Perfect Child by Ashley Anderson

Author:Ashley Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, medical thriller, genetic engineering, biotechnology, genetics, eugenics
Publisher: Ashley Anderson

Chapter 48

April 11

Madison

There’s something else I don’t get,” Slater said. “If this is Nobel prize-winning science, why hide it like this? Why change the hair color on a hundred babies and pawn them off as the products of surrogate mothers? If Rawlings is the scientific force behind this, wouldn’t he want the recognition?”

They were gathered at a Greek restaurant around the corner from the FBI office.

Jenna nodded. “It is out of character for him. He’s a relentless self-promoter.”

“Yet, not a word from him on this technology.” Slater said.

“Walk me through this again, Jenna,” Ray said.

“The more I think about it, the more it’s coming together. SFP obtains sperm and eggs from people who believe that a surrogate will carry their baby. SFP fertilizes the eggs, maybe even in Rawlings’s lab here in Madison. They isolate the genes they’re interested in from the embryo—maybe genes for hair color, eye color, height or whatever else they want to insert into a new embryo.

“Meanwhile, they find a couple undergoing IVF. While they’re doing PGD on that couple’s embryo, they knock out some genes and knock in genes from the parents who will ultimately receive the child. After successful IVF, the real mother delivers the child nine months later. Then, at some point after the child’s born, they abduct it and deliver it to the couple who believe a surrogate has carried their baby. The couple receiving the child truly believes it to be theirs. Why shouldn’t they? It looks like them.”

“That makes sense for Jason Robertson. Your situation’s different. They didn’t sneak in and take Rachel at night. They assaulted you and took her. There’s a different motive here. I believe Rawlings did something to provoke it,” Ray said.

The table was silent.

“If we could get into Rawlings’s computer system,” Jenna said, “I bet we’d find some answers.”

“Then let’s do it.” said Terri Cox. Up to now she’d been silent.

“There’s no way he’d give us access to his information. Certainly not if he had something to hide,” Slater said.

“You’re right. Anything they’d willingly give us would be garbage. Let’s get a covert surveillance warrant. I can be everywhere in their system, and they won’t know it,” Cox said.

“I’m not sure how you’d do it,” Jenna said. “It’s a very secure system.”

“That wouldn’t be problem,” Cox said.

“How do you figure?” Ray asked.

“I spent eight years at NSA. If I can’t get in, I know people who can.”

“Eight years? How old are you Terri?” Jenna asked.

“I’m twenty-six. I finished college at MIT when I was eighteen. That’s when the NSA hired me.”

“And you left the NSA because?”

“Eh ... it was boring.”

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