David Golemon - Ripper

Mendenhall chanced a look at Gloria across from him, but she was deep into conversation with her colleagues and didn’t pay him any mind.

“Thank you Lieutenant Mendenhall and Captain Everett, I think we have a picture of the change this possible pathogen may have caused. Now I think it’s time we get to work.” Bannister looked over at Niles Compton. “I assume you have a clean room we can work in?”

“Dr. Pollock will take you to your new labs; quite a bit has changed since you were here last. There you’ll be set up with anything you may need. One thing I want to make clear ladies and gentlemen is that I want that crap out of my complex as soon as you deem it safe to either destroy or move.”

“That’s why we’re here Niles old friend.”

Gloria Bannister gathered her notes and stood along with her father and other members of the CDC. She happened to look up one last time and smiled at Will. It almost looked as if she wanted to say something, but she shook her head and then followed her father and the others out of the conference room.

Both Niles and Carl looked from Gloria’s back over to the lieutenant. Will tilted his head and then caught himself. He tried to smile as he looked from Everett to Compton, but failed miserably.

“Smart girl,” he said.

“Not bad looking either,” Everett said as he looked over at Compton.

“Cute,” was all Mendenhall could say as he quickly stood and hurried from the conference table with worried eyes following him all the way.

“Are you sure our young second lieutenant didn’t get a dose of that stuff along with Guzman?” Niles asked.

“Whatever Will’s got in his system, although I do suspect it’s chemical in nature, has nothing to do with Perdition, Lawrence Ambrose, or Juan Guzman. Our friend has been overwhelmed by someone he doesn’t understand and he realizes that because of that, he’s attracted to her.”

Niles smiled as he stacked his file folders. “Sounds like you’ve been there before, Captain.”

Everett smiled and stood from the conference table. “I have, and I don’t recommend it.”

With that said, the investigation into Perdition’s Fire began in earnest.

Sarah stood in the open doorway of the clinic’s ten-bed area and watched Farbeaux as he slept. She took a moment and leaned against the doorframe to study the man. With his blonde hair tousled and the way he turned his head from time to time, it was as if Henri were but a small boy lost in a world he couldn’t control. Of course Sarah knew she was only speculating, but she knew the Frenchman wasn’t what he appeared to be. And now that the famous thorn in the side of the Event Group had been caught, she supposed it was true — he was nothing but a lost man who had done a kindness and now was a prisoner. That kindness had been done for her, and it only confused things in her head to the point that she had to know more about him. As she touched the overly large sunglasses and took a tentative step inside, she reminded herself that Henri had killed people — their people — all for the sake of more money and priceless objects. She set her mind to a course and entered the semidark room.

As she approached the bed, one of the security men in the far corner cleared his throat. Sarah looked over and nodded at the man. As she continued, another security man stepped into the doorway she had just left, blocking out the light from the clinic’s offices. She was self-conscious about Jack’s men even seeing her in Farbeaux’s room.

She stepped up to the bed, quietly pulled over a chair, and sat down. She ran a hand through her short brown hair and then eased the glasses back up the bridge of her nose, suddenly self-aware of how she must look. She came here because Henri requested her to, but now she knew she had made a mistake in not allowing Carl to accompany her. She started to rise from the chair.

“My dear Sarah, it must have taken a lot of courage for you to come here unescorted by your rather large navy friend. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it.” Henri reached up and moved a strand of hair back behind Sarah’s left ear. She started to flinch away from his touch, but found she couldn’t. She swallowed as his hand came away.

“I don’t think I have to worry Colonel; Captain Everett seems to be well represented here.”

Farbeaux looked up at the marine standing in the door and the army sergeant sitting in the chair. Both were watching him very closely.

“Yes, I suppose he is,” Henri commented with a smile. “I did notice little Sarah that you didn’t disagree when I said ‘the captain’s men’.”

“Why should I? They are his men.”

“This afternoon I received the distinct impression that Colonel Collins relieved himself of his duties. Is this true?” Henri sat up with some amount of pain showing on his face so he could see Sarah more closely. He would detect a lie if one was told to him. He knew the small woman in front of him had little affinity for that particular sin.

Sarah only looked at Farbeaux through the dark sunglasses. She placed her hands in her lap and took Henri in.

“He did. And yes, it was his choice. Unlike a lot of professional soldiers, and others, Jack had filled up with loathing over war and other things. He needed to step away for a while.”

“A while?”

Sarah didn’t answer the query, but she did start to rise from the chair, and this time Henri reached out and took her hand, making her stop. As he did, the marine at the door took a few steps toward Farbeaux’s bed and the sergeant in the corner stood — his hand was on the holster flap where his nine millimeter was secured.

Sarah looked over and shook her head slightly at the marine. Then she turned and did the same for the sergeant in the corner. They both relaxed. But neither one moved back to their original positions.

Sarah twisted her hand free of the Frenchman’s grip. “What did you want to see me for, Colonel?”

“Please, sit,” he said as his eyes looked up and into his own reflection in her sunglasses. That was a view Henri never liked — one of himself.

Sarah took in a deep breath and then slowly sat down once more. She adjusted her glasses and then looked at Henri. “I have a lot of work to do, Colonel, and I still have plans to track Jack … er, uh, Colonel Collins, down before the night is over.”

Farbeaux smiled. “I doubt very much if his resignation will affect the way he feels about you, dear Sarah.”

“I know that, as it won’t affect the way I feel about him. He’s the love of my life, Henri; I want you to know that.” Sarah watched the former French commando for a reaction. His smile remained, but as for understanding what she had just stated, there was no way she could know.

Henri looked over at the two security men who just stood watching the exchange. He held his hand up so they could see, and then he slowly reached out and removed Sarah’s sunglasses. He held them as he examined her face. The large bandage covering the bridge of her nose and the blackened and bruised eyes shocked the Frenchman and for a moment he lost his smile. He reached up and touched McIntire’s cheek and tried once more to bring back the ghost of a smile he had just a moment before.

Sarah tried not to flinch at his touch, but she did and she resented her weakness. She touched his finger and then took hold of his hand and lowered it.

“Colonel … Henri,” she said, remembering that Jack, the man Farbeaux wanted to kill, never called Farbeaux by his last name, but mostly by his given name. “Thank you for coming after me. I … I don’t know what to say, and I don’t know why you did it. But thank you,” she finally said the words and then she released his hand and stood.