Chapter 29

Zev had slept on the plane. Quite well, actually, since Candent unlike the CIA had popped for a business class ticket and he'd been able to lie down. Thus Zev's body clock still ticked away on American Eastern Daylight Savings Time instead of China Whatever Time and for him, the meeting with Boyd's security chief and his mystery woman behind door number one was shortly after lunch instead of shortly after midnight.

Boyd continued to sulk, sitting in his fine leather chair, ticking it back and forth like a metronome while they waited. If Zev didn't know better, he'd say Boyd resented the hell out of him. Actually, he didn't know any better. Maybe Boyd did resent him for some mysterious reason.

Or maybe he was worried about a secret that was about to be exposed. Perhaps it was the mystery woman, whoever she was, or maybe Candent was breeding even more supery super soldiers for the Chinese. Like the CIA and Sterisyn, Candent was just chock full of secrets, very few of which could stand the light of day. Or tonight, the moonlight of midnight. Wow, that was confused. Maybe he was more jet-lagged than he thought.

Zev wondered if he would live long enough to be old. He knew more government secrets than the American president and had way fewer bodyguards. At least he was already bald so he kinda looked old, or as his mother told her friends, distinguished. And at least Artie, who was still back in the District and still on Byer's leash, probably would go first, for whatever small comfort that was. If Byer didn't kill Artie when he discovered Zev's transfer, he might use him for a live-target punching bag, great for developing his newly Outcome enhanced muscles.

Byer had called their morning boxing sessions exercise. Zev called them abuse. He didn't want that job anymore. Let Artie practice his foot work.

They'd both found out about the job opening while doing the Outcome and Aaron Cross research. Neither one of them had told Byer. Go figure. At least they'd been united in that. He had felt badly about leaving Artie behind, no mistake. He'd been a good buddy. But there'd been only one opening in the Candent Proof Positive Program and Zev filled out a pretty mean application if he did say so himself. That and the fact that Artie needed to cut a few pounds had put Zev over the top. He'd received his flying orders early yesterday (by his own reckoning) in the middle of his third consecutive twelve-hour shift.

Fortunately Zev had been carrying his passport everywhere for two weeks, just in case. He'd grabbed the overnight kit he kept at their Watergate offices, told Artie to hang tough and maybe one of the Avengers would rescue him. Then he was out on Virginia Avenue catching a taxi to Dulles, handily dodging any possible exit interview with Byer. He left all of his other personal belongings and apartment lease for his mother to handle. She'd done it before.

His career had been strategically awkward more than once. It came with managing the bleeding edge of medical innovation. His co-workers weren't all Nazis and Gestapo clones, but there were enough of them. And Byer made an excellent Hitler.

Zev had been flying non-stop ever since. His first stop here at Candent's Kunming facility to brief the Proof Positive personnel on Byer's Outcome takedown and ongoing vendetta. Then he was on to Singapore headquarters for a full induction briefing by his new boss, a guy named "Ziang something," or maybe it was "something Ziang." He had a seat booked in eight hours at Kunming's Changshui International for the final leg of his trip.

Wasn't modern air travel wonderful? Soon he'd be completely on the opposite side of the planet from freaky Colonel Ric Byer. Thank God.

A double set of footsteps tapped quietly down the silent hall outside Boyd's office door. There had been a few earlier, attendants checking the animal pens down the hall according to Boyd, so Zev didn't go on alert until knuckles brushed a subdued shave-and-a-haircut, the door knob rattled and a male voice called a quiet, "It's locked, Boyd."

The door opened to a man and a woman. If the Virgin Mary had walked into Boyd's office, Zev wouldn't have been more surprised. It was a miracle. Zev literally couldn't believe it. "Doctor Shearing!" he exclaimed. He advanced on her with his hand out-stretched only to be blocked by Goldberg.

In person Shearing looked heavier than her photographs, thicker around the waist, larger in the bust. She almost looked pregnant.

Boyd had backed away from the door after opening it. Now he snarled, "Oh for f*ck's sake, Goldberg. Get out of the way. This is Zev Vendel, our new Proof Positive technical liaison. He's not going to hurt Marta. Back off."

Shearing aimed a look a pure venom at Boyd, but said nothing and held her ground. Goldberg held his place as well, as calm as you please, totally ignoring his superior. Suddenly Zev was glad he wasn't going to be stationed here in Kunming. The working relationships here seemed to be … complicated. He'd had enough of complicated back in DC.

"Sorry, uh, Goldberg. Doctor Shearing, I was just so surprised to see you," he looked behind them out in the hallway. "Where's Agent Five? Where's Cross? We've been chasing that guy around the world. I would really like to meet him. Hell, I'd love to kiss him. Anybody that can out-think Ric Byer is my new best friend."

Goldberg reacted for the first time, glancing at Boyd but eventually saying nothing. Doctor Shearing looked stricken. "Aaron's dead," she said. She glanced at Goldberg. "Goldberg had to shoot him when I … when Candent captured …"

Boyd spoke up. "Talk to Ziang when you get to Singapore, Vendel. He'll explain the situation." He gave Zev what could only be called a Significant Look with heavy overtones of Don't Ask Questions If You Value Your New Job.

Zev was really, really glad he wasn't going to be working here.

Aaron Cross was dead? That was just sad. His heart went out to Marta Shearing. Based on field reports, she had developed a deep personal relationship with Agent Five. "I'm so sorry, Doctor Shearing. I really admired Agent Five. I can only imagine your loss."

Everyone stood around in what should have felt like a respectful silence, but instead seemed more like an awkwardly embarrassed pause. Finally Boyd spoke, "Vendel, Marta and Goldberg need to hear what you told me about Colonel Byer."

"Oh yes, certainly," Zev nodded. He told them. That Colonel Byer had learned Candent had restarted the Outcome and LARX programs and that he intended to shut them down. That the CIA had lost control of him. That he was on their trail and would more than likely be here in Kunming within a few days, armed to the teeth and with a heart full of righteous hate.

Most importantly that he was hyped on Outcome blues and greens and crazy as a bed bug. Murderous crazy, Zev had seen it with his own eyes, felt it with his own chin.

Zev really, really felt badly about leaving Artie behind. He'd tried calling him on the taxi ride here from the Kunming airport. Artie's phone was always on and Artie always answered. But today Zev's call had gone straight to voice mail.