City of Dragons: Blood Bonds

by Adrienne Wilder

  “Pleitropy is when a single gene affects the expression of polygenetic traits. The Male sex chromosome is unique to each family and it has a very high rate of mutation. Only a small amount of genetic information stays the same each generation. All organisms have the potential to develop alleles to existing genes, but your people are constantly creating entirely new protein chains. This change seems to be especially responsive to certain pheromones and enzymatic processes.”

  “You’re losing me again, doc.”

  “Okay, basically the genetic code of your species undergoes genetic changes with each generation. The Male sex chromosome acts like a key. This key affects the expression of the genes, by turning them on and off like a light switch. And because Males only have one sex chromosome, they can only get that key from their Queen. That’s overly simplified, of course.”

  It was Haley’s turn to laugh. “Simplified is good! I get lost when you start all that high end metaphysical-genetics. So what does all this have to do with the virus?”

  “I’m getting to that. Bear with me just a moment more. This virus was originally built only using chromosomes from the Male. This new version in Creyal is based on Female Kin genetics. This changes everything. The protein sequences of the Female sex chromosome have unique properties that seem interchangeable with the Male sex chromosome. This means that a bio-toxin attached to this virus would be universal.”

  Haley buried her face in her hand. Atlanta did not need this. Not with a Queen like Medan in the Dens.

  Meyer called her name for the third time.

  “I’m here.”

  “You all right?”

  “No, not really.”

  “I’m very sorry. If it helps, Creyal is improving by leaps and bounds. I’m having a hard time keeping him out of my meds though. He’s not helping his recovery by shooting up on all my morphine.”

  “Is there anything else?”

  “Just one. We know this virus was manufactured with a combination of metaphysical biology and Alchemy.”

  Well, now, that was like mixing Drano and gasoline and just as potentially toxic. Someone either had a lot of nerve or was just plain insane. Haley wasn’t sure which was worse. “Have you contacted the Bureau?”

  “Not yet.” Meyer paused. Her next words came out slow, like she was trying to choose them with extreme care. “How much do you know about Fa-Da, Haley?”

  “Other than a lot of my people died, not much. There wasn’t a whole lot made available to the public.” The newspapers just printed the same vague assumptions in every new article. Only thing that changed was the name of who wrote it.

  The doctor made a thinking sound. “Haley, what I’m about to tell you is extremely confidential. Do you understand?”

  Haley gave a snort. “Yeah, I understand what confidential means. It’s just all the genetics speak that eludes me.”

  “No, when I mean confidential, I’m talking higher than I-O.”

  If it was higher than I-O, it could only mean she wasn’t going to like what she heard. “Tell me.”

  “Years ago, I started my work with the private military sector in the Bureau. That’s how I recognized this, Haley. I was one of the people that helped build it. I didn’t know what I was building at the time. Dobson made sure we didn’t talk to each other. He had individual labs working on different things, and then only one or two trusted metaphysical-geneticist assembled the final product.” Meyer paused. “The Bureau never proved it, but they suspect Dobson actually sold the virus to the Beijing flesh traders to use as a weapon on rival dealers. He did it with the consent of the Chinese government. It was a test run. To see if it would work.”

  “If what would work?”

  The doctor’s breath rattled over the receiver. “Haley, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. They wanted to commit genocide. They wanted to kill all Kin.”

  Haley put her hand on the receiver so she could hold it steady. “Dobson did this?”

  “They never proved it.”

  “But ... but you said he used the Bureau labs. How...” Her throat squeezed tight and she had to force out her words. “How could they not know what he was doing?”

  Meyer was quiet. When she spoke, her voice was very flat. “I asked myself the same question many times over the years.”

  “Did you find an answer?”

  “The only one I could come up with is that they just didn’t care.”

  Haley nodded, even though Meyer couldn’t see it. “Thank you. Thank you for telling me.”

  “Haley?”

  No more bad news please. I just can’t keep starting my mornings like this. “Yeah?”

  “Be careful.”

  “I will.”

