VAMPIRE STALKER
Chapter 9: Making The Antidote
"I'm bushed," T-Bone said, stifling a yawn.
"Me too, but we did corral a lot of vamps tonight. Unfortunately, we have no idea just how many are still out there," Felina sighed, worriedly
Dawn was an hour away when the pair headed back to headquarters. The past two hours failed to uncover anymore vamps and the streets were finally empty. They just hoped not too many more vamps had been made this night but even with all the enforcers out searching, they just couldn't be everywhere in this large city.
The tired pair decided to pack it in for the night when dawn's light began to tinge the horizon. It raised their spirits when they received word that Feral and Razor had returned with Viper and the formula to make an antidote.
"Maybe we will finally see an end to this!" Felina said, brightly.
T-Bone grunted his agreement as he landed the Turbokat smoothly on the end of the flight line at Enforcer Headquarters.
They strode into Feral's office some ten minutes later to find Razor sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, resting, and the Commander at his desk finishing some reports.
He looked up as they came in, a frown on his face, his eyes squinting against the meager light coming from the rising sun. The pair had been sitting in the dark to spare their sensitive eyes. The coming dawn allowed T-Bone and Felina to see them more easily.
"Maybe you two should seek a dark room and rest until this evening. The light of day must be giving you hell about now," the tabby suggested, concern lacing his voice.
"We will as soon as we brief you on what's going on first," Feral said gruffly. "Dr. Konway's head assistant is working on making the antidote as we speak. We destroyed Viper's hideout so no more trouble can come from there. Razor and I came up with a plan for when the antidote is completed. We intend to track down all the vamps tonight and either, cure or kill them."
Felina hissed in dismay and T-Bone wasn't far behind her. Neither was happy the two were going hunting the vamps alone, because they knew that was what Feral meant.
"You could be killed!" Felina objected first.
Feral cocked a blood-rimmed eye at her. "Who else could do it, Felina? We certainly can't afford more vamps being created and that's what would happen if I sent any enforcers out with us. No.....only Razor and I can do this.....however...." he held up a paw to forestall any more objections, ".....that doesn't mean you and my enforcers won't be doing exactly what you did tonight," Feral told them both grimly.
"We need to get them all tonight! If even one is left out there, we will be fighting this war for a very long time," Razor growled. "However, I'm hoping Dr. Konway will eventually come up with a gaseous form of the cure so that we can saturate the city with it. But right now, we need whatever form of it they can make quickly. The alterations will have to wait until Konway recovers from exhaustion for anything more workable."
T-Bone looked over at Felina and saw the same resignation in her eyes as she could see in his face. He turned back to the pair.
"Okay, you've made your point. Guess we better get some rest then. Felina and I will ride herd on the scientists when we get up later. Where are you guys going to be?"
"I've a room of my own in the opposite tower. We'll sleep there," Feral grunted, getting up from his desk. The morning light was becoming far too painful to endure any longer.
"Then take a guard with you," T-Bone said flatly. "You can't have anyone breaking into your room or disturbing you. You should also have some blood with you so you don't chomp on your guard when you wake up hungry," he warned.
"We're ahead of you there. We've already eaten and have supplies on us but they won't be enough for us to keep our heads when we begin the hunt so it would be appreciated if you have more ready for us when we see you in the lab later tonight," Feral said, glancing over at his niece.
"Will do, Uncle. Go get some rest and we'll do the same. First, though, we'll tell the scientists where we'll be so they won't disturb you two," Felina said, briskly.
"Good idea. See you two later," Feral grunted as he hurriedly made for his office door with Razor on his heels, the rising sun chasing them from the room.
They vanished quickly leaving the other two behind.
"Okay, let's go to the lab, T-Bone, then I'll take to where you can get some sleep," Felina said, heading for the door herself.
"Can we grab something to eat before we crash? I'm hungry."
"Oh, yeah....probably should do that myself. We'll stop at the canteen and get something," Felina agreed, leading the way to the BioTech Labs.
Once they told Konway's head assistant where they would be and not to disturb the Commander, Felina took T-Bone to the canteen. Dinner was still being served as they grabbed a tray and went through the line. The tabby got plenty of mixed looks but no one harassed them knowing how much the SWAT Kat was doing to try and save the city. They found an empty table against the wall and quickly ate in silence.
Dumping their trash, they made their way to the skybridge that led to the other tower. Felina escorted him down a quiet hallway, halting at a room at the end.
"This is mine and I believe that one....." she pointed to one across from her, "....is empty. Let me take a look." She went to the door opposite hers, opened it and peered in. Nodding her head, she stepped back and gestured for him to go on in. "See you around three?" She asked.
"Yeah, sounds perfect, though, you'll probably have to wake me," T-Bone said, smiling a little as he stepped into the room.
