Logan, she scanned Martin’s dog at the board meeting. She’s seen the unwanted results,” another familiar voice agreed.
“You’ve got to be kidding?” I spat as James McQuillen, the man who’d saved me from my untimely face plant at the board meeting, slid into the sixth chair, his ever present dobby, Boss, at his side.
I almost expected Zane to join us and admit his involvement, but I knew better. He was one of the good ones. “Who else should I expect?” Maybe the two M’s would now appear, making the father and son duo the best actors of all.
James McQuillen grinned. “We’re all here now. I promise. No more surprises.”
“And I should believe you, because?”
“Good point,” the big Indian agreed. “I think Logan was just finishing up his story when I so rudely interrupted.”
Still trembling, I looked around the table. It was starting to make sense. Like I’d predicted, this was a hostile takeover. Certain purebreds, humans, and mutants had joined forces to seize power. I doubted they’d be content with ruling over the werewolves and mutants. Who would be next? Other supernaturals? Humans …
“The coins. I was almost to the wonderful, incredible, life saving coins,” said Logan.
“Please do continue. I’m not sure it can get any worse,” I said the words knowing it was about to get much, much worse.
To confirm my belief, James McQuillen took over. “The coins, once translated, reveal the formula for eternal life. Your friend here,” he nodded toward Alcuin, “was unable to accomplish the task as promised.”
I glanced back at Alcuin. Wait a minute. Yes, they did accomplish the task, or were close to it. Rita and the others had been working nonstop on the translation. I was sure they’d made significant strides.
This was information I’d be keeping to myself. After all, Logan was the one who’d implied that knowledge was worth a price, maybe, in this case, a small fortune.
“You still haven’t explained why some of your patients aren’t surviving. Why you’re killing them when they don’t turn,” I questioned, remembering the gruesome murder of one such man in his hospital bed on the barge.
“Some humans aren’t exactly human. At least not all the way human. Many have fae blood. Their polluted bloodline causes them to mutate. They become hideous beasts with untamable supernatural abilities. We can’t have them running around interrupting our mission, Ms. Carpenter. That would be bad press,” explained McQuillen.
I thought of David. He was “bad press” waiting to happen. Just the press I needed about now to wipe the snide expressions off a few unfriendly faces.
Shoving thoughts of revenge aside, for the moment, I determined to learn all I could while my hosts were in the talking mood; I asked the one question that hadn’t been answered. “Why kill the men in Plum Beach then? They didn’t turn into the bald guys.”
“That was my work,” Jazmine said with unmistakable pride. “We’d been testing the process for months before it actually produced the desired results.
In the beginning, no one was changing into anything. We used a vampire associate’s powers, and erased the memories of our patients’ time spent on the barge.
Unluckily, for a few of them, it came to our attention they were regaining their memories. We couldn’t risk having news of our operation spreading. So, I eliminated the problem and obtained an added benefit. Law enforcement was focused on solving the murders, keeping their attention off the other unusual happenings in their town.
They kept Zane busy too, so busy he didn’t see what was right in front of him.”
“How convenient,” I muttered, sickened by her compassionless explanation. She was beaming.
I took a quick peek in her head and was appalled to find her reliving the murder of Josh, including the violence-laced sex beforehand. I pulled out, revolted.
A subject change was in order. “How did you learn where the coins were hidden?” I directed my question to James McQuillen. “We weren’t the only ones searching for them.”
“We applied certain physical pressures on one of the bald abominations.”
“You mean you tortured him.”
“To death,” Logan answered.
I looked away from his gloating face.
I didn’t want to hear anything else about death and dying. What I wanted was to get those coins away from Logan’s henchman. The possibility of Logan and Jazmine gaining immortality was downright horrifying. They’d murder, without any qualms, anyone or anything that got in their way.
That would include me and everyone I cared about.
I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let it happen.