  She hung up the cordless and Medan’s warning echoed in her head.

  Your enemies are everywhere. Even among the ranks of those you work with. You cannot trust the chetrah, Haley. They do not wish Kin anything but death.

  Chapter 22

  The parking lot outside the Center for Folk and Kin Relations was normal. There were no CDC trucks, no SWAT, just little Crayola colored Toyotas, Fords, Dodges, and a few company Impalas. The company cars only came in charcoal gray and black.

  Even though the building was the same, the cars all familiar, it felt strange and foreign.

  The cabbie cleared his throat. Haley took the hint and got out. She was even kind enough to give him a tip, which he seemed genuinely surprised about.

  A cloud of melancholy hovered over the Human-employees. This was actually a normal aftermath after dealing with a really bad day. And yesterday easily qualified in the top five.

  Haley went to her office and checked her email, read police reports, and answered requests from lawyers who wanted her advice on non-Human clients.

  It was a normal day filled with the same social problems she dealt with every day. Then why do I feel like something is wrong?

  Because there was.

  Dobson had cooked up a virus to deliver a bio-toxin specifically to kill her people. And even though Haley wanted to believe that he did it without the Bureau’s knowledge, she couldn’t.

  Haley made it through two neglected stacks of files when there was a knock at her door. She didn’t even look up. “Come in.”

  The door opened and shut. The scent moving through the small room was unfamiliar.

  “Ms. Night?”

  Haley pushed the papers aside and gave the visitor her attention. A small-framed, middle aged black woman held out her hand to Haley. She was dressed in a nice pink skirt and matching blazer. Her shoes were simple, white, like her blouse. A small gold cross dangled just under the collar.

  Even though Haley had never met the woman she knew this was Bauer’s wife.

  Haley shook her hand. The woman introduced herself and Haley was right. Her first name was Brenda.

  Mrs. Bauer looked around. “May I sit?” Haley nodded. The woman smoothed out her skirt then sat gently at the edge of the couch. “I went to Mass last night. I went to confession. I asked my priest for guidance. I asked God for answers. I’ve prayed. A lot of people don’t believe in prayer anymore.” Her eyes came up. “Is it true that Kin don’t believe in God?”

  Haley coughed and dug a candy out of her dish. While she stalled for time by unwrapping it, she tried to tick off all the things that this could be about. Mrs. Bauer was quiet while Haley popped one candy, then two into her mouth.

  “Mrs. Bauer, I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that question.” Haley relaxed when the woman smiled. Her dark eyes held no anger, no animosity. It was a pleasant change.

  “Will you try?”

  Haley blinked, shuffled papers. She stopped and shook her head. “No, Kin have no God.”

  “Then what do you believe?” The total lack of condemnation in her tone made Haley look up.

  “Kin believe in life. Survival at any sacrifice. Even if it means eating your own.”

  Her face fell a little, but she held onto her composure. No throwing up
in the hall for Mrs. Bauer.

  Haley said, “I’m sorry. But I’m not sure what this is about.”

  Mrs. Bauer picked at the hem of her skirt at her knee. Her face was a strange combination of fear and sadness. “Lamar and I have been married for almost twenty-five years. He’s told me a lot about you.”

  Oh, boy. That could mean so many things.

  At least you’re not sleeping with him.

  Haley tried to smile, but it felt lopsided and fake. “Hopefully, some of the things he’s said are good.” She played with a pen on her desk.

  “He’s never said anything bad.”

  But there were so many bad things Bauer could say about her. It would take all Haley’s fingers and toes to count off the awkward situations he had walked in on. Especially in the Tank.

  “Haley?” Mrs. Bauer opened the small purse she carried. Her hand dipped inside and came out with a large syringe complete with a capped needle. “I need your blood.”

  Haley shut her mouth. No need to look like a barn door. She stared at Brenda’s hand for a very long time. “Can I ask why?” After all, Bauer had looked pretty good considering.

  “Lamar has developed complications from the anti-venom he received.”

