The First

Chapter 17

From the crowd's expressions and quick disbursal, the harrowing experience had come to a positive conclusion.

This is only the beginning. Alexa had an idea how bad it could get. The government had linked the satellite imagery via her Smartphone. The screen grew redder by the moment and good deeds such as stopping for every damsel in distress would not get her the specimen she needed to complete her work.

Sweat poured from Ray's brow. His hands went into the air. "I need a drink. See you back in the office."

"No drinking until we..."

She threw her hands up as he waltzed back to the office.

Agent Harris scooted next to her with people still patting him on the back and congratulating him. "It's so hard to find good help these days." The patting on the back continued.

"Good work." Her commendation is all she could give. High five, knuckle bump, hug, kiss ... no way.

"As cliché and dumb as this sound." He straightened his tie and slipped back into his jacket. "This is only the tip of the iceberg."

"I'm afraid she's not going to be the only suicide attempt we see in the next few months. But agent Harris, could we please focus on the task at hand? If you stop for every person who needs your help during this crisis, you're not going to ..."

"I got it."

"No. I don't think you do." She wanted to stand on her tiptoes and look at him in the eye, but even that wouldn't get her there. "Please. Let's get back to work. Look." She held her phone in front of his face."

She didn't mean for him to take it, but he swiped it from her.

"Yeah. They're popping up everywhere, that's for sure. But we can beat this."

Cocky. "It may be possible. If you would get out there and procure my specimen."

He handed her the phone. "And if I can't?"

She didn't think the word existed in his vocabulary. Maybe she'd found a chink in his armor. "The world as we know it will change."

"No shit. We're fucked."

"Maybe." She stuffed her hands into her lab jacket. "Man will prevail. The human race is very good at adapting to change. This too shall pass and mankind will go on, business as usual. But let's not sit on our hands. I have a lab to tend to and you have a lot of work to do." She folded her arms, hoping to put a little stamp on her logic.

"Darlin', that's the best idea I've heard all morning."

Darlin'? Did he really just call me Darlin'?

"Lab. Now." She directed him forward. "You need to learn a few things before heading out on your task."

"Yes, ma'am."

A bit facetious, but she'd take it.

Ray had kicked his feet onto his desk and thumbed his cell phone furiously. "More deadly childbirths in every ..."

"Break's over, kid." Ross flicked his head toward the door.

"You're not the boss of me." Ray scowled and took a sip from a steel flask he had in his drawer.

Alexa put her hands on his desk. "No. He isn't. But I am."

Ray nodded and stood. "What can I do for you?"

"Grab the centrifuge report off the printer, would you?"

"Sure thing." He tipped an invisible hat and disappeared into the stock room, where they kept the printers.