The Infected [Books 1-6]

by P. S. Power

  “All of that's bullshit and you know it. Tell me what you want to know and I'll answer. Keep screaming and I'm going to go and get something to eat. Congressional investigator or not, you don't trump the Bill of Rights. Now, do you want to play nice, or do you want to play with yourself?”

  Either worked for Denis as long as the guy didn't actually whip it out right in front of him. That would be terrifying to say the least. The man fumed for another five minutes but finally calmed enough to ask his questions. Angrily, but Denis could work with that.

  No one had said the guy had to like him after all. Most people didn't. It probably would have been off-putting if the man had come in being all buddy-buddy with him anyway. Hopefully being a prick to this guy and his little killer soldier buddy or whatever the hell the hard man turned out to be, wouldn't get him thrown back in lock-up. That would suck, because these a-holes had actually asked for it. A lot more than just that even. Normally he was the only one that fit that bill in a given room. It...

  Kind of showed him why being polite worked better, didn't it? Was this the way everyone thought he was all the time? Blustering and bullying people like that?

  The questions were simple and he just said what he'd heard over the phone. Marcia and Lancaster hadn't wanted to turn the Infected attackers over, but also didn't want to have to fight the police force for them while they still had a crowd to control, since that was a Federal mandate. So to keep the peace, they made the guy agree to sign something to the effect that he'd been warned it might be a bad plan. Denis hadn't seen the sheet of paper, but that didn't really matter. The words had all been said, and Argos and Marcia had been surrounded by about fifty cops at the time.

  “I was keeping the crowd calm just then and about half a mile back, so I only heard what came over the phone.”

  The man smiled suddenly, a wicked thing. Like he'd found a nugget of information to exploit.

  “A half mile you say? Marcia Turner said it was closer to a quarter mile and Daryl Lancaster agreed. Are you saying that they're lying or you are?”

  Denis laughed then.

  “That's the best you got? Obviously I'm not a military pro at range finding. Never even a Boyscout. I only even know to call it that because Lancaster and Turner used the phrase several times. Me being poor at judging distances doesn't make it a lie and you know it. Obviously if they say a quarter mile they're right and I'm wrong, they're experts at that kind of shit, I'm just me... Tell me general, have you stopped beating your wife yet? Still locking the kids in the closet?”

  The man didn't fall for the bait, but the point was made solidly enough. Leading questions wouldn't fluster him into making mistakes. They wouldn't of even if he'd been lying. Telling the truth like he had been the story practically flowed out.

  Then the man tried to ask everything again. Denis held out his hand as his stomach growled.

  “New questions only please. The eighty-three iterations of the same thing only works with morons and on television cop shows. I told you the truth already, so we can move on. Got anything new for me?”

  The man promptly tried to rehash the half mile, quarter mile thing.

  Denis had to smother a laugh. It wasn't funny, but he couldn't help it.

  “OK, I think we're done here then. Director Moore, I need to get some food and water. If either of these gentlemen has a real question to ask, a new one, please have them submit the question to me in writing. I don't promise to answer, but I will if I get the time, schedule permitting.” That was about as nice as he could get for people that wanted to intimidate him from the get go.

  General Harvesh stood, fists clenched.

  “Ha, well if you refuse to cooperate with this investigation we'll have to place you under arrest!” A chubby finger stuck off a hand that looked like a piece of ham. After a second Denis realized he might be a bit more hungry than he'd realized. He smiled menacingly himself.

  “I don't think so.” He said back quietly. “You don't have that power here. Besides, I have cooperated and for my trouble had a gun pulled on me, and had first my life threatened, then my freedom. Illegally, I might add. No, what you're going to do is admit that some stupid cop overstepped his abilities because he didn't want to trust the “Dirty Infected” and now your own bigotry is trying to get you to do the same thing. I'm offering to answer any new and real questions you have. Yes, I stole your march and took away your little plan to run over me. I did it on purpose. I can keep doing it, and there's very little you can do about it unless you pull back and start acting like a real person.” He managed to stop there and keep from adding that the guy was a fucking prick and probably closet homo besides.

