planets. If you are looking for someone to blame for creating the plague in the first place, you best take a long, hard look at your employer.”
“Roberts isn’t a doctor.” He shouldn’t even be discussing the matter, as it didn’t matter, but her compelling earnestness made him linger.
Her brows lifted pointedly. “Roberts headed up the IWOG Research and Development branch ten years ago, when the Tyaa plague suddenly arose.”
“So?” He tried to sound bored, but a ripple of unease filled him.
“Roberts oversaw the development of biological weapons. The IWOG military released the plague on planet Tyaa without having a cure, because Roberts lied and said they had it, but it turned out they didn’t. Of course, by the time they realized the error, it was too late to take it back. They opened Pandora’s box.” She grimaced as if she were somehow responsible. “I only wanted to right the wrong.”
“Why? What the hell do you get out of it?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice.” She cast him a helpless glance. He saw no resentment. He saw only that insufferably calm acceptance. “They drafted me into service. Once the truth became clear, that my own people, through avarice, would not only create but distribute something so horrific…” She shrugged helplessly. “I just wanted to stop what they started.”
He must be going insane, because he believed her. Actually, he believed more that Roberts could be that vicious. Rotten Roberts didn’t get such a nickname from playing a nasty game of poker.
“You give me one good reason why Roberts is blaming you for all of this.” He shouldn’t have asked. No matter what she said, it wouldn’t change what he had to do.
Jynx laughed softly. “Because I’m the perfect patsy. There are very few people outside the medical community who know me, since I never had much a social life. You know how simple it is for the IWOG to distort, destroy or manipulate bonafides. Who would ever believe me?”
“Why should I?” He kept his tone light and indifferent when he felt anything but.
She lifted herself up and looked right into his eyes. “Why would I lie to you, Mr. Nash? I know even if you changed your mind about me, you will still honor your contract with Roberts.”
He saw in her eyes that she knew he had no choice but to deliver her. Her acquiescence irritated him beyond what he thought was reasonable.
“True enough. So what’s the point?” His cutting voice actually made her drop her gaze to the floor, making him feel like the worst kind of bully.
“I want someone to believe me that I didn’t do these horrible things. I just want one person to know that I—” She bit her lip, fighting back tears. After taking a warbling breath, she lifted her gaze. “I am going to die for something I didn’t do. I would like at least one human being besides myself to know that I am innocent.” Violet eyes with a film of tears looked up from her impossibly beautiful face. “I guess I want to convince you because you are the only person here.”
He turned away before she could see any hint of compassion on his face.
Chapter Seven
Foster left without a word.
Jynx gritted her teeth and held her tears at bay. She’d cried more in the last month than she had in her entire life. Tears wouldn’t help soothe the hurt of losing everyone close to her. Not a soul worried about her when she worried frantically about the whole of humanity. Because of Roberts, everyone in the Void utterly despised her.
Roberts had nonstop media coverage plaster her face everywhere, branding her a terrorist. Convincing Foster Nash of her innocence was nothing more than a way to make herself feel better, since it wouldn’t change a thing.
“Live or die, even with a thousand lifetimes, I can never overcome my reputation.” Desperate to find something to occupy her mind, she looked about her cell. What could she do?
Entertaining herself seemed impossible, but she had to find
“Roberts isn’t a doctor.” He shouldn’t even be discussing the matter, as it didn’t matter, but her compelling earnestness made him linger.
Her brows lifted pointedly. “Roberts headed up the IWOG Research and Development branch ten years ago, when the Tyaa plague suddenly arose.”
“So?” He tried to sound bored, but a ripple of unease filled him.
“Roberts oversaw the development of biological weapons. The IWOG military released the plague on planet Tyaa without having a cure, because Roberts lied and said they had it, but it turned out they didn’t. Of course, by the time they realized the error, it was too late to take it back. They opened Pandora’s box.” She grimaced as if she were somehow responsible. “I only wanted to right the wrong.”
“Why? What the hell do you get out of it?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice.” She cast him a helpless glance. He saw no resentment. He saw only that insufferably calm acceptance. “They drafted me into service. Once the truth became clear, that my own people, through avarice, would not only create but distribute something so horrific…” She shrugged helplessly. “I just wanted to stop what they started.”
He must be going insane, because he believed her. Actually, he believed more that Roberts could be that vicious. Rotten Roberts didn’t get such a nickname from playing a nasty game of poker.
“You give me one good reason why Roberts is blaming you for all of this.” He shouldn’t have asked. No matter what she said, it wouldn’t change what he had to do.
Jynx laughed softly. “Because I’m the perfect patsy. There are very few people outside the medical community who know me, since I never had much a social life. You know how simple it is for the IWOG to distort, destroy or manipulate bonafides. Who would ever believe me?”
“Why should I?” He kept his tone light and indifferent when he felt anything but.
She lifted herself up and looked right into his eyes. “Why would I lie to you, Mr. Nash? I know even if you changed your mind about me, you will still honor your contract with Roberts.”
He saw in her eyes that she knew he had no choice but to deliver her. Her acquiescence irritated him beyond what he thought was reasonable.
“True enough. So what’s the point?” His cutting voice actually made her drop her gaze to the floor, making him feel like the worst kind of bully.
“I want someone to believe me that I didn’t do these horrible things. I just want one person to know that I—” She bit her lip, fighting back tears. After taking a warbling breath, she lifted her gaze. “I am going to die for something I didn’t do. I would like at least one human being besides myself to know that I am innocent.” Violet eyes with a film of tears looked up from her impossibly beautiful face. “I guess I want to convince you because you are the only person here.”
He turned away before she could see any hint of compassion on his face.
Chapter Seven
Foster left without a word.
Jynx gritted her teeth and held her tears at bay. She’d cried more in the last month than she had in her entire life. Tears wouldn’t help soothe the hurt of losing everyone close to her. Not a soul worried about her when she worried frantically about the whole of humanity. Because of Roberts, everyone in the Void utterly despised her.
Roberts had nonstop media coverage plaster her face everywhere, branding her a terrorist. Convincing Foster Nash of her innocence was nothing more than a way to make herself feel better, since it wouldn’t change a thing.
“Live or die, even with a thousand lifetimes, I can never overcome my reputation.” Desperate to find something to occupy her mind, she looked about her cell. What could she do?
Entertaining herself seemed impossible, but she had to find
Similar Books
