“You’re lying.”
“I am not. You know it. You saw the messages we sent in ‘47, the ones embedded in those New York Times obituaries. Why would Immari messages be marked with the words clock and tower? You had to have realized then, when you saw the decoded messages — or perhaps even before. Somewhere in the recesses of your mind, you’ve known what Clocktower was from the second you heard how many agents were under Immari control. You knew it when the cells fell so quickly. Think about it. Clocktower wasn’t compromised by Immari, it was an Immari division, a unit with one purpose: to gain the trust of the world’s intelligence bureaus, to infiltrate them fully, to ensure that when the day came, when we unleashed the Atlantis Plague, that they would be powerless, utterly blind. Clocktower had one other purpose: to collect and contain anyone who was on to the Immari master plan — people like you. The entire time you’ve been at Clocktower, we’ve been watching you, trying to find out how much you know and who you’ve told. It’s the only solution. People like you don’t break under interrogation. And there’s another advantage. We’ve found that, over the years, most agents join us when they learn the full truth. You will too. That’s why you’re here.”
“To get indoctrinated? You think I’ll join up if I hear your rationale.”
“Things aren’t as they seem—”
“I’ve heard enough.” David raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
CHAPTER 112
Immari Research Base Prism
East Antarctica
Kate shook her head. How could he be here? She wouldn’t cry. All she could manage was, “Why?” Her voice cracked, betraying her.
Dorian’s expression changed, as if remembering something frivolous, a needless item he’d forgotten at the grocery store. “Oh, that. Just repaying an old debt. But that’s nothing compared to what I’ll do to you if you don’t tell me what you treated those children with.” He moved closer to her, forcing her into the corner of the room.
Kate wanted to tell him now, to see the look on his face. “Cord blood.”
“What?” Dorian took a step away from her.
“I lost the baby. But a month before I did, I had embryonic stem cells extracted from the umbilical cord, just in case the child ever developed a condition that required stem cells.”
“You’re lying.”
“It’s true. I used an experimental stem cell treatment on the children, using stem cells from the embryo of our dead child. I used them all. There aren’t any more.”
CHAPTER 113
Immari Tunnels
Gibraltar
David pulled the trigger again. Another click.
“I removed the firing pin,” Craig said. “I knew you would be able to tell the difference between a loaded and unloaded gun, so it was the best choice. And I needed to get you down here.”
“Why?”
“I’ve already told you. I’m here to recruit you. By the time we’re done talking, you’ll know the truth and you’ll finally—”
“I won’t. You can kill me now—”
“I’d rather not, David. Good men are hard to come by. There’s another reason: you know more than anyone else. You’re in a unique position to—”
“You know why I joined Clocktower, what the Immari took from me. What you took from me.”
“Not me. Dorian. Dieter. Granted, I used Clocktower to make sure no intelligence agencies got wind of the plot, but he planned 9/11. It was his brainchild. He was obsessed with searching those mountains for his father. He desperately needed some kind of closure. It wasn’t the only reason. As I said before, our organization was in shambles when I awoke in 1978, and we were still recovering in 2001. We needed money and a global cover to resume our work.”
“Impossible. Dorian Sloane is Dieter Kane?”
“It’s true. When I awoke in 1978, I ordered his tube opened, and he walked right out, as healthy as he could be. The tube must also be some sort of healing device, a medical treatment pod of some sort. But its powers are limited to treating the living. I watched as Patrick Pierce, who had been as stoic as a judge for the past 20 years, crumbled into unimaginable grief as they pulled Helena’s still-dead body from the tube. He relived her death all over again. But medical technology had come a long way, and we were able to save the child inside her.”
“His child?”
“Daughter. But you know her already. Kate Warner.”
CHAPTER 114
Immari Research Base Prism
East Antarctica
Kate studied Dorian’s face. Confusion? Disbelief? Regret? He stared at the point where the wall met the floor, thinking.