Page 76 of The Search

“Who’d take care of the needy people if we were all the same? It all balances out.”

“Did your grandfather need you?”

She didn’t answer right away. “I think he did. It was hard to tell. I know he loved me. He told me so at the end.”

“Not before?”

“He didn’t talk much. He worked his fingers to the bone to get the money to buy these few acres. When he moved into this cabin, he swore he would never leave until the day he died.”

“How did he make a living?”

“Training horses and dogs. He was wonderful with animals.”

He sipped his lemonade. “So are you.”

“Animals are easy. They don’t demand anything. All you have to do is love them.”

“Some people are like that too.”

“Are they? I haven’t found that to be true.”

“Why? Because you had a selfish mother who obviously didn’t know how to take care of her own kid? You’ve been around enough to know there are plenty of great people in the world.”

“I don’t resent— It’s none of your business, Logan.”

“I know. It was just an observation.”

“Screw your observations. You don’t see me asking you the story of your life and then judging you.”

“Go ahead. Turnabout is fair play.”

“I don’t want to know anything about—” She stared at him challengingly. “What were you doing with a research facility in Santo Camaro?”

“That’s not the story of my life.”

“So you won’t tell me.”

“I didn’t say that.” He looked down at his drink. “It’s a medical research facility. We’re making some interesting breakthroughs.”

“Medical?”

“It’s a field of research I’ve been funding for some time.”

“Breakthroughs in what?”

“Artificial blood.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“A substitute for blood. You haven’t heard about it? There’s been some news coverage about the research.”

“I’ve heard a little.” Her eyes narrowed. “It’s because of Chen Li, isn’t it? Because of her leukemia.”

“It started off with Chen Li. It nearly killed me when I couldn’t help her. But I’m not so selfish that I can’t see the application to other diseases.”

“But why bury the facility in the jungle? What’s the big secret?”

“Industrial espionage. We’re so damn close. The company that gets there first will control both development and the market.”