The car rocked as a heavy weight slammed against the driver door with alarming force, startling a shocked shout out of Jack. He had a quick impression of a dark shape hammering at the window inches from his face as another began pounding on the passenger door. A third landed on the hood as Jack fumbled for the gearshift.

The dog-faced security men had tracked him somehow.

As soon as his hand found the shift he rammed the car into gear and stomped the gas. The two flanking attackers hung on for a few yards but lost their grip as the car accelerated. The third remained, pounding on the windshield, but he slid off during a sharp swerve to the left.

Took a while for Jack’s heart to stop hammering. Maybe he’d skip The Island of Dr. Moreau tonight.

2

“Did you catch him?” Luc said as the three roustabouts shuffled through the door empty-handed.

All three shook their heads in unison.

“Do you know who he was or what he was doing here?”

A trio of shrugs.

“Very well,” he said irritably. He pointed to the test subjects who were beginning to stir to consciousness. “Get them on their feet, pay them, and send them on their way.”

Luc returned to the control room so he wouldn’t be seen. He slumped into a chair behind the tinted glass and tried to imagine who could have been spying on him. Not the police, certainly. If that were the case, the street outside would be filled now with flashing red lights.

One of Dragovic’s men then? For what purpose? Dragovic knew that Luc tested the potency of each new batch of Loki but had never shown the slightest interest in the how or the where.

Perhaps just a common criminal, looking for something to steal. Lucky for him Prather’s roustabouts didn’t catch up to him.

Forget him. Who cares who he is as long as he’s gone and keeps his mouth shut. I just want out.

The readouts indicated that tonight’s strain of Loki was somewhat weaker than previous batches. He’d have to tell Dragovic to cut the new shipments less than the previous ones to maintain potency.

I don’t care. I just want out.

As Luc watched the roustabouts rousing the test subjects, he realized that although he had every reason to be sunk chin deep in a black depression, he felt strangely jubilant.

Somewhere during the course of watching these low-life creatures pummel each other, he had come to an unconscious decision that now bubbled on the surface: I am getting out. No matter what, I am getting out.

And that means I will never have to test another batch of Loki. Even if Nadia succeeds in stabilizing the molecule, I am walking away.

Of course, he would much prefer to leave behind a stabilized molecule. That would allow him to sell his shares and retire in plain sight. The alternative—should Nadia come up empty—would force him to go into hiding.