THIRTY-THREE
As I’m talking, Dalton comes in, having tracked me down. He slides into a chair and listens as I tell my sister the whole story behind the creation of the hostiles.
When I finish, April says, “That is…”
I brace for the next word. “Ridiculous”? “Preposterous”?
“… completely the wrong way to conduct scientific research,” she says. “Highly irregular and unethical.”
I laugh. “So it’s impossible, then?”
“Nothing is impossible, particularly when it comes to drug research. People have this misguided image of scientists in a lab, chatting amicably and sharing their knowledge for the betterment of humankind. It is like any other big business. Competition is both fierce and cutthroat. This firm could certainly afford to send a few researchers into the wild, particularly for the possibility of a drug with military applications.”
“My logic is sound, then?”
“With the independent corroboration of Émilie, yes, I believe you have solved your mystery, Casey. Well done.” If the smile she offers holds traces of a patronizing pat on the head, I know her well enough now to take no offense.
“So our Danish tourists weren’t actually tourists,” I say. “We started having problems with the hostiles and that—combined with my reports about their narcotic brews—prompted the Danish pharmaceutical firm’s council contact to inform them. Then they sent a team in to evaluate the situation.”
April frowns. “I am uncomfortable with the nationality of the transgressors. I have always found the Danes to be a peaceful people.”
“It’s a private corporation working for foreign powers. Where there’s money to be made, there are unethical people ready to make it, no matter what their nationality.”
“True. Sophie wasn’t an innocent tourist, then. That will alleviate Will’s guilt.”
It isn’t that easy, but I only say, “It explains her sudden burst of both power and skill. I chalked it up to adrenaline, but that was her training. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
“I would not go quite that far, Casey. She was obviously mentally confused at the time. She would need to be, to attack Jay.”
I open my mouth and then pause. Not yet. Instead I say, “So the four Danes were sent in to evaluate, and they must have triggered the hostiles in some way and were attacked. Or they weren’t attacked by hostiles at all, but by someone pretending to be hostiles, ironically killing the very people sent to help the situation.”
“Are we sure the Danes were sent to help?” Dalton says. “Or sent to clean up the mess? Which doesn’t tell us what happened to that settler family.” He rubs his chin. “Unless it does. A case of mistaken identity.”
“Hmm?”
“This Danish firm wouldn’t send their people into the wilderness unarmed,” he says. “We didn’t find guns, but they sure as hell had them. What kind do you think they’d have? Hunting rifles?”
“Handguns.” I pause. “Like the ones used to kill the settlers? You said mistaken … Oh, shit. The Danes are the ones who mistook the settler family for hostiles. The Danes came looking for wild people of the forest. They seemed to find three and carried out execution orders, only to realize they made a mistake. So they staged the scene to look like a hostile attack. That hides their crime and plants further proof that the hostiles are a dangerous element. Then they come across actual hostiles who turn the tables and slaughter them.”
Dalton shakes his head. “Will definitely doesn’t need to feel so bad about shooting Sophie now.”
“You think it’s plausible?” I ask. “The firm ordered them to kill all the hostiles?”
“We already suspect they staged the car accident that killed Hendricks, the original researcher,” he says. “Do I think those four Danes planned to slaughter a couple dozen hostiles? No. I think they underestimated the numbers. That’s been the pattern all along, right? Clearly, we’re exaggerating.”
He makes a face. “Maybe I’ve read too many spy novels. Maybe they didn’t intend to kill them, but things got out of hand. Either way…”
“They were unprepared,” April murmurs. “That much seems evident. They mistook the settlers for hostiles, and the actual hostiles then killed them.” She looks my way. “Is that the medical question you had? Whether your theory fit … No, that was Eric’s theory, newly formed. What was your question, then?”
“Is there any chance Jay is faking his coma?”
“What?” Her brows shoot up to her hairline.
“Yes, it’s probably a silly question.”
“His vital signs confirm he is, indeed, comatose and likely to stay that way for a while.”
“That may be for the best. Otherwise, Kenny’s concerns mig