“Well, that’s not good,” said PA Cheryl as she knelt down to take a look.
David Stetson, CREW scientist and top clearance Agent, grabbed her jaw and held it with his left cuffed hand. He tore his right hand from its clasp and reached over to choke her.
PA Cheryl looked up at him in pain and surprise as her jaw snapped. Terror and panic changed her expression from disbelief to panic when he grasped her neck. She struggled a minute or more, but he was strong now. So strong. He held her neck, squeezing harder and harder, until she quit struggling.
David Stetson’s amplified strength allowed him to lift her limp body on top of him. He wanted to feed, yes. But he couldn’t afford it now. He searched her pockets and found the keys to his freedom.
* * *
Moments later, Stetson emerged from his room dressed as a janitor. The guards outside nodded to him. Janitors often came and went; the guards didn’t keep track of them. They were assigned to watch Stetson, after all. Not janitors. David Stetson used PA Cheryl’s smock to carry an array of blood vials. They let him pass.
* * *
Stetson slipped silently up to one of the two guards stationed outside the Agent in Black’s office/hospital room. He’d commandeered a fire extinguisher from a hallway and, without hesitation, brought it down hard at the back of the guard’s head. Fully utilizing his heightened reflexes, he simultaneously pulled the guard’s semi-automatic from his hip holster, and before the second guard could turn around, David Stetson shot him behind his right ear.
* * *
Dr. Robert Kaplan heard the commotion.
He panicked and ignored protocol. The Agent in Black was extremely ill, yes, but Kaplan took it upon himself to open the office door.
Mercifully, Kaplan died instantaneously from the bullet Stetson put between his eyes.
The infected scientist knew there was no time to waste. He crossed the room, lifted the Agent in Black onto his shoulders, and jumped through the office window.
Chapter Twenty-six
We were in the basement.
I watched as my brother and friend devoured two heaping plates of top sirloin, hash browns, eggs and toast. Jared and Anna weren’t too far behind, wolfing theirs down as well. Just one big, freaky family eating in the basement with two of its guests handcuffed to support beams.
I even sat down in the cellar and enjoyed Carla’s great breakfast. Until now, I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was.
Anna sat at the bottom of the stairs, peppering her Uncle Joe and Mike with questions about their well-being. Carla and I listened carefully to their answers, but the two Navy men revealed little. Yes, they were feeling better. Yes, they felt a little weird still, but also super alive. Mike let it slip that he felt stronger than ever, which I should have taken as a good sign, but for some reason, it didn’t sit well with me. Mostly because, a few hours ago he didn’t look fine. He looked murderous.
When Anna was satisfied about their well-being, she started in with a discussion of the space rock. I was pretty sure they told her the truth. Their story was wild, yes, but it made sense.
After breakfast, Carla and I coordinated a trip to the showers for the two LCs. They were filthy, and it was the least we could do. Anna couldn’t watch as we took them back to the cellar, but she blew her uncle a kiss and he caught it, smiling.
I decided that I’d missed enough work. I certainly didn’t feel like working, but I kept my sickness to myself, for now. Also, I knew that someone would put two-and-two together if Anna and Jared didn’t soon show up at the zoo where they both worked and studied.
I promised my brother I’d be back in a few hours, and with more food. He smiled, I thought, a bit too cheerily. Either way, I felt like crap leaving them down there in the basement.
He still wasn’t right. Something was off. I had to be sure he was safe.
Worst brother ever, I thought, as I locked up the house.
Since Carla’s personal car was parked a few blocks away, we parted ways at the driveway, and Anna, Jared and I would hike back up to the observatory. I was tempted to give Carla a hug, but two things stopped me: one, my own awkwardness in front of my daughter, and, two, the fact that I wasn’t feeling well.
After all, whatever I had, I didn’t want to give it to Carla.
* * *
The morning was cool and sunny.
Almost too sunny. I averted my eyes, wishing I had remembered to grab my sunglasses. Birds filled the surrounding trees, twittering loudly. A strong scent of juniper filled the air. I loved juniper. As we hiked, we went over our story should anyone ask. We were all getting over some kind of bug. In a way, this was the truth. Anna agreed not to talk with any more government agents if any approached. She promised to stay with Brice or any one of the other zoo employees, even while doing her homework.
* * *
It was a busy day for everyone.
Carla was emotionally exhausted, but thankful that she had a day shift. She had a feeling she’d be at Jack Carter’s that night. Despite the crazy circumstances, he was growing on her. Big time.
Anna had some work to do at the zoo. She really wanted to go to the observatory, but she’d been given the responsibility of cleaning some of the snakes’ environments. She loved snakes, although Jared did not. He’d gone home to shower and change, making her promise him not to do anything stupid. For once, she kept her promise.
It was a good thing for her that she did.
* * *
I worked a long day inspecting various grounds at both the zoo and the observatory. I also took the time to check my simple living quarters at both places. Both places seemed undisturbed. But that really didn’t mean anything, did it? Not when you were dealing with elite government agents.
Mostly, I felt watched. Maybe it was paranoia, or lack of sleep, or both. I was also feeling progressively worse, and it was all I could do to finish my shift.
I ate ravenously, despite my sickness. It may have been paranoia, too, that cautioned me to use cash. People were tracked all the time by credit card usage, weren’t they?
* * *
Joe and Mike had waited just long enough for everyone to leave the house in Los Feliz. Then Joe pulled a couple of bobby pins out of his pocket that he’d swiped while showering. Years ago, he’d studied to be a locksmith before joining the military. As Joe liked to tell people: there were no locked doors. At least, not with him around. Five minutes later, sweat dripping from his brow, the handcuffs snapped off.
He did the same for Mike, and the two were gone before Lieutenant Commander Joseph Carter’s older brother came back to check on them.
Chapter Twenty-seven