Bringer of Fire Read Online Free Page B

things she could have told me, that definitely wasn’t something I expected.
    “All of the patients in your program are—well, were—terminal cancer patients just like you,” she explained as she reached out to take one of my hands in hers. “The drug has demonstrated an amazing effect on cancer tumors, but much of the time a patient’s cancer overtakes the pace of the treatment. You see, using terminal patients is the only way that the government will allow us to conduct trial testing of the drug.”
    “But recent tests have shown my tumor is shrinking,” I said.
    She smiled genuinely then.
    “Yes, you’re one of the lucky ones. In fact, I’ve already seen your latest results from the brain scan that you took nearly two weeks ago, and your tumor has gone from small to undetectable. You were supposed to find out on Tuesday, but then---” she stopped abruptly.
    “Yeah, that.”
    We both fell silent.
    “Logan, there’s something else you should know.”
    I looked into her green eyes and easily read the apprehension in them.
    “I’ve been a PA in this experimental program almost since the start of it over three years ago,” she said. “But recently, I was curious about what the success rate has been for patients undergoing the treatments. About three weeks ago, I used a workstation that one of our team doctors had left himself logged into and read the results being recorded in the centralized patient database.”
    She paused and took a deep breath.
    “Please promise not to tell anyone else that I’m telling you this because I could get fired. Who knows, maybe even worse.”
    I frowned. Just what kind of company was she working for?
    “Then why are you telling me?” I asked.
    She let go of my hand abruptly.
    “Because they shouldn’t be withholding this information from you; it’s simply not ethical. You’re one of the few patients in the program who were fortunate enough to survive to this stage. I found out that the patients are only being given the drug to affect their tumors so that the FDA will permit the use of terminal human subjects,” she said. “Nuclegene’s primary research was never about curing tumors. That’s just a beneficial secondary use for the drug; something acting as a catalyst in the serum also attacks most cancer tissues. Their real interest is about what happens to people if they survived the treatment on their tumors. Some patients like yourself have beaten their cancers only to die from complications of the drug. However, the causes of deaths were conveniently recorded as complications from their cancers. The company was using the cancers merely to mask their true research.”
    I was definitely shocked. What she just told me sounded like the plot from a sci-fi film.
    Once again, THE X-Files came to mind.
    Great, now I’m OCD.
    I momentarily rubbed at my temples with my fingertips.
    Stay focused, Logan.
    “What’s the actual purpose of the drug?” I asked.
    “Nuclegene is attempting to stimulate and manifest development of parts of the human brain that generally go unused. Logan, according to the information that I read, they’re trying to manifest psychic abilities, including telekinesis.”
    Moving objects.
    I’d actually been causing the objects to move.
    “Okay. Maybe I’m not insane, but that’s just plain crazy.”
    She arched her eyebrows at me.
    “Weren’t you the one who was just telling me that objects were moving on their own?”
    Despite the seriousness of the conversation, the corners of my mouth upturned slightly. The lighter moment lasted long enough for me to recount something she’d revealed moments ago.
    “You said that other patients died even after beating their cancers. How did they die?”
    Maria’s expression turned somber.
    “Mostly from strokes, brain aneurisms, and in one case, suicide. Her name was Betsy, and according to the records, she developed melancholia and then severe clinical depression.”
    I groaned. “You’re just full