Page 113 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“Ah, well, you see, we’ve been looking for something like your genome for many years. The news was so unexpected and good, I shared it with all the board members.”

“Without asking me first? It was my blood you took.”

“Something of this significance demanded extraordinary measures.” His smile was benevolent, the kind used by politicians making a promise they had no intention of keeping.

“I see,” she said slowly. She was very afraid that she did.

He smiled benevolently at her. “Don’t worry, Miss Samantha, you will be treated with utmost respect and care.” He patted her on the head as if she were a child or a puppy.

That clinched it. He didn’t see her as a person, she was an object to him. One ingredient in whatever cure or treatment he was cooking up.

“Thank you, doctor, but...I have a problem I need you to know about.”

He looked instantly worried. “What is it?”

She took one more step into his personal space and leaned closer, as if to whisper something to him.

He leaned closer too, canting his head to one side so he could catch whatever she said next.

Sam pulled the knife out of her pocket and stabbed the doctor in the chest, just like she’d done to Benson. “You are the worst fucking doctor I’ve ever met.”

He blinked at her once, then collapsed to his knees. She stabbed him again through the temple.

“It’s your fault Yvgeny is dead.” She stuck her knife back into her pocket and went to the door. She slipped out before the lady who’d escorted her could see the doctor’s body on the floor.

She smiled at the lady. “I’d like to see Yvgeny now.”

“Oh,” she said, looking at the door Sam closed behind her. “Is the doctor finished?”

In more ways than one.

“Completely,” Sam said. “Can we go? I’m very tired.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” She turned and led the way back to the elevator. They got in and went down several floors.

Sam wasn’t paying much attention. She’d killed her second person today, and she probably should have felt bad, but both deserved it. Both were responsible for Yvgeny’s death. What the fuck was she going to do now?

She had a knife. She could take the easy way out, but that didn’t seem right.

The lady took Sam to a floor that looked more like a hotel hallway than a medical facility. The floor was carpeted and there were numbers on the doors.

They stopped at number eight.

“He’s in there.” The lady hesitated. “Have you ever seen—”

“Many times,” Sam interrupted. Her day job had ensured she’d seen death in all its forms. She forced a smile onto her face. “Thank you.”

The lady smiled and walked back to the elevator.

Sam took in a deep breath and opened the door. The room was dark, but her searching hand found a light switch and she flipped it. She didn’t expect the room to resemble a hotel room in every way, right down to the king size bed with Yvgeny laying on it like he was asleep rather than dead.

She moved to stand next to the bed and saw that the blood that had covered his face and neck was gone and he’d been redressed in clean clothing. The bullet hole in the center of his forehead was still there, though.

She sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out her knife. Funny that it was the last gift he’d given her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I argued with you all those times, and it took me so long to tell you how much I loved you. When we first met, I assumed you’d be an arrogant ass with no compassion for anyone other than yourself. You proved me wrong every day.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilled over, and slid down her cheeks. “When Benson shot you, I lost my shit and stabbed him in the heart, so...he’s dead. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose, so I did the same thing to that doctor who blabbed to way too many people about me.”

She laughed, but it sounded wrong, even to her. “You know, I’m not sure if you’d be proud or mad at my sudden job change to serial killer.”

---