Dead Time Read online

  “It must have been broken when I put it on,” I say, trying to remember. “I gave Jack my mask and eventually found his. I was too busy to check it. I didn’t—”

  “It’s okay, Lani,” Madders says and steadies my arm. “You must be immune like Diego, or you’d be…”

  “I’d be curled up on the floor in a pool of my own feces,” I finish for him. “The most lethal virus known to mankind has somehow failed to kill me?”

  “It would seem that way.”

  The airlock finishes cycling, but the inner door doesn’t open and the Virus Detected sign continues flashing.

  I reach around Madders, push the button to reverse the cycle, and pull off the broken mask. “If the virus is already inside my lungs, I can’t go in with you.”

  The exit door slides open, and I step back Outside.

  The D-1s are all staring at me with their mouths hanging open.

  “Get Jack to the clinic,” I say, “and then rig up the ultraviolet lamp—same as we did when we brought Diego in.”

  Madders nods. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I lift the clear plastic cover on the outer wall, slap the Start Cycle button, and watch the airlock door slide shut.

  The moment it’s closed, I drop the broken mask and slide down the wall into the overgrown weeds. I take a deep breath and gaze up at the cloudless sky, my heart still racing.

  All these years you were immune, your own DNA containing the key to going back Outside, and you never guessed.

  I pluck a dandelion puff with a trembling hand, bring the delicate sphere up to my mouth, and blow.

  The tiny parachutes float up in the cool breeze, twirling in the late-afternoon sunlight.

  Life goes on.

  7

  Ghost Busters

  Diego

  Bella opens the front door of what can only be described as the Kirk Mansion, her eyes red and her mascara smeared.

  I take a step backward, my heart racing. “Hi.”

  She glares at me.

  The difference between my Isabel and this Isabella is staggering. Bella is starvation thin and wearing a floor-length gold lamé dress. Her platinum blond hair is limp and straight, her lips are thin and tight, and her face is caked with so much makeup that I wonder if she spent the whole afternoon applying it.

  “Um…” I say. “Am I interrupting?” I point over my shoulder. “If so, I can get some dinner back at the hospital…”

  She stares at me, her swollen eyes devoid of life.

  I glance past her, looking for Dave—and the significance of that is not lost on me. “Mr. Kirk, your husband,” I say, “told me about your other husband—I mean about your first husband, of course.” I swallow, trying to get my brain to engage. “About what happened to James and your son.”

  Mierda.

  “I’m so sorry about the accident,” I say, my heart aching for her. “I can’t imagine living through such a tragedy. It must have been terrible for you.”

  “You couldn’t just abandon me?” she says, spitting the words out. “You had to take Lucas too?”

  “What?” I step back, holding up both my hands. “Wait a sec. I—”

  “And now you have the gall to come back and taunt me—looking exactly the same as you did the day you murdered my son?”

  I exhale and lower my hands. “I had nothing to do with your son’s death. I know I look a lot like his father, but it’s a terrible coincidence. I assure you, I’m not him. I’m not… James Nadales.”

  Her eyes narrow, and she looks more closely at my face. “Then who are you?” she says, her nostrils flaring. “You have the same voice, the same eyes, the same damn—”

  “Where are your manners, Bella?” Dave steps around his wife and offers me his hand. “Good to see you again, Diego. Please forgive my wife. She’s convinced you’ve been on ice for thirty years and just now got defrosted.” He chuckles at his own joke. “You know women.”

  I force a laugh and shake his hand, still trying to come to terms with Dave being my best bud and Isabel hating my guts. “Thanks again for the dinner invitation.”

  “Of course. Come in, come in.” He puts his arm around his wife and steers her back into the house. “I told you, darling, he’s not James. I agree there’s a remarkable likeness—and he certainly had me going the first time I saw him—but last time I checked, cryogenic chambers haven’t been invented yet.”

  “They never found the bodies,” Bella says, keeping her eyes trained on me as her husband shuffles her inside and shuts the door.

