Invasive Procedures (24 page)

“Hit the lights,” the voice said.

Frank lay on his back, still trying to normalize his breathing, when the overhead lights came on. The hallway brightened, and everything suddenly came into view. The Healer Frank had chased from the little girl’s apartment, Stone, stood over him. Another man stood beside him. A much older man. White hair. White, trim beard. Frank had looked at that face in so many photographs over the past few days that he knew every feature by memory. George Galen.

The one new feature was the black headband around Galen’s forehead. A small camcorder was attached to the side of it, and a red dot of light above the lens suggested that it was recording.

“Dr. Frank Hartman, I presume,” said Galen, smiling. “It is an honor to meet you. Your Director Irving has said so much about you. I’m told you developed a countervirus for our healing virus. I have to admit I was both impressed and highly distressed to hear that.”

Frank sat up, his chest aching. “Director Irving?”

“Oh yes, he’s been most helpful as of late. Although not as helpful as we had hoped. He failed to inform us of the raid last night, for example. Stone here took quite a beating as a result. Your BHA friends shot him up pretty bad. I dare say he’s still a little miffed about that. How’s your chest? I hope he didn’t hurt you. We need you as healthy as possible, of course.”

“Where’s Agent Carter?”

“The other one with you? Yes, I’m afraid he’s indisposed at the moment. But don’t worry. We haven’t harmed him. We’re not violent people, Dr. Hartman.” Then, with a wink, “Unlike certain federal agents I know who will go unnamed, but if we
were
naming them we’d use the letters B, H, and A, not necessarily in that order, of course.” He elbowed Stone as if this had been a real humdinger.

Stone stared down at Frank, unsmiling.

“I hope you don’t mind this,” Galen said, pointing to the camcorder on his head. “I’d like to record this moment. For the good of history and such. They’ll make documentaries about this one day, and I’d like to have a truthful account of the proceedings. Besides, history is more memorable if it’s filmed, don’t you think? We can watch the footage again and again and have the events burned so deeply into our memories that we feel as if we witnessed them ourselves. The Kennedy assassination. The space shuttle disasters. September 11.” He put a finger to his mouth, reconsidering. “Of course, those are all very depressing examples. Very sad examples. I’m sure there are some good ones, too.” He snapped his fingers and brightened. “The Red Sox winning the World Series. Now, that was a beautiful piece of filmed history.”

“What did you do to that boy?” Frank said. “Jonathan Fox?”

The smile evaporated from Galen’s face. “Jonathan’s death was a tragedy. Nothing short of a tragedy. We were giving him a new life, but he wasn’t ready for it. I blame myself. Had he waited the full three days, he would have seen what a marvelous gift we were giving him.” He shrugged. “But alas, kids will be kids. I’m George Galen, by the way.” He smiled wide again and stuck out a hand.

Frank didn’t take it. “I know who you are, Mr. Galen.”

Galen blushed. “Goodness. Celebrity status, already.” He put his hands in his pockets. “Of course, you’re the name to know around here lately.” He turned and beckoned Frank to follow. “Come on, I’d like you to meet everyone.”

Stone nudged Frank with his foot. Going along was not an invitation. Frank got up and followed Galen.

“You can take that silly helmet off,” said Galen. “You won’t need it.”

Stone fell into step behind Frank, and Frank felt a light shove in the back. Removing the helmet wasn’t an invitation either. Frank took it off and was immediately assaulted with the old, musty smell of the building.

“I’m told that you lost your daughter to leukemia,” said Galen casually. “I’m very sorry for your loss. There is nothing worse than to see a child suffer, especially your own child. I would think that such an experience would make you more sympathetic to what we’re doing. Perhaps once you see the breadth of our work and the potential we have to save so many lives, you’ll be a bit more understanding. I don’t mean to sound presumptive, of course, but I think you’d be a lot less hostile toward us if you knew what we were capable of. And here we are.”

They had returned to the operating room, only now there were a few people inside. A woman in a blue surgical gown stood still as a statue beside the operating table. Other Healers, similarly dressed, busied themselves checking and adjusting the life-monitoring machines. They barely looked up when Frank, Galen, and Stone entered.

