Slippery Creatures (The Will Darling Adventures, #1)

by K.J. Charles

“Are you letting me go?” “I’d be happy to.” Libra smiled. It gave Will the impression he’d sent off a postal order for a booklet on Smiling for Beginners. “You’re a determined man, Mr. Darling. Remarkably so. We could use someone like you in our organisation.” Flattery, plus an offer of companionship. Will had recent and first-hand experience of the powerful lure of togetherness when you were alone. He didn’t intend to fall for that again. “You’ve got a funny way of recruiting people. Have you tried an application form? Might be easier.” Libra smiled again. It was perfunctory. “You’re a very determined man, but a foolish one. Sitting here is a waste of your time, not mine.” Will shrugged, for lack of useful response. Libra shook his head. “You can’t be defiant forever and if you are, what will it achieve? Draven wasn’t the only scientist working on these ideas. Someone else will discover the same thing eventually, or something similar, and do you know what that man will do? He’ll give it or sell it to his government—which may not be ours, it could be the Americans or the Russians, even the Germans. His government will develop it. Other governments will spy, and hear, and copy, or come up with still worse weapons in the name of deterrence. And sooner or later men of power will use it on cities, on London or New York or Berlin, but do you know what they’ll do first?” “Build themselves bunkers, I expect.” Libra seemed genuinely pleased by that. “I knew you had potential. Exac...