That’s how I found him, still gnawing on her. Only the glimmer in his eyes revealed that it was him.
I was too sick fighting my own changes to save her. Or stop him from leaving.
Mr. Cavendish waves idly, then pulls open a drawer and pulls out a smooth wooden box.
The smell of stale tobacco flushes through the room before he withdraws a tightly rolled cigar.
They always make my stomach roll when he lights one.
“You know how those scientists are. They need more rapids. The ones from before Dire Day are starting to fade in their abilities. And anyone shitting out new ones aren’t letting us know.” He clips the end before puffing smoke as he lights it.
“Yea, people don’t tend to like having their babies stolen.” I keep my words low, knowing how rebellious they are to even utter.
His eyes narrow, nearly hidden by the fat rolls in his cheeks. “They aren’t human, Simmons. Remember that. They’re mutants that help hundreds of people to heal and survive. They’re vital in this war.”
An acrid cloud billows over me, but I tamp down the urge to cough.
“Your assignment had an unique one years ago. The freak has acid for blood or some such. Do you understand how absolutely vital that could be in the fight against the wolves? If we can get lucky enough to get one of those on our side, the dogs know not to attack.” His nose wrinkles. “I bet they can smell it.”
Can’t be any worse than the fumes emanating from his wheezing lungs.
My nose is sensitive enough I can detect the underlying sour rot of cancer somewhere deep in them.
He likely doesn’t even know it yet.
If I’m lucky, he’s too far down the pecking order to get a dose of blood from someone like Jenny to heal it.
His wet hacking just solidifies my suspicions.
The idea of her being drained to treat this asshole makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
“I thought all of the fertility attempts have failed in house?” Taking tiny breaths through my mouth seems to help dampen the stink. Slightly.
He taps a thread of ash into an overflowing dish on the corner of his desk. “Oh, there’ve been successful fertilizations. Just none with the right kind of mutations so they were terminated.”
Every day I think that this place has reached its limit for insane.
But here I sit, shocked at the new level.
“—so you’ll need to have your charge in Garrison C at fourteen hundred today.” He clears his throat and gestures towards the door.
Today.
It might be time to abandon my search for my little girl and get out with whatever shred of a soul I have left.
And take Jenny with me.
Chapter 3 - Jenny
“Where are we going?”It isn’t a therapy day. Or an operation day.
I’m never allowed to leave my room unless it’s one of those.
Mornings are always for blood letting. Fucking vampires.
Hudson’s footsteps are stiff, and I can hear the subtle grinding of his jaw with every step.
Reluctance.
