“Video?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Claudia.”
As she left, he activated the video chat on his computer.
Dr. Lassiter looked stressed and tired.
“Good afternoon, Doctor. How can I help you?” Perez said.
“I’ve been trying to get ahold of Patricia Nakamura for several hours with no success. The last time I called, a man I’ve never seen before came on and told me she was no longer with NB89. With, not at. Do you know what he’s talking about?”
“Of course I do.”
The doctor waited, but when Perez didn’t add anything, he said, “Then you need to tell me. I’m the acting chairman of the council.”
“Patricia Nakamura is dead.”
“What?” Whatever explanation Dr. Lassiter had been expecting, that was not it.
“She was a problem and had to be removed.”
“You had her killed?”
“An unfortunate necessity, but one my men handled efficiently.”
“Your men?”
“Project Eden Security.”
“Those are our men. My men!” He paused. “Mr. Perez, I am placing you under arrest. You are to go to your quarters and—”
“Dr. Lassiter,” Perez cut in. “I think I need to correct you on something you said earlier. You are no longer acting chairman of the council. That position has been dissolved, and the council itself has been transitioned into an advisory role for the Project’s principal director.”
“The principal director? He’s alive?”
Perez smiled. “Yes. I would say the director is alive and well.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“But I believe you’re confusing things again. The former PD that you’re thinking of is undoubtedly dead. I, on the other hand, am not.”
“You? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not the PD and you never will be.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Doctor. I’ve been in contact with nearly every Project facility, and it has been decided that this part of our plan needs a strong leader. A role, I’m sorry to say, you are not fit to fill. They have all agreed with my decision to take over.” It wasn’t completely true. While he had been in contact with most bases, he hadn’t actually asked for any endorsements. He just told them he would be the one running this phase of the Project, and they had gone along with it, as he knew they would. When it came time for the next phase and he was still in charge, they’d go along with that, too.
“I don’t believe any of it,” the doctor said. “You are to step down, and break off all contact with the rest of the Project.”
“Now, Doctor,” Perez said, his voice dripping with faux compassion, “I think you’re forgetting that the security forces answer to me now. And if I tell them to, they will pay you the same type of visit they paid to former council member Nakamura.”
“You wouldn’t,” the doctor said, but the look in his eyes was not confident.
“You do have another choice,” Perez said. “It would please me if you serve on the advisory council. People would still see you as a person of influence. Now, of course this means you would back any decision I make, but that seems preferable to a bullet in the back of the head, wouldn’t you say?”
“I…I…”
“I have a team within five minutes of your location. I could call them now, if you’d like.”
“No,” the doctor said quickly. He stared at his keyboard for several seconds. “Can I…can I at least think about the offer?”
“Of course. I’ll give you sixty seconds.”
It took the doctor only twenty-one.
27
Contrary to what Martina’s mother had thought, their satellite radio was just as ineffective at the cabin as it had been when they were driving up the ravine. They had also tried the regular broadcast radios — the one that was part of the old ’70s-era stereo in the cabin and the one in the Webers’ car — but all they picked up was static. Cell phones were useless, too, not even a single bar of signal, so the two families were completely cut off.
The afternoon had been spent taking stock of what they had, then playing a tense game of Monopoly organized by the two moms to distract their children. But after only thirty minutes, everyone gave up. There was no ignoring what was going on.
“How long are we going to have to stay here?” Laurie, Riley’s twin sister, asked.
“There’s no way to know that yet, honey,” her mom said.
“We’ll stay as long as we need to,” her father added in a voice sharper than needed.
“This place is so…boring. What are we supposed to do?” Laurie asked.
“Sweetie, it’ll be okay,” her mother told her. “You can read, play games, go for a walk.”
“That’s probably not a good idea,” Martina’s father cut in. “We don’t want others to know we’re here.”
“Ken, a walk won’t hurt,” Martina’s mother said. “There’s probably no one within a mile of us.”
“We can’t know that for sure, and we don’t have any more room for anyone else.” His eyes strayed to Mr. Weber as he finished.
“So we have to stick around the cabin? That’s even worse!” Laurie said. Unlike Riley, she was more social, and used to hanging out with her friends, talking about stupid things Martina had never been interested in.
“That’s enough,” Mr. Weber said. “You know why we’re here. I don’t want you causing any problems.”
“I don’t know why we’re here,” Laurie countered. “Because of some stupid things on TV? Seriously, Dad, I bet we’re all going to look like idiots.”
“Enough,” her father said again.
She glared at him, her lips pressed tightly together, then stood up. “Not talking about it doesn’t mean it’s not stupid!” She disappeared down the hallway that led to the bathroom and the cabin’s two bedrooms.
“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Weber said, an embarrassed smile on her face. “She’s just…”
“A teenager?” Martina’s mom suggested.
Mrs. Weber looked relieved. “Yes. Exactly.”
“Hey, we’re teenagers, too,” Pamela said.
Her mother patted her on the leg, and said in a low, conspiratorial voice, “Yes, but you all understand what’s going on and can deal with it.”
“I’m going out to get some fresh air,” Riley whispered to Martina. “Wanna come?”
Martina nodded, and the two girls climbed to their feet.
“Where are you going?” Mr. Weber asked.
“To check out the snow,” Martina said.
Donny jumped up. “Hey, I want to check out the snow, too.”
“It’s going to be cold.”
“I don’t care.”
Martina glanced at Riley, who shrugged that it was okay with her.
“All right,” Martina said to Donny. “Come on. Anyone else?”
There were no other takers.
As they were putting on their shoes and jackets, Martina’s father said, “Stay close to the cabin.”
“We will,” Martina told him.
Night had settled over the mountains, and the snow that had been falling since not long after their arrival had created a blanket of white over the ground at least half a foot thick.
“It’s so quiet,” Riley said.
Martina had noticed it, too. The cover of snow seemed to have absorbed all the sounds of the woods, leaving behind only a peaceful hush.
“Whoa,” Donny said. “This is awesome.”
He started to run out from under the covered porch.
“Hey, hold on,” Martina said. “You can play in it in the morning.”
“Forget that!”
She grabbed the back of his jacket, stopping him. “Donny, if you trip over a rock buried under the snow and break your arm, what do you think Dad’s going to say?”