Changeling by FEASEY Steve

Author:FEASEY, Steve [FEASEY, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780330521185
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2011-09-19T17:04:10.377000+00:00

19

‘The most practical solution is to kill the host body,’ Tom said between mouthfuls of an apple Danish that he was devouring. ‘We know that the Necrotroph will leave him for dead anyway.’ He pointed with the blunt end of the pastry in Lucien’s direction. ‘It’s the simplest, most expedient method available to us. You can’t deny that. For the first time, we know where that foul creature is and who it is inside. You told me yourself that nobody survives after the creature transfers to a new body, so Ronald Given is little more than a walking corpse. Now I like old Ron, don’t get me wrong, but if that thing is—’

‘Philippa did,’ Lucien said, stopping his friend mid-flow.

‘What?’

‘Philippa survived. Damaged, yes, but she survived.’

‘Yes, but—’

‘You know why we can’t do what you suggest, Tom,’ Lucien said, looking at his friend from beneath his eyebrows, a small smile playing at his lips.

‘I could. And knowing Ron as I do, I’d bet my back teeth that he’d want me to. I’d want you to do it to me if that thing had possessed my body—’

Lucien raised a hand, cutting off his friend. ‘You know that I have vowed never to take another innocent human life. I cannot, and will not, destroy what little chance this unfortunate man has of surviving this ordeal for the sake of . . . convenience. He is already the victim in this affair, and yes, his chances of survival are negligible, but his death will not be at our hands. We will do everything we can to help Mr Given to survive this, regardless of how beneficial his death might be to us at the moment.’

Tom took a gulp of tea from his mug and ran his hand over his short cropped hair. When he looked up again, he let out a long sigh. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’ He placed the hot drink on top of the sideboard beside him. ‘It’s just that we have been trying to find this bloody Necrotroph for so long now, and when we do finally find it we’re forced to wait around. I feel that we should be doing something.’

Lucien swung around in his seat and looked out of the window to his left, choosing his words with care, knowing why the Irishman was behaving in this way. ‘You must stop blaming yourself, Tom. It was not your fault that the Necrotroph made its way into our organization, and you were not to blame for Alexa’s abduction. Neither was the damage that has been done to Philippa, nor the death of her father, your doing. My brother, Caliban, is to blame for all of this, not you.’

The Irishman looked down at his feet, and when he spoke again it was in a low voice. ‘I should have known.’

‘How?’

‘For crying out loud, Lucien, I’m supposed to be the head of security for this place. You placed your faith in me and my team to keep this building and the people

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