The ‘for now’ was unspoken yet audible.
Tony shrugged. “He will live for as long as we need him to live.”
A grin started to slip onto his face, but he frowned at the sound of a sudden sharp inhale that he believed had come from one of the patient rooms in back.
“Sounds like Doc is awake,” Tony said with head shake.
“The man is…an odd one…that’s for sure,” Zane mused.
“He’s Scottish,” Foxx laughed. As if the man being Scottish explained his weirdness. It didn’t…but he was sure to Foxx it did. Or rather than making sense, Foxx likely just had fun riling the man up, as Doc seemed to like to harp on about the fact that the vampire was British.
“Zane, manners,” Santiago snapped harshly, the words a growl of warning.
“Worry not, Santiago,” the man himself said, yawning widely as he took a few stumbled steps out of the hallway. A tall black-haired werewolf, that may have been another of Santiago’s relatives, seemed to be following hesitantly behind him, like he was prepared to catch the man if he fell.
“Maybe you should sleep a bit more,” the unknown wolf suggested.
“Nonsense!” Doc huffed with a sniff. “Anyway, as I was saying, I take no offense. On the other hand, as for you, you British bastard, you can kiss my Scottish ass.”
Foxx stuck his tongue out.
The other vampire snorted, before holding out his hand and demanding, “Well, give it to me!”
“Ah.” Foxx held out the small trunk he was carrying. “We told him to take us to his car and cleared out his stash.”
The wolf beside Doc grabbed the trunk from Foxx before the other vampire could. Doc huffed and rolled his eyes, but didn’t try to take it from him.
“Santiago, your pack lands are contaminated with the poison,” Harlow stated. “I had him tell us what his commands were, and basically all he did there. He sprayed each and everybuilding, some twice, and any larger structure he found in the area. I don’t know how long it will last…but your pack can’t go back right now.”
“I mean, you made it so we were all dead, right?” Santiago said with a slow sigh.
He nodded. “Yes. He convinced Maverick that we found them all dead. We now just need to fake a news story.”
“That’s going out soon,” Tony informed them. “We will be vague, not mentioning any names. So that when it is safer, you can go back without having to deal with explaining it to your loved ones that are not in the pack.”
Doc yawned loudly again, before saying, “By the time you can head back, it's likely the poison would have dissipated. Though, once I have a counteragent, we can inoculate your people so it won’t matter anyway.”
Santiago grimaced. “On thinking further about this plan…I worry that us going quiet will…after some time, cause some to investigate.”
Tony cursed. “That is a concern. I will work on getting some sort of blockade in place before anyone is likely to start to worry.”
“How long is he going to stay hypnotized?” Zane asked, derailing the conversation.
Doc glanced back. “Oh…no worries. He can stay hypnotized as long as we need him to be. I developed a concoction in the 60s that will force a human’s mind into a trance-like state. It will allow any vampire to control them without worrying about the limits, or any of those pesky shields.”
Tony’s face pinched. “I didn’t hear that.”
“Of course not, my friend,” the vampire doctor chuckled. “I’d never do something so obviously illegal.”
The human sighed. “Just go back to work, you sleep deprived demon.”
Doc just grinned in response. “Come, Felix. We have work to do.” The man spun and almost toppled over.
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep for a few hours?” Felix gasped, the werewolf now holding the truck with one hand, using the other to keep the vampire steady as they wandered off into the back.
“Stubborn Scottish bastard,” Foxx snorted.
“You two!” Tony snapped.
