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“Gareth didn’t tell you who it was?”
Surprised, Zack replied, “He knows? He said nothing.”
“Well, he doesn’t know, but he knows my theory. It’s the bloody Yanks.”
“Wait…you think America is doing this?”
Hinton said, “No offense, mate.” Anton shrugged. “The perpetrator is obviously trying to remove people who might be creating artificial general superintelligence. Something involving weapons and robotics, as well, so LAWs. Some new advancement so big that someone is going around killing anyone who could possibly identify the country who made it or who could develop some sort of defense for it.”
“So…America is killing these people to stop something from happening?”
“It seems obvious that U.S. intelligence has discovered that China is using the work of respected engineers and scientists of many nations to create a weapon, and since the U.S. isn’t strong enough to stop China, they instead are trying to kill the people in the West who possess the knowledge China is mining.”
“How do you explain the death of the guy who worked for the U.S. Department of Defense?”
“Misdirection. Rick Watt wasn’t a big player in the AI realm. Yeah, he acquired tech for the American military. I’ve known the man for years, quite liked the chap. But he wasn’t someone America really needed in the AI race. I guess the White House decided they would sacrifice one bloke on the periphery to deflect blame on them.”
This sounded batshit crazy to Hightower, but he didn’t pursue it. Instead he said, “But…why don’t you think this might just be the Chinese killing anyone who could potentially stop their new weapon, whatever it is?”
“The Chinese have made advances on their own, but not to the degree that the Western private sector has. They need these people alive. How else can they innovate? China’s been trying to steal the work of those who were killed—my work, as well—for years. They have acquired a lot of it, but it’s a very fast-moving field, and their appetite is voracious, so it would be counterproductive for them to eliminate the brain trust that is providing their knowledge.”
“So…if America is responsible for the killings, why the hell did you hire an American to keep you alive?”
Hinton grinned now. “Because Gareth says you aren’t attached to the American government. I’ve got no problem with Americans, and Gareth assures me you are always a committed employee of anyone you work for, so I trust you.”
Zack thought this was crazy talk, as well, but he answered honestly. “Absolutely. You are my charge. Anyone who comes after you is my enemy. Someone will come after you again. You realize that, right?”
“If I didn’t realize that, then you wouldn’t be here.”
Zack smiled, ran a hand down his short pointy beard. “Is there any way I could convince you to wear body armor, just for the next few days?”
Hinton’s eyes showed a little disappointment. “Emilio, all over again.”
“Emilio was right. Those briefcase shields aren’t enough. I get it if you don’t know ballistics, but I do. The guy in Palo Alto was hit with a .308 rifle round. That bullet will go right through those shields like…like a .308 through butter.”
Hinton seemed to think a moment, then said, “Would that help our new relationship get off on the right foot?”
Zack smiled at this. “Very much so. It will let me know that you’re my partner in keeping you safe.”
Anton extended a hand. “I’ll walk around in a suit of chain mail and carry a lance if you ask me to.”
Zack took the hand. “I won’t ask you to do that. I’ll procure low-profile ceramic armor, very lightweight, and I’ll put it on you when we’re outside the wire. You’ll forget you’re even wearing it.”
The two men shook hands. “Welcome to the team, Zack,” Hinton said.
•••
Zack stepped into Gareth Wren’s adjacent suite a minute later. It was a simple sitting area with a kitchen and a bedroom attached, as opposed to Hinton’s expansive penthouse complex that took up the majority of the top floor.
Wren sat with Kimmie and a few other Hinton employees, but the former SAS man shuffled everyone out quickly, then shut the door.
“What do you think?”
“About Anton?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice guy. Strange, though.”
