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"Did you honestly think you could keep an operation of this size completely concealed? In a dead city, no less? No insult intended, Surrey, but "
Dr Cale raised one shoulder in a half shrug "We didn’t knoere being monitored How did you knohere ere?"
"Everyone is beingto ical theater here It’s primitive, yes, and we do have to contend with a lot of little inconveniences--we can’t do laser work, which means sutures and stitches and the threat of infection, although we’ve gotten surprisingly good at cauterizing wounds It’s really re in this building started out intended to be used like this"
"Your point would be…?" asked Dr Banks He was still trying to sound polite--I could hear it--but his irritation was overwhelood idea when talking to Dr Cale
"My point would be, I can a your life to an unreasonable degree" Dr Cale didn’t sound impatient She was perfectly serene, like this hat she had been drea of for years Given the situation, maybe she had been "Shock is still a risk, naturally, but I think I can one pale "Now Surrey--"
"I knohat you’re about to say You’re going to re to tell oing to tellyou would be a terrible idea, one that would lead to the destruction of everything I’ve built, even though your presence has basically infor to have to tear it all down You’re overlooking the fact that I’ to kill you" Dr Cale sive s friendly, how did you knoere here, Steven?"
The color did not return to Dr Banks’s cheeks He stared at Dr Cale For her part, andshe could have said, Dr Cale just kept s She actually looked interested in his inner turmoil, like no matter what his ansas, she would find a way to enjoy it I’d aled to convinceat her now, s and calm, I realized she was more alien to me than any other member of her species
"USAMRIID has beenaway "Don’t ask ot you under surveillance, because I don’t know As for why they haven’t taken you, well We both know that you don’t hen so you what to do You’re better left to your own devices and kept under close watch, and you’re not s any worse Those little videos you keep releasing have even been useful, on occasion USAMRIID wanted you to keep working without knowing that you were being watched"
"Do you honestly expect overn without interference because they don’t think I’d perfored "It’s the truth"
"Sorry, Steven, but I don’t really trust you when you’re not lying to me"
Dr Banks continued as if she hadn’t spoken: "I told the higher-ups at USAMRIID that I needed to contact your organization if I was going to continue ed to convince them it orth the risk that you’d cut your losses and run They helped et here from San Francisco Dropped me--with Anna, and a security team--about aout the local sleepwalkers, you know We didn’t encounter any resistance on the walk"
"That’s good to know" Dr Cale’s tone could have been used to freeze water "Where did you leave your security teaht the arates and taken what you wanted The nonintervention policy is still in place, and it’s not benefiting you I suppose thatthe better work"
Dr Banks was silent
"Setting aside the fact that you carved up h if I were you, I wouldn’t expect that to be set aside for long--whatthe area for your people? You said this was too large of an operation to be kept hidden Do you know just how large of an operation we have here?"
Dr Banks was silent
"I will find the teaot you this far, Steven And since I won’t kno many of them there are, or where they’ve taken cover, when ive the order to take no prisoners I already have you Why would I need anyone else?"
Dr Banks was silent, but sas beginning to bead at his te unease His heart had to be pounding so loudly that he could feel it, even if his huy meant that he would never hear it like I did
"How et from USAMRIID?" Dr Cale leaned forward in her chair, her s into an expression of almost feral interest "Hoell do you think your new allies will respond when you come back empty-handed, no soldiers, no chi to solve?"