The Immortal Protocol by Nicole Kurtz

Author:Nicole Kurtz [Kurtz, Nicole Givens]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798987379530
Publisher: Mocha Memoirs Press

CHAPTER 9

Briscoe stared into his glass of merlot synth. Dark and a touch bitter, like me. Then he blinked. That’s a bit bleak, Briscoe.

Maybe Fawn’s melancholy rubbed off. Though she has been happier as of late. Well, what passes for joy for Fawn.

“Uh oh. You’re wearing that face,” Raul said, with a roll of his green eyes. He scratched at his hatchling tattoo and shook his head, sending his curly brown hair shimmering. It brushed his shoulders.

“Meaning?” Briscoe looked up at him.

“Meaning you’re late and feeling pensive.” Raul ran a hand through his hair, shaking it out as he did so, untangling the soft strands.

“But I’m here,” Briscoe said.

Raul stood up from his chair and crossed the living room to embrace him.

“I’m glad,” he whispered against Briscoe’s ear, his breath warm and minty.

“I should’ve connected.” Briscoe kissed him. “Sorry.”

“You should’ve, but I know how it goes.”

Raul smiled and released him. “The ER was mad today. So much violence oozing out of The 12—a turf war or something, I think. We had seven laser-gun blast victims alone. That’s not counting the wauto wrecks, synth-poisonings and the wasting victims.”

Briscoe followed his partner into the kitchen. Raul’s job as a trauma surgeon bore all kinds of stress, not unlike his own profession. Raul continued describing the human carnage of his job, while removing containers from the fridge.

“I figured we’d eat light, since it’s so late.”

Briscoe agreed. Raul’s hands not only worked miracles in the ER, but also in the kitchen. He had a flare for creating delicious meals from whatever remained in the house. It helped Raul did all the grocery ordering too.

“What’s going on with the case?” Raul placed a ten-inch skillet on the flat stovetop. He poured in some oil. “Any movement?”

“None.”

“None?” The rest of the question remained unspoken, and it hung in the air. Then why were you late?

“We went with IR Parr to question two of the family members from the latest death vio. We got a few things to follow up on, but I think they’re dead ends.”

“Dead ends are common in death violations.”

“Yeah, they are,” Briscoe muttered. “We want to solve this. We don’t want these vios to languish. The further out we get from the first death violation, the harder it is to solve.” Briscoe heard the bitterness in his words.

He sank onto one of the kitchen stools and rested his elbows on the marble counter. “The son’s an Ackback addict. Now the list of potential violators is huge.”

RaolRaul twisted around to look at him. “The most recent death, —Bennet? That one?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought Brinnington had reassigned it.”

“He did.” Briscoe avoided Raul’s questioning gaze. He didn’t need to see his husband’s face to know it was there. “We’re helping Tina.”

“Uh huh. That Fawn’s idea?”

“No. Mine.”

Raul clicked his tongue.

“She believes the new violation is connected to the others.”

“Figures.” Raul sprinkled in salt, then ground pepper into the pan.

“I do, too. The key will be convincing everyone else. We got to catch this vio, Raul,” Briscoe said, a thread of pleading making his voice deeper.

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