Cat Adams - The Isis Collar

The liquid in the syringe started to froth, like it was boiling. Dr. Gaetano held up his hand. “That’s enough. Too much more and the syringe will explode.” Without another word, he slid the needle into the purple skin and slowly injected the drug. Maybe the drug had actually been boiling, because that’s sure what it felt like going in. The searing heat made me gasp for breath and Bruno grabbed my hand. I think I returned his squeeze too hard, because he tensed and his face changed. But he bore the pain and I appreciated it. I did try to ease my grasp, but it was hard to do so because the doctor had moved the needle to a new spot and stuck me again.

He injected the drug in four places in my calf and a final time into my arm. Finally, he spoke again. “We call it Living Dead because that’s what the victims become. It’s what all the cheesy zombie horror movies are based on, but it’s very real. And much more horrifying. Thankfully, there’s a cure and the disease has always been slow to develop and easy to spot by trained mage healers and witch doctors. The only time it gets out of control is in remote villages in third-world countries where the nearest witch doctor is miles away.”

The stinging and searing was washing over me. “Okay. So I’m injected. Now what?” My voice was breathy and my heart was beating so fast I felt it might launch right out of my chest.

Dr. Gaetano was watching my leg with the same fierce intensity I’d seen before, on his son’s face. “Now, we wait.”

14

Dr. Gaetanowas busy typing into a tiny netbook, pausing every few moments to look into a portable microscope. Rizzoli was in the corner, issuing orders by telephone until the results of his tests came back. He’d been exposed. No, I hadn’t bitten him, but the doc wasn’t taking any chances.

Gaetano kept speaking while he typed. “The primary transmission vector of M. necrose, according to field reports from other countries, is saliva introduction to the bloodstream. I haven’t found any sign this strain is any different, which is why I removed the suit.”

“But don’t we need to check out the school, or find anyone I’ve interacted with from there? I mean, I haven’t bitten anyone … that I know of. But those kids—” I didn’t mention there have been times I haven’t remembered things. I didn’t want to think about that.

It was obvious he’d been called from home, from the jeans and polo shirt revealed from beneath the white Tyvek suit. “You’re right, we do need to track down the source, plus anyone Celia might have infected. Exposure was probably two to six months ago, but I don’t think the vampire bite is the cause. I need a list of your sexual encounters in the last six months—specifically anyone who had open sores or unexplained bruises.”

The statement, uttered so matter-of-factly, was so unexpected that I let out a surprised squeak and then coughed. “Um … there aren’t any.”

He raised his eyebrows while lowering his chin, like he didn’t believe me. “Ms. Graves, please. We’re all adults here and this is extremely important. We need to find anyone else who might be infected.”

I understood that. I did. “I’m telling the truth. A kiss here or there, maybe some snuggling, but really—embarrassing as it is to admit—I haven’t had sex with anyone.”

Bruno busied himself with picking up the used syringe with gloved hands and putting it in the sharps container on the wall. He stuffed the remains of the Styrofoam container in after it. But he wasn’t quick enough for me not to notice he was pleased at my admission.

Dr. Gaetano was examining my leg again, blocking my view, and poking at the skin with what felt like calipers. “How about the scars on your chest? How long have you had those?” Wow. He was noticing a lot of things. I had to admit that my V-neck T-shirt did reveal the tops of a series of scars on my chest.

“They appeared after an exorcism.”

Bruno added, “Took two priests, a bishop, and EMTs to bring her back after her heart stopped.”

I had another thought. “I was choked by a demon last year and had claw punctures in my neck. What about that?”

Gaetano shook his head. “We’ve never been able to tie this bacterium to the demonic. So we’ll let that go for the moment unless we can’t find anything else.”

“Honestly, it only started acting up after the bomb at the school.” I blinked. “Wait a sec; she bit me.”

Everyone turned to me, riveted. “Who bit you?”

“Willow, the little girl. When I was carrying her out of the school.”

“How long ago was this?”

I told him. He shook his head. “I can’t imagine that’s an issue, but I’ll want to see the child.”

“That should be easy enough.” Rizzoli slid his cell phone into his pocket. “They have her at St. Anthony’s.”

I shifted, trying to get a better look at him. There was something … odd … about his voice. When I moved, several hairs got caught in the table and were yanked out of my head. Ow. It suddenly occurred to me that I was feeling pain in other parts of my body … because the pain in my leg was less. It made me light-headed and giddy even though I couldn’t see much difference yet. But the lack of pain in my leg made me realize there was pain in other parts of my body. My stomach and shoulder and the small of my back. Had it spread? My heart fluttered nervously. C’mon, antibiotic!

“Can I please sit up now? This table is killing my lower back. I don’t think I’m a danger to anyone. My stomach’s settled and I don’t feel like biting.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I wasn’t hungry, despite the pain. And it wasn’t as sharp a pain as my leg had been.

“I don’t see why we can’t release the bonds,” Dr. Gaetano said. Everyone in the room looked at him, heads spinning like some freaky mix of Thriller meets The Exorcist. “But I still need to get the names of anyone you’ve … kissed , along with any clients you’ve guarded, in the past few months. I understand you’re a bodyguard? As for an event just a few weeks ago, that’s highly doubtful. As I said, the incubation is months long.”

Normally, the question about my clients would be one I couldn’t answer because of the confidentiality agreements I use. But luckily for me, I’d taken a vacation after the closing of the demonic rift and that holiday job from Rizzoli and had just chilled. Other than a jellyfish sting on my arm and a pinched toe from a hermit crab on the beach, it had been a really quiet three months … until the school. “Actually, I haven’t been working much lately. My last job was sort of taxing.” I looked at where Rizzoli had been standing, but he wasn’t there. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“Release her?” Bruno sputtered. “Shouldn’t we be transporting her to a secure facility until the drug takes effect? At the very least, she’ll need physical therapy for months.”

Dr. Gaetano shrugged. “Oh, we’ll be going to the hospital for more tests. No question about that. But I don’t see a reason for restraints at this point. The leg looks remarkably better already. The drug has taken effect, and she probably won’t need therapy. Take a look.”

Everyone looked back at me. I managed to move my head and leg so I could see the pale, unblemished skin. My stomach lurched with a combination of happiness and worry even though my head was still aching. “Whoa. That was fast. Will my head feel better soon?”

Gaetano shrugged. “You don’t follow the normal parameters at all. Whether it’s your siren heritage or the vampire blood, you heal really fast. I’d imagine the pain in your head will eventually fade. Obviously, I’m pleased. I want to take another saliva sample and do more tests at the hospital, but I honestly think we’ve got this licked.”