Read Online Once We Were Human (The Commander Book 1) by Randall Farmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Randall Farmer
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Bates is waiting for you up at the scene, ma’am. You folks are cleared to go on through.”
Tonya rolled her shoulders to ease their ache. Her secretary, Rhonda, noticed and gave an encouraging smile. Tonya took a deep breath of the chilly, pine-scented air, now clear of the odor of tooth decay, and exhaled with a sigh. Her muscles often ached on long car trips and they were hours from Philadelphia. She needed a full body, muscle-straining stretch, but she did not intend to do anything so undignified at a police checkpoint.
‘On through’ took them a hundred yards before the narrow drive became too packed with parked vehicles for Tonya’s car to pass. Danny shrugged, found a tiny patch of dirt and parked their car. They exited and walked up the drive. Tonya scrutinized the long line of official vehicles as they passed – police cars, county vehicles, vehicles emblazoned with the insignia of obscure state agencies, unmarked vehicles, even an empty ambulance. Clusters of police and FBI gathered beside their vehicles, smoking their cigarettes and waiting.
The air was fresh and crisp, the sky a brilliant blue and frost sparkled on the tree branches. Tonya enjoyed the exercise until she overheard one of the local police mutter something about ‘fucking monsters’, and ‘never should have let them out of Quarantine’ in a voice meant to be overheard.
She didn’t give them the pleasure of a response but Danny bristled with outrage beside her.
Tonya smelled the crime scene long before she reached it, the ripe stench of violence. About a quarter mile up, the winding drive ended in a small clearing occupied by a clapboard shack of uncertain color and shabby appearance. Decades had passed since the shack’s last painting. Beside her, Rhonda grimaced. She had come from a place much like this and her old memories weren’t good.
Several men gathered near the front door of the shack as she approached. Tonya picked out Agent Tommy Bates by his height, pale hair, and the ever-present cigarette. Neither he nor the other men seemed bothered by the stench of death surrounding them, but then, their noses were merely normal. Tommy was an old, well, ‘friend’ wasn’t quite the right word, but they had worked together before, and most of the time they had been allies. Many years ago, Tommy’s wife had come down with Transform Sickness. She survived and now lived in a household out on the west coast. Since then, Tommy had gone out of his way to help the victims of the disease. Prejudice against Transforms was rampant and his support and that of others like him was like a bulkhead against a sea of hate.
“Focus Biggioni,” Tommy said and put out his hand. Tonya took it graciously. Around them, the other men stepped away when Tommy named her a Focus. Tonya flicked her gaze at them and smiled, a little too sardonic to be the purely social smile she owed Tommy.
Men and women Transforms looked like average human beings, but that wasn’t true for a Focus. Tonya’s major transformation had given her excellent health, the body of an athlete, the charismatic presence of a politician or a movie star and the appearance of a nineteen-year-old, despite her fifty-odd years.
She used every bit of her Focus transformation benefits to keep her household financially afloat. Money was always a problem.
“What’s the emergency, Tommy?” Monster transformations happened all the time.
The other men jumped again at the sound of her voice. It was rich and musical, with undertones that shivered along the spine.
Tommy was used to her, though, and merely ground his cigarette out under his shoe. “Looks straightforward on the surface. Alice Colson, wife of Clem Colson, caught the Shakes and didn’t realize it. Made a normal transformation. No Focus to stabilize her, of course, so in time she went Monster and attacked one of the men here. Killed him. Clem and
Tonya rolled her shoulders to ease their ache. Her secretary, Rhonda, noticed and gave an encouraging smile. Tonya took a deep breath of the chilly, pine-scented air, now clear of the odor of tooth decay, and exhaled with a sigh. Her muscles often ached on long car trips and they were hours from Philadelphia. She needed a full body, muscle-straining stretch, but she did not intend to do anything so undignified at a police checkpoint.
‘On through’ took them a hundred yards before the narrow drive became too packed with parked vehicles for Tonya’s car to pass. Danny shrugged, found a tiny patch of dirt and parked their car. They exited and walked up the drive. Tonya scrutinized the long line of official vehicles as they passed – police cars, county vehicles, vehicles emblazoned with the insignia of obscure state agencies, unmarked vehicles, even an empty ambulance. Clusters of police and FBI gathered beside their vehicles, smoking their cigarettes and waiting.
The air was fresh and crisp, the sky a brilliant blue and frost sparkled on the tree branches. Tonya enjoyed the exercise until she overheard one of the local police mutter something about ‘fucking monsters’, and ‘never should have let them out of Quarantine’ in a voice meant to be overheard.
She didn’t give them the pleasure of a response but Danny bristled with outrage beside her.
Tonya smelled the crime scene long before she reached it, the ripe stench of violence. About a quarter mile up, the winding drive ended in a small clearing occupied by a clapboard shack of uncertain color and shabby appearance. Decades had passed since the shack’s last painting. Beside her, Rhonda grimaced. She had come from a place much like this and her old memories weren’t good.
Several men gathered near the front door of the shack as she approached. Tonya picked out Agent Tommy Bates by his height, pale hair, and the ever-present cigarette. Neither he nor the other men seemed bothered by the stench of death surrounding them, but then, their noses were merely normal. Tommy was an old, well, ‘friend’ wasn’t quite the right word, but they had worked together before, and most of the time they had been allies. Many years ago, Tommy’s wife had come down with Transform Sickness. She survived and now lived in a household out on the west coast. Since then, Tommy had gone out of his way to help the victims of the disease. Prejudice against Transforms was rampant and his support and that of others like him was like a bulkhead against a sea of hate.
“Focus Biggioni,” Tommy said and put out his hand. Tonya took it graciously. Around them, the other men stepped away when Tommy named her a Focus. Tonya flicked her gaze at them and smiled, a little too sardonic to be the purely social smile she owed Tommy.
Men and women Transforms looked like average human beings, but that wasn’t true for a Focus. Tonya’s major transformation had given her excellent health, the body of an athlete, the charismatic presence of a politician or a movie star and the appearance of a nineteen-year-old, despite her fifty-odd years.
She used every bit of her Focus transformation benefits to keep her household financially afloat. Money was always a problem.
“What’s the emergency, Tommy?” Monster transformations happened all the time.
The other men jumped again at the sound of her voice. It was rich and musical, with undertones that shivered along the spine.
Tommy was used to her, though, and merely ground his cigarette out under his shoe. “Looks straightforward on the surface. Alice Colson, wife of Clem Colson, caught the Shakes and didn’t realize it. Made a normal transformation. No Focus to stabilize her, of course, so in time she went Monster and attacked one of the men here. Killed him. Clem and
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