  The first part was just true, of course. The homosexual bit didn't have bearing on the situation at all and would just be name calling, true or not.

  The general, enraged, stormed out, his military buddy behind him, when the hard looking man got to the Director he punched a finger into the older man's chest, aimed right for the sternum. The Director just smiled.

  “We deal with civilian law here, not military. That's assault. Come to think of it, it's assault under military law as well. I don't think you want to see what happens if you assault the Director of the IPB twice captain.” The man stepped back.

  “Where's my fucking side arm.” It came out very close to an angry growl.

  The Director handed it back carefully, it having been tucked gracelessly into his jacket pocket. Then the man swung the weapon around so fast that Denis couldn't react in time to do anything. The move was fluid. Fast. Planned and deadly in intent. It should have been lethal.

  But the hand was empty.

  The gun just wasn't there anymore, it had been and now... nothing. Denis didn't even see it happen, but did know to not let the man try another attack. If the guy was as hard as it seemed, he could probably kick Denis' ass without sweating. He dropped him fast and hard, using the first thing that came to mind, pure pain. After a few seconds Den remembered that torturing a military member might be taken as a little harsh, even if the attack had looked like attempted murder of the IPB head. Denis switched to a deep sleep, since he had the time and it didn't fade on its own as fast as paralysis did. Make a person feel like they were asleep and oddly, it happened. That would buy him a few seconds to switch people if it came to that.

  The fat general wasn't quick.

  Not armed either. Still his bulk made a solid impact against the smaller man as he hit Den anyway, taking him to the floor. Not waiting he clung to the man and used paralysis on both of them, then deep sleep again. The captain never stirred at all, which was good, considering his line of sight had broken at least twice in the whole trip to the floor.

  “What – the fucking hell – was that?” Denis asked, looking at the old guy at an angle so he could keep his attention on the men lying at his feet after he stood. His gray hair hadn't even gotten mussed in all that.

  “I believe Mr. Tompkins that what we just witnessed would be the military making an illegal attempt to take over a Federal agency. They came understaffed for it however if that was the actual goal. That or they just tried to assassinate two Federal agents. Either way, these gentlemen aren't going to be happy about the outcome. We have four cameras in this room, one from each angle. What we lack in privacy here we make up in accuracy, don't you think?” The Director pulled a small black cell phone and tapped a single button, said less than a dozen words and hung up. The whole thing had an urgent tone to it, but not an angry one.

  With that about fifteen people showed up at a run, including Marcia and Lancaster, after a few moments Mark did too.

  “Hey, Denis. I saved some dinner for you, if you want it? Oh, um, the show has been picked up by the network. We have another episode to shoot in two days. Kind of like to get some things worked out first, meeting tomorrow morning, six, in the restaurant?”

  “Oh? Cool! Well, I guess I can keep washing pots and pans for a while. I... don't know what this cluster will bring. Hopefully no
t more prison time. I mean for me, at least. Well, if no one needs me, I'm off for the night. Dinner first then bed. I'm tired and have to be up early it seems. I'm reachable in my room as soon as I have some food, which will be in the ninth floor dining room. I mean, if that's all right.” He added this for the Director, who just nodded.

  “That sounds fine. We'll probably need you here for a few days, so stay local if possible.”

  Like he had a choice? No money, no car, barely enough clothing to maintain modesty, what else would he do? Run off and go camp in the woods like a wild man? He'd last about fifteen minutes. Instead of asking the man if he'd forgotten about him basically being on super-secret parole, Denis just nodded and told him that he'd do his best and clear anything with the man's office first if something came up. The Director nodded and said that sounded acceptable and even smiled at him. They were all on camera after all, if congress looked at this later he didn't want to seem uncooperative so he nodded back, trying to act all professional.

