Memory Zero (Spook Squad 1)

She placed a hand on the back of the chair and leaned over Gabriel’s shoulder. Disk one was little more than a series of names, with monetary amounts next to them.

“There are a few government officials on this list.” She reached past him and placed a finger on the screen. “Isn’t Dan Wetherton the Minister for Social Services?”

He nodded. “He may also be very dead.”

“When did that happen? I didn’t hear anything on the news about it—not that I’ve had much chance to listen to updates recently.”

Amusement flitted briefly through his eyes. “That’s because, officially, the minister is alive and very well.”

She took a moment to absorb this. “Another clone.”

“Another clone,” he agreed.

“But which one is the clone? The dead one or the live one?”

“The body I discovered is still undergoing tests, so we’re not sure which is which yet.” His breath brushed warmth across her face. “It’s interesting to note that Wetherton’s donation is a lot larger than some of the others.”

“Paying for life? Or maybe a form of afterlife?”

“Maybe.” He paged down, stopping when he came to more well-known names. “Rob Garbott, the State Minister for Police and Emergencies. And David Flint, our newly elected Prime Minister.”

She frowned. “Isn’t Flint against cloning?”

He nodded. “Look, though. No donation amount. His name is highlighted instead.”

“And Garbott’s been ticked. Wonder what that means?”

“Maybe you could ask your partner when you see him tomorrow night.” Though the comment was made in the blandest of voices, she had a feeling he was being sarcastic.

“Maybe I will.” She leaned forward again. “General Lee Hagan. He’s also highlighted.”

“Hagan’s a very influential figure in the army. He’s also a key figure in the military’s investigations into cloning and gene manipulation.”

She began to get a very bad feeling about this list. “You don’t suppose they’re being set up for some type of hit?”

“It’s possible. Maybe if they can’t subvert them willingly, they just intend to kill them and replace them.” His gaze met hers, his expression grim. “If that’s the case, this is Sethanon’s doing, not Kazdan’s.”

She had to agree. Jack was never one to sit around and plan, especially to this degree. He was more your react-now-and-think-later type of guy. “If they intend to replace these men with clones, it would have to mean they’ve found a way to imitate the original’s behavior patterns.”

“And Wetherton might just be their first success story.”

“But surely a clone couldn’t simply step into someone’s life without anyone noticing. I mean, even if someone had found a way to transfer memories, surely there’d be personality differences.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know the how of it. I just know what I saw—and that was one very dead Minister for Social Services.”

“But they can’t transfer memories and personality, because it’s all controlled by the …” Her voice faded. No, she thought, it couldn’t be that simple, surely. “What?” Gabriel said immediately.

“What if they didn’t transplant memory?” she said slowly.

“What if they actually transplanted the entire brain?”

He frowned. “Brain transplants are certainly possible—”

“And the brain,” she cut in, “controls all body functions, including memory and personality.”

“Yes, but why would anyone go to the trouble of transplanting their brain into a body the same age as the original? That makes no sense.”

“Unless there was something wrong with the original.”