way through hell is quick.”
“You weren’t together at Garwood?” Sophie asked. “I don’t understand.”
“Jock was brought to Garwood at the request of Thomas Reilly, who was training his own mind-control zombies,” Royd said. “He paid Sanborne to use REM-4 to help manipulate Jock’s and some of his other victims’ wills. But he had other methods he was experimenting with too, and Sanborne was only a tool.”
“And you?”
“Oh, I was a present from General Boch to Sanborne when they opened the lab at Garwood.” He smiled mirthlessly. “The General wanted to get rid of me and he couldn’t think of a more advantageous demise than to send me to Garwood to his partner in crime. He liked the idea of breaking my will and, if it didn’t work, there was always the chance of my going insane. It happened to two men while I was at Garwood.”
Horror surged through her. “No,” she whispered.
He gazed at her skeptically. “You had to know about it if you knew about Garwood.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t in the records at Sanborne’s.”
“From what I hear, the villagers living near Auschwitz claimed they didn’t know either.”
“I tell you, I didn’t—”
“If she says she didn’t know, she’s telling the truth,” Jock said. “Sanborne wouldn’t have kept records of a failure. He’d eliminate the subject and wipe the slate clean.”
“You’re sure?” Sophie asked. “The REM-4 I created was physically and mentally safe. I swear it was safe.”
“Not when they got through with altering it,” Royd said. “They increased the suggestibility factor enormously. Some minds couldn’t accept that degree of submission without breaking. Oh, yes, it was definitely changed. There were fifty-two men at Garwood who’ll testify to that.”
“There were only records on thirty-four,” Sophie said.
Royd just looked at her.
“He…killed them?”
He shrugged. “I counted fifty-two before I took off. I don’t know what happened to them. I can guess. I was in hiding for over three months and it was during that time that the CIA uncovered Thomas Reilly’s installation. Sanborne was scared that Reilly’s records might lead the CIA to Garwood so he cleaned it up so well that no one could possibly know what it was used for. Then he closed it down and moved the operation.”
“To his plant in Maryland,” Sophie said. “Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“The police aren’t inclined to listen to assassins. And I’m sure the General would have made sure that at least one of the kills I was sent on was documented.” His lips tightened. “After all, it was perfectly reasonable I’d go off on a killing tangent. I was a SEAL for four years and everyone knows that we’re trained in violence and death. I had to find another way to get them.”
“What way?”
“I had to make enough money to buy information. It took me a while but I managed to find the REM-4 facility and put a mole into Sanborne’s company.” He met her eyes. “And that led me to you.”
“I didn’t—I wouldn’t ever—” She stopped and wearily shook her head. “But I did do it. I started it. It was my fault. I can’t blame you for—”
Michael’s monitor was going off.
“Jesus!” She jumped to her feet. “Michael…”
She ran out of the room.
4
R oyd muttered an oath and started to get to his feet.
“She’s not trying to get away,” Jock said. “Sit down and finish your coffee. She’s just going to take care of her son. She’ll be back.”
Royd slowly sat back down. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Night terrors. Occasionally he has an apnea episode when he stops breathing.”
“Christ.”
“And, before you ask, she didn’t experiment on him either. He started having the episodes after his grandfather tried to kill him and he saw his grandmother and mother shot. She tells me he used to be much worse and he may be on the way to recovery.” He grimaced. “It’s still
“You weren’t together at Garwood?” Sophie asked. “I don’t understand.”
“Jock was brought to Garwood at the request of Thomas Reilly, who was training his own mind-control zombies,” Royd said. “He paid Sanborne to use REM-4 to help manipulate Jock’s and some of his other victims’ wills. But he had other methods he was experimenting with too, and Sanborne was only a tool.”
“And you?”
“Oh, I was a present from General Boch to Sanborne when they opened the lab at Garwood.” He smiled mirthlessly. “The General wanted to get rid of me and he couldn’t think of a more advantageous demise than to send me to Garwood to his partner in crime. He liked the idea of breaking my will and, if it didn’t work, there was always the chance of my going insane. It happened to two men while I was at Garwood.”
Horror surged through her. “No,” she whispered.
He gazed at her skeptically. “You had to know about it if you knew about Garwood.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t in the records at Sanborne’s.”
“From what I hear, the villagers living near Auschwitz claimed they didn’t know either.”
“I tell you, I didn’t—”
“If she says she didn’t know, she’s telling the truth,” Jock said. “Sanborne wouldn’t have kept records of a failure. He’d eliminate the subject and wipe the slate clean.”
“You’re sure?” Sophie asked. “The REM-4 I created was physically and mentally safe. I swear it was safe.”
“Not when they got through with altering it,” Royd said. “They increased the suggestibility factor enormously. Some minds couldn’t accept that degree of submission without breaking. Oh, yes, it was definitely changed. There were fifty-two men at Garwood who’ll testify to that.”
“There were only records on thirty-four,” Sophie said.
Royd just looked at her.
“He…killed them?”
He shrugged. “I counted fifty-two before I took off. I don’t know what happened to them. I can guess. I was in hiding for over three months and it was during that time that the CIA uncovered Thomas Reilly’s installation. Sanborne was scared that Reilly’s records might lead the CIA to Garwood so he cleaned it up so well that no one could possibly know what it was used for. Then he closed it down and moved the operation.”
“To his plant in Maryland,” Sophie said. “Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“The police aren’t inclined to listen to assassins. And I’m sure the General would have made sure that at least one of the kills I was sent on was documented.” His lips tightened. “After all, it was perfectly reasonable I’d go off on a killing tangent. I was a SEAL for four years and everyone knows that we’re trained in violence and death. I had to find another way to get them.”
“What way?”
“I had to make enough money to buy information. It took me a while but I managed to find the REM-4 facility and put a mole into Sanborne’s company.” He met her eyes. “And that led me to you.”
“I didn’t—I wouldn’t ever—” She stopped and wearily shook her head. “But I did do it. I started it. It was my fault. I can’t blame you for—”
Michael’s monitor was going off.
“Jesus!” She jumped to her feet. “Michael…”
She ran out of the room.
4
R oyd muttered an oath and started to get to his feet.
“She’s not trying to get away,” Jock said. “Sit down and finish your coffee. She’s just going to take care of her son. She’ll be back.”
Royd slowly sat back down. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Night terrors. Occasionally he has an apnea episode when he stops breathing.”
“Christ.”
“And, before you ask, she didn’t experiment on him either. He started having the episodes after his grandfather tried to kill him and he saw his grandmother and mother shot. She tells me he used to be much worse and he may be on the way to recovery.” He grimaced. “It’s still
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