"I don't know what else to say," Michael said with a weary smile. "You've taken a huge risk for my sister. I'm overwhelmed." He sat on Louisa's bed and took her hand. "We're going to get you that paperwork."
He looked back at Harvey and Jonah and said, "I'll have to handle it myself, though. I don't want to waste time explaining it to Greenson Biotech's board, even though I guess I'm running things until my sister's recovered. They'll fall in line."
He probably could have made a simple phone call, but Michael wanted to get this done in person. Harvey had put his life on the line for Louisa, so Michael was ready to give him whatever he needed. Besides, there might be an upside to having a Ghost in his pocket down the line.
Kingston smiled. Michael's face was as easy to read as a picture book. This was going better than he'd hoped. "Just as you say, Mr. Murdoch."
Louisa slept peacefully, as if she'd never been in pain at all, much less near death. She was smiling in her sleep, and Michael could see she was healing quickly. Although the poison had taken its toll, her natural beauty was evident.
"She'll be fully recovered in no time. There won't be a trace of the infection at all," Harvey said, smiling at her.
She began to stir. "Alex," she called softly in her sleep. "Alex…" Her voice was weak but filled with longing.
Michael frowned. He wasn't sure what he had heard. "Lou," he said, "who are you asking for? Who's Alex?" A lover? he thought. Why hasn't he shown his face? Why are you calling out to someone too heartless to come to you? Is he involved in this somehow? Michael was suddenly furious. "When I find this Alex, he's going to have some explaining to do," he said.
"Oh, Alex… I miss you," Louisa murmured with a smile.
Unconscious or not, Louisa was acting like a lovestruck kid—she had been calling for this Alex person over and over. It wasn't like her. "He doesn't miss you, apparently," Michael muttered bitterly. He seemed jealous and resentful.
Michael realized he had spoken aloud. "Forgive me, gentlemen," he said. He felt foolish. "It's been a long day."
"I wonder if she means Alex Ambrose," said Jonah. "I didn't know Louisa knew him. He apparently has a hold on her. He has this way of charming people into doing whatever he says. Something about him drives women like your sister crazy. He's like a drug. I don't get it."
Michael was shocked. "You know this Alex person? If he has anything to do with this… If he's hurt her, I'll—are they involved?" He took a second to calm down. When he spoke again, his voice was low and sharp. "Jonah, tell me everything you know about this guy. I don't care how charming he is. I'll take him out myself if I have to."
"He's supposed to be some kind of martial arts expert. He stole a fortune from… let's say a casino in which I have some interest as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Have you heard of The Paradise? When he went public about the rigged games on the ship, he almost wiped us out. A lot of very dangerous people want him dead." Jonah's voice was thick with anger. "I'm going to find someone to deal with him. If he's got his hooks in Louisa…" He let his voice trail off meaningfully.
"I want to get to the bottom of this, Jonah. We have to get him here so I can interrogate him personally. It looks like we have a common enemy now. I need you to find someone who can take care of this for us—quietly. Whatever's going on, I have to protect Louisa's reputation. She's the public face of Greenson Biotech."
"It might not be that simple. Alex Ambrose isn't some ordinary punk. I sent one of our best operatives to kill him, but she failed." Jonah was still angry that Kendall Payne hadn't taken care of Ambrose. He watched Michael work himself into a rage and saw an opportunity. The Murdoch family could be very useful. Well, he thought, their money and connections could be.
"Harvey," Michael said, "you said you deal with poisons regularly. If you take care of this Alex Ambrose for me, I'll do more than help you set up your clinic. We'll get you an entire lab. We can find a way to make this Grail of yours without involving the Ghosts." His eyes glittered with spite. "And you won't need to use your own plasma to make it. Baltimore's a big city—people go missing every day. You would be in control of production. You could even distribute it yourself. We just need to keep it quiet."
Harvey grinned darkly. "I'm a doctor, Mr. Murdoch, not a killer," he said with a smirk. "I'm not an assassin."
Michael scowled. "Look, Mr. Kingston, I may not know much about these Ghosts, but it's clear that you have the skills and resources to handle Alex Ambrose. I'll even sweeten the deal. If you kill him for me, I'll fund your clinic and the lab personally."
Michael paused to let Harvey consider his offer. "You're a Ghost, after all. Ambrose is just a man, even if he is some kind of 'martial arts expert.' He's a gnat. It wouldn't be any different than, say, euthanizing a lab specimen. Basically, Harvey," he said with a menacing smile, "I'm offering you all the power and influence at my family's disposal. What do you say?"