The First

Chapter 11

"Sumbitch." Sheriff Lawson's jaw went slack. His double chin covered most of his lapel. "Is that what I think it is?" He wobbled over to the janitor and shined his own flashlight on the object.

"I know, it's incredible?" The janitor reached inside the metal ventilation tubing.

"Stop!" Ross grabbed the man's thick arm. "We need the skin for testing and it can't be contaminated by human touch."

The janitor wiped his hands off on his pants as if he thought he could give it another go.

"No one is to touch this but the men in the Tyvek coveralls. They'll bag it and tag it and I'll rush it up to the hospital since it seems we're short on helicopters." Ross ushered the janitor and several sheriff deputies back a few feet.

"The hell you are." Sheriff Lawson stepped in front of Ross. "If you feds think you're gettin' first crack at this. You've got shit for brains."

"Listen, Sheriff. This might be our only chance to study one of these creatures' DNA. Our scientist knows her stuff and with this kind of genetic evidence ... she might find a solution tomorrow."

"Is this really happening all over the world, like they said on the news?" The janitor wrestled around with something in his pocket. Not a weapon, something else. Perhaps a token of some sort to calm his nerves.

"That's classified information."

Sheriff Lawson frowned. "You shouldn't try and keep people in the dark, federal agent man. It's all over the news. Classified? 'Bout as classified as my left ass cheek." He humphed.

Hard-headed sheriffs; needles being driven into him over and over again. Same thing in about every case he'd ever been on. Except for Sheriff Murdock. That one was a firecracker and will go down in history as one of the best weekends in his life. But this guy, he needed a lesson in law enforcement etiquette. "You don't get it, do you?" Ross glared into Sheriff Lawson's eyes.

"I get it all right. You ass munches think you can do whatever you want with my crime scenes."

"This isn't about you or me or the feds. It's about the entire fucking human race. Our women are bearing monsters. Not kids. Not babies. If we don't find a cure or some sort of solution, humanity will be fucking lost. So yes! Gimme that thing, it's going to my scientist. She's the best at what she does and the sooner you hand over the evidence, the sooner my scientist can save the world. You okay with that?'"

The sheriff's face blanched. Ross thought if he got any hotter under the collar, he'd set off the fire alarms. With a deep inhale and long exhale, his natural-dark skin returned. Ross waited for what was sure to be a colorful rebuttal. Instead, the sheriff stepped to the side. "When you put it that way, I ain't gonna stuff my boot up humanity's ass. Take it. We'll pray your genius can come up with a way to stop this. For fuck's sake, my niece is pregnant."

"Thank you. We all have a stake in this." Ross pulled the latex gloves on and took the bio-hazard bag a sheriff's deputy had held out to him.

"You sure we shouldn't put it on ice or something?" the Sheriff asked.

"No. I don't think so. Does someone have the tongs?" Ross couldn't take his eyes off of the hunk of flesh in front of him. Somehow, it screamed evolution.

A forensic specialist in a biohazard suit handed him the tongs. He thought maybe he should be wearing one too, but figured if he didn't touch it, he should be fine.

"Like a damn snakeskin." The janitor inched forward and watched Ross lower the husk into the bag.

"Or a lizard," one of the deputies interjected.

"Gentlemen." The sheriff held out his stubbed arms. "What we have here is the next missing link. Whatever shed this skin is still alive and probably bigger. But what are we looking for now, a giant baby?"

Ross shrugged. "I don't think so."

The technician zip-tied the bio-hazard bag and handed it back to Ross. "Thanks. Maybe we should be looking for a toddler."

Sherriff Lawson sat on a bench seat at one of the tables. "Now, that makes perfect sense."

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