‘Oh my God, it’s the only thing you care about.’ She covered her mouth. ‘You used me to get it here?’
‘I know you can’t understand. But it is our ticket to safety. W
ithout it …’ His voice trailed away.
‘I can’t believe you worked in secret for the Americans, then made a deal with the Chinese.’
‘It isn’t that simple. It was only through sheer luck I survived that explosion.’ He moved the fingers on his right hand in the sling. ‘The Americans and the Australians wanted me dead. They still want me dead. By running, I confirmed their suspicions that one of their agents had turned rogue. That put you at risk. It made sense to have people think I was dead and it ended the attacks on you. The man who took my place was part of a Chinese drug syndicate. His relatives couldn’t afford the burial. Chinese agents witnessed the explosion and pulled me from the water. They came up with the idea of substituting and the family signed over the body. I had to protect you, Eliza, and this was the only way.’
Eliza shook her head, suddenly defiant. ‘Don’t make this about me. You’ve been lying my entire life. Hans Gudgast? Is that your real name?’
He shrugged. ‘Gudgast was an embezzler, but in death he gave me a chance to do good.’
I understood. He couldn’t fake the height difference, so wasn’t Gudgast at all. ‘You took his identity to enter Australia with the help of the CIA.’
He lowered his gaze. ‘I came here from Europe, where doesn’t matter, after being recruited as a university student interested in biomedical engineering. I had no family and was idealistic back then. I saw it as an opportunity to do good. And the CIA offered to fund lifesaving research in exchange for information about foreign defence force bases and technologies. That’s why I developed training programs.’ He rubbed darkened eyes. ‘I never agreed to hurt anyone.’
‘Except the people who lent or gave you money,’ I said. ‘They won’t be seeing it again, after you conned them out of it.’ This man was either phenomenally naive or extremely manipulative.
He flashed me a quizzical look as if the answer were obvious. ‘I did that for the staff. The CIA were starting to funnel their funds elsewhere, to their latest projects, and sucking the business dry. If I didn’t borrow more, the staff and Contigo would have lost their jobs. We had sold so many of our assets, I had to be creative in presenting to the banks. The employees were like family after all those years. I couldn’t let them suffer for something I started.’
I couldn’t work Moss out. ‘You must have known it would eventually unravel.’
‘I had to buy time. Until the last series of secret projects was complete. Now, Eliza, I need that USB.’
‘I’m sorry, Dad. I can’t give it to you.’
Chapter 125
MOSS’S EXPRESSION HARDENED. ‘Eliza, how is your breathing?’
His daughter made no comment.
‘You know it’s seventy per cent normal. There is a clinic in Zurich that specialises in degenerative neurological diseases like yours.’
The word ‘degenerative’ was like a blow to my chest. I had no idea Eliza’s condition would deteriorate. I moved and sat at the desk opposite her. She would not make eye contact with me.
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ I tried to process what that meant.
She bowed her head. ‘I couldn’t.’
‘You’re already at seventy per cent lung function,’ her father continued, ‘and stress speeds the disease process. Who knows what the last few days have done to your immune system. Again, I’m truly sorry for that.’
He placed his hand on the table, next to hers. ‘You just book in for an assessment when you’re ready. They do stem cell therapy.’ He lifted his hand, revealing a card. ‘It’s all been taken care of.’
A long silence hung in the room.
Eliza then spoke, a quiver in her voice. ‘Is that part of the deal you brokered with the Chinese?’
‘I had two conditions. In exchange for my research they get me out of Australia safely, and you get the very best medical care. The genetic testing has been paid for in advance. Eliza, this clinic could have the answers no one else does.’
Eliza began to tremble.
I wasn’t buying it. ‘So what’s on the USB that makes it so valuable? Our computers couldn’t detect anything.’
‘The USB is half of a complex series of systems that will change the face of warfare. That means limiting civilian deaths and carnage.’ He looked at both of us. ‘I developed an advanced encryption code, which is why you couldn’t decipher it. It needs to be paired with the other USB to be read.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Contigo Valley started out as an altruistic, forward-thinking company but in the last ten years it became overrun with agendas I could no longer influence, or stomach. War is a powerful industry and makes certain interests extremely wealthy. Resources and politics are the endgame. Power of the worst kind.’
‘All this because you’re disillusioned with American foreign policy?’ I was incredulous.