Page 50 of Victorious

On a third, the camera feed jumped and shuddered, as if buffeted by a force.

“ExtraOrdinaries,” confirmed Helena. “EON was created to hunt down, capture, and contain them. In short, to neutralize the threat they pose to society at large.”

Gabriel’s gaze slid across the screens. “Have all of them committed crimes? Or is their imprisonment preemptive?”

“Most have. The others likely will. They’re dangerous. Whether they mean to be or not, the fact remains, they are weapons fettered by human minds. Human psyches. Which brings us to your role.” Helena rapped her fingers on the table. “I answer to a board, half of whom would prefer to see the EOs executed, while the other half wants to weaponize them.”

“And you?” asked Gabriel. “What do you want?”

Helena met his gaze. He watched something—the truth, most likely—flit across her face before she answered. “I want to know if they can be controlled, or if they’re more trouble than they’re worth. To do that, I need to know what makes them tick. Why they alone were able to cheat death.”

Gabriel nodded and rose, adjusting his glasses.

He rounded the table, stepping past the director to study the people on the screens. Each a patient. A case study. A data point. “What can you tell me about them?”

“The EOs are unique, but they do seem to share some common traits.”

That sparked Gabriel’s interest. He and Paul had been so different. “Such as?”

“They are generally more volatile than ordinary humans, more prone to violence. They also … care less. They are more likely to act out, and less likely to think twice about it.”

Gabriel saw the scalpel in his hand. How easily it cut across the other doctor’s throat. The sense of detachment.

“Perhaps it has something to do with what they’ve been through,” continued Helena. “What they’ve survived in order to come back.”

Gabriel turned back toward the director.

“You said that all these … EOs were the result of a near-death experience. That means, for a period of time, at least, their brains lacked oxygen. The frontal lobe is considered the seat of impulse control. If it were damaged, that might explain the altered state.”

Helena nodded. “The other mystery surrounds their powers. They appear unique, but as far as we can tell, they’re not arbitrary. They’re rooted in something. Some part of the experience.”

“Have you thought of asking them?”

Her mouth twitched in a grim smile. “So far, none have been forthcoming.”

“I can’t imagine why,” said Gabriel dryly. He turned back to the wall, scanning the cells. A flawed model. Few people thrived in isolation. “Perhaps if you treated them like patients instead of prisoners.”

“They’re here because they pose a danger to society.”

“So do humans,” countered Gabriel. “But we still find a use for them. People need purpose.”

Helena’s mouth tightened. “My predecessor, Stell, shared that sentiment. He thought their power could be harnessed, and put to use, in the service of EON. Fighting fire with fire, and all that.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was murdered,” she said flatly. “By an EO. Admittedly, not one of his. But suffice to say, his experiment was discontinued.”

Unfortunate, thought Gabriel. It would have provided a fascinating point of comparison.

“There will be no future candidates,” continued Helena. “But I did make an exception for his two existing agents. I’ve allowed them to continue serving among our ranks.”

Gabriel’s surprise was evident. “And they move freely?”

“They’re closely monitored,” she said. “All staff are. But yes. They’ve been allowed to continue their missions. So far, they’ve shown nothing but loyalty.”

“Could I speak with them?”

She shook her head. “Field agents aren’t stationed here.” Her fingers slid along the tablet, and he noticed several faces sliding past. “But it looks like you’re in luck. One of them has recently returned from a mission.” She pursed her lips. “Albeit an unsuccessful one.”