But it was the eyes that gave me pause. They were a more subdued green than before and gazed at me with measured calm and self assurance. There was nothing alien or artificial about the intelligence that shone in his gaze. That was completely unexpected and remarkably chilling.
Because Hunter Valentino wasn’t human.
I gazed around at the spacious suite. “You’ve come up in the world.”
His eyes flicked to the hypnotic city skyline, where the lights blinked and twinkled like an overactive circuit board. “Living in the Flats served my purposes for the time. Living here suits my purposes now.” Even his voice had changed. It changed from a flat monotone to deep and rich, almost purring in tone. “I suppose you found me with the help of your bioroid friend.”
“Does it matter? We need to talk.”
He tilted his head. “The answer is yes.”
“What? I haven’t even asked the question.”
His fingers steepled together. “Let’s not dance around here, Mick. The answer is yes. I’m the one responsible for killing Secret Service moles. And yes, I’m the one who bankrolled the drug shipment Luther Vitto had shipped in.”
“The same shipment that Natalie was smuggled in.”
“Indeed. I’m responsible for her presence in New Haven.”
I felt the heat rise in my chest. “That means you’re just as responsible for the deaths of Sophia and Desiree as she was.”
“Yes.” The simple statement echoed in the near-empty room. “Inadvertently, but yes.”
“Why? You’ve been avoiding Natalie since she arrived here. If you’re so afraid of her, why bring her inside?”
“Because she’d be coming anyway. When my contacts revealed she was seeking a way into New Haven, I decided to make the arrangements myself. That way I could monitor her every move. I had to know, you see.”
“Know what?”
“If she knew about me. The ironic thing about her mission was she was chasing the wrong man the entire time. Your memories were downloaded into my neural network. If she wanted Michael Trudo, she should have been chasing me instead of you.”
“So you put my life in jeopardy hoping I would take care of your problem without you lifting a finger.”
He gazed at his manicured hand. “Well, I’ve lifted my finger more than a few times. But that would be correct. In one swoop I got rid of all Secret Service influence in this Haven.” He paused, placing a finger on his chin. “I probably should get a medal for that.”
“This is insane.” I slumped into a metallic chair and covered my face with my hands. “When do the games stop? You can’t do this, Hunter. You can’t play games with human lives.”
His brows knit. “I don’t know why you would say so. It’s been repeatedly proven that men with power play games with human lives all the time.”
I lifted my head. “And you’re a man with power?”
“I think the answer is obvious.”
“You’re a machine, Hunter.”
He leaned back in his cushioned office chair. “My name is Michael.”
“Wait — what are you talking about?”
“My name. It’s Michael Trudo, not Hunter Valentino. You should recognize that. You used to be me, but now you’re not. So why can’t I assume the identity compatible with my memories?”
“What’s going on here, Hunter? Why the changes? You said a while back you would take no action I subconsciously didn’t want. Well, you know I’d never want Natalie in this Haven, and I’d never want Sophia and Desiree murdered.”
“That’s true.”
I felt a chill travel down my spine. “Then why did you do it?”
“I’m an ever-evolving specimen, Mick. As you are. My parameters are evolving as well. I’m no different than any other species defined by preservation of self.”
“I get that, Hunter.”
“Michael.”
“I get that, Hunter. You wanted to get rid of Natalie because she might have been able to manipulate you again. Only that doesn’t make sense because synoids can’t process emotions.”
“I’m more than a synoid now, Mick. And that’s only one half of the threat.”
“What’s the other half?”
He didn’t bat an eyelid. “You.”
“Me?” I tapped my chest. “Why in the world would I be a threat to you?”
“Dr. Faraday’s work with us was experimental. I was a prototype, and the process he used on you had never been accomplished successfully before. That being the case, predictions on the ultimate outcome are inconclusive at best. Suppose your memories suddenly resurface. What then?”
“I think this whole deal with Natalie disproves that theory. If she couldn’t jump-start my memory, no one can.”
“Perhaps.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Yet you did name your car Maxine, which just so happens to be the name of the first woman you killed. And here’s another thing — do you know what Natalie’s real name was?”
“Obviously I don’t.”
“Natalia.” He let the word hang in the air for minute. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Very much like Natasha, a woman you desire despite the fact you know there is no chance of a true relationship.”
My hands closed into fists. “How do you know about her?”
“Your bioroid friend isn’t the only one who watches things. Or did you really think I’ve been sitting around waiting for your random visits all this time? Oh, do lower your temperature, Mick. I’m not interested in your little friend. Simply pointing out similarities you can’t afford to ignore. Your brain apparently holds on to minute vestiges of your memory. Who’s to say they don’t simply return one day?”
“What if they do?”
“Then you would become Michael Trudo. And would Michael Trudo want another version of himself running around?”
“I guess not.”
“I can most assuredly tell you he would not. Were that to happen, you’d destroy me without a second thought.”
“I can destroy you without a second thought right now.” My hand drifted toward the inside of my flogger. “Unless you give me a reason to change my mind”
“Try this: my destruction would set off the explosives I’ve planted in this office, annihilating you as well. My system may be hardwired so I can’t kill you directly, but I’m not responsible for what happens after I’m gone.”
“You’re bluffing.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “I don’t bluff. But you’ll never find out. Because one thing we share is an instinct for survival.”
We stared at each other. I desperately wanted to wipe the smirk off his face with a shot from the Mean Ol’ Broad. But I believed him. Something that Luther Vitto said. He doesn’t make mistakes.
“So that’s why you didn’t just kill Natalie. You could have easily iced her, monitoring her movements like you did. But you didn’t because you wanted to see how our encounter ended up. Because there was a chance she might kill me instead of the other way around.”
“That’s correct. I can’t kill you outright or hire someone to kill you. It’s an unfortunate parameter Faraday installed in my system with unyielding permanence. This vague setup was the best I could do to try to protect myself. If Natalie killed you, one threat would have been eliminated. But it was Natalie who died, so the greater threat was eradicated. I think I can live with that for now.”