SL

eble

r to the pristine white lab table where sets of test tubes sit in neat arrays, each brimming with a white liqu

ntists. They

a pain in m

"Sergey, humor me h

because Venera is the billiondollar bet that will secure the fut

rodisiac with mildly ha

stupid. Keep it up. An

o worry he might malfunction. "I-it's an erotic ststi

bleeds strike you as par

es. They're standing in a neat line, inadverte

, s

tic. Therefore, it's not a 'minor blip.' It's a fuc

ver the dull thunder of the lab equipment

at makes grown men want to piss their pants

t's also by design-because if he had any inkling of how much is riding on

es to new drug dealers, in territory negotiations and raw material suppliers and this, that, and the

is my

is my

is how

ech waiting at attention just behind him. His eyes are

side like a well-trained seal. He's seen enough o

man who cleared his th

right. Left and right. "

hing you want to s

on correcting all the side effects, sir. Not j

ery many people have the ball

raightening up. He senses danger. So do the other two lab aides.

isapprove of my d

ft chin up high

ut the slow smile that curls over my mouth certainly does

you one chance to

licks in

o s

hoot the mudak right b

aos. Cue bloodshed.

e shelves. Sergey is the only one who remains standing, but judging from his sheet-white complexion, it's a sh

back, nearly upending the table wi

ement as he addresses the terrified room. "That smug motherfucker had a target o

bug out. "Matt

hes that hug the walls of the lab, chins wob

after this. Fear is an ext

know about thi

their money, where their childhood pets are buried. I know things about them they've forgotten about themselves. Now that Mattias

no.

sir. I had

ould

eas