Project Apex by Michael Bray Page A

watching him intently.
    "Have I done something to offend you?” He asked, unable to ignore the hostility aimed at him.
    "No, why?" She asked in the way women always did when no meant yes.
    "Well, you've been short with me ever since you found me. Remember, I didn’t come looking for you."
    "It’s nothing personal."
    "So what is it?"
    "I don’t like having to come all the way out here to babysit you. It’s a waste of time."
    "Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but it's not my fault. Take it up with your boss if you have a problem."
    She straightened in her seat, perhaps not expecting such a response.
    "Sorry," she said with a sigh, relaxing a little. "It’s been a rough few days. You have no idea how much is riding on you being able to provide us with some answers. It irks me when you joke around and make light of things."
    "Don’t take it personally. It's a defensive thing. Some kind of coping mechanism or so my therapist told me. I make jokes out of serious situations. It’s how I get by. It doesn’t mean I’m not interested or paying attention. In fact, I’m more than a little curious. To be fair, you haven’t been very forthcoming in handing over information. I still don’t even know why I’m being dragged to the other side of the world."
    She tucked her fringe behind her ear and folded her hands on her lap. "I’m supposed to wait until my boss briefs you."
    "Based on the size of this file you just gave me, any head start will be appreciated."
    "Give me a minute," She said, standing and taking her phone back through the door towards the cockpit.
    Draven leafed through the first few pages of the file, which didn’t appear to be in any kind of order. He made a mental note to complain to Goodall about it, if only to see if he could push her buttons a little more for his own amusement, when she came back, shoving her phone into her pocket.
    "Okay, you want answers, you’ll get them direct from my superiors," She said as she switched the channel on the TV. "It’s a live webcam link, so you might want to sit up straight," She said as she activated the camera. Draven ignored her, slumping further down in his seat just to be annoying. On the screen was a dreary looking office desk, behind which was an equally dreary looking man dressed in an ill-fitting grey suit. He had the look of a school teacher in everything apart from his eyes, which were a sharp and brilliant blue.
    "Mr. Draven," the man on the screen said. "Pleased to meet you at last. My name is Marcus Atkinson, Homeland Security director. It’s me who gave the order to bring you in."
    Draven was barely paying attention. Something in the files had caught his eye, and he was furiously leafing through the pages, a deep frown on his brow.
    "Mr. Draven?" Marcus said again.
    "Am I reading this right? You mixed the primate DNA with a human?" Draven said, staring at the television screen.
    "It's not quite as simple as that, I’ll explain in full when we meet but-"
    "This won’t wait. Did you or did you not merge the primate DNA with people?"
    "Yes, we did," Marcus said. "That’s why we need to speak to you. It seems we are having certain issues with our test subjects."
    "Let me guess," Draven said, sneering at the screen. "These people you modified are showing extreme increases in aggression. I’d bet my house I wouldn’t be a million miles away if I suggested they had also stopped following orders? Maybe gone into business for themselves?"
    "How did you know that, Mr. Draven?" Marcus asked, shifting his gaze towards Goodall.
    "I’m asking the questions,” Draven snapped. “Am I right or am I wrong?"
    Marcus squirmed in his seat. "Yes. That’s exactly right. Are you suggesting you know why this has happened?"
    "I know exactly why. Who was in charge of this? The genetics project, I mean."
    "A scientist called Genaro, he's supposed to be the best," Marcus said.
    "Robert Genaro?"
    "Yes. Do you know him?" Marcus said, glancing towards Kate.
    "I only met him