The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(89)

“Agreed,” Omondi answered. “We’ll speak again tomorrow night. Dismissed.”

The feed was cut off abruptly.

Maria sighed wearily.

“Do you think he’s lying for them? Or are they lying to him?” Denman asked.

Shrugging, Maria settled back in her chair. “I’m not sure about any of this anymore.”

Denman rubbed the top of his head, mussing his short brown hair. “We’re doing the right thing clearing the valley.”

“I agree.”

“But I strongly suspect the SWD didn’t fully understand the modified virus they gave us. We’re their grand experiment.”

“Their greatest success so far,” Maria said.

“I am concerned about what happened to Jameson and your tears.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Not yet. So far all the tests have shown is that the virus is now allowing your body to produce tears and saliva. Nothing else has changed.”

“It’s nice not having a dry mouth,” Maria observed, smiling slightly.

“But why this change? Why now?” Denman clutched his fist, pressing it to his lips. “This isn’t making sense.”

“I’m dreaming.”

“What?”

“I’ve been dreaming for a week.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Are you sure?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “I feel different when I revive. More alive.”

“I should set up a scan for when you enter torpor.”

They both started when Maria’s console beeped that there was an incoming message. She answered immediately and was surprised when Dr. Curran’s face filled the screen and not Chief Defender Omondi’s.

“Dr. Curran, this is unexpected.”

“Vanguard Martinez, I’m glad I caught you before you entered torpor.”

Like Dwayne, the doctor appeared to have aged in the last few months. Dark circles shadowed her eyes and the lines around her lips had deepened.

“How can I be of service, Dr. Curran?” Maria tried to keep her voice neutral, but a hint of her hostile feelings toward the doctor crept into her words.

Dr. Curran gave her a weary, yet sardonic smile. “I am contacting you for a variety of reasons. I should let you know now that we are on an encrypted channel and no one knows I have contacted you directly.”

Maria lifted her eyebrows. Questions flitted across her mind, but she opted not to speak, and just listen. It was best to be silent and allow Dr. Curran to say her piece. Maria was far too on edge to be truly civilized.

Dr. Curran waited for Maria to speak, but when she didn’t, she plunged ahead. “I am still examining Special Constable Jameson and have fully reviewed the scans and reports you sent me. This was the first I was informed of Special Constable Jameson being attacked and bitten by one of the Scrags.”

“I sent a detailed report to the SWD when it occurred,” Maria protested.

“As I said,” Dr. Curran said rather crossly, “this is the first I have heard of the attack on Jameson.”

“Did you hear about the attack on me?”

“Were you bitten?”

“No, but the Inferi Anomaly who attacked me tried to bite me. He also spoke. Just like the one who bit Jameson.”

“Inferi Anomaly?” Dr. Curran arched an eyebrow.

“It’s what I’ve been calling the two Scrags that attacked us. Both appeared to be trying to bite and devour flesh. And they both spoke. They’re not like the other Scrags. I’m fairly sure the second one was actively hunting us.” Maria quickly detailed both attacks in her own words. Denman slipped out of his chair and stood on the other side of her console, out of sight of Dr. Curran, listening intently.

“You’re certain they spoke? Both of them?” Dr. Curran was scribbling notes on her pad.

“We reported this previously,” Maria said, exasperated.

“I remember that Mr. Petersen told you that you were imagining things, but I didn’t…” Dr. Curran’s voice faded away as she quickly wrote, her stylus flashing in the lamplight in her office. “And Jameson is the only one that has been suffering the reported symptoms, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct. None of the rest of the Boon on my squad is suffering hunger pains or has scans similar to the ones that Medical Specialist Denman took of Jameson.” Maria watched the blond woman rapidly writing and dared to look toward Denman. He pointed to his eyes and then to Maria.

“What is going on with Jameson, Dr. Curran?” Maria asked.

Dr. Curran returned her gaze to her vid screen and regarded Maria thoughtfully. “A mutation of the ISPV.”

“And this wasn’t expected, I take it?”

“No, it was not,” Dr. Curran admitted. “The Inferi Anomalies and Jameson have hunger and limited language skills in common. Is there anything else you noted?”

Hesitating for a moment, Maria ignored Denman as he mimed at her. “Jameson appeared more…human than the Anomalies. Alive. He was weeping and his face was flushed.”

“An astute observation.” Dr. Curran sighed and made more notes.

Maria had the strong desire to reach through the transmission and rip the pad out of her hands.