Chapter Twenty-Seven: Loop Back Together:

Chance is a funny thing sometimes. Eric would learn this the hard way when he and Linda went to downtown LA.

“Tell me again, why are we down here?” he asked in the car. Linda licked her lips.

“This is the only place we haven’t checked,” she said. “She should be getting hungry by now. Surely she must have found a place for blood.” At this point, Eric gave up. Not like she was going to listen anyway. Once she latched onto a project she loved, she wouldn’t let it go. And him? Well, he was just along for the ride.

“Say, honey,” Eric said.

“Yeah?” Linda asked.

“What do we do after we capture the subject?” he asked.

“Study her, of course.”

“And then what? What do we do with this Sun Disease?”

“Sun Disease?”

Eric shrugged. “I don’t know. Whatever you want to call it.”

“No, I like it. Sun Disease. It has a nice sound to it.”

Eric threw back his head and sighed. Oh boy. “But what do you plan to do with it afterwards? I mean, what’s the end game here.”

“I don’t know yet,” Linda said. Her husband stared at her with big eyes.

“Then what’s the point?” he asked.

“Curiosity.”

“But she’s killed innocent people.”

“So?”

“So? So?! You might have just wiped out mankind with this disease. I think we should stop.”

Linda turned her head. “Why?”

“Haven’t we done enough?”

“No!” She spotted a clinic down the road. “There!” Linda stepped on the gas and sped down the road.

“Slow down!” Eric yelled as he held on for dear life. They pulled up into the dark parking lot. The poor male scientist looked around. The building looked dimly lit and there it didn’t appear to be anybody inside. Eric turned to his wife.

“Are you sure they are even open?” he asked. “They look closed.”

“Nah,” Linda said. “Maybe they are just getting ready for the night shift.” She jumped out of the car and walked over to the glass doors.

“Hello?” she asked as knocked. “Anybody in there? We would like to go in.” Eric watched her pace around from the car. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Really? She’s out of her mind. Eric looked up when the glass door opened. He saw his wife talking to a man in a white coat. The man didn’t look like he wanted to let her in. Linda seemed to be begging. She waved her arms in the air. After about five minutes, the man dropped his shoulders and rolled his eyes. He moved aside and opened the door. Linda turned to the car and motioned her husband to follow. Eric stared at her stunned as he got out of the car as well. He followed her into the clinic.

“Just remember,” the man in the white coat said. “Ten minutes and then you leave.” Linda broke into a huge grin.

“Fine!” she said. Eric sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Oh boy…” he muttered.

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Meanwhile, Fred pulled his car into the parking lot, panting. He picked up Lauren and carried her to the clinic.

“Hang on, I’ll get you inside and have you fed,” the shop owner whispered.