The Killing Machine by Terry Persun

Author:Terry Persun [Persun, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781957288024
Publisher: WildBlue Press
Published: 2022-03-08T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Ten half expected Ben to be heading back toward Metzger’s mansion. He’d circled back around before, for Eric Webber. But they were headed toward New York City and Ten knew who was there: Jasper Ignato, the head of International Security for Technical Innovations. He couldn’t help but wonder if the group was as frail as it appeared, slapped together for this one project. But if that were the case, perhaps they could crack it completely open. Ten took a deep breath. But what would that matter? What would it matter if they killed everyone in ISTI? The government had already started their plan. No one would be safe. No one.

“I hear a lot of sighing going on back there,” Maria said.

Ten’s arm didn’t hurt as long as he stayed relatively still. His head lay against the headrest. He turned his neck so he could stare out the window and watch the world go by in a rush—cars, trees, buildings, the early morning sky opening. “Can we stop to eat?”

“Drive through,” Ben said.

“I don’t care. I just need food.” Ten yanked a few twenties from his wallet and noticed his arm didn’t protest too much. He handed the money to Maria. In twenty minutes, they pulled off an exit, found a Burger King, and were back on the highway. Ten ate his fist‐sized burger with gusto. It tasted good.

“So?” Ben questioned.

Ten spoke through a full mouth. “We have to find the other scientists.”

“What if they’re dead, like Sharon?” Ben didn’t mince words.

“Then they’re dead,” Ten said. “All I know is that killing those on the decision making list won’t save any additional lives. It’ll only avenge those already dead. As much as I’d like to see these people cut into bits and mailed to Alaska, it’s the wrong thing to do.”

“On several levels,” Maria said quietly.

Ten agreed. “Maybe it wasn’t like me to go on a killing spree anyway. Maybe my anger just took a few days to subside.”

Ben wiggled in his seat and sat forward, hunched over the steering wheel. “I get that.”

“But…” Maria said.

Ben reached over and patted her thigh. “If it had been you…”

“Don’t make bad matters worse,” she said. “Promise you won’t do that?”

“You sound as though they’ve already killed you,” Ten said.

Maria stared at Ben as she spoke. “They won’t stop until they get all of us. Whatever happens, let’s not make this worse. Let’s not cause more bloodshed.”

Ten recalled how good it felt to shoot Eric Webber and wondered how much of his talk was logic and not emotion. What might he do if swept up in the emotion again? But he heard her loud and clear. He nodded.

Ben didn’t make a move. Ten knew that he wasn’t making any promises. If they got to Maria before they got to Ben, Ten figured they’d better watch out.

Instead of addressing the conversation at hand, Ben changed the subject. “We don’t know who to go after first. There are three of them. If I recall, one’s in Oregon, one Seattle, and one in Missouri.

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