looked towards Dr Bartholomew. “I’m guessing whoever is orchestrating the attacks has got wind of the doctor’s findings.”
Bishop nodded and got to his feet. “But why go to all that bother when the enzyme is useless without the original version of the virus?”
Archer pondered this. “I take it the enzymes are produced by the clean, so it makes sense to eliminate the source of the enzyme.”
Bishop sat on the edge of his desk and stared Archer in the eye. “Yes, but why do that when the second thing needed for a cure doesn’t exist. Surely it’s a waste of resources carrying out the attacks. That is, unless you have something to protect. ”
Archer’s brow furrowed. “Are you saying there is still a source for the original virus?”
Bishop smiled and slapped his leg. “Exactly! And where do you suppose the source of the virus could be found?”
Archer stared out of the window as his mind worked on the conundrum. “Well, the virus first started back in the mid-nineteen hundreds, so The Lingering from that time would carry the original virus. The trouble is The Lingering only last around ten years unfed, so they’ll all be gone by now.”
“That’s what we thought,” said Dr Bartholomew as she approached Bishop’s side. “But your agency has uncovered some unsettling information.”
Archer fixed his boss with a steely gaze. “What have you found, Boss?”
Bishop turned and headed for a filing cabinet, a second later he threw a large dossier onto Archer’s lap. “It turns out The Lingering can last a very long time … if fed.”
Archer looked at the file in his lap, and then back to Bishop. “Who would be mad enough to feed a Lingerer?” He looked at Bartholomew. “Sorry, Doctor, I mean who would feed one of The Lingering for so long?”
“The Westbourne Corporation, that’s who,” replied Bishop flatly.
“What?”
Bartholomew stood and began to pace. “One of my ancestors, a Dr Rupert Bartholomew, along with another man, struck the deal to ship The Lingering to Australia. The man they chose was less then reputable; he was the founder of the Westbourne Corporation. It turns out he would do anything for money, including feeding The Lingering human flesh.”
Archer collapsed back in his chair. “This can’t be true.”
She stopped her pacing and stared at him intently. “I’m afraid it’s all too true, and his first client was Queen Victoria. Apparently she met with Westbourne and offered him a fortune to feed her husband, Prince Albert.”
Archer looked at Bishop. “How long have you known about this?”
“Not until several months ago. Someone on the inside of the corporation leaked us the information.”
“How on earth did he feed them?”
Bartholomew answered Archer’s question. “The British government evacuated all its citizens, but it didn’t see the indigenous population as worth saving. Westbourne started with them.”
Archer got to his feet. “We were taught Australia was uninhabited.”
Bartholomew nodded. “We were all taught that, but it was a lie.”
Archer shook his head, and grabbed her by the arm. “Wait, you said that’s how they started feeding them. How are they doing it now?”
Bishop took Archer’s wrist, and eased his subordinate’s hand free of the young doctor’s arm. He then said, “We’re not sure, but we think they’re taking the homeless. Maybe many of this country’s missing persons can be attributed to the Westbourne Corporation.”
Archer could feel his anger rising. “Why aren’t we kicking down the doors of their head office? Surely we have enough to lock up whoever is in charge.”
Bishop released Archer’s wrist. “Sir Richard Westbourne is in charge, and yes we have enough to arrest him. However, we don’t want to show our cards too soon.”
“I get it now,” murmured Archer through gritted teeth. “Westbourne is behind the attacks on the clean, and he has the only original version of the virus under his
Bishop nodded and got to his feet. “But why go to all that bother when the enzyme is useless without the original version of the virus?”
Archer pondered this. “I take it the enzymes are produced by the clean, so it makes sense to eliminate the source of the enzyme.”
Bishop sat on the edge of his desk and stared Archer in the eye. “Yes, but why do that when the second thing needed for a cure doesn’t exist. Surely it’s a waste of resources carrying out the attacks. That is, unless you have something to protect. ”
Archer’s brow furrowed. “Are you saying there is still a source for the original virus?”
Bishop smiled and slapped his leg. “Exactly! And where do you suppose the source of the virus could be found?”
Archer stared out of the window as his mind worked on the conundrum. “Well, the virus first started back in the mid-nineteen hundreds, so The Lingering from that time would carry the original virus. The trouble is The Lingering only last around ten years unfed, so they’ll all be gone by now.”
“That’s what we thought,” said Dr Bartholomew as she approached Bishop’s side. “But your agency has uncovered some unsettling information.”
Archer fixed his boss with a steely gaze. “What have you found, Boss?”
Bishop turned and headed for a filing cabinet, a second later he threw a large dossier onto Archer’s lap. “It turns out The Lingering can last a very long time … if fed.”
Archer looked at the file in his lap, and then back to Bishop. “Who would be mad enough to feed a Lingerer?” He looked at Bartholomew. “Sorry, Doctor, I mean who would feed one of The Lingering for so long?”
“The Westbourne Corporation, that’s who,” replied Bishop flatly.
“What?”
Bartholomew stood and began to pace. “One of my ancestors, a Dr Rupert Bartholomew, along with another man, struck the deal to ship The Lingering to Australia. The man they chose was less then reputable; he was the founder of the Westbourne Corporation. It turns out he would do anything for money, including feeding The Lingering human flesh.”
Archer collapsed back in his chair. “This can’t be true.”
She stopped her pacing and stared at him intently. “I’m afraid it’s all too true, and his first client was Queen Victoria. Apparently she met with Westbourne and offered him a fortune to feed her husband, Prince Albert.”
Archer looked at Bishop. “How long have you known about this?”
“Not until several months ago. Someone on the inside of the corporation leaked us the information.”
“How on earth did he feed them?”
Bartholomew answered Archer’s question. “The British government evacuated all its citizens, but it didn’t see the indigenous population as worth saving. Westbourne started with them.”
Archer got to his feet. “We were taught Australia was uninhabited.”
Bartholomew nodded. “We were all taught that, but it was a lie.”
Archer shook his head, and grabbed her by the arm. “Wait, you said that’s how they started feeding them. How are they doing it now?”
Bishop took Archer’s wrist, and eased his subordinate’s hand free of the young doctor’s arm. He then said, “We’re not sure, but we think they’re taking the homeless. Maybe many of this country’s missing persons can be attributed to the Westbourne Corporation.”
Archer could feel his anger rising. “Why aren’t we kicking down the doors of their head office? Surely we have enough to lock up whoever is in charge.”
Bishop released Archer’s wrist. “Sir Richard Westbourne is in charge, and yes we have enough to arrest him. However, we don’t want to show our cards too soon.”
“I get it now,” murmured Archer through gritted teeth. “Westbourne is behind the attacks on the clean, and he has the only original version of the virus under his
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