Sligger Island by Michael Yowell

Author:Michael Yowell [Yowell, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2019-08-11T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

Denise Baddington lifted her eyes from the microscope and rubbed them. They were dry and irritated, which made it harder to focus. She stepped away from the microscope and crossed the lab to get to her purse.

While she was digging for the bottle of eye drops, the hospital phone on the desk rang. The caller ID read, US DEPT INTERIOR. Realizing her current employer was calling, she picked up.

“This is Denise Baddington,” she announced.

“Hello, Miss Baddington,” a female voice replied. “This is Gina Taylor from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.”

“Yes, hello Gina.”

“I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. I’m calling to inform you that funding is going to be cut for your assignment.”

“What?” Denise thought she had just heard wrong.

“Due to lack of conclusive results, and quite frankly, the lack of public interest, the director has decided to pull the plug.”

Denise was flabbergasted. “You’ve got to be kidding! This is the single most amazing biological discovery of the century. How can you want to mothball it?”

“It’s not my decision, of course,” the woman said politely. “But I do have to inform you that you will only remain on our payroll until the end of the month. By then you will need to be out of the residence we’re housing you in, so the department can sell the property.”

“Unbelievable…”

“I’m sorry, Miss Baddington. You have until the end of the month.”

Denise hung up, landing the handset on the base a little harder than she wanted to. She ran rigid fingers back through her long, black hair. Closing her eyelids, she exhaled forcefully. “Shit!” she finally erupted.

How could they want to end the program? she marveled, still reeling from the phone call. This is too important. Somehow, I have to continue my research. She wondered if she could find a way to raise funds herself. But then she realized that if the public interest had receded, then getting them to donate money to further her research would be almost impossible.

Maybe if she could solve the mystery of how the creatures came to be, the director would change his mind. Well, I’ve got ‘til the end of the month to produce results, she mused. I’d better make it count.

“Who was that?”

Hearing the familiar voice of John Warden, Denise turned to face the doctor. “That was Fish and Wildlife,” she answered. “They actually said they’re folding tents and ending the project. I have to be out of the house by the end of the month.”

Dr. Warden was stunned. “You’re kidding.” The chief physician of Sweetboro Medical Center could only shake his head. “That’s the federal government for you. Wasting tax dollars on bullshit and cutting programs that actually matter.” He, like everyone else in town, wanted very much to learn what these deadly new creatures were and where they had come from.

Denise approached the doctor. “What am I going to do?” she griped. “I can’t quit now, giving up is not in my nature.”

Dr. Warden smirked. “I know.” He and Denise had played the cat-and-mouse game months before, with Denise almost successful in seducing the doctor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.