Page 24 of Beautiful Prey

I stepped inside but didn’t take a seat right away. “I just wanted to ask a few questions.”

His dark eyes considered me, his thin lips curling to one side. He slicked back his dark, now graying hair as a lock got in his face. “Well, ask away.”

I drew close to the empty chair, clutching the back of it, trying to consider my words carefully. “I know that…Dad’sresearch involved mostly neurological work, nerves and such. But he didn’t do any kind of work with pharmaceuticals, did he?”

Raising his brows, he leaned back to sit on the edge of his desk. “Well, I don’t know about him working in that area specifically, but we do have a lab dedicated to medicine and drug research if that’s what you mean.”

“Do you do certain experiments on these drugs?”

He looked at me confused, then chuckled. “Of course, that’s part of the research, Eve.”

“Right, but I mean, do you do tests on people?”

He frowned. “Not at first. We’ve got the lab in the back for animal subjects. If they prove effective there, then we would find volunteers for clinical trials but only after thorough tests and approval from the FDA.”

“Where do you get volunteers?” I asked.

Uncle Wes gazed at the ceiling as he thought. “I’d say through adverts mostly.”

“Are any of them ever children?”

Concerned, he said, “It would depend on the type of medicine we are testing and only if a parent or guardian gave consent.”

“And only if the medicine was safely tested first and the children were healthy and willing?”

His brows furrowed. “Are you doing your thesis on child subjects, Eve?”

“Not specifically but it’s part of it.”

“I see. Yes, of course the child would be willing and as able-bodied as possible, with a thorough exam beforehand. And the parent would be present and aware for every stage of the trial.”

I nodded, wishing I could feel relief but feeling none. “Did Uncle Pete or my brother work in the drug research lab at all?”

“If they did, it was only brief. Pete usually helped your father. Your brother was placed wherever they needed him.”

I held his gaze. “What about you?”

He smirked. “My work is similar to your father’s. I have others managing that department.”

I looked down in disappointment. But should I have expected Uncle Wes to know anything? Or to tell me if he did?

“Let’s go down and see it,” he said, standing.

“The lab?”

“Sure. You can see what’s going on there yourself. Since you’re so curious.”

The new building was brighter and admittedly cleaner as we headed down to the lower level lab. The first thing I noticed was the smell. A heavy scent of bleach, chemicals, and wet grass. When Uncle Wes pushed open the door, I had to squint my eyes at the bright lights and white washed walls.

Cages. That’s what drew my focus the most. All the cages.

Beady red eyes stared back at me through them. Tufts of white fur clung to the metal sides. The rabbits didn’t look terrified at least as they hopped around inside their crates. Most watched me with a curious gaze, their little noses twitching as I walked by.

I followed Uncle Wes into the main lab room where the metal tables were topped with trays and vials. Machines whirred and clicked nearby. There were whole chemistry sets, tanks, and two giant refrigerators to one side. A white board took up a wall opposite the door filled with different chemical equations and a little diagram of all the elements next to it. At another corner was a small desk with a laptop and a set of cabinets.

“It doesn’t look like much for all the work we do,” Uncle Wes said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “We’re working on a new prototype now actually. For insomnia.”

I strolled around the room, studying everything I could. There was nothing suspicious—no other doors leading anywhere, no rooms or cages big enough to fit a person.

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