  Haley sagged. “What kind of complications?”

  Brenda stared at the syringe and turned it over and over in her hand. Her grip was tight, like the little piece of plastic was her only life line. “They don’t know, but Martin Jones is dead. That lady officer...”

  “McKinney.”

  Mrs. Bauer nodded. “Yes, they lost her this morning. Her husband is keeping her on life support.”

  “For the baby.”

  The expression on Brenda’s face said that she hadn’t known, but understood. “The doctors stabilized Lamar yesterday around eight. They had hoped he would improve. But in his weakened state the anti-venom is doing more harm than good. I was told that Female Kin blood could possibly save him.” Hope flavored her words.

  “I offered yesterday.”

  “I know. He told me.”

  Haley stared at the syringe in Mrs. Bauer’s hands. “It’s a sin. Your religion specifically prohibits the mixing of Human and Kin blood.”

  “We all sin, Haley. Eventually we all sin. But that’s the great thing about God. He forgives no matter how terrible the sin is.”

  Haley shook her head. This was against everything Bauer believed in.

  “Please.” When Mrs. Bauer held out the syringe, her hand shook. “Please, Haley, don’t let him die.”

  Of course Haley wouldn’t let him die. But she’d worked with the man for years. She knew how he felt. She knew how devoted he was. In his mind, Kin were damned. Soulless. Non-Human. And while he treated her people with respect, he was also firm in his dedication to his God. And his God had no room for anything Kin. He tolerated her people because there was no saving them. And maybe he was right. Maybe that’s why Kin didn’t age, because for them there was nothing after life.

  “I can’t believe he would agree to this.” As soon as the words left her lips she knew. Bauer hadn’t agreed. “I can’t. I can’t do that to him. He’ll never forgive me. He’ll never forgive you.”

  “I don’t care. He can hate me. But he’ll be alive. You said you believed in life.”

  Haley shook her head and asked, “Isn’t there anything...” The way Brenda’s eyes burned said it all. This was it. Her only choice and she was willing to take it even if it damned her soul and damned Bauer’s.

  Life at any cost.

  Haley took the syringe. Even though her insides were Jell-O, her hand was steady. “Don’t let them spin it down. If the doctors spin it, you’ll lose a lot of the healing properties.” She clenched a fist. It would be better to take it from her neck, or better yet her inner thigh. The metaphysical properties of Kin blood were different depending on the location. It had been almost twenty-four hours and Bauer would need all the help he could get.

  “What’s wrong?” Brenda asked.

  “Our blood... where it’s drawn from affects the metaphysics. The wrist is the weakest point.”

  “Where’s the strongest?”

  Haley looked at her, then put a hand on her lap. “The inside of the thigh.”

  Her voice shook when she said, “Do it, please.”

  “Lock the door. Last thing I need is someone walking in on me.”

  There was no need to traumatize the woman further, so when Haley stood, she turned away. She pulled up her skirt until it bunched around her waist and put a foot on her desk. Just a little stick, a little blood, no big deal. But her Human-instilled ethics froze her hand. Bauer would not want this. He would rather die than choose this. Her Kin instincts said, shut up. No one wants to die. Ever.

  “Haley?”

  “I’m just looking for a good vein.”

  Wrong. You’re looking for an excuse because Bauer deserves to have a choice. He also deserves to live into old age, not be robbed of what few years his short life had left.

  Haley uncapped the needle with every intent on just stabbing the thing in her leg, but her hands wouldn’t listen. Fucking Human Impressions. If she was a real Female, something as ridiculous as conscience would never get in the way.

  “I’ll do it.” Brenda was right beside her. “This way you won’t have to live with it.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about. You can never tell him.”

  A small smile touched Brenda’s lips. “I never intended on telling him. If he doesn’t know, it can’t be his sin. I will bear it. I will pay for it.” Brenda pushed gently at Haley’s hands, and she let go of the syringe. “Where?”

  Haley took a breath, and put her fingertip at the junction of her leg and torso. “Go deep and you can’t miss the vein.”

