Vice
Fourof my debilitated employees shift nervously in my plush chairs. Thecontradiction was humiliating. The tallest of the men sat to my left.He began to wipe his slippery palms onto his sharp pants nervously.Chole's sitting patiently on the other side of the table as shewaited for me to begin the meeting. Resoundingly, I clear my throatbefore speaking.
"Patient M1-22T has been located and detained.He's now under quarantine. The police picked him up and he was rushedto the hospital. They are not sure if he will make it through thenight, but I can assure you they are working hard to keep him aliveso they can get some answers."
The bantam man beside Choleblurts out nervously,
"I talked to some of the hospital staffless than an hour ago. He won't make it through the night. He will betaken care of."
I nod in his general direction andgrowl,
"How did it happen?"
The lanky, thin man withtranslucent skin empties his throat nervously. His long nimblefingers tap the table to hide his shaking. There is no mistaking thepleading fear nestled in his birdlike eyes when they meetmine.
"I'm not sure what happened. He's been sedated formonths. The infection spread into his eyes so badly they werecemented shut. It was seeping out of his ears. How someone cansurvive a fever of 109 degrees steadily for weeks is beyond ourunderstanding, let alone escape a maximum security facility. He wasso heavily drugged, I'd be surprised if he knew how to speak."
Twobulky hands appear out of the darkness on either side of the elderlyman's seat. A thin silver cord glistens in the faint light as it isjerked across the delicate skin that's draped beneath his chin. Shockimmerses from his beady eyes before they began to beg the othersfrantically. Every face holds it's own emotion. Daren who is squattedbeside the strangling man watches in amusement as his partner pleadsfor his life. The sharp silver wire cuts deeper into his neck,spilling his blood. Revolt turns my stomach when I notice the smirkthat's carved in Daren's cold face as he glared at the now dyingsenior.
Across from Daren sits Chole, who sits unabashed. Shelooks to me with endless void, as if completely oblivious to the manbeing strangled to death before her. She's a beautiful pod but simplylacking vigor. Beside her sits a tenuous man named Rickie, whose faceis green. Cold sweat beads his forehead, causing his ashen bangs tostick to it. Desperate to ignore what's is happening, he jams hisdruggy fingers into the holes in his ears to block out the whimpersthat escape the old man. Gurgling sounds announce deaths approach. The frantic tapping of his feet against the stone floor becomesstagnant when a gasp of breath escapes his thin blue lips. The silverchord slithers back into the darkness when the dead man's headslams against the hard table. Chole startles from the loud sound butquickly regains her simple composure. The annoying clicks of herheels round the table after she rises from her seat. Her glisteningsmile irks me when she grabs the now orphaned coat and begins moppingup the velvety pool of blood. It seeps along the mahogany table andgushes onto my jagged stone floor.
"There is no room formistake! Is that understood," I boom.
All of them nod inagreement.
"Glorified security personnel at Grove's NationalAirport found M1-22T seething in the middle of some waiting lot."
Ithrow my heavy empty glass into the wall behind me before directingthe other two men towards the small door hidden within the shadows ofmy meeting hall.
"You two, can I expect you to do somethingwithout screwing it up?"
They nod in unison.
"Good, Ineed you to get something for me."
