“I never said that.”
Seung took her cell phone from her pocket. The screen lit up, casting blue highlights on her face. She moved her thumb around. “I quote: Even when Dr. Echols watched them on the monitor, I could tell his desideration was as strong as my own, but at the same time different. I don’t even have to be near the containment room when Koda is with his betas. I just know.”
Reese’s face burned so hot his eyes watered. “I would have never written that on my personal lab notes.”
“You didn’t. It was in one of your journals.”
“No. I’d remember.”
“The dates are from shortly before you left. You did a lot of venting. I’m pretty sure you wrote a lot of things you may not remember. There were more than a few pages with wine stains on them.”
Reese had done a lot of drinking those last few weeks. It had been his way to fall asleep, but when it did nothing for the nightmares or the guilt he’d felt, he’d decided to leave the Utah Facility. By that time, it was an act of self-preservation.
There was no telling what other embarrassing thoughts he’d jotted down under the influence.
But no matter what he’d written, it didn’t explain the obvious. “How did you get those?” He’d written them in books and kept them in his apartment.
“The pages were scanned and sent in files to the New World Genetics corporation.”
“Scanned?”
“You’re not the only one whose personal life wound up documented on the servers. It looks like New World sent people into employee homes.”
It shouldn’t have surprised Reese. They’d dissected everyone’s life and kept tabs on them when they rotated out of the base housing. One peep about the Utah Facility and they lost their pension and wound up in violation of the NDA.
The only ones New World didn’t seem concerned about were those with level one and two access. But the lower levels? Even the janitor was held to strict protocols involving who they associated with and where they went when given time off.
Absolutely no outside family had been allowed in the company housing and travel beyond New World grounds had to be approved months in advance.
Seung gave Reese an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”
Reese nodded, then shook his head. “Does this mean I’m…” The word got stuck in his throat.
“No. Not until he hunts you. Depending on where it happens, there could be a lot of challengers. Unless they gang up on him, I have no doubt he’ll catch you.”
“If I don’t run, this tie won’t… it won’t do whatever.”
“You will run.”
“But if I can find a way not to. On the plane, you mentioned pheromones and priming. That means there’s a biochemical reaction. There’s a chance I could develop an inhibitor.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. But even if it’s possible, I don’t think you’ll have the time to do it.”
Because things like that could take years and that was if Reese had data to work from, which he didn’t. “How long?”
“Tomorrow? A month? A year? I have a feeling it will be sooner than later, though.”
Reese was right. It turned out to be a Jack Daniel’s kind of conversation.
* * *
Johnathan headed east. Away from the house, from Nash, from Luca.
Away from Dr. Dante.
“We’re far enough.” Blood coated Craige’s teeth where they’d torn through his gums.
He was wrong. They’d never be far enough. States, countries, a fucking world. What was Johnathan going to do when he took Reese to Manitoba? He was close enough to reacting with just two Mah betas present. There’d be no holding him back when exposed to hundreds of them.