Page 75 of Clive Cussler Desolation Code

“TAU is the machine,” she said. “TAU hunts us. TAU causes pain. TAU kills.”

“Vaughn’s machine,” Kurt said. “His computer.”

She didn’t respond.

“How does the Gray Witch blind TAU?” Kurt asked.

“We don’t know the method,” Priya replied. “It is a matter of faith. Now, tell me why you have come here.”

Figuring they were still performing for anyone who might be listening, he offered an explanation. “The Gray Witch sent us a message. She bid us to track the beacon, which I’m assuming you made on that workbench. We found the brothers whom she helped to escape. I’m sorry, but only one of them survived. He calls himself Five. He told us the story of this place. What Vaughn is doing to the brothers. He told us about the surgeries, the experiments, the torture. He said there are many others on the far side of the island who are being used like lab rats. We came here to find proof and bring it back to the world. I never expected we’d find you here…Priya.”

Mentioning Priya’s name seemed to have some effect. Her eyes softened. She looked him over more closely, as if seeing him for the first time. “Priya,” she whispered. “You…know…that…name?”

The words came slowly. Haltingly. As if she were confused.

Kurt leaned in closer so he could whisper. “Of course I know you,” he said. “You’ve gone a little overboard on the haircut, but your eyes,your face, your voice. You were part of our team for five solid years. How could I not recognize you?”

Confusion ran all over her face. She moved closer, taking a seat next to him. Eventually, she reached out and touched him, placing her hand on his and then sliding it up along his forearm. She stopped as she reached the rolled-up portion of his sleeve, seeming to prefer the skin-to-skin contact. “You know me?”

To Kurt’s surprise her large eyes glossed over, filling with so many tears that when they spilled it was like rain on her face. She placed her other hand on his arm and then leaned forward until her forehead rested against his.

Not entirely sure what to do, Kurt raised his free hand and wrapped it gently around her. She seemed almost ready to collapse, breathing deeply and quietly sobbing.

With his lips close to her ear, Kurt figured he could speak without anyone overhearing. “What are you doing here?” he whispered. “How are you walking?”

“She knows you,” Priya replied, ignoring the question. “She…knows…you…”

“Who knows me?”

Kurt’s words seemed to break the spell. Priya drew back, pulling her hands away and wiping away the tears with a sense of irritation. The hard, flinty look returned, and the trembling lips were replaced by a jaw of granite and a look of fury.

“I must stand,” she said.

She got up, but swayed awkwardly. Kurt reached out to steady her, but she swatted his hand away.

The personality shifts were sudden and jarring. Looking at the scars in her hairline, Kurt wondered about the damage Vaughn’s surgeries had done to her brain. Not to mention what appeared to be malnutrition, isolation, and the pressure of leading the escaped clones,keeping them alive and building a makeshift society and religion around them.

Any and all of those things could damage a mind, and yet Kurt felt there was something more.

He watched as she crossed the room to a metal sink attached to the far wall. Reaching it, she grasped the edge and leaned on it for support. She turned on the water, running it for several seconds, and then reached down and splashed some of it on her face.

As her strength returned, she stood up straight and pulled off the camouflaged hoodie, tossing it aside. Beneath it she wore only a threadbare T-shirt that clung to her body with sweat and humidity.

She was skin and bones, Kurt thought. Her ribs and the knots of her spine visible through the thin, wet fabric. He followed the line of her backbone all the way down to the tops of her hips. Not a single scar could be seen. Not from the automobile accident that had nearly killed her, nor from the surgeries performed to stabilize her spine after the wreck, nor from anything Vaughn had done to restore her mobility.

Suddenly, Kurt understood. “You’re not Priya.”

The woman turned around, appearing relieved. “My name is Kai,” she said. “I’m Priya’s clone.”

Every time Kurt thought he’d figured things out, he seemed to find another mystery. But with this revelation he could feel the tumblers clicking into place.

“Priya’s the Gray Witch,” he said quietly. “She’s the one you reach out to. The one who blinds TAU’s drones, sends messages, and keeps you hidden.”

Kai nodded.

“Where is she?” Kurt asked.

“With TAU,” Kai said. “In the endless darkness and silence.”

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