Page 105 of Spy With Me
It was clear to see Ray was uncomfortable. “I named himZach. I didn’t get a chance with the other.”
Huisman tsked. “I’m talking about the family name. It meanssomething. Women are vessels to be used and discarded. They are pawns for theirfathers to move around and strengthen his family line. Your sons do not haveyour name. One has the name of his vessel and the other carries a strongerman’s name.”
Ray’s eyes narrowed. “Heain’tstronger than me.”
A low chuckle came from Huisman. “I assure you AlexanderMcKay has better control over his family than you do, my friend, though he wasonly able to produce one weak girl child. His sons all came from other men.”
“Who hurt you?” Devi knew this was a mistake, but the wordswere out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I mean as a child, becauseit’s clear you have problems. Was your mother a terrible person?”
Huisman went still. Preternaturally still, and Devi bracedfor an attack.
And then he took a long breath and sat back. “My mother wasa whore. After my father was murdered, I was sent to live with her for a brieftime before my grandfather took control. She was far more interested in findinga man than in being a mother. In the short time I was with her, she brought inthree different men.”
Ah, that’s who physically hurt him. It was apparent therewas all kinds of psychological harm, too. “I’m sorry you went through that.There’s nothing worse than a chaotic childhood.”
One side of his mouth turned up. “Is that how you’re playingme, Devon?”
Now she was going to be honest with him. “I’m not playing atall. I’m simply trying to understand the man who will likely kill me.”
“Well, at least you’re realistic. And my childhood preparedme for the real world. While my mother was absent, at best, those men she clungto taught me a lot about how the world works. Only the strong survive, and theideas placed in the heads of humans about building communities and families areconstructed by those who wish to pretend the world is something it is not. Forfar too long smart men have allowed the weak to rule, have allowed the ideathat independence makes us equal. I’m going to show the world that this is nottrue. It was better when we had a king to rule us.”
She knew where he wanted to put the crown. “I suppose you’rethe king.”
“Of course. I mean I can’t rule the entire world by myself.I’ve picked my dukes and vassals from my brethren. When this is done, we’llcarve up the world and it will be a calmer place. Imagine an end to wars andfamine. Well, unless a famine is required to remind the slaves of their place.”
She was sitting with a madman. “Since I’m probably not goingto be around to see this new world order, tell me, how are you going toaccomplish it?”
He seemed to think about it for a moment and then leanedtoward her, an unholy light in his eyes. “I’m going to start a war in Asia andwatch the world burn. Once I get the right bombs, I’m going to deploy them overselect Asian cities to deliver a deadly form of anthrax. I believe with theproper use of Ms. Reed’s bombs, we can take out fifty percent of the populationof Bangkok in moments. The same with Taipei and Kathmandu.”
Ray clapped his hands together like he was going to enjoythe carnage. “I can’t wait to see that.”
Devi was confused. “But won’t that make everyone mad atyou?”
Huisman waved the thought off. “Oh, they won’t think it’sme. I’ve already started several rumors in intelligence circles that theChinese are planning something big. The Chinese government was more than happyto work with the Huisman Foundation and later with Disrupt Asia. It gave usaccess to certain systems that got us into other systems. They use artificialintelligence a lot in China. Sometimes it’s about taking over control. When theattacks occur, a broadcast will go out. The president of the People’s Republicof China will take credit for the attacks. The deep fake is chef’s kiss. Trulyremarkable. Along with all the data and files I’ve planted deep in theirsystems, the world will have no choice but to attack China.”
And the world would explode. “When are you going to use thenukes? I suspect you have control of those, too.”
“I have a few of my own,” he admitted. “Those systems areharder, but I assure you I can make it look like it came from China. You know Idon’t actually have to send a nuclear warhead to say, Washington, DC. I onlyhave to make it look like it’s coming.”
“Because the US would respond if they thought it wascoming,” she surmised. “You don’t think they would wait to verify it was real?”
He laughed at the thought. “You honestly believe yourgovernment will wait when they believe they are about to die? I mean perhaps ifthey did it would prove me wrong. I don’t know. We will see if I’m right. Nowlet’s talk about how you’re going to bring Zachary Reed to me. I think he mightneed a little help.”
“Why wouldn’t you have Ben Parker bring him in? Zach wouldbelieve it.” She didn’t. He was lying for some reason. She’d seen her cousinand Parker. He might be a spectacular actor, but why wouldn’t he have made amove by now?
The crack across her face shook her to her core. She couldhandle pain, but that man had damn near broken her jaw.
She cradled her cheek, tears filling her eyes.
“Perhaps I will send him your body parts.” Huisman stood,sneering down at her. His hand clenched in a fist, and Devi prepared for thepain. “When he gets your hands, he’ll do whatever I want.”
“Stop or I won’t help you at all.” Shannon Reed stood onshaky legs. “You don’t lay another hand on her.”
Huisman turned, his eyes widening. “You are supposed to beasleep.”
Her gaze went a bit unfocused, but she stood her ground.“You think you’re the first person to try to drug me? I assure you I can handlemore, and I know you’ll probably give it to me, but understand if that youngwoman is hurt at any point, I will let you kill me before I’ll build a singlebomb for you. I didn’t write down my process for this particular bomb and it isdifferent from the others. I stopped documenting my work after some earlyschematics got out. It’s all in my brain now, and I’ll find a way to blow mybrains out before I give you anything if you hurt her.”
Huisman’s face went a flaming red, and Devi could see he wasconsidering whether he was going to use those fists on Zach’s mom.
