Maynard. That was my bad. Now
Elena was getting credit for my discovery. I looked to Toby who
only
shrugged. He knew what I was thinking and had probably already pleaded our case to Maynard. It was pointless to argue. Let the old Witch claim the credit. At least we weren't suspended anymore. "Elena also learned someone was conducting experiments on the Vampires of the nest,” Maynard added.
I sat forward. That was new. “What kind of experiments?" "I don't know,” Elena said, taking over the debriefing. “The Vampire Asp had never been personally subjected to the tests. He only heard about them secondhand from the Vampires in his brood." "How do we know he isn't lying?” Toby asked. "He was paid a great deal of money to look the other way and not report them to Brimstone,” Elena explained. “We have the bank records to corroborate that claim." "Who was paying him off?” I asked curiously. "That,” the witch paused, “I don't know. The deposits were from a company that doesn't seem to exist. It was listed asCantrix Unlimited of Las Vegas. I think it was a front." "Obviously,” I concluded with a sharp snap. I was angry with Elena for getting further in my investigation than I had, but I was more preoccupied with chasing Demons in the middle of the Nevada desert. “Did Vlad—” I stopped and bit my tongue. No one else would know him by that name. “Did Asp say anything at all about the tests?"
"Just that once a week a different member of his brood would be taken and returned the next night,” Elena answered. “That's it."
That was troubling information. I thought of the Vampire Luke I had Franked and what he said about being taken. Seems it wasn't the ramblings of the dead after all. I looked to Elena and swallowed my pride. “Thank you."
That was apparently the magic word the Witch had been waiting for. With a smug grin on her face like the cat that just swallowed the canary, she relaxed her posture slightly and leaned back into the cushy couch.
Maynard scooted forward, grabbed several colored folders on the coffee table, and tossed them to me. “Here's the kicker: this isn't an isolated event." I eagerly snatched the folders up and began to leaf through the pages inside. They were all standard Seeker Incident Reports. As I scanned over them, a pattern started to develop. The Inhuman species being killed may have been different, but the outcome was always the same. “How many times has this happened?"
"Four times in the past six months,"’ Maynard answered. “All in Vegas." There was a slight air of guilt in Maynard's voice. I looked down at the bottom of each Incident Report and understood why. He had assigned each mission, and signed off on the reports.
shrugged. He knew what I was thinking and had probably already pleaded our case to Maynard. It was pointless to argue. Let the old Witch claim the credit. At least we weren't suspended anymore. "Elena also learned someone was conducting experiments on the Vampires of the nest,” Maynard added.
I sat forward. That was new. “What kind of experiments?" "I don't know,” Elena said, taking over the debriefing. “The Vampire Asp had never been personally subjected to the tests. He only heard about them secondhand from the Vampires in his brood." "How do we know he isn't lying?” Toby asked. "He was paid a great deal of money to look the other way and not report them to Brimstone,” Elena explained. “We have the bank records to corroborate that claim." "Who was paying him off?” I asked curiously. "That,” the witch paused, “I don't know. The deposits were from a company that doesn't seem to exist. It was listed asCantrix Unlimited of Las Vegas. I think it was a front." "Obviously,” I concluded with a sharp snap. I was angry with Elena for getting further in my investigation than I had, but I was more preoccupied with chasing Demons in the middle of the Nevada desert. “Did Vlad—” I stopped and bit my tongue. No one else would know him by that name. “Did Asp say anything at all about the tests?"
"Just that once a week a different member of his brood would be taken and returned the next night,” Elena answered. “That's it."
That was troubling information. I thought of the Vampire Luke I had Franked and what he said about being taken. Seems it wasn't the ramblings of the dead after all. I looked to Elena and swallowed my pride. “Thank you."
That was apparently the magic word the Witch had been waiting for. With a smug grin on her face like the cat that just swallowed the canary, she relaxed her posture slightly and leaned back into the cushy couch.
Maynard scooted forward, grabbed several colored folders on the coffee table, and tossed them to me. “Here's the kicker: this isn't an isolated event." I eagerly snatched the folders up and began to leaf through the pages inside. They were all standard Seeker Incident Reports. As I scanned over them, a pattern started to develop. The Inhuman species being killed may have been different, but the outcome was always the same. “How many times has this happened?"
"Four times in the past six months,"’ Maynard answered. “All in Vegas." There was a slight air of guilt in Maynard's voice. I looked down at the bottom of each Incident Report and understood why. He had assigned each mission, and signed off on the reports.