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At that, the nurse threw down the syringe and stalked out, throwing over her shoulder a hope that he died screaming.
“Really feeling the love here in your little town,” said Benny under his breath.
“We’re known for our charm,” said Alethea with a wicked smile.
Finally the pharmacist stopped writing and frowned down at the complex notes, then hurried out of the room. Ledger squatted once more in front of the injured physician.
“I was able to follow some of that, Doc,” he said mildly, “and what I heard was more of a stopgap measure than an actual treatment. You wouldn’t be trying to pull something, now, would you? Because that would be mighty unfriendly, and—I have to admit—I’m already feeling a tad cranky.”
“No,” said Morton between gritted teeth, “it’s the best I can do for now. I don’t have the right compounds to make a batch of the kind of pills we need.”
“That’s not the answer any of us want to hear.”
“Listen to me, you Neanderthal,” growled Morton, “do you think I want to die? Collins knew what she was doing when she came in here. She knew I had key ingredients locked up because I didn’t want anyone else to know about them. I made what I needed for Sarah after hours when the pharmacy staff was gone for the day. There was enough here to last for three months. Now there isn’t.”
“How much does Sarah have at home?” asked Gutsy.
Morton’s eyes shifted guiltily away. “Karen gets a week’s worth at a time. She was here four days ago, so…”
Spid
er made a sick sound and kicked a file cabinet. Morton flinched, then groaned as pain from his torn shoulder rippled through him. He eyed the syringe of painkillers. Ledger picked the needle up but didn’t use it.
“Talk first,” he said, “feel better after. You were saying, Doc?”
“If we cut the doses for one of the kids, maybe then we’ll have enough for me—”
There was a rasp, and suddenly the tip of Benny’s sword was touching Morton’s throat.
“Doc,” Benny said softly, “you are going to want to be real careful about how you finish that sentence.”
Morton blanched. “I’m telling you, we don’t have enough of the right materials here. The main chemical stores were at the base. If I turn and reanimate before someone can get more of the materials, who will make more pills?”
“You’re going to die anyway,” said Gutsy. “The base is destroyed; I saw it burn.”
Morton gave her a scathing look. “Site B.” He said it as if everyone should understand. When all he saw were perplexed expressions, he repeated it. “Site B. You need to go to Site B.”
“Stop saying ‘Site B,’?” growled Gutsy, “and tell us what it is.”
“And where,” added Benny.
Morton looked disgusted, as if everyone in the room was mentally deficient except himself. Then he gave the full and correct name for Site B. “It’s the Laredo Chemical and Biological Weapon Defense Research Facility. It’s where they sent all the bioweapons after the international accord. They were all supposed to be destroyed, but, hey, let’s face it—that stuff was too valuable to be incinerated. We stored it instead. With tons of weapons.”
Ledger turned to Sam.
“The cache,” said Sam.
“Well, golly, golly, golly,” said Ledger. “I think it’s Christmas morning.”
“Don’t start hanging your stockings too fast,” said Morton sourly. “The parasites and chemical samples are there, but the process of making the pills takes time.”
Ledger leaned in a little. “Exactly how much time?”
17
THEY WENT BACK TO THE school, which had more or less become the headquarters of their bizarre group. The Chess Players, their work at the hospital done for now, joined them.
They broke the news to Chong about his missing quad and its store of drugs, and about the destruction of the supply in Morton’s office. Chong’s response was to sink down to the floor, lean his head back against the wall, and close his eyes. Lilah threatened to kill Morton, but that was hollow. They needed him. So instead she wept and held Chong. Benny sat beside him, holding his best friend’s right hand, and Nix lay on the floor, her head on Chong’s thigh.