  When he finally got all the way to the dining room on floor nine, which meant nine down here, Denis found Brian Yi talking to the air. After a moment it answered in a girl's voice.

  “No duh. How the hell are we supposed to do our jobs if congress won't let us? I think we should all start making other arrangements. Serious ones. One day soon we may wake up with the military on our doorstep and an order for all of us to report to a camp. If so, I'm not going. I doubt they'll stock my brand of shampoo.”

  Yi looked at him with cold eyes. They felt uncaring, like ice had been hidden behind them, brown or not.

  “Hey Denis, Mark saved some food for you, it's in the fridge, here, let me get it. I know where he put it.”

  The intercom made a noise.

  “Hi Denis. Anything interesting happen while you were away?”

  Penny sounded less than thrilled with him being there, hard to blame her really, but still...

  “Yeah. I need to eat though. I'll let Marcia and the rest fill you in if that's all right? I guess I should add that we just arrested two military men upstairs a bit ago, I don't know what the charges will be, but it looks serious. One kind of tried to kill the Director. He's fine, untouched even, but... Given the topic when I came in, you know, heads up.”

  Penny gasped.

  “Wait, I'll be back in a while. Brian!” The yell got the man, dressed in a military style black uniform himself, like camo gear but not, to jog out with a plate of food.

  “Yes?”

  “Situation. Military, we've arrested two. Tried to kill Less. We should go and take a look.”

  “Right. Here Denis, just meat loaf, I didn't warm it yet, but...”

  “Thanks, I'll eat it this way. Too hungry to wait.” That was just the truth too. He felt half starved for some reason, like when he used his power too much. The little bit he'd done couldn't have been that much though.

  Unless one or both of the military men were Infected.

  He mentioned it quickly to Brian, Penny apparently heard too, or at least the other man confirmed that she did. They left quickly after that and he finally got to eat. Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a side of green beans and two bread rolls. It was good, even if cold. Half of it had fairly vanished from the plate when a familiar face walked into the room.

  Peggy looked like a flesh colored crocodile or alligator through the mouth and jaw. Her teeth were in multiple rows and the woman had a great voice, sweet and rich. Pretty distinctive looking even here on base. Her hair was a pretty and very long brown, with two little braids in it for decoration. Denis had only caught a few glimpses of her before and those mainly when all the prisoners had been evacuated from holding due to that fight Prime had gotten into with nearly everyone. Denis still didn't know the whole story there. No one had mentioned it, except in passing.

  “Denis?” She said, her blue-green eyes looking a bit scared for some reason. “How are... you doing?”

  Taking another bite of bread roll he smiled a bit as he chewed.

  “Could be worse. My life's a mess, but I still have it, so things are looking up. You?”

  “The same... I'm sorry.” She said, her big eyes near tears. Walking slowly the large and powerful woman sat next to him, not touching but close.

  “Sorry for what?” He asked, suddenly wary. The woman was like the majority of Infected, forty percent or so at least, so kind of the largest group of similar powers. Strong, fast and hard to hurt. In her case her jaw structure made her mouth a real weapon as well. She could lift a car, sure, but also bite a hole in the side.

  She let her head droop.

  “I should have spoken up for you. I just... I mean, I didn't want them to get mad at me and lock me back up too. I know that it was cowardly of me but I-”

  “Wait right there. On the list of people whose fault my being locked up and nearly put to death actually was, you don't rate. Not at all. Definitely nothing to be crying over. For that matter, let's face it, I'm number one on that list. I never gave anyone a real reason to do anything for me either. All me basically. I'll live. Anyway, how are you doing? Things treating you well?” When in doubt, ask a simple, open ended question.

  “I live here and can go places, but I need an escort. Kill one man on national television and everyone acts like you're a murderer all the time. It's better than lock up. The food's way better and I have people to talk to. Most of them are even nice. Karen from Team One even takes me places every now and then, which is really sweet of her.” Peggy didn't smile, that wasn't physically possible, but her tone said that the whole thing made her feel way better about life.

