"It had a remote detonation charge on it, but there was also a pressure sensor. I set the sensor off."
"I wonder when they planned to detonate it," Malloryn mused.
"Who knows? Maybe they intended to blow up all the clinics in the city at once? Maybe they simply planned to cover their tracks in case the vaccine tampering was discovered?"
"The question now is who," Malloryn murmured. "This is either the work of the humanists, or someone more sinister."
Ava's heart ticked a beat. "Do you think it has anything to do with the SOG?"
The three of them stared around at the blackened room. "The SOG work on creating chaos," Malloryn said slowly. "So I am very interested in this mystery all of a sudden."
The breath rushed out of her.
Malloryn sighed, and pulled out his pocket watch. "I have another meeting in half an hour, but speaking of Ulbricht, Gemma and Charlie returned an hour ago." Malloryn rested one hand on the remaining wall, and peered into the alley behind it. "No sign of Ulbricht in Brighton-but they managed to get their hands on a man who looks remarkably like him, who was being paid to parade around down there."
Kincaid scratched his jaw. "They wanted us to think Ulbricht was there."
"A distraction, yes." Malloryn's black boots crunched on blackened timber that crumbled into ash under his weight. "Did you know Lord Ulbricht has an investment in Bayard Industries?"
"Bayard Industries?" Ava asked.
The duke graced her with a small smile. "An umbrella for the smaller company, Kestrel, that produces the vaccine. I've been busy too."
"He's involved with the vaccine tampering." All the hairs on her body stood on end. Her case was connected after all!
Malloryn held a finger to his lips. "Possibly. There certainly does seem to be a connection, and if Ulbricht's working to cover his tracks, then he's up to something."
"But why? I still don't quite understand why the SOG would tamper with the vaccine," Ava said, running her gloved fingers along the smoke-grimed steel workbench that had been warped in the blast. "If Ulbricht is behind this"-she had to keep saying "if," just in case she corrupted her chain of evidence-"then what purpose does it present for the SOG? I just cannot suspect a motive in all of this. They're blue bloods. Was the Echelon up in arms about developing a vaccine for the craving virus?"
"Quite the contrary," Malloryn admitted. "The Blood Rites were always meant to be an elitist privilege. The vaccine, therefore, played perfectly into Ulbricht's intentions of keeping the Echelon 'pure.'"
"It's not about the vaccine, or the Echelon," Kincaid said suddenly, startling both her and the duke. "It's about creating fear in the populace. He's striking at the humans, taking away their perceived safety. There's a great deal of humanist sympathy left over from the revolution. The staunch humanists were the first to line up for the vaccine when the clinics first opened, so they'd never have to fear an accidental infection turning them into... into what they consider to be monsters."
A pause. She was quite certain he'd mean to say "turning them into monsters," and it made her feel a little hollow inside.
"Go on," Malloryn instructed.
"Last month Ulbricht was involved in the mass disappearance of people. The kidnappings and disappearances made people afraid, and they also just happened to help feed his mistress's vampires."
Ava shuddered. A truly horrific thought.
"But the people don't know that. Their friends and family vanished, and the Council of Dukes hushed it over and paid out in blood money. Those we rescued from Zero and her vampires were returned safely to their families, but... not all of them came home. It looks like the Echelon are up to their old tricks," Kincaid said, and Malloryn gestured for him to continue. "So Ulbricht takes away their vaccination clinics. Nobody's going to receive the vaccination if his or her friends are coming down with the craving virus after having it."
"For what purpose though?" Ava asked. "Ulbricht's cause was to see the Echelon back in power. How does this help his cause?"
"I agree. That's a great deal of maybe and perhaps," Malloryn said. "What does it gain him?"
"If I wanted to cause chaos in the city, then that's how I'd do it," Kincaid replied. "Stir up old resentment. Make people afraid of blue bloods again."
"But for what purpose?"