"Sure, no problem. Sleep well," she said quietly then went into her room and shut the door.
T-Bone looked around his temporary quarters and sighed. It was clean, dark and quiet. He locked the door, put a chair in front of it and went to take a much needed shower, before putting his mask back on and crashing onto the bed with a moan of relief, falling asleep almost immediately.
Her alarm went off at three p.m. rousing her still sleeping form. She yawned, throwing her bedding off and heading for the shower. Dressed and ready to go fifteen minutes later, she went to T-Bone's door and knocked hard. Getting no response, she tried to open it and found it locked. Snorting in annoyance, she proceeded to bang on the door non-stop until the door suddenly was ripped open with her fist still in the air.
"I'm up already," the tabby growled.
"You said you would have to be awakened and you weren't kidding," Felina smirked in amusement. "Better get your tail in gear, it's three thirty already," she said without sympathy.
"Right, be out in ten," he grunted, closing the door.
Ten minutes later, he reappeared, refreshed and more awake.
"We'd better get some food. It will probably be our only chance to eat for hours," Felina warned.
"Good idea."
An hour later they walked into the lab wanting to see what progress had been made. Their eyes were greeted by the sight of a fully staffed laboratory working diligently at every work space. No one looked up as they walked among them looking for Dr. Konway. They found him in a far corner surrounded by a small group of older scientists.
They came close but didn't interrupt as they listened in.
"The form this is in will work for what needs to be done immediately, however, we need to push for a quicker more broader dispersal of the cure to catch what Commander Feral and Razor fail to find after tonight's hunt," Konway said, gravely. "I want you to push the envelope and give each team a sample of the formula and figure out a better method of dispersal. I need something by tomorrow morning. The longer this goes on, more Katizens will be lost to the vampire mutation."
"Sir, trying to hurry such an experiment could have unwanted side effects that could do more harm to the victims. Longer testing could prevent that from happening," one of his scientists objected.
"I'm aware of this, Jason, however, we simply don't have the luxury of time to test the formula for side effects. Hopefully, whatever those might be will not be too harmful, though, I don't know what could be more harmful than being dead. Once the emergency is over, only then will we have time to fix anything that might come up from using the cure. If you think you have enough time to do multiple tests, I certainly won't tell you not to do them. The safer we can make the antidote the less likely we will have to deal with side effects," Konway soothed his group's concerns.
"However, that being said, if you don't have time to do more tests keep in mind saving lives is our primary goal and ending the threat of the vampire mutation so keep your focus firmly on that. Now, get to your work stations and let's get on this," Konway ordered them.
The scientists weren't particularly happy but dispersed like a flock of geese for various parts of the lab and immediately set about instructing their techs on what was required. The level of noise increased as did the activity.
Satisfied, Konway started to turn toward his own work station when Felina and T-Bone moved to his side. He gave them a wane smile.
"I take it you've got the cure in some form right now for Razor and Feral to use?" T-Bone asked him.
"Almost.....the formula has been made up but we are still doing tests on it for safety issues. We will have it ready for them when it's dark," Konway assured them.
"In what form is this first batch going to be in?" Felina asked.
"Right now, all we've been able to come up with is injectable......." Konway began before T-Bone nearly jumped down his throat.
"You serious?" He nearly shouted. "That would require them to get very close to insure a hit which means darting while avoiding being attacked. This was the best you could do?"
Felina pulled the angry SWAT Kat back, even though she wasn't happy either by the news.
"Dr. Konway, this is really a dangerous way to try and get every vamp they can find."
"I know this Lieutenant but no matter how fast we work, it still takes time to brew the antidote as it is and you want it by tonight. That just doesn't leave any time to make any other form of it.....believe me.......I would rather have a quicker dispersal method but that.....takes.....time," Konway stressed tightly.
Felina sighed and hugged herself. What her uncle and Razor were faced with was darting their prey while trying to keep from being killed themselves.
"Well, then I hope Razor can come up with a way to quick fire several darts at a time," T-Bone said angrily, turning on his heel he left the lab.
Frowning, she hurried after him. He lead her to the flight line and the Turbokat. There he stopped. Placing one paw on his precious jet, he stared at the city skyline as shadows began to cover it with the slow departure of the sun.
"Razor will come up with a solution, T-Bone. He always does," Felina said quietly.
T-Bone didn't answer for a long moment. "It isn't so much what he has to do, Felina. It's that he's doing it without me as his backup," he murmured unhappily.
She sighed, reaching out and giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I know. You're a team and you want to be there by his side as you've always been. I hope they succeed and make it back to us safely. Whether my uncle thinks so or not, we need you two."
"Thanks," he said distantly, keeping his eyes on the lowering sun. "Almost time for them to be getting up," he said some minutes later.
"Yeah, most likely," she said then turned to walk back inside. After another moment's contemplation, he did the same.
