Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 127712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127712 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
I laugh out loud at that. “Good to know, I guess. I should not take it personally?”
“Oh, it’s always personal.”
“O-kaaay.”
“You wanna know why I’m telling you this?”
“Yep. That would be helpful.”
“I’m telling you this because I’m not going to go easy on you just because of who you are. I have high expectations of my recruits.”
“So you’ve had others?”
“Seven of them.”
“Seven?” I narrow my eyes, trying to put this together. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-seven.”
“When did you get here?”
“Ten years ago.”
“Ooooh. I’m impressed.” It’s not a lie. I am impressed. I mean, he’s got that I’m-a-genius vibe, for sure. At this level, aren’t we all? But the Institute must have some kind of high-level trust in him to just… set him loose like that in a lab at that young age. And give him funding.
“I’m not telling you this to brag. I’m telling you this because my project is the baby of the Institute. At the moment, anyway. That can change. Certainly, one day, it will change. Someone else, much like myself, will come here and they will be the new prodigy. They will be the one with the generational, ground-breaking ideas. I’m telling you this because if you want to be here—be a part of what’s happening in my lab—you need to put your triggers aside.”
Triggers? “Interesting word choice.”
“Do you have triggers, Nova?” He closes his eyes again, mutters, “Fuck,” then opens them. “I’m sorry. Ryan. Do you have triggers, Ryan? Because I would like you to stay. I have a feeling you’re meant to be on this team. So it would be helpful if I knew about them.”
Wow. This convo just got heavy. I shrug one shoulder. “I… I guess. Some. Doesn’t everyone?”
“What are they?”
“What are they?”
He nods. Stares at me.
I think about this for a moment and he doesn’t say anything during my silence. Just waits. Then finally, I say, “Well,” kinda shake my head. “Gore? Maybe?”
“Gore?” He sounds surprised. “As in… pictures of dead bodies on the internet?”
“What?” A small laugh bursts out. “No. What? People look at dead bodies on the internet?”
“Oh, people are into all kinds of sick shit on the internet.”
“Well, I was thinking of horror movies.”
Now it’s his turn to laugh. “Oh. Sorry. I misunderstood.” He opens the file in his lap, picks up a pen from his desk, and then writes something down. “So you’re telling me your first inclination when I ask you about triggers is horror movies?”
“Is that my file?”
“What makes you think you have a file?”
“This morning you had an envelope with my name on it.”
“This is not your file.”
“But you’re writing things down.”
“I like to take notes. This is a file for the month of June. I write everything down.” He holds it up for me. He wrote a heading on a new piece of paper. Interview with Nova. But that’s it.
“So?” he asks.
“What was the question?”
“You’re going with horror movies as your number one trigger?”
“I’m… kind of at a loss here. I’m not sure what you’re looking for.”
He reaches out, puts a hand on my knee, looks me in the eyes. “How about this?”
I push his hand off and scoff. “You’re going to be one of those bosses who… what? Expects a fuck on the desk at the end of the day?”
“I’m simply asking if it triggers you.”
“But you didn’t deny it.”
“I have no plans to fuck you, Ryan.”
Now he finds my fake name. Interesting.
“Good. Because I have no plans to fuck you either. But to answer your question, no. Your hand on my knee isn’t a trigger.”
“But horror movies are?”
I have to laugh. “Maybe I’m just tired or something. Because I’m not following you.”
“It’s a perfectly legitimate answer, I just want to make sure it’s the truth.”
“Why though? Are you playing horror movies in the lab?”
“No. But the experiments we do will seem unconventional to you.”
“You’re assuming a lot here.”
“I am. But it’s in preparation for what you’re going to see.”
“Wait.” I put up a hand. “You said you invented a drug that gives people a vacation experience.”
“I did say that. But everyone winds down in different ways.”
“Ooooohhhh.” I nod, press my lips together. “Where did you get these patients?”
“Prison.”
“Ooooohhh. OK. I get it. They are sick fucks, huh?”
“Some of them.”
I let out a breath. “Well. Thank you. I appreciate the warning.” I pause, smile at him, thankful this has been cleared up. Kind of ready to go home. Mercer is intense now. His easy-going nature has been tucked away for the night. And he’s stressing me out. I need an easy nightcap with Olsen right about now.
But Mercer doesn’t say anything. And he doesn’t dismiss me either. He just stares at me.
“What?” I ask.
“Would you like to look at one now?”
If I were wearing a watch, I would check it and send him a hint.
But I’m not wearing one. And honestly, this is why I’m here. I’m his recruit. He’s probably testing me. So I say, “Sure. Let’s get to work.”