  They talked for a long time about what had been going on, what a prisoner that wasn't locked up anymore got to know about at any rate. A lot of it seemed to be gossip, Peggy mainly spending her days working out and chatting in the gym. Denis needed to do a bit more of that himself, working out. Not because he had to be a super bad-ass or anything, just for health reasons. Mainly he just needed something to do. No TV or even radio in his room after all. If they wanted that they had to pay for it out of their own funds, which he didn't have right now. Maybe he could talk Penny into raiding the store on the fourth level for him? He was pretty sure that was how she got most of her things. The clerks couldn't see her to ring up her purchases after all.

  An hour later they both went off to bed, the large boned alligator looking woman giving him a wistful look at the dining room door as they both started to pass through, as if she wanted to ask him something. That seemed to be what her body language said at least. So hard to tell, really, her face didn't work like everyone else's, so expressions were approximations at best.

  “What?” He said, his voice pleasant enough sounding he thought.

  She shrugged.

  “It's nothing really, but, um, would you like to, I don't know, have sex sometime or something? I don't get a lot of chances and I...”

  Denis blinked.

  Well, Peggy had the face of a large reptile and couldn't even be called ugly really. She looked too different for that. The rest of her looked a bit more like a linebacker than a girl and the chest, the only thing that could have saved her from looking like a dude, just didn't. She looked flat and hard there too. In all her body made him a little jealous really, muscular and low fat.

  Her green eyes were pretty though and she had a sweet voice. Denis nearly just said no by reflex, then smiled instead. How many times did you get to collect a reptile woman into your sexual conquests his greedy inner self chirped at him. Besides they were friends. As close as he had to one in the whole world except maybe Yi, and Denis still called him Yi, not even his first name, most of the time. That was the real point he knew. They were friends and if she wanted to hook up, he'd do it.

  “All right,” he said, looking at her appraisingly as if assessing her market value. “But no oral. Well, I mean, not on the first date. A boy has to have standards.”

  Peggy chuckled, a sound like deep wind chimes.

  6
>
  The pounding on the door didn't stop.

  Kind of annoying really, since all Denis wanted to do at the moment involved curling up and trying to hibernate for the rest of the year. Rolling over, cotton sheet pulling oddly, the effect of having another body in the small bed with him, Denis blearily stared at the clock for a long time. Five-forty. Work meeting, he recalled fuzzily, why scheduled at this hour he didn't know. Possibly to punish him for some reason, or maybe just because Mark was a morning person. Walking to the door, still nude, he carefully stood behind it and popped his head around to find Prime standing there ready to knock again.

  “Prime? Um, emergency?” He muttered, still reeling more than a little from being woken up suddenly. The hallway lights were bright this time of day for one thing and he squinted a little in discomfort. In the whole time he'd been with the IPB this had certainly never happened before. No Team One members had ever come to the ninth floor just to visit. Not him at least.

  The large man in front of him glanced at the situation and smiled. He, of all people at the base, got the idea of showing up naked at a door and not just letting someone in. The only difference there, Denis thought, is that Prime would have stepped into the hallway naked, unconcerned about someone else possibly being offended by his nudity. In his mind that just couldn't happen.

  Today the man had on his Team One uniform, a gold trimmed white and soft yellow outfit that would have looked gay on almost anyone else. On this guy, with his golden skin and perfect looks it still looked a bit “fabulous”. The thing was, women ate it up. Really, anyone claiming Prime liked men was probably a closet homo themselves, reacting to their own attraction to the guy. Almost laughing Denis realized he really didn't have that problem. The man just seemed like another person to him.

  Take that “Prophet Darren”. All of that monster's actions probably showed a lot more hidden gay than not, Denis understood in a flash. A whole heck of a lot more...