Karsten's fingers started drumming adagio. He returned them to the soothing cool of the skull.
The Brennan girl was the key. Insolent. Know-it-all. And, yes, brilliant. He had to admit. Her intellect was astounding for one so young.
And she is tough. The cheeky brat taunted me.
The memory enraged him. He pressed trembling palms to the chimp's parietals.
I lost control back there, tried to intimidate a teenage girl. Foolish. And sending Carl from the room? Lunacy. Attempting to bully Brennan had been a colossal mistake.
Dr. Howard can make waves. From now on, I must be more careful.
The University will ask questions, learn of the hidden lab. Inevitable. I can't keep Carl quiet forever.
I have to proceed with caution. Keep away prying eyes.
And I must find that cursed dog.
Karsten watched a tangerine sun slip below the top of a green-black forest. Breathtaking. But he couldn't shake the anxiety, the feeling of impending doom.
He kept remembering the Brennan girl's eyes after his outburst. Something lurked there. Not fear. Not confusion. Not panic.
Something more dangerous. And very familiar.
Rage. Brennan had been furious.
What could trigger such anger in a teenage girl?
Fear for something she loves.
Karsten's palms squeezed the skull.
The dog.
Brennan knew the whereabouts of Subject A. She'd practically admitted it.
Karsten had no choice. He needed that animal back as quickly as possible. His benefactor was neither forgiving, nor afraid to use force.
In the game Karsten played, there were no second chances.
CHAPTER 36
"Carl said I talked too much. What a joker."
Hi sat on the floor, locked in an intense tug o' war with Coop. The puppy rolled and growled, giving it his all.
"Yuck it up, pal." Shelton spooned dog food into a bowl. "Karsten harassed me the whole time. I almost blew it."
Catching a whiff of Science Diet, Coop padded over to investigate.
"He suspects us," Ben said.
Parked in my usual turret groove, I debated sharing what had taken place during my interview. Ben was right. Karsten had accused me directly.
"Playing dumb worked," Shelton said. "My parents don't suspect a thing."
"We still have Dr. Dumbass to worry about." Hi, ever the poet.
We'd met up after dinner. The adults usually left us to our own devices on weekend evenings. While they thought we were on the beach, we'd gathered at the bunker.
Shelton smiled. "Your advice was good. Karsten asked about little things. Ben's pratfall, the fat lady, even the poodle. I could tell he was pissed."
Hi bowed without rising. "BS is my specialty. If you lived in my house, you'd be a pro, too."
"The old fart even asked where I parked the boat," Ben said. "Weirder, he asked if I'd been sick. Trying to throw me off, I guess."
The tinniest alarm sounded in my brain.
"What exactly did he say?" I asked.
"Just that. 'Have you been sick?' Now that I think about it, he asked me twice."
"Funny, I had the same question," Hi said. "Caught me off guard. But I lied and said no. I wasn't going to mention my blackout after running from Charleston's finest."
"Me too." Shelton mimicked Karsten. "Have you been unwell lately, Mr. Devers? Flu-ish? Anything at all?" His eyes rolled. "What's his angle, anyway?"
"Karsten must have a reason," I said. "He brought it up with me, too."
An accusation, not a question. I didn't say it.
"Why would he think we don't feel well?" Shelton cleaned a glob of dog chow from Coop's whisker.
"Or care?" Ben added.
"I don't know." Not totally true. "The breakin took place during a storm. Maybe he thinks the burglars caught cold."
The others looked at me like I was nuts.
"To be honest, I haven't been feeling great." Hi sounded a touch nervous. "And why did I faint on the boat?"
"Don't worry, I'm feeling run down too." I forced a chuckle. "We've had a big week."
I wasn't ready to mention my own little fit.
"All right." Shelton spoke with reluctance. "I wasn't going to say, but something strange happened to me yesterday."
We all waited.
"My legs just gave out. I was showering, then I was lying on the tile and couldn't move. I felt incredibly hot. Then, poof. I was normal again."
Oh boy. Shelton's attack sounded similar to mine.
"How have you felt since?" I asked.
"Fine. Not sick in the slightest."
"That's what happened to me!" Hi squawked. "I dropped like a rock, scorched up inside, then it all went away. But I've felt run down ever since."
"Ben?" I still wasn't ready to share.
"Nothing. Strong like bull."
Could be coincidence. Don't start a panic.
"It's probably just the flu," I said. "We were out in the rain all day."
Shelton and Hi nodded, but looked uneasy. That clinched it. I'd keep my own blackout secret for now.
Ditto for Karsten's accusations. No need to stir up pointless worry.
Change the subject.
"If Karsten had evidence against us, he'd have used it. So long as we keep quiet"--I glanced at the puppy--"and Coop out of sight, we'll be safe."