Page 108 of Sin

I’m sure watching everyone die brought them closer in some messed up way.

“And where is Micah now?” Jinx prodded.

“Rotting somewhere in the earth.” Keith shook his head with a sad smile. “Don’t know where. That wasn’t part of my job description.”

I frowned. “But you said he and Lucas survived.”

Keith nodded. “Initially, yes. However, unlike Lucas, Micah struggled with the after effects of the drug. The C9 caused him to have terrible migraines, vomiting, and increased blood pressure. We tried to keep his blood pressure under control, but after a few weeks, he suffered a stroke and died.”

Leaving Lucas alone with those sadists.

“Micah’s death had unforeseen consequences for the team. See, Micah wasn’t some bum from the streets. Just a rich kid in search of his next big high. Turns out, his daddy had money and influence. Lots of it. There was an investigation into Micah’s death, and several of my colleagues went on trial. Though, everything was settled, and those on trial for Micah’s death were found not guilty and released,” he said, a harsh bite to his words.

Most likely the UAS covering their asses.

“You sound as if you’re unhappy they were let off,” I commented, studying his reaction. “Should you be happy nothing happened to your friends?”

Keith laughed. It came out a little wild and abrasive. “They weren’t my friends. Apparently, they thought I was too weird.” He used hand quotes when he said that last word. “Story of my life really.”

Hard to imagine why? I thought as I glanced around the room.

“So I’m guessing they started the testing again after the investigation was completed?” London prodded.

“Yes, just with Lucas as the sole participant. We expected Lucas to eventually show some side effect symptoms, but none came. Dr. Kelley became especially invested in testing him after that, curious to know what made him different from the other participants.”

“Did he ever figure it out?” Jinx asked.

“Not officially, no. But he did discover the reason for the fatalities. The C9 was supposed to help increase focus and control by stimulating the body’s neurotransmitters. In the autopsies, it was discovered that the C9 caused their bodies to produce too much norepinephrine, which is your body’s fight-or-flight response. It raised their blood pressure, gave them tremors, headaches, and ultimately, resulted in organ failure. Specifically the heart and kidney.” He rubbed his palms over his knees. “So no, Dr. Kelley never discovered why the C9 didn’t cause Lucas issues like with the others. But he wondered if, because of Lucas’s strong mental powers, that maybe his mind managed to keep him protected from a spike in norepinephrine.” Keith shrugged. “Honestly, we didn’t know. For all we knew, it was sheer luck on his part.”

“I think the only lucky ones were the ones who died in the first round of testing,” I said, voice hard. What Lucas endured was nothing short of a tragedy. If I’d been in his place, stuck in a laboratory where they experimented on me, drugged me, tortured me… I would have rather died.

Before Keith could retort with his self-righteous indignation, London stepped in. Again. “What happened then? Why haven’t we heard of this drug until now? And how did things change from a drug trial to Lucas almost becoming a government weapon?”

“Well, the UAS medical board supervised the trials. After the labs figured out the issues with the C9, they were able to adjust it so it wouldn’t be fatal. However, the board ultimately decided that the cost to create the C9, despite its benefits, wasn’t profitable and stopped its production,” Keith said. “Lucas was still paid, but the board came to him with an offer.”

“What was the offer?” Lewis asked, eyeing a crow perched on a branch decorating the wall.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t privy to that sort of information.”

“So the board offered him something, presumably more money, in exchange for a different test. Is that correct?”

Keith nodded. “During the testing, he needed to stay quarantined. The tests started out fairly simple. Testing out his range of abilities, his strengths, his weaknesses. They would keep him sleep deprived to see how it affected his abilities. Then they’d make him use his powers over and over until he passed out, just to figure out how long he could go. They had us evaluate everything. From how much he ate, how much sleep he needed normally, then after a power experiment.” Swallowing, Keith dodged looking at us, as if this next part was too shameful. “Then they started requesting different tests done on him. They wanted to see how well he worked in unideal situations. They’d instructed us to put a shock collar on him and made us shock him every time his control lapsed. They had us lock him in a freezer and then a sauna to see how his power functioned in different temperatures. The experiments only escalated and became more creative. I don’t think he, Lucas, realized what he was signing up for. He wasn’t allowed to leave until the board gave the say so, and I think he finally figured out that they weren’t ever planning to let him go.

“He tried to escape several times, turning his power on one of us when we released him from his dampening cuffs. But he wasn’t as strong back then, and there was always someone waiting out of range to switch on the shock collar and cuffs. He never made it far before he passed out from pain.”

None of us spoke. I didn’t think we could have even if we’d wanted to. The things he’d endured… They were worse than I’d imagined.

As if realizing we were waiting for him to continue, Keith cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He spun his ring over and over. “Maybe around a year into his confinement, Dr. Kelley was given a special object to be placed inside Lucas. An object which would magnify his power.”

I stared, almost wondering if I’d heard him right.

Something that magnified his power. It couldn't be, could it?

Keith turned to look at me then. “You’re familiar with Metafora’s talismans, aren’t you?”

There was a ringing in my ear.

My dad smiled as I handed him his amulet. The smile was void of warmth or joy. Only sheer triumph.

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