The Eden Experiment by Sean Platt

Author:Sean Platt [Truant, Sean Platt & Johnny B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

CHAPTER 31

FOUR OF THEM

“Mr. Todd?”

Ephraim couldn’t put the call on speaker with Sophie beside him. It would be a pointless precaution, perhaps. She’d shown no surprise at being led to a U-Haul behind the club instead of a valeted BMW under its awning, so maybe nothing would faze her.

But still, Ephraim flinched. This wasn’t the real Sophie Norris calling him this time; the new call was the head of the Committee for the Oversight of Genetics and Evolvable Machines. And although Hershel Wood’s power was less limited than it seemed. Most of the world’s politics, agriculture, and policy revolved around genetics in some way, and Wood held all the keys. He wasn’t just a bureaucrat. He could make all the trouble for Ephraim he cared to make.

With one hand on the wheel and another on his Doodad, Ephraim flicked his eyes toward the Sophie clone and answered Wood as casually as he could.

“Yes?”

“This is Hershel Wood. We need to meet.”

Ephraim wondered what he’d been thinking, sending Wood his intentions. It had felt sensible before entering the club, another line of insurance. But since Wood had waited to reply until after Ephraim received his illegal goods, contact now felt dangerous.

Wood pretended to be a friend, but Ephraim wasn’t in GEM’s employ. He was a suspect with them, same as with the FBI, Interpol, who knew who else. By Ephraim’s admission, Eden had burned because he’d left it, and his brother’s clone was dead by Ephraim’s hand.

It was easy to forget that he was in trouble. But he was. Heaps and heaps of trouble, even if he claimed he’d been double-dealt.

“It turned out to be nothing. The club was only a—”

“Not over the phone,” Wood interrupted. “This line might not be secure.”

“I have another phone I can use.” Ephraim was thinking of Sophie, beside him. She had a Doodad. He’d seen it when she’d gone into her purse for lipstick, then kissed air seductively in his direction.

“You might not be secure,” Wood said.

“What do you …?” Ephraim stopped without thinking, his hand straying to his MyLife’s controls. Was someone listening? It was maddening to think so, like a ghost he couldn’t see or fight.

“I can secure a private conversation. I just need you to—”

“It’s not a good time, Director Wood.”

“We need to talk soon. Very soon. There are other parties involved.”

Ephraim frowned. By “other parties,” did Wood mean Eden? Or Fiona? He wouldn’t be specific until they were face to face and the man could enact whatever precautions he had in mind, but Ephraim couldn’t allow that. Not now. Because as things stood, this all looked terrible. Yes, he had his evidence. But the details were an accusatory finger pointing in his direction.

Sophie smiled as Ephraim looked over. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she seemed to know him. She’d already changed the radio station to land on something he liked; she’d already rolled her window up without being asked because air flow in a car always gave Ephraim a headache.

“I’m not at home,” Ephraim told his Doodad.

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