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.“I'll spend the morning checking the area,” he said finally.“If she's out here, I'll find her.”“I'm sure you will.You're the best landsman around.”“Also, I found another dead animal yesterday, and my sister -”“I don't need to hear about this,” she replied, interrupting him.“I'm sorry, Freeman, but I have to go.Pop by my office around lunchtime and we can see how things are looking.And please, don't bring up any more trouble right now.The last thing I need is you to keep nagging about dead squirrels again.”“But -”Before he could finish, he realized that she'd hung up on him.“Idiot,” he sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket before turning and making his way down the gently sloping hill that ran east through the forest, with sunlight glinting off the surface of the distant lake.***“Okay, you,” Karen muttered as she finished pinning the dead squirrel down onto an examination table, “let's see what we're dealing with.”Using the tip of a scalpel, she cut into a section of fur running around the squirrel's neck, before peeling back a flap of skin to expose the meat beneath.Once the meat had been excised, she took a magnifying glass and used it to examine the base of the skull at the point where it met the spine, only to see that a thin black tendril seemed to have reached up through the squirrel's body, winding around the spine until it poked up into the skull itself.“Invasive,” she whispered, taking a small clamp and using it to gently dislodge the lower jaw.Tilting the dead creature's head back, she could see that the black tendril seemed to extend significantly into the brain cavity.She took a moment to peer at the squirrel's face, before looking back down at the main bulk of the tumor, which remained a large, shiny black mass in the abdominal cavity.Grabbing a different scalpel, she pressed gently against the side of the tumor, and she could immediately tell that the interior seemed to be fairly solid.Running the scalpel's blade to the base of one of the tendrils, she considered cutting it loose before deciding, instead, to focus on the main mass.Placing the edge of the blade against the tumor, she began to slice a thin section away.“Fuck!” she exclaimed as a spray of black liquid burst from the tumor, hitting her on the face and neck.Her protective glasses kept her eyes safe, but she felt a faint burning sensation on her chin.She grabbed a towel and wiped herself clean, but the black mass in the squirrel's abdomen was already starting to deflate a little.Heading over to the other side of the lab, she wiped some more of the black liquid from her face and neck, before grabbing her phone and bringing up her brother's number.“Hey,” she said as soon as she was put through to his answerphone, “it's me.Listen, this might sound weird, but.Do you remember that ridiculous story you told me about an incident a couple of years ago at Leadenford Hospital? The one that supposedly got covered up after the whole place was destroyed?” She glanced back over at the dead squirrel.“Well, I really don't want to set you off on another of your conspiracy rants, but I think I might have something that you're going to find very interesting.Call me back as soon as you get this message.”Chapter Eight“This is a mop,” Marlowe said, handing Lizzie a mop.“I know.”“And this is a bucket.”“I know.”“And this,” he continued, turning to look at the three portable toilets lined up in the shade, a few hundred meters from the cabins, “is your task for the afternoon.Just be glad you got sanctioned on the first day.There hasn't been much time for anyone to make too much of a mess.”“What about medical waste?” she asked.He turned to her, with a hint of panic in his eyes.“What?”“Twenty-odd cancer patients are using these things,” she continued.“God knows what drugs they're all on for their conditions.Don't you think there might be some toxic material in their waste?”“Huh,” he replied, looking back at the plastic cubicles, which were resting haphazardly on the grass.“I never really thought about that.You might be right.”“And the chemicals used to keep the toilets clean?”He sniffed.“And needles?”“Do you think there are needles?” he asked, turning back to her.“If anyone has to self-inject, and if they're dumb enough to flush the -” She paused, suddenly aware of the clueless look on his face.“Never mind, I'll make up a policy on the fly.”“Well, maybe -”“I can do it,” she told him, turning to look back at the cabins just as the rest of the campers headed off to get started with the afternoon's aerobics class.“Just leave me alone to get on with it, and I promise that by dinnertime these toilets will be cleaner than you can possibly imagine.”“That's a good way to see it,” he replied with another sniff.“Take pride in your work.” Turning and heading back to the cabins, he began to lazily scratch the back of his trousers.“Gross,” Lizzie muttered, turning back to look at the toilets.Figuring that she might as well get started, she took the bucket over to a nearby free-standing tap and began to fill it with cold water, before grabbing a bottle of bleach and pouring some into the concoction.“Hey,” a voice said suddenly.Turning, she saw Laura limped across the grass on crutches.“Not going to the aerobics?” Lizzie asked.“With these legs?” Laura replied, allowing herself a faint smile.“Hell, no.I persuaded that Wallace cow that it'd be cruel and unusual punishment to make me take part, so she said I could amuse myself for the afternoon.Besides, I saw you down here and I felt bad.There's no way you should be the only one who gets it in the neck.I tried confessing, but Kirsty and Todd flat-out denied the whole thing and, anyway, I think Wallace has taken a real dislike to you for some reason.” She sniffed.“She's clearly a bitch, so if she doesn't like you, I guess you must be okay.”“It's okay,” Lizzie muttered, turning the tap off and carrying the bucket over to the first plastic cubicle.“I'm gonna shine these toilets up so good, she'll be able to see her own reflection in the seats.”“So where do you think Beth has got to?”“Still no sign her?”Laura shook her head.“Crystal Wallace was no help,” Lizzie continued, dipping the mop into the bucket.“I swear, it's like she couldn't give a damn.I tried to tell her that the longer we leave it, the bigger the chance that something might happen.I mean, Beth seemed fairly healthy but you never know with these things.” She glanced back toward the cabins, where she could see Crystal leading the aerobics class.“She only cares about the camp,” Laura replied, “and her own reputation.I've seen her type a million fucking times.She wants everything to know what a wonderful person she is, so she sets up a cancer charity.Plus, even though it's a charity, I guarantee you she's paying herself a decent wage as its boss.There's money to be made in the cancer industry, you know [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]