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"Do you want me to get rid of it?"
"No," Smith said. "For now I'll store it downstairs. In fact, it might be wise
to save some frozen form of the genetic material she used in perpetuity.
Perhaps from this one day an antidote or vaccine could be found."
"I notice we're both using 'she' a lot," Mark said. Smith nodded as he tapped
a gnarled thumb on the bottle lid. "Given what you have learned, I am leaning
more toward Judith White herself as mastermind," he said, putting the bottle
aside once more.
"After all, she did not turn any of the people in her lab three years ago.
None were implicated at the time and they all underwent testing after the
fact. Those that she recruited at that time were not scientists. Therefore we
are not now dealing with a leftover creature from that time, since they would
not have her knowledge of genetics."
"It still might not be her," Mark suggested. "One of the others might have
laid low for a while and then found a geneticist to turn-someone who could
help. You said those briefcases of her formula were never found. They wouldn't
have needed her science background to turn new recruits."
"It does not fit their pattern of behavior," Smith insisted. "They would be
like all animals. Driven purely by instinct. To feed, mate. They would live in
the moment. They wouldn't worry about covering their tracks all this time.
Only Judith White had a vision of a greater future for the abominations she
had created. She alone would have the patience to wait this long. It must be
her." His frown lines deepened. "But what her plan is I have no idea."
"Well, lucky for us Remo injured her last time."
"Yes," Smith agreed. "Still, she will not be unprotected. It is not cliche to
say that an injured animal is most dangerous when it is cornered. I urged Remo
and Master Chiun to caution before I sent them to Maine."
"What about the protesters?" Mark asked.
Even before Mark had called, Smith's computers had pulled up reports of the
Reticulated New England Speckled Leech protesters outside the Lubec Springs
bottling plant.
"They should not be a problem. Our biggest concern would be exposure to the
press. But there has not been great interest in their protest. The news cycle
being what it is, I doubt they will get more coverage than they did today.
Still, Remo and Chiun will be arriving just before dawn. Things should be
quiet enough at that time for them to do what they need to and get out."
"Dr. Smith, just so you know, I'm a little worried that the protesters are
from Green Earth," Mark said. They had recently encountered the environmental
activist group in South America. Back then it was in the form of a former
Soviet president high up in the organization. That man's foolishness had
resulted in environmental devastation throughout a large part of the
Caribbean.
The CURE director caught the subtle strain in his assistant's voice at the
mention of Green Earth.
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"It is a large organization, with interests all around the world," Smith said
cautiously. "Since this and our last encounter with them seemed unconnected, I
was going to chalk it up to coincidence." He peered over the tops of his
rimless glasses. "Unless you think we should look deeper into their group."
Mark met the older man's level gaze.
It was a subject that gave them both discomfort. Mark had a special, almost
precognitive ability that had in the past given him early insight into
potential CURE problems. For the assistant director of CURE, it was like
peering into a puzzle box and seeing part of the picture where others only saw
a jumble of pieces.
Mark shook his head. "There's nothing right now," he said. "But there might be
something coming. I don't know for sure. But we should keep an open file on
them."
"Very well," Smith said. "I'll have the mainframes collate any Green Earth
data they find." With a few sure strokes on his keyboard, he issued the proper
commands to the basement computers. While Smith typed, Mark got to his feet.
His back was sore from sitting around the GenPlus offices all evening.
"If there's nothing else, I'd better get back to work," he said. "I'll try to
find that lab. You should really go home, Dr. Smith. I'll stay here tonight."
Smith glanced up, shaking his head. "If I need to, I will take a few hours'
sleep on the sofa." He ignored the look of concern that passed across his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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