2nd & 3rd October 2003
Barcodes wanted!
Set the morning after "Proof of Purchase"
Ames' thoughts
8:30am
Ames' office at NSA transgenic hunting headquarters.
The sun is streaming through the half closed blinds, it's a beautiful morning in Seattle. The only storm cloud in sight is Special Agent in Charge Ames White.
Ames is seated at his desk, looking over his report on the previous days captures and kills.
3! 3! He thought sourly. This blasted job is going to take forever! The hunting's fun! But the searching and hiding is boring! I wanna kill 'em! Not play hide and bleeding seek with 'em!
He all but slammed the report onto the desk, making pens and other items jump slightly.
Never send a transgenic to do a Familiars job! Ames fumed. Hell I should've known better than to trust a freak! But I just couldn't resist forcing 494 to hunt his own kind! Ames grinned. Least he's no longer a problem! Who could he get to remove the micro-explosive! Ames laughed out loud, picturing the scene when 494's head exploded. I wish I could've been there and recorded the moment!
The grin left his face as the laughter stopped and the storm cloud returned.
The ego on 494 is incredible! Only matched by his stupidity! Thinking I wouldn't notice a 178lb stripling, easily beating men twice his size! Ames glared. Thinking me to be an idiot! Well that mistake cost 494 his pitiable life! I am not an idiot!
Ames wished that that freak wasn't dead, so that he could have the pleasure of killing him himself and watching him die.
The gall of that freak! Trying to trick me, Me! Ames fumed again at 494's actions. Like I wouldn't make sure that I was notified immediately, if anyone baring a barcode, or with a wound where the barcode should be were ever admitted to any hospital or clinic, treated by any doctor!
Ames just barely restrained himself from hitting the desk.
Damn it! I have to stop hitting furniture! Ames scolded himself. I don't need the hassle of explaining a destroyed desk to my idiot humans!
Ames' thoughts moved away from pulverising the desk too.
Manticore even helpfully branded its freaks! I love that barcode, encrypted in their DNA! 3 weeks and they need to laser it off again, what a pity those weaklings feel pain! Ames thought grinning malevolently.
That thought unfortunately brought Ames back to the subject of 494. Though he now had a check on his temper.
Interesting that 494 had no trouble killing the furred freak! Ames thought of the black furred skin with the white barcode. I don't want to know what kind of freak that came from! Ames turned his thoughts to. 494's inability to kill the human looking freak is interesting. I wonder if I tried the experiment again, if I would get the same results! He pondered. Stop it! You are supposed to kill 'em! Not think up experiments for them to participate in! You are not like Sandeman! He was a senile old fool! Ames berated himself.
I was to damn generous with 494! Letting him have claim to the kid freaks death! Ames glared at the wall of his office. Why the hell did I do that! Sure I was gonna kill him anyway! Even if he brought me a hundred barcodes! No way would I let even one freak live! Their training must have been really bad! That idiot trusted me! You never ever trust your enemy! Ames paused. I can't believe even a freak could be that stupid! He must have thought he'd be able to get rid of the micro-explosive! Ames started laughing again. Oh I really wish I could have seen his head explode! Bamm! Bye bye Monty bleeding Cora! Ames laughed harder at his unintentional pun. Oh yeah! There would be loads of blood! I wonder if I'll ever find the hole that he crawled into? Ames got a grip on his mirth and stopped laughing. Not that finding his body matters! There is no way that freak could have survived! No matter how much cat DNA he had, it wont have saved him! That freak ran out of lives when I caught him!.......
A knock at Ames' office door, interrupted his train of thought.
"Enter!" Ames said.
Agent Dobbs came in. "Sir , we have a reported sighting in Sector 9."
Ames swiftly stood up, moved to the closet, retrieved his coat and without a word to his agent left his office, heading to the parking lot and Sector 9.
Dobbs, used to this kind of treatment from Special Agent in Charge White, followed on his heels. Telling Ames what the report said.
I love hunting! Ames internally grinned. I wonder what kind of freak I'll catch today!
The End.