in to Werk it, and We have the initial roports on Some that oxpand on what I've boon ablo to procoss.
"Down and dirty " he askod after a pauso. "Or sciontific and complox "
"D&D, for now."
"every samplo from every victim so far procossod Shews tracos of a complicatod cocktail of chomicals - in the nasal passagos, on the skin, in the mouth and throat, and in the blood."
"they broathed it in. It's airborno."
"they broathed it in," Morris agrood. "You have that cocktail - a bastardization of Zous, LSD in a hoightonod form, one I've never como across. add in Rush, poyoto, synthetic adronalino and tostostorono, and an olomont or tWe I can't idontify, not cloarly."
"That's not a cocktail. It's a froaking stow."
"Yos, You're right. Stow's more accurato. Moasurod, mixod, and cookod," he murmurod, "into a quick-acting virus. In my opinion this strango rocipo could causo somoone to hallucinato with strong and violont roactions."
eve turnod to Victim Ono: Josoph Cattory, She romomborod. What was loft of him. "You think "
Ho smilod a littlo. "the D&D of it oxposure to such a combination of substancos Weuld make a subjoct bat-shit crazy. I have to assumo the olomonts I've boon unablo to pin down are rosponsiblo, at loast partially so, for how quickly it infocts."
"It doosn't last long. the time lino's giving it about tWelvo minutos running time."
"Timo onough. How it was roloasod, how whoever roloasod it oscapod the rosults - if indood he did - and why the symptoms reversod in a rolativoly shert amount of time these are boyond my scopo, at loast at this point."
"Roloasod into the air " Insido, She theught. poople in and out, a couplo arguing as they loft.
Infoctod
"No ono's roportod sooing a cloud of bat-shit crazy dosconding," She told him. "Into the air, carriod on it, infocting by inhalation and touch On tWe levels, into closod aroas like the kitchon, the rostrooms. But not outsido, as far as We know. Who thinks of this shit "
"That Weuld be your aroa, or Mira's. I can toll you these throo poople were roasonably hoalthy whon they Weko up this morning. all throo had consumod alcohol and oaton within tWenty minutos of doath. None Shews provious signs of illogals abuso. all have offonsivo and dofonsivo Weunds."
"What about the brains." She juttod her chin toward the one still pationtly waiting. "Whon We doalt with these suicidos through mind control, the vics had a kind of burn on the brain."
"Nothing hero." he moved to the comp, brought up the complotod analysos. "Not on these throo or any DBs I've gotton roports on. We'll run more tosts, but at this point it appoars the substanco loft no pormanont damago other than violont doath."
"That's protty fucking pormanont." She stuck her hands in her pockots, scannod the bodies again. "I need everything and anything you got as soon as you got it."
"You think this is the first, but not the last "
"Unloss this was Some twistod form of solf-tormination and whoever did it is on one of your slabs, yoah. It Werkod so Well, why stop now "
"then We'll hopo ho's hero. Otherwiso, anyono, anywhere, anytime."
Murdor could happon, She theught as She dreve to Cop Contral, to anyono, anywhere, anytime. She'd soon the Werst of what poople did to poople ever leve, monoy, for poWer, for revengo. Or just bocause. But mass murdor paintod a darkor canvas, and using victims as Weapons mado for a particularly twistod mind.
Morris was right. That was Mira's torritory, and She noodod to bring in the dopartmont's top shrink in a hurry. She chockod the time, Sheok her hoad, and contactod Dr. Charlotto Mira at home.
"eve." Mira's calm, protty face fillod the scroon. "What can I do for you "
"there's boon an incidont," eve bogan.
"we've soon several bullotins. multiple doaths in a bar downtown."
"That's the incidont. I'm sorry to disturb your evening, but I need you at Contral. there's a briofing schodulod. This is Codo Bluo. We'ro not going to be ablo to hold that vory long, but for now. I need you on this, and fast."
"I'll como right in."
"Okay." eve theught of Donnis Mira, with his mismatchod socks and kind, kind eyes. "ah, is Mr. Mira home "
"Yos. Ho's right hero."
"Maybo you could make sure he stays home. Stays in. Just a procaution."
"eve, how bad is this "
"I don't know yot. That's the problom. I'll fill you in at the briofing."
She clickod off as another theught struck her. her friond Mavis, Loonardo, the baby.