James Born - Burn Zone

He had undergone similar treatments in the past, all with little or no effect other than causing the lying doctors to meet a painful end. He thought those days were behind him until he had looked this young doctor in the face and realized that if he had traveled this far for a treatment that this man guaranteed would stop his hair growth and it didn't work, he would kill this man as well. Perhaps right here in his little office in this small tourist town.

Pelly leaned back in the chair, amused by the man's Catalán accent. He sounded a little like Yosemite Sam from the cartoons he had watched as a child. He closed his eyes to relax and thought of Lina. The same thoughts he had had for some time. If he were not more wolflike than manlike, if he had a comfortable estate in Europe and South America, would she consider coming to him? He could dream. He wasn't so foolish to think she could be trusted, but he could dream.

He jumped as the small needle touched his hairy cheek. This had better work, for this doctor's sake.

Alex Duarte sat in the chair in front of Alice Brainard's desk. Having been home almost a week, he had not seen her as much as he wanted. His bosses as well as the DEA had questions, but the Department of Justice had handled most of it, explaining that Duarte was under a court order not to speak of the incident.

Alice, like the helpful champ she was, had run all the DNA tests Duarte had asked her to.

Now she looked serious, her easy smile absent. "I have the results on everything."

Duarte nodded. "I'm listening."

"The sample from the cigarette matched the blood under Gastlin's fingernail."

Duarte let out his breath. "So it was definitely Staub."

"And the hair matched the blood sample you sent me."

Duarte caught himself. He knew that Alice might suspect that the samples came from Félix and that the blood he took from Forrest Jessup's house the night he was murdered meant that in their brief scuffle Duarte had shot his friend in the arm. He didn't want to confirm Alice's suspicions. Félix was being honored as the great DEA agent that he was. Duarte didn't want anything to tarnish that. He had taken the murder of his informant so hard that it had broken him. Gastlin's death had been a burn zone on his soul. But it didn't change the fact that he had given his life to save others.

Duarte finally said, "How hard would it be to just trash all the results?"

"Like they never existed?"

"Yeah. Can you do that?"

"If I beat up on the DNA scientist who developed the samples, yeah, I could forget you ever gave them to me."

He smiled as he found himself leaning across the desk and kissing Alice on the lips. That was a first for him on duty.

That night he waited a few minutes later than usual before arriving for dinner. His brother was already in the main house and he walked around to the front door. As he opened it, he heard his ma say, "Alex, is that you, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Ma."

"Why are you using the front door?"

"I brought a guest. Is that okay, Ma?"

His mother stepped into the formal living room, which had never once been used, and looked out toward the door. She stopped as the smile washed over her face.

Duarte said, "Ma, this is Alice."

His mother started to reach out her hand then took an extra step and embraced the bright blond forensic scientist.

Alice returned the hug.

Duarte heard his father coming down the stairs. Before he even was in sight, he said, "Alex, did you do good work today?"

Duarte didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir. I did good work today."