Freak of Nature - By Julia Crane Page 0,61
she followed Lucas’s tall, athletic frame across the room. He turned and gave her a reassuring smile before he swung the door open.
“What’s this…” Harrington stopped mid-sentence, his gaze stopped on Kaitlyn his eyes narrowed.
“Don’t do anything rash. I know this looks bad, but give me a moment and I’ll explain,” Lucas said.
Harrington stepped through the door, not taking his eyes off his prized possession. Terry and Mirko stood on either side of him. They looked alert, but unsure what to do.
Lucas shut the door quickly behind them. Kaitlyn watched them closely, ready to spring into action if he became a threat.
“Lucas, what’s going on here? You better have a good explanation why my billion dollar classified project is sitting in your kitchen, while I have my whole security force working round the clock searching for her.”
“I asked you to come alone.”
“And I told you—you work for me, not the other way around.”
“With all due respect, I think everyone in this room knows the guards are no more than show. If Kaitlyn wanted, she could easily take all of us without breaking a sweat.”
“Wait in the car.” Harrington barked at the guards.
“Are you sure?” Terry asked.
“Go.”
They turned and walked out of the house. Kaitlyn relaxed somewhat. She didn’t want to hurt them.
“Have a seat, and I’ll explain everything. Do you want some coffee?”
“No, I don’t want any damn coffee,” Harrington snapped. “And I’m not sitting down. I want you to tell me what the hell is going on.”
“Kaitlyn came to me in hopes I could mediate. We have a proposition for you.”
Harrington rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m afraid I’m not,” Lucas said grimly. “Kaitlyn does not wish to be sold off to be some killing machine. I think after you hear us out, you will agree it’s to your advantage to keep Kate to yourself.”
“Oh, she’s Kate, now?” Harrington raised an eyebrow. “Well, go on, boy. Spit it out.”
“I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but even after the countless upgrades, Kaitlyn still has emotions,” Lucas said. “She’s not the mindless robot we took her to be. She is a real living person with her own thoughts and feelings. She didn’t want to leave the compound, and she got scared that you were going to sell her off.”
His eyes darted back to Kaitlyn. “She has emotions? How is that possible?”
“The human body is complex. We really shouldn’t be too surprised.”
“Well, I’m pretty damn surprised. She has shown no evidence of human emotions. She barely responds when someone acknowledges her.”
Kaitlyn nodded. “I was afraid you would strip me even more than you already had. So I kept my thoughts and feelings to myself.”
Harrington looked back at Lucas, clearly surprised. “And how would this be in my best interest? Why shouldn’t I call a team to pick her up right now?”
“Kaitlyn has already proven she can escape from us, and we both know your security team wouldn’t stand a chance. She could have gone off on her own and started a new life, but she came back because she wants to help.”
Kaitlyn stood up and walked toward Harrington, who was still standing near the door. He took a step backwards, clearly uncomfortable. “My old life is gone. I know that, but I want to make this new life the best it can be with the situation I’m in. I have all of these upgrades that make me ‘super human.’ I don’t want them to go to waste, but I also don’t want to be controlled by others. I want to do the right thing, but not at the expense of my freedom.”
“What we are offering is a partnership of sorts,” Lucas said.
Harrington laughed. “You must be out of your mind. Need I remind you who controls this situation? You belong to me, sweetheart. One command from me and Kaitlyn will be shut down for good.”
“That’s very true. But you’re not going to shut her down. You put all you had into her, and she’s perfect, just like you wanted. Harrington, this is really in your best interest. It’s either this or you lose her for good. We all know she is more to you then a science project.”
“I don’t have time for games. Tell me. What’s your proposal?”
Lucas took a deep breath. “You keep Kaitlyn for IFICS. You hire her as an independent contractor, with wages and full benefits. Sure, you can loan her out to the defense department, but you never give