Ace nodded, sending a signal to Remy and then going back to his computers.He could feel Luke’s eyes on him but didn’t turn around.
“Stop worrying about me.I’m fine.Ask my wife.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“We may have a good one to add to our research,” smiled Judy.
“Don’t we have enough?” asked Benjamin.“We’re pushing it looking for more kids.We know we can make this shit work.”
“Yes, but our specimens are gone,” said Judy.
“Specimens?Fuck, Judy, you’re even colder than I am and that’s saying a lot.They are kids, you know.Fucked up kids but they are kids.”
“When did you get sentimental?” she snapped.“You certainly don’t give a shit about anyone’s kids.You’re the henchmen.The guy who takes kids into dark rooms and leaves them to die.”
“Shut the fuck up!The kids are dead when I dump them and you know it.All except the one kid and he’s probably dead by now as well.You’re going to start fucking around again and someone will find out about this shit.Just because you’re trying to replicate what your sick old man did, don’t think it’s all going to go smoothly for you.”
The woman’s face turned flaming red and she picked up the stapler on the desk, flinging it at his head.He ducked and laughed at her.He was better trained and faster than she would ever be.
“What’s the matter?Don’t like being reminded of what a sick fuck your father was?We all knew it.He just didn’t have the balls to figure out how to make this shit work.I helped to figure that out,” he sneered.
“Now wait a minute,” said Jericho.“I’m the one who figured out how to liquify the formula and put it in milk and shit.Me.I’m the brains to all of this and you’d both do well to remember that.If you can’t get along, move the hell out.I’m tired of you two acting like children!”
“I’m not going anywhere until we sell my father’s dream,” said Judy, her chin jutting upward in a haughty way.Benjamin laughed, shaking his head.
“You’re something else, Judy.You act as if your father was saving humanity or developing a cure for cancer.He was abusing kids just like we are.Don’t get it twisted.”
“Fuck you!”
“Enough!” yelled Jericho.“I’m so fucking sick of listening to the two of you argue like damn brats.Look, I don’t want to do this but we need to cut our losses with you, Benjamin.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked with a sneer.Judy gave a caustic grin, her crossed legs suddenly relaxed and bobbing up and down.
“I’ll give you your cut, as of now.What we would owe you to this point,” he said shaking his head as he opened the safe.
“No.No, fucking way,” he snapped.“We’re partners to the end.You sell this shit, I get my share of the cut.”Jericho turned from the safe, a handgun pointed at Benjamin.
“You’ll take a cut now and leave or you’ll die, right here, right now.”Judy froze staring at Jericho, then back at Benjamin.He annoyed the shit out of her and she wanted to kill him half the time, but more in a sexual tension sort of way, not literally.
“Well, well, well.The good doctor took a note from my page.Finally got yourself a weapon.Hope you know how to use it.”
“Don’t test me, Benjamin.I don’t give a shit if you’re dead or alive.I don’t need you any longer.We’ll get a few more kids, make our notes, and sell this shit.”
“Without me,” he frowned.He stared at Judy, hoping she’d come to his defense, although he wasn’t sure why he believed she would.They’d been lovers on and off for years.Contentious, arguing, bickering lovers and then not lovers.There was no in between for them.
“Paul, maybe we’re moving too fast here,” she said softly.
“Nope.I warned you two I wasn’t going to put up with this shit.I’m done.You need me and my abilities.I’d like to remind you both that I don’t need you.Even without those damn notebooks that John lost, I can do this without the two of you.”
“Need I remind you that this belongs to me,” snapped Judy.
“No, it belonged to your father and he’s dead.And need I remind you, he didn’t give two fucks about you.I only knew about you because I was there the night you were born.The night he stole you from your mother, hoping he’d have one off-spring that would follow in his footsteps.”
“Shut up,” she said glaring at him.
“You know it’s true,” he said calmly.“It doesn’t matter.He’s dead.We’ve perfected the infamous pink powder or dust or whatever the hell you call it.We can help others create savants, even those who are imperfect.”
“Give me my money,” said Benjamin.“I’m outta here.Good luck with getting this shit out of the country and not being found.You might know science and medicine but neither of you know a damn thing about hiding in foreign countries, disappearing from the world, and erasing your entire existence.”
