2008
Mason
"I apologize for summoning you both to Genomex at this hour. You will understand in a moment."
The windowless conference room looked much the same at 2.30 AM as it did at 2.30 PM, but casual blue jeans and shirts worn by Emma and Jesse betrayed the late hour outside of usual bounds.
"Sending a squad of GSA in the middle of the night certainly got our attention. If you hadn't phoned ahead of time, we would have panicked."
Jesse sounded calm not, but twenty-five minutes ago when I awakened him with word that he and Emma must leave their house and come to Genomex in the GS SUV that was very nearly at their house.
"I was informed perhaps five minutes before waking you. You are both in danger."
I adjusted the laptop to project the web page onto the conference room screen, and allowing the audio to play.
REWARD: 50 kilograms of gold for the capture and live delivery of Jesse Kilmartin or Emma deLauro
Kilmartin and deLauro have betrayed their fellow mutants by collaborating with Genomex and the Genetic Security Agency. They have used their familiarity with Mutant X and the Underground to place thousands of innocent mutants at risk of arrest.
For these crimes and others, they are wanted by and will be prosecuted by the Council of Mutant Justice.
Council of Mutant Justice
Adam Kane, MD PhD
"This…notice began appearing shortly after midnight on a handful of select sites, then spread onto hundreds of others. I was awakened as soon as it was authenticated, and in turn, I awoke you."
"Wow. We should be flattered," Emma said.
"That's a lot of money," Jesse added. "About a million dollars."
"I had no idea Adam's pockets were still so deep. With Sanctuary flooded and the Underground discredited, I thought Adam's empire would be undone. I was wrong. He appears to have resources no one suspected."
"Adam loves his little secrets," Emma said.
"Has anyone ever heard of this Council of Mutant Justice?" Jesse asked.
"No. Before you arrived, I initiated a search of all databases, and woke up April. No one has heard of them."
"I wouldn't be surprised if this Council consisted solely of Adam," Jesse said.
"Nor would I. His pose of 'mutant savior' knows few bounds. Your house is being watched—inside and out—by several agents. With your permission, we can do an electronic sweep of the hours, yard, and cars to root out anything that does not belong." I paused. I did not think Emma and Jesse would hide anything from me, but I dared not go ahead with such a search without first asking. Only a few minutes' delay would be incurred, but if I lost their trust, I might never regain it.
"Go," Jesse said. "I was going to request that if you hadn't asked.
I nodded and sent a text message to the electronics team.
"As always, you are free to come and go as you please, but you are welcome to stay within Genomex until we can be more certain what we are dealing with."
"I'm not going home. Adam's got some dangerous friends who would do almost anything for a lot less than a million dollars." Emma paused. "I can do a psychic search for him."
"Are you sure you want to open yourself to that kind of risk?" I asked. Adam would be expecting this from Emma. He would be prepared to defend himself. He had mutants with the proper talents as allies, he would be prepared to counter-attack. Emma knew this as well as I did.
"Yeah. But first, I want to get some sleep, have a decent breakfast, and give Adam a chance to wake up."
"Understandable. None of the secure guest quarters are in use. You can take your pick."
"I didn't know Adam hated us so much," Emma said softly. "It's rather disturbing."
"Adam's empire is falling down. He will never attribute that to the hollowness of his pose as mutant savior. He has to blame someone else, so he blames me, and now you."
"What about Shalimar?" Jesse asked.
"I've already spoken to her. But Shalimar is different; Adam perceives her as someone who deserted His Great Cause. He sees the two of you as traitors."
Emma returned to my office later in the day during ordinary working hours. She was still wearing blue jeans, but looked a good deal calmer.
"I slept really well. The new guest suites are incredibly quiet."
"Good. I hope you don't need to stay there very long. Your house is perfectly secure. I'm keeping it occupied and watched constantly to prevent any surprises being introduced."
"I'm going to have to do something about clothes," Emma laughed. "Jesse, too."
"Order new items. That is the safest solution. I'll sign off on whatever you need. Things can be delivered this afternoon or someone can pick them up."
"Thanks. Something else. Well, this may sound trivial."
"What is it?"
"Some of my outdoor plants are going to need water."
"I'll see to that." I made a note on my computer. "I've been thinking about this psychic search for Adam…and plant the notion that he should call me and offer up some taunts? He enjoys that kind of thing. Perhaps as I attack from one side, you can go in from another."
Emma smiled at me. "Sounds good. I'm ready."
I nodded.
Emma sat down, closed her eyes, and became very still for several moments.
"There! It felt like he was awake."
"As quick as that?"
"Yeah."
"Nicely done. Now…if only Adam will cooperate and get back to us."
"I don't know if he'll get back to you that quickly….although I did imply urgent need."
"Give him a few minutes to arrange his precious time."
"I did my best."
Indeed she had. Before fifteen minutes passed, a video call came through.