  “Do you honestly expect anyone to believe that James is still alive, Bella?” Annoyance spills from Dave’s voice. “After nearly thirty years and all that’s happened?” He lets go of his wife and turns to me, shaking his head. “God Almighty, if she doesn’t get crazier every year.”

  I follow him into a foyer that is larger than Lani’s whole apartment.

  “By the way,” he says, stopping in front of a glass and silver wet bar, “I did get a message through to Catersville. Ted is trying to arrange a meeting for tomorrow morning, and after that, I’ll have more details on Shannon’s situation.”

  “That’s great news,” I say. “Thank you.” Dave can be a pain in the ass, but at least he’s true to his word—and he did build all these biodomes.

  Christ, if it wasn’t for him, all the people in this universe would be dead—including you.

  “How did your talk with Lani go?” he asks.

  “Not so hot,” I say.

  Dave drops ice cubes into a glass. “She’s taking the Shannon thing pretty hard, but I’m not sure why she blames you.” He claps me on the shoulder. “It’s not as if you had much choice in the matter.”

  Bella lets out a shriek. “How can you say that?” She glares at me. “He’s a serial murderer!”

  A pained expression crosses Dave’s face. He turns to his wife. “No he’s not. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in any case, Shannon is going to be just fine.”

  “She’s right to blame me,” I say. “Lani didn’t want Shannon to go, but I talked her into it. I convinced her it was the right thing to do.” I decline the glass of whiskey he offers me. “It’s no wonder she hates me. I hate me.”

  “There does seem to be a spate of that going around,” Dave says and gives me a conspiratorial wink. “But a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, right?” He glances at Bella—who is still standing in the doorway. “Bella, darling?”

  She gives no indication that she’s heard him.

  “Come here, princess, and let me pour you a drink.”

  I cringe, knowing what my Isabel would say if Dave called her princess—but Bella shows no reaction. She turns like a ghost in a low-budget movie and drifts across the marble floor toward us.

  Dave reaches past me, offering her a glass of scotch. But instead of taking the drink, she glances at me and then latches onto Dave’s arm, pulling him into a long, deep kiss.

  I stifle a gasp, and by the look on Dave’s face, he’s as surprised as anyone. He sloshes the whiskey out of the glass as he tries to free himself, his eyes wide.

  I step backward, dodging the deluge.

  He manages to break away. “Shit, I’m sorry!” He holds the dripping glass away from himself, Bella still clutching his arm. “Let me get you something to wipe that off.”

  “No need,” I say. “It’s only a couple of drops.”

  Dave reaches around Bella with his other hand, takes a stack of expensive napkins, and tosses them on the spill. “Bella, darling, what’s gotten into you?” He tries to pry her off his arm, but she refuses to let go. “Diego is our guest. The least you could do is be civil.”

  I spend a moment mopping up the liquor while awkward silence fills the room. Finally, I toss the soiled napkins in the trash and reach across the abyss, offering Bella my hand. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot, Dr. Sanborn. Perhaps you’ll give me another chance? Mr. Kirk tells me you run the top research hospital in t
he world, and I’m looking forward to working with you.”

  Dave clears his throat. “It’s Dr. Kirk, actually.”

  I put my hand back in my pocket and turn to Dave. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you—”

  “Not me.” He nods at his wife. “Her.”

  “Oh,” I say, feeling like I’m in a pinball game. “Dr. Kirk, then?”

  She releases her death grip on Dave and floats out the doorway.

  “Must be the new aftershave,” he says with a shrug, and I force a laugh.

  After he refills his glass, we follow her into an ornate, high-ceilinged dining room that smells like my grandmother’s kitchen on Christmas Day.

  I gawk at the elaborate display of opulence, my mouth watering.

  A candelabra with lit candles is resting on a table large enough to seat twenty people, but there are only four place settings: white china with brass chargers, gaudy silverware, and crystal goblets. A bottle of wine sits in a silver bucket, a butter sculpture shaped like a dolphin leaps over a wave of ice, and fresh pineapple wedges surround a platter of real strawberries.

  Mierda. The people at the Bub would kill for this spread.

