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“I wanted to be as well-rounded as possible. Finland is a small country, and they needed many experts,” he said casually.
“And who are these men?”
“Dr. Marks, are you always so rude and curt to your guests?” asked Hannu. She started to speak, then shook her head slowly.
“My apologies. I’ve been suffering from an illness of late, and I’m not myself. Are these men your colleagues?”
“No. They have no medical training at all. They are simply here to help me. I’m looking into laboratories in the area that use animals for research. Americans tend to get very sensitive about these things. Fortunately, these men have no such qualms.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said the older woman. “They want their medications and cures but don’t want to know how you get there.”
Hannu nodded, looking at her tiny hands as she waved them animatedly around her face. She moved toward a counter, grabbing a clipboard.
“Come with me. I’d like to show you what I’m working on,” she said, walking out the door. The men followed her down the corridor and then turned left to follow another. They were now at the back of the building, furthest from the front entrance. Turning, she stared at Gabe and Antoine.
“You don’t get queasy at the sight of blood, do you?” she frowned.
“We’ll be just fine,” said Gabe.
Inside the room, they were met with a half-dozen white-cloaked researchers cutting into organs and flesh. Neither of them could tell what kinds of organs they were, but Hannu’s face told them what they wanted to know.
“My research on finding a cure for cardiomyopathy would make heart transplants unnecessary. The cost would be far less, and the success rates much higher,” she said proudly. Hannu stared at her, his eyes darting up and down her body.
“That must be the heart of a dog,” said Hannu, pointing to a table. “It seems the right size.”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“And the FDA agreed to this?” he asked.
“Of course not, Dr. Frode. You know how these things work. We breed the animals here at the facility and use the healthy ones. They’re kept in a separate building.”
“And if they aren’t healthy?” he asked.
“If they aren’t healthy, we find other uses for them,” she said with a casual shrug. “As you’re well aware, no one truly cares other than the radical animal activists. We keep those away by the gates you see out front. Being in this state allows us to use force for those attempting to come onto our property.”
“That is true,” said Hannu. “Tell me, do you use other animals as well?”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I especially enjoy using gorillas or chimpanzees when I can get them,” she smiled. “I’m sure you’re aware that they share almost ninety-four percent of our DNA, which makes them ideal to study.”
“Do you have gorillas or chimpanzees here?” asked Hannu.
“No,” she frowned, shaking her head. “We were supposed to get two just last week, and our acquisition team didn’t come through.”
“Acquisition team? That seems a strange name for a group of people that typically work with reputable sources to find animals to work on,” said Hannu.
“Call it what you like, doctor, but they didn’t get me what I need. I’m very close to finding my answers. Very close!” she yelled. Turning, she eyed the three men, suddenly highly suspicious. “Why are you here? Are you here to steal my research? Are you here to help the others?”
“Others? What others?” asked Antoine.
“The other labs. Are you here to help them get my work?” she yelled.
“Dr. Marks, I can see that this is a bad time,” said Hannu. “I’ll make an appointment to come back later and discuss my topic with you.”
“Yes,” she said, rubbing her head, breathing heavily. “Yes, that’s a good idea.”
She walked them to the front of the building, watching as they left the way they’d come in. When they were in their car, she pulled out her phone, staring at her calendar. She didn’t have an appointment with anyone today. Whoever those men were, they were not there for anything to do with her research.
“Holy crackled crackers,” said Gabe.
