Read Online Nemesis: Book Six by David Beers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Beers
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second, but Kenneth Marks kept his eyes directly on the president. Looking back, Trone said, "What was the formula you told her, Marks?"
"Nothing. It meant absolutely nothing. The only way to stop the disease's spread is through the antidote that we created."
"And that's here, right?" Trone said.
"Yes, sir."
Another silence passed as Trone looked at him. Kenneth Marks didn't care for the look. It didn't quite remind him of the previous president, but close enough. The look didn't say Marks was dispensable, but that Trone hated him. No one in this room had ever liked Kenneth Marks, clearly, and Knox had hated him for some time. The president, though? Perhaps not until now.
Because the president realized Kenneth Marks played for his own team and couldn't be controlled.
Which put Kenneth Marks in a dangerous position.
"What about her comments on the Earth's core being destroyed?"
And now, the river card would come down. It would either give Kenneth Marks a royal flush or leave him bust. Everything came down to the next few sentences, because if Kenneth Marks didn't leave this bunker a half mile beneath the ground, then he saw no reason to stop the world's impending death. Perhaps it was petty, but if he couldn't have his fun, then fuck them all—to use a crude phrase.
"She's right."
"And you didn't know this would happen?"
"I didn't know the core had been changed," he said, his hands still at his waist.
"So you're going to kill us all? That's the plan?"
"No, sir. We can stop it."
"How are you going to do that?" Trone said.
"We can stop the disease when it reaches the core. The antidote, it will work wherever we set it loose. If we put it down in the core, the disease will die before it damages the planet."
Trone rolled his eyes, looking again to Knox. "And how do you plan on dropping this antidote into the Earth's core, Marks? Seems like a bit of a chore."
"Yes, sir, it's not ideal. However, it's still very possible. Fire fighters face extreme temperatures; we'll need their gear when we go to it. Once we're there, though, the process is simple enough. I simply drop it down the well. The core will obviously eat the container, but the antidote will survive."
"Did you just say you'd be the one to drop the antidote into the core?" Trone said, looking back to Kenneth Marks.
"Yes, sir."
"Why in God's name do you think I'd let you go?"
"Simply, sir, because no one else is intelligent enough to ensure that this works. I built the antidote based off the disease, with no outside help. There just isn't anyone else that can do it."
"All you need to do is drop it in, that's what you just said, right? Why can't someone else do it?"
"I have to activate it," Kenneth Marks said, the lie rolling off his lips like condensation down a cold glass. "As somewhat of an insurance policy on myself, I made it so only my live blood cells can turn it on."
The president swallowed, his jaw flexing.
"Blood lives for a bit, even if you're dead. The cells don't die as soon as you do," Knox said.
"True," Kenneth Marks said, not looking away from the president. "However, a certain percentage of live cells have to be introduced to the antidote in order for it to work. I know that percentage." He turned to Knox. "Do you?"
Knox held his gaze but said nothing. A few seconds passed and Kenneth Marks went back to the president. "So, as you see, it's imperative that I'm there."
He actually had tried to make his blood activate the antidote, but all it did was kill it, rendering it useless. It would have been a perfect insurance policy, but alas, he could only lean on the lie.
It was working, though. He could see it in Trone's face, his eyes, his demeanor. Anger lived there, yes, but so did resignation. The man saw what he thought to be the truth, that without Kenneth Marks, all was lost.
Trone went back to Knox.
"You're going with him."
12
A Long Time Ago, in Another Place
H elos stood outside , waiting.
The lights above warmed her skin
"Nothing. It meant absolutely nothing. The only way to stop the disease's spread is through the antidote that we created."
"And that's here, right?" Trone said.
"Yes, sir."
Another silence passed as Trone looked at him. Kenneth Marks didn't care for the look. It didn't quite remind him of the previous president, but close enough. The look didn't say Marks was dispensable, but that Trone hated him. No one in this room had ever liked Kenneth Marks, clearly, and Knox had hated him for some time. The president, though? Perhaps not until now.
Because the president realized Kenneth Marks played for his own team and couldn't be controlled.
Which put Kenneth Marks in a dangerous position.
"What about her comments on the Earth's core being destroyed?"
And now, the river card would come down. It would either give Kenneth Marks a royal flush or leave him bust. Everything came down to the next few sentences, because if Kenneth Marks didn't leave this bunker a half mile beneath the ground, then he saw no reason to stop the world's impending death. Perhaps it was petty, but if he couldn't have his fun, then fuck them all—to use a crude phrase.
"She's right."
"And you didn't know this would happen?"
"I didn't know the core had been changed," he said, his hands still at his waist.
"So you're going to kill us all? That's the plan?"
"No, sir. We can stop it."
"How are you going to do that?" Trone said.
"We can stop the disease when it reaches the core. The antidote, it will work wherever we set it loose. If we put it down in the core, the disease will die before it damages the planet."
Trone rolled his eyes, looking again to Knox. "And how do you plan on dropping this antidote into the Earth's core, Marks? Seems like a bit of a chore."
"Yes, sir, it's not ideal. However, it's still very possible. Fire fighters face extreme temperatures; we'll need their gear when we go to it. Once we're there, though, the process is simple enough. I simply drop it down the well. The core will obviously eat the container, but the antidote will survive."
"Did you just say you'd be the one to drop the antidote into the core?" Trone said, looking back to Kenneth Marks.
"Yes, sir."
"Why in God's name do you think I'd let you go?"
"Simply, sir, because no one else is intelligent enough to ensure that this works. I built the antidote based off the disease, with no outside help. There just isn't anyone else that can do it."
"All you need to do is drop it in, that's what you just said, right? Why can't someone else do it?"
"I have to activate it," Kenneth Marks said, the lie rolling off his lips like condensation down a cold glass. "As somewhat of an insurance policy on myself, I made it so only my live blood cells can turn it on."
The president swallowed, his jaw flexing.
"Blood lives for a bit, even if you're dead. The cells don't die as soon as you do," Knox said.
"True," Kenneth Marks said, not looking away from the president. "However, a certain percentage of live cells have to be introduced to the antidote in order for it to work. I know that percentage." He turned to Knox. "Do you?"
Knox held his gaze but said nothing. A few seconds passed and Kenneth Marks went back to the president. "So, as you see, it's imperative that I'm there."
He actually had tried to make his blood activate the antidote, but all it did was kill it, rendering it useless. It would have been a perfect insurance policy, but alas, he could only lean on the lie.
It was working, though. He could see it in Trone's face, his eyes, his demeanor. Anger lived there, yes, but so did resignation. The man saw what he thought to be the truth, that without Kenneth Marks, all was lost.
Trone went back to Knox.
"You're going with him."
12
A Long Time Ago, in Another Place
H elos stood outside , waiting.
The lights above warmed her skin
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