Once Bitten, Twice Dead - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,31
video resume.
The camera angle switched. It showed her walking into a new frame, somewhere within the old building. Her small flashlight was a flare of brilliance on an otherwise dim scene.
“They were using infrared. There’s the heat signature of your flashlight. There’s you in red, orange and yellow. See this green and blue shape in the corner?” He kept his voice low and pointed to a human-shaped object that was stationary in the far corner. “This is probably the guy who came up behind you. The creatures don’t register as hot to an infrared, but they do hold some warmth. The science team explained it’s the kinetic energy of the cells which make up their bodies. They don’t live like you and me anymore. They’ve been reanimated on a cellular level. That requires some energy and that’s what you’re seeing on the infrared. It’s cold compared to us, but it’s not ice-cold.”
“Son of a…” She was focused on the screen as the creature began to move up behind her. It was shadowing her movements as the camera angles switched again and showed her walking down the hall toward another blue-green being.
Xavier covered her hand with his as they watched the blue-green shapes converge on her glowing form. The attack played out before their very eyes. Xavier saw firsthand how she’d fought back, how she had tried her damnedest. That initial blow to the head had been her undoing.
She fought like a wildcat. The action caught by the infrared surveillance footage revealed the scenario just as she had described it. Even with her police training, she hadn’t stood a chance against the creatures in the darkness that was their domain.
In the end, she had succeeded in saving herself. Xavier had to hand it to her. She had grit and skills to back it up. She’d gotten herself out of the situation, badly injured and in serious need of help, but she definitely had rescued herself.
The surveillance cameras followed her out into the sunshine, zooming in on her, using regular film once there was enough light. Xavier saw the pain on her face, the disoriented focus of her eyes, the blood pouring from her wounds. She held out until the last possible moment, propping her battered body against the tire of her patrol car. A minute later, a second patrol car pulled up and her fellow officer called the rest of the cavalry.
Xavier stopped the replay. She was breathing hard, her free hand fisted on her thigh, the hand he held gripping his tightly. She stared at her image on the screen and swallowed hard, anger and dismay warring on her lovely, pale face.
“I know that was hard to watch,” he said in a soft voice. He bent close to her ear, wanting to offer comfort. They were in her office, with others about, or he would have dragged her into his arms for a hug. She looked like she really needed a hug.
“You have no idea.”
She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. Damn, the girl was a trouper.
“Did you see the way the cameras were zooming in and out?” she asked him. “Someone was watching this live. They were controlling the cameras, following my progress.”
He had noticed it and was pleased she had, too. The woman was smart, brave and intelligent. A lethal combination.
“You acquitted yourself well, Sarah. That initial fall scrambled your brains, but you fought back and managed to save yourself. You deserve a lot of credit.”
“For letting that bastard shadow me all over the damn building? I should’ve realized I wasn’t alone. I should’ve known someone was following me. That was a rookie mistake. I let him catch me from behind.”
“Sarah, these things are better at stealth than anything I’ve ever seen before. They don’t breathe. They don’t make a sound until you confront them. I’m not surprised you didn’t know it was there. You were expecting living, breathing human beings. Not them. You did better than most would have in such a situation. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Thanks for being nice, but I expect better of myself.” She squeezed his hand and let go, turning back to the computer.
“Nice, eh? Can’t say anyone’s ever called me that before.” He felt the moment needed a little levity. He wanted to see her smile. “My unit would laugh their asses off if they heard anyone call me ‘nice.’ They’d say I was slipping.”
She laughed, and he felt a small victory at seeing the light of