Harry nods.
"Don't worry about the bill." He comments.
"Healthy Donors are going for 50K live on the black market these days." Harry says, hiding a dour grin.
---
Rick will find that the guest room is tidy, if mostly unused. A fan spins lazily, and shadows dominate-the windows are tinted out.
Judging by the state, if Rick choose to investigate, he will find a little evidence of previous occupants that were perhaps like himself-old business magazines under the bed, a well leafed bible in a corner table, short orange cat hair on the comforter, even a silky black thong lying in a lonely corner of the closet.
A made bed and a broken tv-a few cabinets with old documents, and a desk strewn with files and notes, which he might peruse.
Tim, we're going to need something better than lead. I put two clips into the runner and she kept moving-she was medically dead, so they tell me-but on her feet and 87% combat effective. Or, she could have still taken my head off if you prefer that term.
Electricity seems to effect them more than physical trauma. Incendiaries too. Vee used her Cross, well, to stab one in the eye. That seemed to stop him. Flashbangs work wonders. Harrison is actually carrying a sword for close in work, did you see that? A sword.
We might need to move from direct naturalization to containment before things get worse. You've heard of an oubliette, right? Let's look into developing a strongbox. And more work into chems. Something has to put these things to sleep.
A Vamp without blood is just a fucked up person with the shakes, after all. Might even be better than termination. I don't like to kill people if I don't have to. Especially if it's this FUCKING HARD.
The IOD was founded in 1947, a direct response to the ====== incident-in which ======. Shortly afterward, ========== was authorized and funded by a secret session of congress to investigate 'irregularities' that fell outside of regular government departmental issues. =================
Given the heaviest mandate of secrecy and a generous expense account, the IOD is the Governments first line of defense against 'unrecognized threats'-those defined as =====================================.
=============================================================================================================== has a departmental connection to ====== and ======-which deal with ======================== and ====== respectively.
In ====== the IOD was given a larger aim, a military arm devoted to ====== and given a much more comprehensive role in the government, due to the 'Blood' pandemic. All senior agents have been temporarily put on paid leave, pending reassignment into the new program.
I know we've worked together for most of our lives. I've known you like a brother, ever since the service. This is why it's so hard for me to do this.
But, what they're doing...what they want us to do. I can't live with that. I've served my country for as long as I can remember...there was a time when I thought I was a hero...I'm not going to be part of whats happening now. I've had enough of the needs of the many crap. We're just supposed to toss the donors to the wolves? Let them die? Let the pandemic 'burn itself out'?
That's a cowardly decision-and we both know it. The bloods still on our hands. Inaction is the same as pulling the trigger. They're going to make us into monsters, so they can feel better about it.
I'm done.
I'm so sorry, Tim. I just can't do this anymore.
...I don't know why I'm writing this. It's not like I'll send it.
Deceased is middle aged female, Caucasian, blond hair, blue eyes. 4.9 and 119 pounds. Blood work indicates unknown agent-samples sent to lab. Possible contingent vector. Cause of death is approximately (16) rounds of 9mm caliber to the chest, head and legs. Strange scarring around wounds, as if entry wounds healed somewhat before death. But doesn't matchup with timeline. Organs otherwise healthy. Muscle tissue odd-some sort of waxy buildup.
Subject otherwise in perfect health pre-mortem.
Report forwarded to IOD command. I'm still waiting on Agent Jones statement on the shooting.
Veronica, it's Harry. You only live once, right? After last night, well. Let's make something of it while we can-okay?
~Let's do lunch, big guy. You're paying. Let's go to that Chinese place so the snoops don't see us.
The fair girl went on her knees and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal... I could feel the soft, shivering touch of the lips on the super-sensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two sharp teeth, just touching and pausing there...