Nation of Enemies by H.A. Raynes Page B

isn’t here to see this world.”
    â€œI’m glad she’s not here to see what you’ve done.”
    â€œI’m helping to cure cancer, Taylor. I’d imagine your mother would support my efforts.”
    â€œYou can’t really believe that.” A laugh bubbles up in her. “You’re not a doctor or a scientist. Don’t take credit for their efforts.”
    â€œThe MedID helps everyone. Gene editing and preventive medicine are conquering diseases. None of it would happen without the device.”
    â€œYou twist reality so easily.” She shakes her head. “You changed everything. There’s no one more dangerous than you.”
    Taylor spins around and reaches for the door handle.
    â€œLet me give Sienna a clean MedID,” he says. “I’ll arrange one for each of you. You’ll be free to do what you want.”
    In the reflection from the glass he is two-­dimensional and without color, less than a man. “You’ve arranged enough.”
    â€œYou and Sienna could have the world, you know. You could live in a Safe District. Travel. Come November you may have a President for a father.”
    It takes a few seconds for her to process the statement. He’s right, of course. This tragedy has left a void to be filled, and already the news is hailing him a survivor, a hero. It’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll become the Liberty Party’s presidential candidate.
    â€œTen feet from this room ­people are dying from yesterday’s attack.” She turns back to face him. “But you only care if it affects your campaign.”
    â€œThis isn’t about me. It’s about this country. If they’d killed us both yesterday, another party member would step in to run for office. Leaders rise to the occasion.”
    â€œUnless they’re ducking.”
    His cheeks flush and he gives a small shake of his head. “Well, my dear, if you don’t like it here, in a country where I might be President, you can always leave.”
    â€œThis is my country,” Taylor says as she opens the door. “I’ll be sure to exercise my right to vote.”
    The door shuts behind her with a satisfying click.

 
    Chapter 17
    M ID -­ AFTERNOON SUN SLICES through Sebastian’s bedroom. A ray runs from the foot of the bed to the pillow, onto his face. He stirs and slowly blinks awake.
    The first thing he sees is Kate’s pillow. A few strands of blond hair stand out from the gray pillowcase. It’s all that’s left, pieces of her. Not the whole. Not Kate. He reaches for them and runs his fingers the length of the shafts, wraps them around his index finger until his fingertip turns blue.
    A muffled, intermittent vibration. He sits up, forgets the hair, which falls back onto the bed. Foraging through a mound of clothes on the floor, he pulls his cell from a pants pocket. For the briefest moment he wonders if this wasn’t all just a dream.
    â€œKate?” he says into the phone.
    There’s a pause. “Sorry, man. It’s Renner.”
    His words are blocked, a jagged rock lodged in his throat.
    â€œYou okay, Sebastian?”
    â€œYeah.” He sits back on the bed and strokes the prickly black scruff on his face.
    â€œTake the week off. I’ve got it covered.”
    â€œThere’s not a net wide enough to cover this shit.”
    â€œWashington sent us twenty agents as backup. We’ll find out who’s behind this.”
    â€œAny news from your informant?” asks Sebastian.
    â€œWe met.” An audible sigh. “But again, Mitchell is claiming to be surprised by the attack. I gotta tell you, I’m not convinced BASIA was behind this one.”
    â€œThe one thing we know is that Mitchell is highly organized and virtually untraceable.”
    â€œHe’s never done a chemical attack,” says Renner.
    â€œNot that we know of.”
    â€œThis was done with