Shades of Red by T L Christianson

Author:T L Christianson
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781677833122
Publisher: Myth & Moon Press
Published: 2020-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

My cell phone rang, waking me up. Snorting, I tried to figure out where I was before my surroundings kicked in.

When I lifted my face, a paper I’d been looking at stuck to me. I pulled it away and realized I’d fallen asleep in my office. My computer screen still flashed nature scenes so I couldn’t have been asleep for very long.

Rummaging through the clutter and old takeout coffee cups, I finally found it.

“Dr. Shepard,” I answered.

Forest’s voice boomed over the line. “Yo, yo, yo, mama!” Was he going for a Latino accent today?

Memories flooded in reminding me what I’d done to find myself in such a horrible state and why.

After working in my office, I’d gone down to check on the antibodies that I’d been growing in the lab and found them all dead. Everything, all the nanoparticles that in turn generate the protein I needed–gone.

Five months of work had come to nothing. The power had gone out, and my backup generator hadn’t kicked on.

“Hey, I’ve kind of had a shitty day, so cut the crap. I need a town name, not just some,” I lowered my voice to mimic him, “Some Amish town in Ohio,’ bullshit.”

“Heyyyyyyyy… we ain’t gonna be like that. You know I’m good Mami.”

“Oh Jesus, what time is it?” My head pounded and my thirst made my veins scream for blood.

I didn’t usually drink, but since the last five months of work had just turned to shit, I’d finished off a large bottle of whip cream flavored vodka and sank into some dark reflection time.

I looked around my office, and half stood to peek into the lab through the window that separated it and my desk. Where was Karsten?

“Okay, so, it’s one of the little communities between Akron, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.”

I rolled my eyes and googled a map of Ohio. “That’s not a location, Forest. That’s like the entire Amish country!” I sniffed a cold cup of coffee and tentatively sipped it. It tasted okay, so I gulped it down.

Paper rustled over the line. “Okay, okay. It’s sort of by Walnut Creek but south on 194.”

Sucking in a calming breath through my nose, I let it out slowly. “Okay. Did you talk to Karsten about this already?”

“Nu-uh, just you Mami.”

I shook my head but then regretted it. Realizing that even Moroi have their alcohol limits. “So, tell me.”

“Cash. Money. I think you owe me three large for this info.”

“Three thousand bucks? What? No. How much time have you spent on this?”

“A lot. Look, I have to pay my network of informants. If I stiff them, then I get stiffed. Me and you have a good thing going. Don’t mess it up.”

“You’re wringing me dry, you greedy bastard!” I told him while checking the balance in my account on my banking website. He’d been working on this for months, but I still had to haggle. “Fine, funds transfer or do you want cash again?”

His snort came through the line. “Cash. I’ve sent you pics of the house and barn and of the guy they’re calling David.

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