Galen gestured to the woman by the operating table. “Dr. Hartman, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Monica Owens, who, you’ll be pleased to hear, is as skilled as she is beautiful.”

Monica had her head bowed, staring at the floor, looking ashamed.

“Skilled at what?” said Frank.

“Cardiothoracic surgery, mostly,” said Galen, “but she can do pretty much anything, really. She gave Jonathan his new kidney, for example. Never done one of those in her life, but she handled it like an old pro. Her hand is very steady, Dr. Hartman, very steady. And her understanding of the human anatomy extensive. We’re lucky to have her on board.”

Dr. Monica Owens didn’t look as if she felt very lucky.

The doors on the opposite side of the room opened, and more Healers entered, pushing four gurneys. The people on the gurneys were asleep,
covered up to their chests with white sheets, and wearing paper surgical caps on their heads.

Galen pointed to each one in turn. “Dr. Hartman, I introduce you to Byron, Nick, Dolores, and Hal.” Frank looked at each face. There were none he recognized. Who were these? Healers? Homeless people like Jonathan Fox?

Another man came into the room.

“And this,” said Galen, “is the very talented Dr. Kouichi Yoshida. He’ll be helping us today as well.”

Yoshida made a beeline for Frank, a wide smile on his lips. “Dr. Hartman, a pleasure to meet you. Welcome.” He took Frank’s hand and shook it.

Galen said, “Dr. Yoshida, would you mind helping Dr. Owens get everyone ready?”

Yoshida seemed overly chipper. “Of course, sir. Dr. Hartman, if you’ll excuse me.”

Yoshida left and began examining the people asleep on the gurneys.

“I’m a very important person, Dr. Hartman,” said Galen. “The work I do, the treatments I offer, it can literally heal the world. I’ve studied and waited for this my entire life. And as you can see, it’s been a long life.” He sighed sadly and patted his stomach. “I’m an old man now, Frank. I’m not as young and strong as I used to be. Well, not as young, anyway. I’m actually fairly strong. A few genetic tweaks of my own doing, but that’s beside the point. The point is, I’m going to die. This old body will eventually shrivel up and call it quits. Oh sure, I’ve probably got a good twenty years left in me, but that’s twenty years of arthritis and shuffle-board. And frankly, I’m not interested in slowly going out of this world. Old people depress me. So I’ve made a decision, Frank. I’m not going to die. Not permanently, anway. My mind is too valuable, my life too precious to lose forever.

“This is a new dawning, Frank. A start of a different race of man. And I’m leading it. Without me the effort will crumble, and mankind would be doomed to even greater suffering and disease. So I found a way, Frank, a way to preserve my life. To escape death. To keep me around as long as the world needs me. And I’m going to do it. And you’re going to help me.

“You didn’t volunteer, of course, and to be perfectly honest with you,
I was going to use one of my own followers for the fifth participant. But when you came along, I had a slight change of plans. I improvised and decided to make you the fifth participant.

“And why
you
, you ask? Why should you be so lucky? Well, several reasons.” He counted them off on his fingers. “Number one, you’re young. You’ve got a good build on you, and your records show you’re in the best of health. Number two, and more importantly, you’ve discovered a way to stop our virus. That makes you an enemy to our effort.”

He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you’re a bad person. I think you’re a fine man, in fact. An exemplary servant to your country. But right now, you’re the biggest threat to our operation. Involving you intimately in the project is a way of dealing with that threat. If you understood what we were doing, if you knew what this was all about, you wouldn’t be trying to stop us. You’d enlist in our cause immediately.

“Number three, you’re a handsome devil, and I’ve never had much luck with the ladies. It’s about time I cashed in, I’d say.”

Frank looked from Stone to the exit. “What are you going to do to me?”

Galen began unbuttoning his shirt. “It’s a risky procedure, yes, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Our trial run with Jonathan was going smoothly, and had he not run off and ruined the test, I’m confident all would have gone as planned. I’m so confident in fact, that I’m staking my life on it. This time, the other person on that operating table will be me.”

Galen removed his shirt and handed it to Stone, exposing a chest of white hair. “You’ll be happy to know that your blood type matches mine. Everything should go smoothly.”

Frank lunged. Before Stone could interfere, Frank grabbed Galen, spun him around, and put him in a choke hold.