  Dave reads the look on my face. “I am permitted a bit of extravagance due to my position. It’s a bit embarrassing actually, but the people insist. Please, have a seat.” He gestures toward a chair, and I take it. “Our daughter should be joining us momentarily.”

  “Your daughter?” I say, my voice too high. “You have a daughter?”

  “Yes,” Dave says, his voice amused. “Last time I checked, it wasn’t a crime.”

  “Right.” I force another laugh. “Of course you have a daughter. Why wouldn’t you?”

  I can feel the sweat collecting under my tight shirt collar.

  “So tell me,” Dave says, “what’s it like to be able to survive Outside? I’m sorry I wasn’t there when my men brought you in, but Bella tells me it was quite a sight. I’d love to be able to feel the fresh air on my face again.”

  Before I can answer, the door swings open, and an attractive young woman steps through.

  “Ah, there she is!” Dave says and stands. I follow his lead.

  His thirty-something daughter has short curly hair, high cheekbones, and stunning green eyes.

  “Soleil,” Bella says, her face lighting up. “How are you, sweetheart? So nice of you to join us.”

  Soleil?

  My heart stops beating.

  Soleil kisses Bella on the cheek, “Hi, Mom.” She steps over and gives Dave a hug. “Thanks for the invite, Uncle Dave, but I’m drowning in cell cultures, so I can’t stay long…”

  Uncle Dave? Christ, Nadales, she’s your daughter!

  Unbidden, an image of the twins’ grave fills my head—cold stones stacked high on the wet earth, the rising sun filtering through the pine trees as I set the last rock on top. I see myself turn toward the cabin, Soleil and Lucas dead and buried, Isabel sick and dying, and me bearing the responsibility. An icy despair forms in the pit of my stomach—and I realize I’m staring at Sol.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, the words spilling out before I can stop them.

  Soleil looks at me for the first time, and all the blood leaves her face.

  “What is it?” Dave says, still standing with his arm around her waist. “Are you alright, baby? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Soleil steps away from Dave, her eyes huge. “Lucas? Oh my God, it’s you!” She throws her arms around my neck. “I knew you’d come back. I just knew it.”

  I stand there with Soleil’s arms around my neck, trying to decide what to do.

  Mierda. In this universe, she wasn’t stillborn.

  I clear my throat and place my hands lightly on her shoulders. “Uh…”

  “I’ve missed you so much,” she says, not letting go of me.

  I put my arms around my daughter, overwhelmed. “I can’t believe you’re… here.”

  “He’s not Lucas,” Bella says, her voice icy cold.

  Soleil glances at me and then backs away. “What?” She looks more carefully at my face. “Lucas?”

  I take a step toward her before stopping myself. “I’m sorry, but I’m not your bro—”

  “He’s your father!” Bella lifts her arm, pointing a bony finger at me. “He’s the man who murdered Lucas.”

  “No, I’m not,” I say, absolutely certain that no version of me would ever hurt his family.

  Soleil shakes her head. “Dad didn’t murder Lucas, Mom. I’ve told you that a hundred times. He loved Lucas—and he loved us too.”

  Bella’s arm wavers and then collapses onto the table. She looks up at me, her eyes pleading. “James?”

  “Whoa there, ladies,” Dave says, holding up his hands. “I think it’s a case of mistaken identity all around.” He puts his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Bella, darling, even if James managed to survive the accident—which he didn’t—he would be in his sixties now.”

  “The biotech,” Bella says. “It protects him against the virus, and it could stop the aging process too!”

  “It could?” I say, the thought having never crossed my mind. “No, it doesn’t.”

  At least I don’t think it does…

  “It’s not him, Bella,” Dave says. “It can’t be. Show her your wrist, Diego.”

  I give him a confused look.

  “The scar. Show her that you don’t have the scar.” He sits down next to Bella. “Remember when we were in Egypt for the twins’ fifth birthday—the afternoon we climbed the Pyramid?”

  “Yes,” Soleil says. “I remember! That meteor went streaking right over us. It was loud and scary, and it made me lose my balance.”

