Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Maybe I’ll find something in his quarters.
What am I even looking for?
Nothing in particular. Just more puzzle pieces. It’s all a vague collection of parts, but eventually, I’ll collect enough that it all makes sense. This feels like an opportunity I may never have again. Without a second thought, I rush toward his side of the yacht.
The hallway takes me to a crossroads. To the left is a small lounge with big windows and access to the deck. Straight ahead looks to be the way into the bedroom suite. On the right is a neat, pristine office with a modern, light wood desk in front of a high-back white leather desk chair. The gray and white rug is artfully sewn into a cursive G. Two sitting chairs are opposite the desk. Behind the desk is an enormous painting of a child peeking out of a wicker box, both eyes blackened like that of a panda bear.
What the hell?
Knowing what I do about Solomon, the picture makes me nauseous to look at. It may be an artist’s rendering of something imagined. Or it could be a replication of a real person. Either way, the whole thing feels sick and wrong.
Focus.
I notice chest-high built-in cabinets behind the desk. There might be files or photos or important papers. Quickly, I hurry over to them. To my dismay, they’re cavernous and empty. With a disappointed sigh, I close the doors and then inspect the desk. A sleek MacBook Pro sits in the center, closed and probably password protected. To be sure, I flip it open to look. A bright neon green sticky note sits to the side of the trackpad. I mash buttons until the screen comes to life and am not surprised it asks for a password.
Instead of trying to hack into a computer I know I won’t get into, I study the writing on the sticky note.
CUP FAIL X 4
3 RETURN/1 FEE
I’m not sure what any of this means, but it seems important. CUP represents only one thing I can think of. Crowne Unity Project. What does it mean that 4 failed? Was Megan one of them?
Sickness roils in my gut at the implication of Megan failing their program. Could she end up beaten and killed like that girl I’d seen Solomon carrying?
I need to speak to her.
Caius better make good on his promise.
“…truly unfortunate, I agree,” Solomon says, voice nearby. “Come to my office and we’ll discuss.”
Holy crap.
I’m in his office.
I flip the lid to the laptop closed but freeze, unsure where to go. The empty cabinets behind me are small, but I think I can fit. Dropping low, I pull open one of the doors and then slip into the narrow space. Just as I tug the door shut, the voices grow louder.
“I must say, Sol,” a man says with evident envy, “this yacht is a dream come true.”
Solomon laughs. “Cost me a pretty penny, too. Please, Michael, have a seat.”
The desk chair squeaks as Solomon sits. I try to steady my breathing that feels as if it’s coming out in thundering pants. Biting my lip, I do my best to hold my breath and steady my racing heartbeat.
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Michael says, done with any air of pleasure, eager to get to business. “I expected what I paid for to be waiting in my room.”
Solomon sighs heavily. “As I said before, it’s truly unfortunate. There’s a reason, though. I have a plan to rectify the situation as well.”
“I’m listening.”
“CUP isn’t always foolproof,” Solomon continues. “There have been failures, especially in recent years.”
“How is that so?” Michael demands, voice tight with anger. “This programming has been going on for ages. Why now?”
Solomon moves in his chair, making it creak again. “I blame it on big Pharma.”
“Go on.”
“Ever since Roger Wade’s been dipping his fingers in the industry, we’ve seen aggressive failures.”
“And what I paid for was one of those failures,” Michael grumbles. “Please explain how I’ve wasted one point two million dollars, Sol. It took me months to funnel all the money carefully to the different channels to make sure it couldn’t be tracked to this transaction.”
“You haven’t wasted your money,” Solomon says, slight irritation in his tone. “You’re simply being delayed gratification.”
“Which better come with a bonus.”
“I assure you, it will.” Solomon thumps the desk. “In the meantime, we need to deal with Wade. With your government clearance and access to members of Congress, I believe we can remove him from the board.”
This guy Michael is in the government?
I don’t like this at all.
“What did he do?” Michael asks. “Besides running his old ass all over the globe pretending to be God?”
“Well, you see, that’s exactly it. He got in bed with big Pharma, shoved tons of money into their pockets, and persuaded them to tweak some childhood vaccines. They’re laced with DNA-altering properties that make some of the younger CUP patients resistant. I’m not sure of what his intent was with changing the DNA, but it’s affected our endeavors nonetheless.”