  The needle went in with a sting, but felt nothing like teeth. Brenda’s eyes widened and her lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s darker than I imagined.”

  “Because of where you’re drawing it from.”

  When the syringe was full, Mrs. Bauer stared at the plastic tube, her face drawn tight.

  Like she’s swallowed something bitter. Haley put her leg down and straightened her skirt. “You all right?”

  “Just thinking ... how do I…?” She laughed, and it wasn’t a happy sound. “I’m not even sure how to do this.”

  “Put it in a vein if you can.”

  “They have an IV in him.” Her eyes came up. “Will it matter if it’s diluted by intravenous fluids?”

  “No.”

  “How much?”

  Haley looked at the syringe clutched in the woman’s hand. “All of it. If you don’t see improvement, we can give him more. But I think...”

  “This either works or it’s too late.” The finality of Mrs. Bauer’s statement hit home. “It will work.” She picked up her purse from the couch and tucked the syringe inside. It barely fit. Mrs. Bauer stood there for several heartbeats, her knuckles bleached by her death grip on the handbag. “I have to know...”

  “What?”

  Her eyes clenched shut, then snapped back open. “Will this ... will this change him ... I mean ... will he...” She couldn’t say the words. But Haley had a pretty good idea what she was afraid of. Mrs. Bauer didn’t want to lose her husband to the wyrms. She would do this only if he wouldn’t forsake her and go to them, consumed with their needs.

  How easy it would have been to tell her yes, just so Bauer could have what he would want.

  “No,” Haley said. “Bonding is more complicated than that. There are ... certain processes.”

  Brenda’s shoulders eased and she nodded. “I need to go.”

  “Please don’t get caught.” Not only are there religious violations taking place, but legal ones, too.

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Bauer left Haley burning up with a horrible feeling inside her chest.

  When she examined it, she discovered the feeling was guilt.

  Chapter 23

  Colonel Dobson felt like a man who’d ju
st won the lottery only to discover his bitch of a dog had eaten the ticket.

  “Did you hear me, colonel?” asked the Human mouthpiece for the Queen.

  Fuck yes, he heard her. He just didn’t like what she was saying. “I have it under control.” It was getting harder and harder to cap his temper with this she-devil. Especially when she laughed at him. Which she was doing a lot of lately.

  “Oh, colonel, colonel, colonel, you do amuse me so.” Her voice dropped fifty degrees with a suddenness that Dobson was getting used to. “But I am done being amused.”

  “I have everything in order. I’m just waiting for my request to be granted. By this time tomorrow, I will own her. There’s no need to make things more treacherous than they already are.” The last thing he needed was a full blown Kin battle in the middle of the city. That would only slow down his plans. Something he just couldn’t afford, thanks to Jones.

  The bastard.

  Jones had sold out. In a very, very big way. Two-point-eight-million sat in an off shore bank account in his daughter’s name.

  Germans, Japs, Russians, they hadn’t nailed down who it was yet. But sure as shit, Jones had been working both sides for quite some time. This time something had gone wrong. Maybe he’d gotten the vials mixed up. Maybe he’d accidently broken the thing and contaminated the product. Who the hell knew or cared. ‘Cause the virus was out. Now, it was only a matter of time before someone from the CDC identified it.

  Yeah, that was going to be a helluva nut buster.

  Dobson was now left scrambling to clean up the mess left behind. Jones and McKinney had died like they were supposed to, but that stupid Negro had been one of those lucky ones. Not many people survived that much air in a line.

  Some kind of luck.

  “I’ve heard some interesting reports about your recent activities.”

  Dobson fell still and tried with everything he had to not let his breathing change, ‘cause she’d hear it. The bitch heard everything. “What kind of reports?”

  “That your virus is working. That you have successfully killed as many as two dozen useless Males.” There wasn’t a drop of anger in her voice. Which confused Dobson, because it had been her city where they died, they had been her Males. Or at least the ones that lived in her Dens. He expected anger, venom, not ... praise?