than capable of making the decision to procure the stuff, but Mitchell liked being a hands-on kind of CO. He wanted to know exactly what his men were counting on to bring them back from every mission. He observed as the R&D team put each new prospective item through its paces and ran every possible scenario conceivable. Light weight, durable, and strong enough to withstand teeth, claws and projectiles was the name of the game. Fire proof was a plus, but no matter what, it could not, under any circumstances, limit their range of motion. That’s a tall order to fill, but with due diligence, the best of the best was found.
Mitchell just didn’t like having to pay for it. The ‘toys’ as the oversight committee was so fond of calling their equipment, were getting more and more expensive, and with the devastating blow MS4 took in south Texas, their return on investment wasn’t looking too great. He kept hoping that they could find a ‘cure’ shot…an anti-virus to their main enemy – the vampires – that, when shot, would either kill them instantly or return them to their previously human state. That was what Doctor Peters was working on before the morons on the oversight committee d emanded he couldn’t be trusted and decided he should be starved to death. Starved to death! Hah! How do you starve something that is already dead? Mitchell thought. He had half a mind to start feeding the man himself…correction, the creature. Peters stopped being a man the night he was infected. Yet, there was something about him that Mitchell found agreeable. Matt couldn’t explain it, but he did trust him. Laura trusted him. And he felt that Peters was close to finding them a usable weapon against the blood suckers.
A knock at the door broke his chain of thought. “Come,” Mitchell stated.
Laura walked in and made straight for the single malt. She poured herself half a glass and sat in the chair facing Mitchell. Matt waited for her to give a clue why she was there, but she never met his eyes. She simply downed the glass and allowed the amber liquid to burn her throat and warm her belly. She waited a moment to see if it would give her more courage, but she found that it didn’t. If anything, it made her slightly more nervous. Matt sat back in his chair, slightly intrigued at Laura’s unorthodox behavior, yet he still waited. He knew his ex-CIA officer well enough that she would tell him whatever was on her mind when she was ready, but this behavior was definitely not her usual.
She stood to pour another glass. While her back was still to him she asked, “Care to join me?”
“What’s the occasion?” Matt asked, not sure he really wanted to know.
“Maybe the end of my career,” Laura stated cautiously, her back still to her Commanding Officer.
Matt was silent for a moment. Then flatly he said, “If that’s the case, make mine a double.” Laura poured him a glass to match hers and handed it to him. They both sat in silence a moment longer. Neither drank the scotch she had prepared, but Matt allowed her time to prepare whatever it was she was about to tell him.
“I fed Evan,” she said softly.
Matt sat there quietly, staring into the amber liquid in his glass. He surprised her by not exploding instantly. Rather, he took a drink of the scotch and sat back in his chair. “What happened?”
Laura finally made eye contact with him. He didn’t appear angry at all. Rather, he seemed more curious. “The clinic was tossing outdated IV blood. I offered to take it to the incinerator. Instead, I gave it to Evan. I just couldn’t bear the thought of him being…like…that anymore.”
“And…” Matt asked again.
“And…he got better. With just four bags of outdated blood he looks almost as well as the day we escorted him in there.”
“What am I supposed to do with this information, Laura?” Matt swallowed the rest of his drink to give her a moment to actually think about the position he was now in. “If I allow
Mitchell just didn’t like having to pay for it. The ‘toys’ as the oversight committee was so fond of calling their equipment, were getting more and more expensive, and with the devastating blow MS4 took in south Texas, their return on investment wasn’t looking too great. He kept hoping that they could find a ‘cure’ shot…an anti-virus to their main enemy – the vampires – that, when shot, would either kill them instantly or return them to their previously human state. That was what Doctor Peters was working on before the morons on the oversight committee d emanded he couldn’t be trusted and decided he should be starved to death. Starved to death! Hah! How do you starve something that is already dead? Mitchell thought. He had half a mind to start feeding the man himself…correction, the creature. Peters stopped being a man the night he was infected. Yet, there was something about him that Mitchell found agreeable. Matt couldn’t explain it, but he did trust him. Laura trusted him. And he felt that Peters was close to finding them a usable weapon against the blood suckers.
A knock at the door broke his chain of thought. “Come,” Mitchell stated.
Laura walked in and made straight for the single malt. She poured herself half a glass and sat in the chair facing Mitchell. Matt waited for her to give a clue why she was there, but she never met his eyes. She simply downed the glass and allowed the amber liquid to burn her throat and warm her belly. She waited a moment to see if it would give her more courage, but she found that it didn’t. If anything, it made her slightly more nervous. Matt sat back in his chair, slightly intrigued at Laura’s unorthodox behavior, yet he still waited. He knew his ex-CIA officer well enough that she would tell him whatever was on her mind when she was ready, but this behavior was definitely not her usual.
She stood to pour another glass. While her back was still to him she asked, “Care to join me?”
“What’s the occasion?” Matt asked, not sure he really wanted to know.
“Maybe the end of my career,” Laura stated cautiously, her back still to her Commanding Officer.
Matt was silent for a moment. Then flatly he said, “If that’s the case, make mine a double.” Laura poured him a glass to match hers and handed it to him. They both sat in silence a moment longer. Neither drank the scotch she had prepared, but Matt allowed her time to prepare whatever it was she was about to tell him.
“I fed Evan,” she said softly.
Matt sat there quietly, staring into the amber liquid in his glass. He surprised her by not exploding instantly. Rather, he took a drink of the scotch and sat back in his chair. “What happened?”
Laura finally made eye contact with him. He didn’t appear angry at all. Rather, he seemed more curious. “The clinic was tossing outdated IV blood. I offered to take it to the incinerator. Instead, I gave it to Evan. I just couldn’t bear the thought of him being…like…that anymore.”
“And…” Matt asked again.
“And…he got better. With just four bags of outdated blood he looks almost as well as the day we escorted him in there.”
“What am I supposed to do with this information, Laura?” Matt swallowed the rest of his drink to give her a moment to actually think about the position he was now in. “If I allow
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