ball that syringe and snatch it up. For your Daughter, no?”
“Yes,” he said, biting his tongue.
“Well, then maybe you can explain my
problem then.”
“What?”
Brinks clicked on the projector. It
showed a map of the town Middletown, Connecticut next to their city of Amherst, Massachusetts. Several red dots crowded the two cities. “This shows my plan becoming intact. Just
one problem: It’s not supposed to be here! Now
I know you didn’t mean for it, let alone, I was
not very honest about what that green liquid
was. It was meant to be tested elsewhere.”
“What are those dots?”
“Everyone that has been infected with
the CBH virus. I am able to track it, because anyone who becomes a Fledge is instantly trackable. Inside the blood of a Fledge is Nano transmitters. They are tiny tracking mechanisms.
When activated, they send out frequency waves
making it possible to track them here with my
Tracking Software. Only I have the equipment
to know if someone gets the disease, and the
ability to know who is who.”
“So, the dots,” he coughed, “are people.”
“They are no longer people.”
“My Daughter?”
“A Fledge now. A blood-thirsty monster
as result of the Cure for Being Human virus.”
He slammed his back to the chair.
“Dammit. Why didn’t you tell me?” he
screamed.
“You were never supposed to know.”
“Can we save her?” he held out his
hands like a beggar on the streets. Desperate for
answers, she told him nothing. She kept her
nose in the air, mocking him with her eyes. All
she said was, “No. You gave her a life.”
The word, more piercing than being
shot down by some crush, came out icier than
he had hoped to hear it as. She doesn’t care. She
just wants money, or something. I just want
my baby girl back. With a distraught tug in his
voice, he said, “Please?”
“Nothing can undo what you did. You
may have cured her cancer, but you put your
whole family on a death sentence.”
He squared his shoulders, masking his
pain with a stern expression. “What can I do?”
“What do you mean?” The sudden
change in his demeanor threw her off.
“To help enhance your plan. I want to
take this position permanently.”
She grinned menacingly. “I knew you’d
like this job. Just took some time to warm up to
it is all.”
He watched her giggle at her own joke.
“I have to go home.”
Two flickering dots flashed over the
area he resided. Only Brinks noticed it. “I
wouldn’t if I were you.”
Without looking back, he hollered
down the hall. “I’m keeping my family close to
me. Only I can keep them safe.”
She crossed her arms, and retreated
into her office.
•••
S ilence took over the large one-story home as he
took a few hesitant steps through the open door.
“Christine, are you home? You do know you left
the door open, right?” He waited.
He was soon answered by a soft voice.
“Daddy? You’re home!”
He swung around to the breathless vision of Katie. “Where is your Mother?”
She grinned, showing her teeth. He
gasped at the sight of her canines abnormally
enlarged. “Katie, are you okay?”
“Just a little hungry.”
“Christine!” he said, whipping his head
around.
“She’s sleeping .”
A chill ran up his spine. He didn’t want
to believe what happened. But, now, he knew
his partner wasn’t lying. I thought she was joking!
He pulled his gun out. Katie stared at
the barrel with puppy dog eyes. “Daddy, you
aren’t going to hurt me are you? All because I
am hungry?”
“You’re not Katie!”
Brinks stood between them. “Oh, she
very much is your Daughter.”
“You told me she is now a monster!”
“Yes, she is. She just needs to be
trained.”
“What do you mean?”
Brinks laughed. Katie jumped on her,
baring her teeth and ready to attack. Jack fired
a shot, hitting her dead in the head. He dropped
to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Oh buck up,” Brinks said, dusting imaginary dirt from her shoulders.
“I should kill you next,” he
“Yes,” he said, biting his tongue.
“Well, then maybe you can explain my
problem then.”
“What?”
Brinks clicked on the projector. It
showed a map of the town Middletown, Connecticut next to their city of Amherst, Massachusetts. Several red dots crowded the two cities. “This shows my plan becoming intact. Just
one problem: It’s not supposed to be here! Now
I know you didn’t mean for it, let alone, I was
not very honest about what that green liquid
was. It was meant to be tested elsewhere.”
“What are those dots?”
“Everyone that has been infected with
the CBH virus. I am able to track it, because anyone who becomes a Fledge is instantly trackable. Inside the blood of a Fledge is Nano transmitters. They are tiny tracking mechanisms.
When activated, they send out frequency waves
making it possible to track them here with my
Tracking Software. Only I have the equipment
to know if someone gets the disease, and the
ability to know who is who.”
“So, the dots,” he coughed, “are people.”
“They are no longer people.”
“My Daughter?”
“A Fledge now. A blood-thirsty monster
as result of the Cure for Being Human virus.”
He slammed his back to the chair.
“Dammit. Why didn’t you tell me?” he
screamed.
“You were never supposed to know.”
“Can we save her?” he held out his
hands like a beggar on the streets. Desperate for
answers, she told him nothing. She kept her
nose in the air, mocking him with her eyes. All
she said was, “No. You gave her a life.”
The word, more piercing than being
shot down by some crush, came out icier than
he had hoped to hear it as. She doesn’t care. She
just wants money, or something. I just want
my baby girl back. With a distraught tug in his
voice, he said, “Please?”
“Nothing can undo what you did. You
may have cured her cancer, but you put your
whole family on a death sentence.”
He squared his shoulders, masking his
pain with a stern expression. “What can I do?”
“What do you mean?” The sudden
change in his demeanor threw her off.
“To help enhance your plan. I want to
take this position permanently.”
She grinned menacingly. “I knew you’d
like this job. Just took some time to warm up to
it is all.”
He watched her giggle at her own joke.
“I have to go home.”
Two flickering dots flashed over the
area he resided. Only Brinks noticed it. “I
wouldn’t if I were you.”
Without looking back, he hollered
down the hall. “I’m keeping my family close to
me. Only I can keep them safe.”
She crossed her arms, and retreated
into her office.
•••
S ilence took over the large one-story home as he
took a few hesitant steps through the open door.
“Christine, are you home? You do know you left
the door open, right?” He waited.
He was soon answered by a soft voice.
“Daddy? You’re home!”
He swung around to the breathless vision of Katie. “Where is your Mother?”
She grinned, showing her teeth. He
gasped at the sight of her canines abnormally
enlarged. “Katie, are you okay?”
“Just a little hungry.”
“Christine!” he said, whipping his head
around.
“She’s sleeping .”
A chill ran up his spine. He didn’t want
to believe what happened. But, now, he knew
his partner wasn’t lying. I thought she was joking!
He pulled his gun out. Katie stared at
the barrel with puppy dog eyes. “Daddy, you
aren’t going to hurt me are you? All because I
am hungry?”
“You’re not Katie!”
Brinks stood between them. “Oh, she
very much is your Daughter.”
“You told me she is now a monster!”
“Yes, she is. She just needs to be
trained.”
“What do you mean?”
Brinks laughed. Katie jumped on her,
baring her teeth and ready to attack. Jack fired
a shot, hitting her dead in the head. He dropped
to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Oh buck up,” Brinks said, dusting imaginary dirt from her shoulders.
“I should kill you next,” he
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