existence simply can’t be explained with formulas or proofs.

‘‘The human brain’s complexity, for example. Our ability to be self-aware and have consciousness and reasoning and imagination. The fact that as vast as the solar system is, our planet rests in the one orbit— the one
precise
position around our sun that’s capable of supporting life. There are a million examples all around us.’’

Grant sighed, shaking his head bitterly. ‘‘You’re sounding less and less like a scientist, Doc. Here I thought you were going to explain to me how all of this is even possible. Instead, you want me to believe that ‘fate’ magically intervened. Even if that were true,
why
? Why did I have to go through the Shift? Why couldn’t I have been given this ring as Collin Boyd?’’

‘‘Listen to yourself, Grant,’’ Daniel said urgently. ‘‘Don’t you see? You’re answering your own question. If all this is happening
now
, to
you . . .
then it’s happening to you now
for a reason
. A reason outside human understanding,’’ he said with a note of finality.

A reason outside human understanding?

What kind of answer was that?

What possible reason could there
be
?

Grant froze.

Julie watched him fearfully, not understanding.

A chill crept down Grant’s spine as a single thought went off in his head like a flash bomb.

‘‘I’m going to be
needed
. . .’’ he said, facing Daniel, face stricken with alarm.

Grant looked down, lost in his thoughts. But Daniel studied him intently. Grant followed the line of reasoning through to the same conclusion that the doctor had apparently perceived only moments ago.

Grant’s head snapped back up to look Daniel in the eye.

In that instant, he
had it
.

At long last, he
knew
.

All of the questions he had about why this had happened to him. All of his fears. His doubts. His confusion. Everything he had learned about himself, about what he could do. The rings. The stone tablet. The others that had been Shifted.

It all came crashing together in one perfect moment of crystallization.

For the first time in a very long time,
everything
made sense.

‘‘
Something’s coming . . .
’’ he breathed, his eyes enormous.

Daniel nodded gravely. Julie gasped, hand flying up to cover her mouth.

Grant leaned back in his seat, his mind swimming, his heart pounding visibly beneath his shirt.

‘‘Something bigger than
anything
that has ever been,’’ Daniel was saying slowly, with great emphasis. ‘‘Something the rest of humanity is not equipped to deal with. I can’t even
guess
what shape it might take, or when it will happen, but the logical conclusion here is that you, and possibly the others, are meant to stop it.’’

Grant sat back in his chair, trying to suppress the feeling of weakness that had overcome him. A cold sweat broke out across his brow and he closed his eyes, trying to get a handle on what all this meant.

He finally understood. Not
how
. But definitely
why
.

Something was coming. Something only he would be able to stop.

It was preposterous!

Who was
he
to save the world? And who would be foolish enough to choose him for it?

He was no one.

And the others? What of them?

As he thought of Morgan and Hannah and all of the others that had been Shifted, an odd sensation encompassed him, as if every part of his body had been hit with a mild electric shock, right down to his marrow.

He opened his eyes to see Daniel gaping at him.

‘‘Grant, what—?’’ Daniel was saying.

Grant looked down.

His ring was glowing.

It had only glowed one time before—the night it shimmered in the graveyard after Collin had been buried.

But something was different. This wasn’t the same as before.

Instead of shimmering evenly, the light was growing.

‘‘Daniel . . .’’ Grant said in alarm as he watched the light become brighter.

And then the blinding pain returned, jolting him with such intensity that he fell off the sofa. It was worse than ever before. He clutched his head with both hands, as if he could somehow stop the unbearable pain by squeezing his skull.

NO NO NO!!

‘‘Collin!’’ Julie screamed, kneeling at his side, trying to keep him from convulsing.

The pain spread the brighter the light became. From Grant’s head down through every part of his body—chest, arms, hands, legs, feet—it was everywhere. Searing, ripping, shredding through him with an intensity beyond anything he’d ever imagined possible.

He writhed on the floor, screaming, twitching as if his flesh was being wrenched off of his bones.

Morgan had just stood from her chair when a prickling sensation at the back of her neck told her something was wrong.

All around the Common Room, everything was growing brighter. And the light was still rising.

But it wasn’t a natural light; outside it was the dead of night.

Everywhere the Loci sat, stood, talked, played, watched television, read, or slept—throughout the entire facility, all of their rings had begun to glow.

The collective glow grew brighter and brighter until it became impossible to see anything other than white.

Hannah grabbed her keys. She’d dumped the ambulance at LAX, wiped it of prints, and had taken a cab back to her apartment to shower and change. The doctor they rescued probably was asleep which meant she might get Grant to herself.

Before she could open her door, though, a warmth grew at her hand and she watched amazed as the ring on her finger glowed white hot until she melted into it.