Divine Justice (40 page)

"If I don't see you before then," he said seductively.

As Jasi hurried to meet her partners, she wondered how long Zane would stick around this time. Would he leave her again for the excitement of the Big Apple? Or was he finally ready to settle down?

One thing was certain. She needed an answer.

Ben studied the computer monitor in front of him.

"This is all gibberish to me," he admitted.

Natassia had hacked into a hidden password-protected folder. There were dozens of files listed.

"Where do we begin?" he asked.

"Allow me," Natassia said, opening the files one by one until she came to a locked file labeled
ProC.
"Double security. This could be what we're looking for."

Her fingers flew over the keys and the screen went black. Seconds later, she typed in a series of codes, bypassing firewalls until she reached a file with an intriguing name.

"Project Chrysalis," Natassia hissed.

"You're a damned magician, Agent Prushenko."

She stood up, waving a hand at the computer. "Ta da!"

Ben sat down. Plucking a flash drive from the desk, he plugged it in and copied the file.

"I thought we weren't taking anything until the warrant comes in," Natassia said in a disapproving tone.

"I'm not removing it, I'm copying it. It could be gone by tomorrow." He shrugged. "And who says we didn't retrieve it in the morning?"

"You do realize that techies can find that info in two clicks," she said dryly.

"Then it's a matter of national security."

"Wait!" she said. "Scroll back."

He'd almost missed it. Halfway up the previous page was a familiar design. It matched the logo from the CD they'd discovered in Sampson's home office.

"Butterflies," he said.

"Chrysalis," Natassia murmured.

"This file talks about
ghost transmissions
and
subliminal data inductions
, but they make it sound like it's in relation to experimentation on butterflies. Listen to this…"

"Larva subjects 1 to 26 show indications of conscious submission and receptiveness. This early stage of development is conducive to audible impressions."

"Suggestion or hypnosis," Natassia murmured.

"Pupa subjects 1 to 17 show varying degrees of success, with 7, 15 and 16 being the most resistant to direct suggestion or orders. Side note: Pupa 15 and 16 have been exterminated."
He eyed Natassia. "I think we know what that means."

He clicked on the next page.
"Greater exposure to audible impressions over a longer duration is warranted, with mandatory follow-up and re-evaluation of all subjects. Testing on Pupa subjects 1 and 2 show unwavering loyalty and easy manipulation, making them the best case subjects for this experimental research. Side note: Pupa 1 and 2 - RELEASED."

Ben struggled to tamp back his horror. "I think they're building their own private army, and at least two of them are already out in society somewhere with another thirty-nine unaccounted for."

"So let me get this straight," Natassia said. "Larva subjects are people being conditioned through hypnotism via the CDs, and Pupa subjects are the ones watching subliminal mind control messages on their televisions." She shook her head slowly. "Sounds like something off a sci-fi channel."

"Yeah, Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Stepford Wives."

Scrolling to the end of the page, Ben caught sight of a familiar name. The signature was perfectly legible.

Beside him, Natassia let out a small gasp.

"Now we can prove who's responsible," he muttered.

A loud bang made them jump.

"Behind that door," Natassia whispered, indicating a door marked
Lab 3
.

He nodded and they both drew their guns.

"You follow," he whispered.

He reached for the door knob. It turned without making a sound. Slipping into the cavernous lab, he ducked behind a partition and waited for Natassia. She was right behind him. With his gun raised, he crept along the wall, then crouched behind a long counter. He couldn't see a thing. Somewhere up ahead, he heard the sound of something sliding along the floor. He moved along the counter in the direction of the noise.

A half-open door came into view.

He signaled Natassia and she moved to the opposite side of the door. A scraping sound covered any sounds they made and they sipped into the room, the only light coming from a closet in the far corner.

Ben peered from behind a desk. A few yards away, a shadowed form was hunched over a haphazard stack of boxes. The form grabbed something and the sharp scent of gasoline wound its way back to Ben.

"CFBI!" he called out. "Put the gas can down and keep your hands where I can see them."

Before Ben could raise his flashlight to identify the face, the shadow darted toward a back door.

He fired a warning shot. The shadow fired back.

Damn! I missed.

However, he hadn't been so lucky. As Natassia moved toward him, a dismayed expression on her face, Ben felt blood trickle down his forehead. His vision clouded and he slumped to the floor.

It took a phone call to Matthew before the guard at the gate would allow Jasi to pass through. Once on the Shirleys Bay grounds, she steered the car west toward Paragon Research Corporation, which was at the end of the street near the Ottawa River. Moonlight glimmered off the water, and to the west the city's lights were reflected in the mirrored surface.

She spotted Ben's SUV and parked behind it.

