Read Blood Apocalypse - 04 for Free Online Page A

altogether.”
    Rufus shook his head. “ Non , you still misunderstand me, Doctor. In moderation, it can be a wonderful experience for you both. Simply do not allow it to become a regular habit, this is all.” He patted the man’s shoulder knowingly. “Control yourself and watch your friend’s reaction. If she has any inner strength at all, then it will not be a problem for her and the bite can bring the two of you closer together than anything else ever could.”
    Evan nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
    “It was nothing. I am most happy to pass on my limited knowledge to those eager to learn.” Rufus walked over to one of the crates and gestured to it. “With your permission, I will assist you in setting up your lab so that we may continue our work, oui ?”
    Evan nodded. “I would appreciate the help, thank you.”
     

 
    3
     
    Major Flemings escorted Colonel Mitchell across the e xpanse between the Headquarters Building and where the new Operations Center was being assembled. The large concrete building with the flat roof was covered in satellite dishes and antennae and looked like a communications nightmare to the uninitiated.
    As they walked, Matt hoped to recruit the Major into hel ping smooth things over with the contracted security people. “Major, now that you’re aware of my people’s real objective, I’m hoping that maybe you can help me with a problem that has popped up.”
    She paused and looked up at him. “ Another problem has popped up?” she feigned astonishment. “As if the end of the world isn’t enough for you folks, you just have to engineer more drama?”
    Matt flustered a moment before he realized she was poking fun at him. “Actually, this little problem deals with some of your people here at the base.”
    Major Flemings hiked a brow at him and placed her hands on her hips. “I think you mean our people…right, Colonel?”
    Matt flustered slightly and nodded. “Yes, of course, Major, I do mean our people.” He stopped and gave her an apologetic look. “Look, it seems that the security forces here and my oper ators have been having a few run-ins…”
    “Like what happened outside the HQ?” Her face showed her displeasure.
    “Yeah, that’s just one of them.”
    “Or the fact that your men showed up here unannounced, abducted and held a small group of security personnel against their will, stripping them of their weapons and their ability to communicate with their operations center?”
    Matt hung his head. “Yes, that too.” He averted his eyes. “But in both cases, they had weapons drawn on them and the security forces were about to fire before the squads could e xplain what—”
    “How can you know that, Colonel?” Major Flemings asked, cutting him off. “Your men acted so quickly and so blatantly outside of SOPs that we’ll never know, will we?”
    Matt squared his shoulders and stared down at the major. She wouldn’t budge, and he understood defending your own people. He nodded. “Major, I understand where you’re coming from, but I also know my squads,” he began. “If you don’t think that drawing a weapon and aiming it at somebody’s head after they are already on a secure base and after your forces already know that they are here and just because they don’t have some stupid ID badge…if that doesn’t seem just a little over the top to you, then maybe my decision to keep you here to run things wasn’t the best decision after all.
    “Granted, I’ll agree that feathers were already ruffled b ecause my squads overtook a small group of their ‘brothers in arms’ and maybe that wasn’t the best decision at the time—”
    “You’re damned right that wasn’t the best decision at the time,” she barked. “I’ve been working hand in hand with these contractors for years and we’ve never had an issue until you and your people show up. In fact, they’ve been nothing but professional with anybody and everybody we’ve encountered until your hunters