again.
The door to his left opened, and Paula Gerald, (Director Kenneth Bishop’s secretary), poked her head out from behind it.
“He’s ready to see you now, Nathan.”
“Do you have any idea what this is about?”
Paula shook her head. “Not a clue.”
Archer laughed. “Come on, Paula, you know everything that goes on in here. Some say you know more than the old man.”
Paula shook her head grimly. “Not this time. Whatever it is he wants to talk to you about, it’s completely hush-hush.”
Archer got to his feet and followed Paula to his superior’s office. He turned to the woman at his side and said, “Wish me luck. Every time I get called to see the old man, it means something bad is on its way for my team.”
Paula smiled. “The reason you get all the tough jobs is the old man knows you and your men can handle them.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes I wish someone else could handle the crap, and leave the cream for us.”
Paula knocked on the door, and opened it without waiting for a response. “Director Bishop, Nathan Archer is here to see you.”
“Good to see you again,” said Bishop as he struggled out of his seat.
At close to seventy years of age, Bishop had ruled over the protection agency for thirty years. The old man was a straight shooter, and never treated anyone below him as anything other than equal. Archer liked him a great deal.
“It’s good to see you, Boss. What’s cooking?”
“The usual, Nathan, the usual. I take it you remember Dr Bartholomew?” Bishop gestured to his right.
Archer turned just in time to see Dr Kathryn Bartholomew leaving her chair to head towards him.
“Of course I do. It’s good to meet you again.” He offered her his hand and she shook it vigorously. He was surprised by her firm grip. “I take it you had something to do with my recall from the field?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I needed a team, and Director Bishop recommended you and your men, so here you are.”
“I see,” said Archer as he turned back to his superior. “So what’s this all about, Boss?”
Bishop settled back into his chair, and gestured for the two to take a seat. “I think I’ll let Dr Bartholomew explain her findings first, then I’ll tell you were we come in.”
Archer looked towards the attractive woman on his right. She shifted in her seat. “When you found me and my team, we were on the verge of a breakthrough. This breakthrough could mark the end of The Lingering once and for all.”
Archer looked at Bishop with shock and surprise. The old man answered his quizzical expression with a slow nod, then steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. It soon became apparent to Archer that his superior had no intentions of interrupting the doctor, so he returned his gaze to her.
“My family’s history is deeply tangled with The Lingering,” she continued. “For a hundred and seventy years, my family has dedicated itself to the eradication of The Lingering, and finally the finish line is in sight.
“My team and I have discovered an enzyme that attacks The Lingering virus. While the enzyme has not yet shown signs of killing it, I believe with a few modifications, it could. The trouble is the virus has mutated thousands of times since it was first discovered, and we need the original virus to make our modifications to the enzyme.”
Archer rubbed his forehead as he tried to absorb what he had just heard. “You say you need the original virus, but it doesn’t exist anymore. So aren’t you back to square one?”
“That’s where we come in,” said Bishop, “we’re going to help her find an early version of the virus.”
Dumbfounded, and somewhat confused by what he had just heard, Archer simply stared at the old man. Finally, he said, “Sorry, I must be missing something. How can the Protection Agency help?”
Bishop pursed his lips, then began. “Nathan, you know the attacks on the clean have been increasing, why do you think that is?”
Archer
The door to his left opened, and Paula Gerald, (Director Kenneth Bishop’s secretary), poked her head out from behind it.
“He’s ready to see you now, Nathan.”
“Do you have any idea what this is about?”
Paula shook her head. “Not a clue.”
Archer laughed. “Come on, Paula, you know everything that goes on in here. Some say you know more than the old man.”
Paula shook her head grimly. “Not this time. Whatever it is he wants to talk to you about, it’s completely hush-hush.”
Archer got to his feet and followed Paula to his superior’s office. He turned to the woman at his side and said, “Wish me luck. Every time I get called to see the old man, it means something bad is on its way for my team.”
Paula smiled. “The reason you get all the tough jobs is the old man knows you and your men can handle them.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes I wish someone else could handle the crap, and leave the cream for us.”
Paula knocked on the door, and opened it without waiting for a response. “Director Bishop, Nathan Archer is here to see you.”
“Good to see you again,” said Bishop as he struggled out of his seat.
At close to seventy years of age, Bishop had ruled over the protection agency for thirty years. The old man was a straight shooter, and never treated anyone below him as anything other than equal. Archer liked him a great deal.
“It’s good to see you, Boss. What’s cooking?”
“The usual, Nathan, the usual. I take it you remember Dr Bartholomew?” Bishop gestured to his right.
Archer turned just in time to see Dr Kathryn Bartholomew leaving her chair to head towards him.
“Of course I do. It’s good to meet you again.” He offered her his hand and she shook it vigorously. He was surprised by her firm grip. “I take it you had something to do with my recall from the field?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I needed a team, and Director Bishop recommended you and your men, so here you are.”
“I see,” said Archer as he turned back to his superior. “So what’s this all about, Boss?”
Bishop settled back into his chair, and gestured for the two to take a seat. “I think I’ll let Dr Bartholomew explain her findings first, then I’ll tell you were we come in.”
Archer looked towards the attractive woman on his right. She shifted in her seat. “When you found me and my team, we were on the verge of a breakthrough. This breakthrough could mark the end of The Lingering once and for all.”
Archer looked at Bishop with shock and surprise. The old man answered his quizzical expression with a slow nod, then steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. It soon became apparent to Archer that his superior had no intentions of interrupting the doctor, so he returned his gaze to her.
“My family’s history is deeply tangled with The Lingering,” she continued. “For a hundred and seventy years, my family has dedicated itself to the eradication of The Lingering, and finally the finish line is in sight.
“My team and I have discovered an enzyme that attacks The Lingering virus. While the enzyme has not yet shown signs of killing it, I believe with a few modifications, it could. The trouble is the virus has mutated thousands of times since it was first discovered, and we need the original virus to make our modifications to the enzyme.”
Archer rubbed his forehead as he tried to absorb what he had just heard. “You say you need the original virus, but it doesn’t exist anymore. So aren’t you back to square one?”
“That’s where we come in,” said Bishop, “we’re going to help her find an early version of the virus.”
Dumbfounded, and somewhat confused by what he had just heard, Archer simply stared at the old man. Finally, he said, “Sorry, I must be missing something. How can the Protection Agency help?”
Bishop pursed his lips, then began. “Nathan, you know the attacks on the clean have been increasing, why do you think that is?”
Archer
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