Page 161 of Johnny

“Wait, what people in camps?”

“You know, like the refugees and shit. The camps. All that stuff that comes from wars.”

She sits up. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your long-lived rats and the reason I have to collect money to fund global wars.

It’s not for the war, it’s not for oil, it’s not even for power, Megan. It’s for science.”

She blinks at me. Three times quickly.

“They’re using the people in the camps for experimentation.”

“No,” she says. And it comes out pretty insistent.

“Yeah. I didn’t have a chance to go through all the data I stole from the island, but I saw enough.

They’re running human trials in refugee camps. And those women in that level four biosecurity lab?

They were using them to make antibodies.”

Megan sucks in a huge gulp of air and holds it. She holds it so long I start to get worried and I’m

just about to shake her when she lets that breath out like she’s purging something deep within her.

“Antibodies,” she breathes. “Antibodies for what?”

“To extend life, Megan. What did I just tell you before we got distracted? There’s no point, right?

We all die. We all lose in the end no matter how hard and great we play. But what if… what if we

didn’t have to die?”

“Everything dies.”

“Except your rat, right?”

“That’s crazy. It’s going to die. Some day. Probably soon. It’s eleven years old, for fuck’s sake.”

I point my finger at her.

She slaps it away. “Don’t bitch about my swearing when you’re trying to tell me something crazy.”

I smile and place both hands behind my neck.

“Why are you smirking?”

“I’m not smirking.” I open an eye and look at her. “I don’t smirk. But if I did, then it would be

because you didn’t know. And that makes it all OK.”

She frowns. “You’re trying to tell me that the Way is starting global wars so they can round up

displaced people and put them into camps, and then run trials on them?”

I nod. “It’s sick. But it makes sense. I mean listen, OK?” I roll over on my side and prop myself up

with one elbow. “I collect money from all the super-rich assholes in my sector every month, right?”