Jake followed Kyli into the first work area, which was remarkably similar to the work area in Texas. “Mr. Wiley said you have a biological section here.” Jake wanted more information.
“We do.” Kyli smiled. “There are two more security levels. The biological lab, we’ll go there next, and then the vault.”
“The vault?”
“Yes. Only Mr. Wiley can get in there. He’s installed a failsafe system…in case something were to happen to him…but I don’t know what it is.” She reached into a closet and pulled out a lab coat for Jake and two lab caps. She handed him a coat and a cap. “Here. One size fits all.”
He slipped on the lab coat and cap and followed her to a door.
She scanned her key card, typed in her password, and then spoke into a microphone. “Kyli Wullenweber.”
A computer voice spoke. “Voice authentication confirmed. You may enter Dr. Kyli.”
Ian Collins passed through security with ease. His new disguise worked as designed, blending him in with the crowds. By now he assumed Interpol had scanned his profile and nothing triggered any alerts. No facial recognition. Not even his 6’ 7” stature had warranted the slightest second glance. High tech still had its flaws.
His confidence restored, he was making his first venture from Ios Island since he fled the United States back in March.
His recovery from the gunshot wounds took two months to completely heal. Fortunately the woman’s aim was bad and the bullets didn’t penetrate any vital organs. She’d fired five rounds at him and only connected twice, one of them a flesh wound on the leg. The other lodged in his side. He found a local doctor in Clayton, Georgia to remove the two 9mm slugs and stop the bleeding. After the doctor bandaged the wounds, Collins killed him and stuffed his body in a closet in the back of the doctor’s office.
Leave no witnesses.
He sat down in a seat facing the large plate glass window overlooking the tarmac and the jet way at the Athens International Airport. He had a one-hour wait before his British Airways flight to London was scheduled to depart, plenty of time to check some last minute details. Then he had a three-hour layover at London’s Heathrow airport before his flight to the United States was scheduled for departure.
London would be the true test of his disguise. Security might not be as easy to fool that close to Ireland. His face and reputation were notorious in England. Interpol and Scotland Yard would still be looking for him to cross through Customs. A gamble he had to take. He had to become mobile again if he stood any chance of restoring his line of business. He didn’t have any other skills. Killing was all he knew. And killing was all he wanted to do.
Traditional means of transportation were still the easiest, most convenient, and many times, the cheapest way to travel. But it wasn’t the safest. His former ally in the shipping business, the Libyan, was no longer a viable option — not since the man and woman came snooping around, asking about Collins’ whereabouts. Information the Libyan didn’t know and therefore couldn’t reveal. As far as the world was concerned, Ian Collins had disappeared off the face of the earth. He intended to keep it that way.
For now.
Collins was flying west, which made for a long day with all the time zone changes. He planned to sleep on the overseas flight to the United States. He would need it. Tonight he had to stake out his next target.
He opened his laptop computer to check and confirm his hotel reservations in the United States. He double checked the status of his rental car and noticed the British Airways Airbus 320 pulling into his gate. Another thirty minutes before the first boarding call.
He’d planned his revenge with intricate care, no detail overlooked. His greatest challenge was not being recognized when he traveled. The gray hair and beard, brown eyes behind wire-rim glasses, and the meticulously placed theatrical make-up gave Collins the appearance of a man twenty years older. He even added age spots to his hands. The business suit and high-end luggage offered further deception of his true identity. He enjoyed the thrill of the ruse. Its high risk was exhilarating. As was plotting his revenge. Even without compensation, he knew he would enjoy this job.
Jake Pendleton would feel his wrath.
One piece at a time.
One painful piece at a time.
CHAPTER 16
“Dr. Kyli?” Jake was surprised. He was learning something new every minute it seemed. “Doctor of what? And why not Dr. Wullenweber?”
“Mr. Wiley’s idea of a joke.” She held the door open for Jake.
“Well Dr. Kyli, what kind of doctor are you?”
“I’m not a doctor of anything yet. I’m working on my dissertation for a PhD in Biological Science. Kind of boring, huh?” She laughed.
Jake stepped inside and Kyli closed the door. “On the contrary, it sounds impressive.”
“Don’t be impressed. I was raised around scientists and engineers, it’s in my blood.” She motioned to Jake. “Come on, Let me show you around.”
Kyli spent the next hour showing Jake the different areas of the bio lab and introducing him to several of Wiley’s employees.
“MEtech is basically a fully equipped biological and electronics laboratory.” Kyli explained. “We have 2D and 3D simulation equipment, software, and a full complement of biological and electronics testing equipment. If there is anything we don’t have, we get it from IMEC. The electronics lab designs RF and microwave custom antennas and subsystems as well as some QRCs.”
“Remind me again. What are QRCs?”
“Quick reaction contracts.”
“Oh yeah.” Jake smiled. “I remember now. Wiley told me about them.”
“As I was saying, the bio lab handles genetic research and testing. This is where I work most of the time.”
“What exactly do you do?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
She smiled. “Don’t want to bore you, but since you asked, most of my work deals with DNA testing. I take a DNA sample, process it, and look for genetic weaknesses.”
“Weaknesses? Jake held up a vial from Kyli’s lab station. “What type of weaknesses?”
“A genetic Achilles' heel. But I concentrate on flaws that would prove fatal, such as cardiac issues, susceptibilities to cancers, brain and circulation issues. Things of that nature.” She pointed to a sample DNA string diagram mounted on the wall. “I look for those problem areas in a DNA string that indicate a potential cause of death.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes, I can. Science has made historic advances in genetic research over the last decade. You’d be amazed at what we can do with DNA.”
“So,” Jake interrupted. “Your research can lead to cures or ways to reverse these genetic flaws?”
“Not exactly. More like DNA weapon research.”
“DNA weapons? I’ve never heard of anything like that.” Jake took a step back. “Okay, now you’re scaring me.”
Kyli laughed and stepped closer to Jake and in a soft tone said, “What if I told you I could read your DNA, find out your genetic failing point then make a liquid or aromatic drug that, when introduced into your system, would attack your body at your weak spot and kill you within forty-eight hours without leaving a trace?”
“That doesn’t sound moral…or ethical.”
“This had nothing to do with morals or ethics nor is it considered medical research. I’ve only experimented on mice.”
“Well, now I feel better.” Jake said sarcastically. “Did it work?”
“It did.” She pointed to a wall with several cages. “The first experiments had limited success, but three years of trial and error perfected the process and now we have a one hundred percent kill ratio.”