Page 93 of Lethal Game

“I will,” she said, trying to slide out from underneath his grasp. “I just have to finish this...”

Con put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so she had to make eye contact with him. “It’s been hours since you last ate or drank anything.” His tone was reasonable, gentle. “Whatever you’re doing can wait while you feed your brain.”

She was looking at stained slides of the three blood samples she’d been given. They could wait a few minutes.

She sighed, nodded, stripped off her gloves. She threw them away and washed her hands with a waterless antiseptic she’d brought with her. Con handed her an MRE meal and a bottle of water.

Smoke and River joined them, their faces silent and serious. Things in the camp couldn’t be going well.

“Are you seeing any sickness in the camp population?” she asked them.

River shook his head. “A lot of fear, though.”

She didn’t blame them. She turned her attention to eating and shoveled the food into her mouth without really tasting it. The Meal Ready-to-Eat went down better that way. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Con steadily ate his own meal, his gaze on their surroundings, roving, evaluating. “Any revelations?”

“Using the Sandwich and other analyzers, I’ve eliminated most of the bacteria and some of the more common viruses.”

“That’s something.”

“There’s still a long list to go.”

He gave her a sour look. “That sucks.”

“Nothing I can do to change that.” She shrugged. “I’m going to need those tissue samples.”

“Maybe I’ll steal you a body.”

He said it sograb some milk while you’re at the storenormal she couldn’t help a snort.

They all finished their food at about the same time. Smoke and River went to relieve the Marines and let them eat while she went back to work.

She’d be finished with the blood soon, but she wasn’t tired and really wanted to keep going until she had an answer. “Can you check with Dr. Blairmore about the tissue samples? I need them as soon as possible.”

When Con didn’t answer right away, she glanced at him. He was staring into the darkness like he could see for miles and miles, his body still as a hunter that’s sighted prey.

She lowered her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re being watched.”

She looked out into the night, but saw nothing other than what she would have expected, the hospital tent lit by overhead lights powered by the aid group’s generator. No one appeared to be overtly watching Con or herself. “Is that a surprise? I mean, I assumed people would be watching us. We’re doing important work.”

“Body language betrays what people are really thinking and feeling. You can see hope, anger, fear, joy, and malice in the way they move, their gestures, facial expressions and posture.” He paused. “Most of the people I observed as you worked looked afraid and tired. A few of them, hopeful. A few...” This time when he stopped talking the expression on his face turned dark and dangerous. “When evil is staring at you, you can feel it.” He stopped talking but didn’t stop scanning their surroundings. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”

“I get that, I do, but I can’t be three places at once.”

Con pulled out his radio, but before he spoke into it he turned to her and asked, “What three places?”

“Here, the hospital tent, and the bathroom.”

“That was a dumb question,” he muttered to himself. “Where else would she go?”

“No, it wasn’t,” she corrected. “I would have asked the same question if I’d been you. Assumptions are never a good thing.”

“Sometimes you’re exactly like my sisters and sometimes it’s like you’re from another planet.” He gave her a crooked smile

“I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood, so I suppose you could say Iamfrom another planet. I spent a lot of time in hospitals, going through chemotherapy that was often painful and always uncomfortable. When most young preteens and teens were worried about boys, their friends and school, I was worried about whether I was going to go into remission or not.”

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