A morsel of shame settles in the pit of my stomach. “Whereas you were negligent with her life in pursuit of money, my aim is for the greater good—”

“Sure. I get the point.” She looks at the needle. Her concern is on herself again.

Holding the syringe aloft, I wait, reveling in the knowledge that soon Blakely will know exactly what it is to feel shame. An emotion I have battled with every failed experiment. How much will that change her?

“This is for the greater good, I assure you. We’re going to make history together.” I check the time on my pocket watch to note the hour before we begin.

The ticking is loud in the chamber, echoing all around me. I wonder if Blakely hears it. As I draw closer to her, the delicate scent of her perfume invades my senses, and the temptation to lean in to her, to touch her soft skin, is a vicious taunt.

With a deep inhalation, I take in the last trace of her and harden my resolve. Her perfume will fade soon, subsequently releasing me from its spell.

“Alex, wait. None of this makes sense. You can’t do this.”

The ticking grows louder. “We’ve already wasted too much time. Precious hours and days lost to the identification process. Thirty-five years, Blakely. That may not be enough.” An approximation of how much time I have to develop a cure. I can’t stop the countdown in my head.

That’s also another factor as to why I chose her. She’s young. Healthy. Strong. She can endure the procedure.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” She yanks her ankle against the leather cuff uselessly.

I allow myself one moment of weakness and touch her hair, feathering my fingers through the soft strands to drag them away from her face. “You’re sick, Blakely, and I’m going to cure you.”

For the first time since she awoke to her new reality, I see a glimmer of real fear in her vibrant green eyes. “You’re absolutely mad.”

“We are all mad in pursuit of our passions.”

She tries again to free her arm. “You said this was all to get me to this stage. What fucking stage, Alex?”

I clasp her forearm and band it to the bed. “The testing stage,” I say, as I insert the needle into her vein.

15. Captive

15

Captive

Blakely

When I wake again, my body is numb, my head feels thick. The very texture of the air seems heavy, as if I’ve been submerged under water and it’s difficult to raise my arms or even lift my eyelids. I continue to try, and notice the plastic tubes. One on top of my hand, more in my arm.