Page 113 of Viral Justice

“You,” Max said in what he hoped came across as the voice of doom, “have watched one too many Discovery Channel shows on human sexuality.”

“But—”

“General Stone assigned Sergeant Stone as mypersonalbodyguard. Threats have been made against my life. She’s not just teaching me how to shoot and defend myself. It’s her responsibility to keep me alive and safe. I wasn’t all that pleased to have someone hovering over my shoulder, and she wasn’t happy about having to do the hovering. But we both got over ourselves, worked out our differences and developed a working relationship that actually might leave me alive long enough to retire. I had to learn to trust her and she had to learn to trust me. I will never do anything to damage that trust, do you understand me?

Hunt closed his eyes, his wince taking over his entire face. “Bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard,” Max confirmed.

“I wasn’t trying to be an asshole,” Hunt said. “I was trying to protect her. She’s been limited in what she’s allowed to do. None of us want to see that continue.”

“Sergeant Stone is more capable of protecting herself than almost any other person alive,” Max told him.

“So, you’re not having sex?” Jessup asked.

Max jerked his head around. When had he joined the conversation? Then the soldier’s words sunk in. “Why the fuck would you ask that?”

“Uh, sorry, sir.”

Did Ali have to put up with this crap all the time? How on earth did she manage to not kill anyone?

“Just to be clear, so there’s no misunderstanding,” Max said carefully, “your question disrespects Sergeant Stone. I will never do anything to disrespect her, including answering your question, because the moment I do, I imply that the question is acceptable, when it’s not.”

“Shit,” Hunt said. “Okay, I get it.”

“Me too,” Jessup said, shaking his head. “She’ll probably kick the shit out of me during our next training session.”

“Probably,” Max agreed. “Set up rotating watches with whoever is healthy and inform Sergeant Stone. She won’t be on watch, but I’m putting her in charge of security in our new home until I get this damned vaccine finished.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison, saluting as one.

“Dismissed.”

The men left and Max went back to his lab.

Ali was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. “Nice pep talk.”

“Pep talk?” Max asked with a snort. “I was trying to save yet another moron’s life.”

“It’s hard to be you, obviously.” She hadn’t moved, hadn’t changed her tone one iota, but he suddenly realized she was laughing at him.

“I damned near strangled the two of them,” he confessed. “And you know how anti-violence I am.”

“You’re not anti-violence, Max,” she said. “You’re anti-murder.” He didn’t agree, but he wasn’t going to argue with her.

He glanced at the eggs he had incubating in his makeshift incubator consisting of an ancient lamp with an intact light bulb and some thin metal sheeting he’d shaped to direct the heat generated by the bulb at the eggs. “I’m most definitely anti-massmurder.”

She pushed away from the wall. “How long until you have a vaccine you can test?”

“Another eight hours. The kids came back with a couple dozen more eggs, so I can start a second batch now.”

“How many people can you vaccinate with the first one?”

“Maybe two or three, but I’ll need to test it before I give it to anyone.”

“Test it?”

“Normally I’d use mice, but...” He gestured at the shabby interior of the hospital. “I’m going to have to improvise.”

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