When she climbed from the car, the first thing that struck her was how quiet and dark it was. There were few outdoor lights, enough to cover the perimeter of the facility, which was surrounded by a fifteen-foot high voltage fence.

Shirleys Bay was nearly deserted at night, but come tomorrow morning it would be filled with scientists, research assistants and government officials working on top secret assignments.

She strode down the sidewalk that led to Paragon. It was an impressive brick building that housed Marilyn's company, plus two other research firms. She eyed the building, noting that the rooms beyond the windows remained dark.

A muffled shot rang out. From inside Paragon.

Shit! Ben and Natassia are in there, somewhere.

She quickly sent Matthew a data-com message calling for backup. Then she clipped her data-com to her jacket. She tried calling Ben, but there was no answer. She tried Natassia's 'com and got the same result. She settled for a silent message, hoping they see it even if they were in vibrate mode.

With her Beretta in hand, she reached the main entrance.

The door was locked

Don't think you're gonna stop me.

She hastily retrieved the IHD from her back pocket. Natassia's expertise in areas of subterfuge was going to come in handy. Now all she had to do was remember how to use the damned thing.

"Okay, insert the hacker card thingy," she said, trying to remain patient. "Then 911."

Nothing happened.

"Shit! 911, then the call button, dummy."

The light on the IHD turned green and the door opened smoothly. She passed through the waiting area. The door to the main lab was open just a crack. She slipped inside and hid behind a filing cabinet.

Where the hell are you, Ben?

Her ears perked at the sound of voices. They were barely audible and she couldn't make out what was being said, but at least she knew they were up ahead somewhere.

On the wall was a security camera, but the indicator light was off. She frowned. Someone had disengaged the security system.

You're in the right place.

A few yards down the hall, a shadow sat on the floor. She couldn't make out who it was, but as she approached, the shadow turned and metal glinted.

She raised her gun.

"Jasi?"

It was Natassia.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not me."

There was a tremor in Natassia's voice that made Jasi hurry to her side. That's when she saw him.

Ben was stretched out on the floor, his eyes fluttering with pain. On the left side of his temple, an angry red wound sliced through the skin.

"Hi, Jazz," he said weakly.

She dropped to her knees beside him.

"There's no bullet hole," she said after examining the wound. "The bullet grazed you pretty deep."

The pallor of Ben's face didn't look good. They had to stop the bleeding and get him to a hospital.

"Look for something to staunch the blood flow," she told Natassia.

Minutes later, Natassia returned with a package of sterile gauze she'd found in the washroom.

"You might have a concussion," Jasi said, wrapping Ben's head with the gauze. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"Have to get the shooter first," he said, breathless.

"Who shot at you?"

"Don't know. Too dark."

"It happened too fast," Natassia said, pulling her aside. "But whoever it is, they're still inside." She quickly told Jasi about the hypnosis CDs and Project Chrysalis.

"Brainwashing?" Jasi was stunned.

"Imagine the control someone would have."

Jasi nodded. "And the power."

Muffled thumps came from further down the hall.

"I'm going in," she said, taking a deep breath. "Get Ben out of here while he can still walk."

"You can't go in there alone!"

"There's no time for arguing. Get Ben to safety and call the paramedics. I already called for backup. They should be here any minute."

As she moved down the hall, Jasi flicked a look over her shoulder. Natassia looked like she was ready to cry.

"Don't you dare die on me, Benjamin Roberts," the woman said, helping their injured partner to his feet.

Jasi activated the recorder of her data-com and clipped it to her jacket. Then she moved down the hall toward the door that led from the Main Lab to the Satellite Research Room. That's where she'd find the mastermind behind the Parliament Murders.

She stepped through the doorway, focused on the task at hand. She had to end this, once and for all. Crouching close to the concrete wall, she was careful not to make a sound.

But her stealth was all in vain.

"We meet again, Agent McLellan."

30

At the far end of the room, Deirdre Dailey paced the
floor, tossing CDs, folders and binders into a duffle bag. Ignoring Jasi's presence, she moved quickly, her motions deliberate, the actions of someone who had a plan. If she was going to run, Jasi would have no choice but to stop her.

"So you finally figured it out," the woman said without turning. "Good for you."

"The agent you wounded figured it out. Not me."

"Well, I knew one of you would figure things out. Eventually. I was too careless." She flicked a look over her shoulder, hesitating only a second when she spotted Jasi's weapon. "I apologize that I'm too busy to greet you, but I have to get my things in order."

Jasi surveyed the room. Two exits. One a few yards from Deirdre, the other the door she'd just come through.

Does she have a weapon?

She inched closer to Deirdre. "I need you to turn around and keep your hands where I can see them."

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen."

"It's over, Deirdre."

The woman spun on one heel, her mouth curved into a bright smile, her eyes filled with tears. "Yes, I know that."