"It's untraceable…for now. There aren't many people who know about this line. Adam is one of them."
I opened the channel. Adam's image came into focus. He looked a little less rested than the last time I had seen him. I feigned surprise, which he would expect.
"Adam. Set up in a new home, I see."
"Don't even try to track this."
As if I would do as you tell me.
"I would expect you to be too clever to use a channel vulnerable to tracing."
Adam probably believed that, but as a matter of policy, all incoming calls to this very private line were automatically traced, no matter how unpromising the hunt appeared initially. Sometimes the procedure worked, sometimes it failed, but we always tried. Flattering Adam's ego and keeping him off balance was always a good distraction, and in this case gave Emma more time to work.
Adam laughed nervously. He believed what I had said.
"One thing has always puzzled me, Adam: why you did not fade away into a third world setting and put your considerable talent to practical use. No one would have noticed what had become of you had you practiced medicine."
You could have actually helped some real sick children.
"And made myself an easy target for you to find?"
"Had you occupied yourself with some positive endeavor, like medicine, I would have turned a blind eye to you, and directly my resources elsewhere."
Whether Adam believed it or not, I spoke truth. Adam saving the lives of children suffering from life-threatening diarrhea and fevers was a greater good than anything that could come from his prosecution and imprisonment. I suppose very few people would believe it now, after everything else that has happened.
"As if you would give up."
"I'm charged with a specific mission. Had you ceased to be an antagonist to that mission, I could easily justify re-directing resources elsewhere."
For the time being, anyway. As long as you behaved yourself.
"You would have just let me go off on my own, no interference?"
"Why not? You would be neutralized as effectively as if you were locked away."
As fervently as I wished to bring Adam to justice, if he brought medicine to a third world backwater, that was a positive thing. And I could always have him watched."
"My passport is still current."
I did not answer him immediately. The longer I could draw out this chat, the more time Emma had to work. "It's too late for that, Adam."
"And why is that?"
I was surprised he had to ask, but Adam always did have difficulty facing up to past sins.
"Your association with criminals."
He looked surprised. Adam's sense of self was amazing.
"You do recall your last visit to Genomex? Several of my people were murdered at their desks and in their labs. Police take a dim view of killing. So do I."
I could discern from his expression that he had nudged this unpleasantness from his mind.
"Which I would think would give you even great motivation to atone for your past sins and crimes."
How does he sleep at night?
Curiously, he seemed to have no purpose in calling. He had responded spontaneously to Emma's prompting without considering why he was doing so.
"What am I supposed to do, Mason?"
"Good question. I have not checked, but I would guess that you now have as many felony warrants as Brennan Mulwray."
That made him angry. Not that a great deal was required to anger Adam, but he resented comparison to his pet thug. However, it was true, so he could say nothing in defense.
"I think this discussion is over."
"Call again when you feel the need to chat." My casual tone angered him even more. Good.
He broke the connection. I turned to Emma.
"Well?"
"He's living in a former safe house. I have impressions of the neighborhood. He may not be far away. He's hiding the Helix out of sight in a rented steel building. Brennan is still with him. One important thing: someone is helping him from the inside of an intelligence group. A woman. That is part of how he has dodged us so far."
"A woman? A very thin woman, thin to the point of gauntness?"
"Yes. Do you know who it is?"
"I have a pretty good idea."
"There is an emotional tie between them. She's doing this for Adam, not for herself. Who is she, Mason? I'm dying."
"Christina. An old girlfriend of Adam's."
"Yes! I remember. Highly strung. Wild mood swings."
"Even Adam found her trying. They were a volatile combination. Did you meet her?"
Emma giggled. "Not exactly. But she had such a distracting, disturbing effect on Adam that it was hard not to pick up on the times he had talked to her."
"She is putting her career and freedom at risk by helping Adam."
"I have the impression she just doesn't care."
"She used to be smarter than that. I cannot order surveillance of Christina, but April can, and will, if I ask. I've cleaned Adam's influence out of Genomex; I cannot have it return by another door."
Adam had had people at all levels in the organization. No wonder he had known most every move before I made it. After twenty years at Genomex, his allies were everywhere; after he left, he kept those contacts open. Since they were not criminal in nature, there wasn't much anyone could do about them for several years.
I was almost disappointed with the news about Christina. She was neither a friend nor an ally of mine, and never had been, but she had a lot of years in the organization, and once she was revealed as helping Adam, morale would be affected. Perhaps I could do something cleanly…quietly...quickly, if removing Christina became a necessity.
Was Christina the source, in whole or part, of Adam's fortunes? She had access to funds, unquestioned access earned in the course of a career notable for reliability and trustworthiness, despite the headache of dealing with the very emotional agent.
If Christina was assisting fugitive Adam, not only was her career over, but so was her life as a free woman.
"Where is she working now?"
"I'll have to find out."