  “Your father grabbed you so you wouldn’t fall, and he cut his wrist on the rocks,” Dave says to Soleil and then turns to his wife. “And Bella cleaned him up when we got back to the hotel, even put a few stitches in.”

  “So he had a scar,” Bella says. “On his left wrist. Yes, I remember.”

  Dave nods at me. “Show her.”

  I undo my shirt cuffs and hold out my wrists.

  Bella stares at them and then moves her gaze up to my face. “He’s had it removed.”

  Dave makes an audible groan. “Give it a rest, Bella. He’s twenty years too young and he doesn’t have the goddamn scar.”

  “Then how did he know my maiden name?” Bella’s voice is defiant. “He’s James. I’m sure of it.”

  “No he’s not,” Soleil says. “He’s Lucas. I’ve said for years that he’s still alive.”

  “And he’s not Lucas either,” Dave says, sounding exasperated. “I had my guys run a DNA analysis. There were some… similarities, but no matches.”

  “What do you mean similarities?” Soleil asks. “The report should have said exactly how Lucas and this man are related.”

  “Well, the lab had trouble sequencing Diego’s genome—probably due to the biotech—but they’re absolutely certain he isn’t Lucas. We don’t have James’s genome to compare, but it’s pretty clear he isn’t James.”

  “Maybe the biotech altered his DNA?” Soleil looks at her mother for confirmation.

  “I presume it’s possible…” Bella frowns. “But doubtful.”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Dave says. “James had another son—one none of us knew about.”

  Bella gasps. “By another woman? While he was married to me?” She drops her head into her hands. “It just gets worse.”

  No, of course he didn’t! He would never have done that.

  Everyone looks at me, and I realize I’ve said that out loud.

  “I mean, give the man a break,” I say. “There must be some other explanation…”

  Soleil brings her hand up to her mouth, looking spooked. “So who are you?”

  “Diego Crusoe,” Dave says. “The guy who can survive Outside.”

  Soleil gawks at me like I have two heads, and Bella eyes me like she wants to chop one of them off.

  You’ve gone fr
om child-murdering psycho to cheating ex-husband’s lovechild. So maybe you should count that as progress.

  “You mean, Tarzan?” Soleil says, raising one eyebrow. “That naked man you were telling me about months ago—the crackpot who fell out of a pine tree?”

  “That’s the one,” Dave says.

  Soleil sizes me up again, her eyes darting from my face to my clip-on bow tie and back, looking less than impressed by my superpower. “I thought someone made that up,” she says, glancing sideways at her adopted father.

  “Well, that’s what I thought too…” Dave says. “Naked guy in a tree? Everyone assumed it was a joke.”

  She pins me with her gaze. “Are you immune?”

  I shrug. “So far, so good.”

  Soleil jerks her head back, probably wondering where I’m hiding my horns and tail. “How?”

  “We’re hoping you can answer some of those questions,” Dave says. “I’ve spoken to the medical council, and we’re putting you in charge of Diego’s case.”

  “You are?” Soleil says, her voice full of disbelief. She turns to her mother. “Why aren’t you taking it, Mom? You’re the genetics expert.”

  “She’s already got too much on her plate,” Dave says, referring to Bella as though she’s a child. “And besides, it’s time you stepped up. You’ve spent years researching Doomsday. This could be your big breakthrough.”

  “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” Soleil says, looking stunned.

  Dave smiles and holds out his arms. “Nothing’s too good for my little sunshine!”

  Soleil rushes over and throws her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Uncle Dave. You’re the best.”

  He kisses her on the forehead and then pushes a lock of hair back from her face. “And I’m sure your mother will be happy to help in any way she can.”

  “Of course, sweetheart,” Bella says. “I haven’t been in a lab in ages, but I can certainly answer any questions that come up.”

  “So, you must stay for dinner and celebrate with us,” Dave says. “We hardly see you anymore…”

  Soleil gives her mother a quick hug from behind her chair. “Of course I will.”

  Bella pats her daughter’s arm. “You were always such a good girl.”