The Healers in the room gasped. Stone moved to intervene.

“Back off!” said Frank. “Come any closer and I’ll snap his neck.”

Stone froze, keeping his distance.

“This is foolishness, Frank,” said Galen calmly. “You’re only hurting yourself. I can break free at any time. Easy as cheesy.”

Frank backed away toward the exit, pulling Galen with him, using him as a shield between him and the others.

“You can’t escape from here, Frank,” said Galen. “It’s silly to even try.

They reached the doorway.

“I won’t warn you again,” said Galen. “Release me or I will be forced
to
take action.” Frank tightened his grip on Galen’s throat in an effort to shut him up. Galen reached up and with a force and strength Frank didn’t expect, and pulled at Frank’s arms. The choke hold slipped, and Galen stepped out of it easily.

“When I said I was strong, Frank, I meant it.” He grabbed Frank by the front of his suit and lifted him off the ground. “Now you try my patience.”

Galen tossed Frank back into the operating room as if he weighed nothing.

Frank flew through the air, arms flailing, and crashed into one of the metal trays by the operating tables, sending surgical tools in every direction.

Monica screamed.

Before Frank could get up, Stone had him. He lifted Frank off the ground and slammed him onto one of the operating tables. Frank kicked and struggled, but Stone’s grip, like his foot, held Frank fast.

Yoshida came to the side of the table, still smiling placidly, as if this were the most pleasant exercise in which he could participate. He carried a small metal tray on which sat a single computer chip.

Monica was off to the side crying, her hands in her face.

“There, there, Dr. Owens,” said Galen. “Please don’t be upset. I need you in top form now. Let’s not have those eyes of yours clouded with tears.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her.

Yoshida began tightening leather restraints around Frank’s ankles and wrists.

Galen came to the side of the bed. He removed the headband and camcorder and offered them to Yoshida. “Download this footage as well, will you, Dr. Yoshida? I want Frank to have a record of it. He’ll appreciate it some day.”

Yoshida nodded obediently. “Of course. I’ll return momentarily.” He took the camcorder and the metal tray holding the computer chip and exited the room.

Frank’s heart was pounding. He pulled at the restraints, but they wouldn’t budge.

Above him, behind the glass of the second floor, he could see Healers coming in and taking seats. They were waiting for this, witnesses to it.

Galen prepared a syringe. “I’m afraid Jonathan’s escape caused all kinds of problems,” he said. “We’ve had to step up our plans a bit, move the calendar ahead, as it were. This facility will be discovered soon, so our time is short. But don’t worry, Frank, once we’re finished here, we’ll take you somewhere where you can rest and recuperate.” He removed the needle from a vial of medication, then pushed on the stopper to get out any bubbles. A drop of liquid escaped the needle point, and Galen turned over Frank’s arm, exposing the veins on the inside of his elbow.

Frank watched him, his eyes wide. “What do you want from me?”

Galen stuck the needle into the vein and pushed down on the stopper. “Everything but your heart.”

Frank felt the cold sensation of a heavy sedative rush through his bloodstream, and in seconds all went black.

Agent Carmen Hernandez stood in the interrogation room at the BHA, her arms folded across her chest. Sitting at the table opposite her with his arm in a sling was Roland Turner.

“I want to see my daughter,” Turner said. “I want to see Kimberly.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Mr. Turner,” said Hernandez. “Kimberly is in quarantine for the time being. We need to observe her for a few days, make sure the virus inside her has been completely annihilated.”

Turner’s face grew angry. “You can’t keep her away from me. You got no right.” He turned his head and looked into the two-way mirror in front of him. “You people got no right, you hear me? She’s my daughter.” He looked back at Hernandez. “I want to talk to my lawyer. I want my phone call. You people can’t hold me like this.”

“We’re only asking for your cooperation, Mr. Turner. If you cooperate, it’s possible that the charges against you will be dropped.”

Turner stiffened. “Charges? What charges?”

“You had a harmful, illegal substance in your home. And you were aiding a possible criminal in administering that substance to your daughter.”

“It was going to heal her! Do you think I’d let him give it to her if I wasn’t sure of that?”

Hernandez put her hands in her pockets and approached the table. “How are you sure?”