"It was a training exercise."
The chief chuckled. Adam shifted his weight. The man wasn't going to let that slide right over too well.
"Officers were killed, Jensen. That's a load of bullshit."
"We knew the dogs were loose. It was a chance to see if our stolen blue prints could stand up to our most recent training. Our computers were hacked a few years back. We didn't realize all the information that had been stolen. Someone was smart enough to cover it up." The tall man lowered his folded arms before the bullet-proof glass.
Byran shook his head. "This is fucking bullshit."
"Look, chief, I know you've got it in for Sarif. Everybody knows that. No matter what you do here, you know, and I know, that this is not his fault. Someone else is playing this damn game and we're too busy arguing and pissing on each other to find out who it is. Stop letting your personal biases get in the way and do your job! You've done all, but let me explain what we could do to put your nerves at ease!"
Byran tossed a chair across the room. Adam turned away and went back to his. The man wasn't going to have it.
"That dog is NOT leaving this facility! Do you hear me?"
"All I wanted was a cast made of his teeth. You have bodies in the morgue the personnel there can test it on. I don't understand why the damn man is so dense," Adam said aloud.
"Chief, that's a reasonable proposal."
"Who in the hell let him in?"
Adam glanced up. A black man in a lab coat moved over to the chief. He handed the man a paper. "The company has spoken with our General Attorney. They've given us permission to make a cast to prove the dog's innocence."
"Megan Reed, I love you. This is more than I asked of her." Adam acted casual.
"This is not over. Fine. I still want more information out of him later. HE doesn't go anywhere, but the labs, got it?"
"Yessir."
Kubwa threw himself down and wiggled about. His paws raked the air. Adam stretched out his legs and crossed them over Kubwa's gut. The dog remained on his back, paws folded to his chest. The swat in the room was rather bamboozled at this behavior. It wasn't threatening and it was rather droll in some aspects.
"Does he do this all the time?"
Adam lifted his head from a black hand. "He wants to play. His playground far exceeds the square feet of this room."
Kubwa growled at Adam. The man shook his head.
"He doesn't sound pleased," another officer spoke. "I don't blame him. Byran's been an ass for the past year about this whole ordeal."
"Is it all Sarif?" Adam inquired.
"Heh, I can't say. I'm just a grunt. It's a bitch being this low on the food chain. Whatever he's dealing with higher up is getting his britches stained with shit. I don't know what's going on, but you bet Sarif's in amongst it somehow. Byran's always wanted to fuck him over on something. He just wants to find out who's causing trouble with the death rate in this city. I can only surmise he blames Sarif because of his company vision. People wouldn't be on the street if Sarif didn't want a fortune for people's augmentations."
The thought was a nasty bite for Adam. Byran had some truth to that. The homeless people Adam had conversed with stated they were injured and because of that, they lost their homes. He and Sarif could go home and sleep at night with their augmentations; however, it wasn't solely the man's fault. He wanted to help people. This whole augmentation ordeal could be rigged better, regardless. There was probably nothing Sarif could do. Things were happening under his company name that he couldn't possibly monitor all the time to control. It was hurting his reputation.
"It's…a lot of things. Byran needs to grow up and realize the whole damn country is beat to hell. Practically impossible to please any one people," Adam generously shared. It was what he had come to realize after the whole mess that Sarif Industries originally had stirred.
"You got that right."
"Rick, get me bottle of water."
"We're not supposed to leave, dumbass. Get it yourself. It'll be your ass, not mine. Quit being a dumbass and asking dumbass shit. We stay here. End of story," Rick replied.
"Yeah, we could die in here. No telling what that dog's going to do."
"He's on his back and in the floor," Rick reviewed.
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Both of you knock it off," Tims suggested. "Just…shut up and be still. Listen to your radios. Something's going on."
Adam, I'm really bored. Cori always brought me a chew toy or something.
Is this all you do? Whine? I'm sorry, this was last minute. I'm still learning how to care for a pet. It's been a while.
"Leave me alone! I can't take this anymore!" Cori tossed the plate of food at the doorway of her room and the nurse took her leave after she had cleaned up the mess. "Gees! I just want…I want out of here. I feel fine!"
"You're not fine. You've still got some stats that aren't looking right."
"Megan?" Cori adjusted the sheets on her bed.
The blonde-headed woman strolled in. "Be still. I could hear you clear down the hall and around two corners." Megan took Cori's hand.
The black woman tugged it out of her grasp and hugged her legs. She glared out the window. Her eyes lit up. A cascade of blue light saturated the blankets. Megan unsurely sat herself away from the light. She didn't want to upset the woman.
"Adam told me to come. He believes Rayne knows."
"Knows what?" Cori looked at her. The blue eyes dimmed.
Megan stared for a moment, appreciative of the color and the unnatural look.
"Megan, please." The deep cowl was shoved over her head and Cori buried her face in her legs.
The scientist sighed. "Cori, I'm sorry. Kubwa's been taken by the police department. They found evidence of him at the factory you met Adam at. They think he's killed people and several police officers."
"He was looking for me. I ran off without saying anything to him for a few nights in a row. He gets worried."
"The good news is, they don't know that you or Adam was there. You did a nice job of wiping out the cameras when you got there. They think the dogs are responsible for that too."
"Dogs?" Cori lifted her head. "They've got it wrong."
"We know, but we can't get them to believe us. Adam thinks Rayne knows now that he has Kubwa. I've made Sarif write a letter to this hospital. You can come to the company labs with me and I'll keep an eye on you."
Cori hissed. "I don't need supervision. I'm not some hooligan. I just want to be left alone. Trusted. I want to be with people, but free to do what I want. I can't enjoy myself in here. It's been too long."
"You can be in your own room at our labs. Tv, games, food that's not hospital quality. You name it."
"Well...I would like a tv. I could have known what was going on had I had one. I'll come, I guess. Is handsome okay?"
Megan smiled softly. "He's fine and so is Kubwa. Kubwa is with him. Adam won't let him alone with anyone else. You have a good eye."
Cori smiled. "Handsome's not one to mess with. They'll keep each other in check." Cori tossed her bed covers away. "This is aggravating. I don't have any other clothes to wear, but my casuals."
"Leave that to me. I know a thing or two about what's on sale." Megan winked at Cori .