The report of last night's events had been waiting for Marion Bowles on her desk since 5 a.m. She doesn't micromanage her department, and last night, when the chief of security had once again intruded on her personal time, she had simply said that she was expecting a report on her desk the next morning. There wasn't much she could've done about one of her most promising scientist's activities; she had already told the security team to follow Dr. Cormier discreetly and not engage.
Therefore, when she read the reports narrating the loss of three men to a band of vampires, Marion Bowles was seething. Which part of discreet didn't they understand? Being made was, in her view, a much larger tragedy than the loss of men. The remainder of the report was equally unexpected. They first lost sight of the scientist once she went inside the infamous bar. Only one hour later, they decided to follow another subject - 327b24 - when she popped onto their radar, knowing she was a known associate of 324b21. They followed her to the apartment building where both vampires reside, and were surveying the premises when they were blindsided by a group of unidentified vampires.
A secondary team was deployed to the location in time to see the same group of vampires carry the subject into a black SUV. The security team started the pursuit, but, afraid to get too close, and without the benefit of a tracking beacon, they lost the target.
As for the scientist, she was seen re-entering her building later that night, in the company of a werewolf, and didn't leave the rest of the night. And that last bit of information leaves Marion undecided between two conclusions: either the scientist was unaware that she's under surveillance, or she knows, and doesn't seem to care that her extracurricular activities have been discovered. The later seems more likely, since Marion can't imagine that Delphine is unaware of the tail on her, but it also makes her suspicious that the young scientist is up to something.
As it turns out, this is something that doesn't take too much of her time. Marion had barely finished sipping her morning coffee as she reads the dreadful report, when her assistant calls, informing her that Dr. Cormier is requesting an urgent meeting.
Delphine's surveillance and activities had been kept under wraps, only the security team and Marion herself are aware of it. As such, her assistant is unaware how unpredictable that request is. However, she is certainly surprised when Marion, who doesn't take previously unscheduled meetings, tells her to let Dr. Cormier come in without delay.
Marion Bowles remains seated when Delphine is shown inside. The young scientist isn't showing any of the signs usually associated with guilt, or of someone who was caught red-handed; Delphine, instead of avoiding the intense gaze, meets Marion's eyes with confidence. She strides in slow, steady steps, shoulders raised, head held high, until she reaches the chair opposite Marion, and waits for the older woman's nod to take a seat.
"Thank you for receiving me on such short notice," Delphine begins in an even voice. "I know it's not how things are done here."
Marion's eyes never leave the blonde, she's hardly able to hide her curiosity as she carefully observes Delphine. "I meant it when I said that my door is always open, Delphine," Marion replies politely.
Delphine rests back in the chair, crosses her legs, and places steady hands on her lap. "Still…I would've waited and made an appointment, if I thought it could wait."
"What's on your mind?" Marion raises a brow, genuinely interested in what's coming.
"As you may be aware, I had a rather…remarkable evening," Delphine answers under the carefully scrutinizing eyes of her superior. She keeps her voice even, the words coming easily, practiced over the night she spent tossing and turning in her bed, rehearsing this conversation. Her posture relaxed, every move she makes measured.
The only sign of surprise that Marion shows is a lift of an eyebrow. "I may have heard something regarding your late night activities," she says. "We lost men in that."
"Yes, I know," Delphine nods, and notices the lack of emotion in Marion's response. The lives lost are not on the top of her list of concerns. "Unfortunately I couldn't do anything about it."
"I wouldn't expect you to. After all, you're but a human, unlike the company you keep," the other woman observes casually, despite the dissimulated accusation.
"I know how it looks," Delphine says, not reacting to the taunt. "But I'm hoping you'll give the opportunity to explain myself."
A small smirk appears on Marion's lips. "I can say with absolute honesty, that you have my undivided attention." She motions with her hand, encouraging the young scientist to speak.
"Since I started to work here, I've noticed that one of the subjects had showed a particularly disturbing interest in my activities," Delphine begins, her voice intentionally wavering, her body tenses slightly as if this is an uncomfortable subject.
"This is 324b21 we're talking about," Marion clarifies. "Cosima Niehaus."
Delphine nods again. "She followed me to my residence, at least a couple of times."
"Why didn't you come to us when this was going on?" Marion asks, reclining in her chair. "You know we don't encourage contact outside our facilities."
"I know I should have," Delphine admits, molding her expression to show regret. "But Cosima seemed harmless. Other than following me, she never did anything I'd consider threatening. I thought I could talk to her, make her stop by myself." She stops and shakes her head, lowering her eyes to the hands resting on her lap. "Truth is, I didn't want to get her in trouble."
Last night, as she laid in bed, thinking about how to best convince Marion to believe her story, Delphine figured that the best approach is to show some sympathy for the vampire. This way her actions would sound more believable, despite the fact that she'd have to jeopardize some of her professionalism.
"Besides, as I expected, she did stop," Delphine continues. "I talked with her about it during one of our appointments, and Cosima never followed me again."
Knowing that DYAD would be tracking Cosima, the young scientist leaves nothing out, knowing an omission in her account of the events would only create distrust. To give even more credibility to it, Delphine has also decided to reveal as much of the truth as possible.
"I had everything under control, there was no reason to bring DYAD into it," Delphine explains, and Marion listens, certainly waiting for the moment she catches the blonde in a lie. "Unfortunately Cosima's…interest caught the attention of her sire, who apparently wasn't very pleased with it."
She pauses briefly, watching Marion for any kind of show of concern in her expression, but received none. "She attacked me one evening on my way home. I don't know how, but Cosima knew about it, and came to my aid."
"Maybe she was in on it," Marion suggests, finally speaking. "How else could she know? Maybe they were in it together."
"No, I don't think so," Delphine shakes her head, but her words don't disclose how much she disagrees with that theory. "As I understood it, her sire was against Cosima's enrollment in our program. She never really intended to harm me, she just used me to get Cosima's attention."
"And it seems like it worked," Marion says.
"This was before I was assigned to my new position, and after that, we've only met once," Delphine says.
"Don't tell me you were attacked again." Marion smirks slightly. "Maybe we should assign you a security detail."
The mockery in her voice sends alarms racing through Delphine's head. Marion will be difficult to convince. "No, it was a lapse of judgement on my part," Delphine admits with forced humility. "Shortly after I was reassigned, she came to me, and we agreed on meeting later."
"And what exactly was the purpose of that meeting?" Marion asks with a serious expression, the mocking tone is gone.
Delphine knew this question would arise, and is aware that this is the most sensitive part of the conversation. Finding a plausible explanation as to why she would go against directions, and willingly meet the vampire, kept her awake for the most part of the night. In the end, no matter how hard she tried, Delphine never reached a satisfactory conclusion. There was nothing she could think of that would fool Marion, not with how far her influence reaches, with information only a phone call away. To add to that, Delphine isn't sure how long she has been under surveillance. To lie is dangerous, and telling the truth isn't much safer, but the only option she has to get out of this unscarred.
"I suppose I thought I owed her something," Delphine answers after a while, as if debating what to say. To admit her flaws seems to be the safest route, no matter how much she dislikes it. "Cosima came to my aid, after all. Meeting her didn't seem like such a bad idea at the time."
"Yes, that's all very nice…but it doesn't tell me what you two discussed," Marion points out with an annoyed edge in her voice.
"She…well…she was rather upset about my change in position," Delphine's hesitation is practiced. She wants Marion to believe that she's uncomfortable talking about it, and perhaps she really is.
"Because she wouldn't be seeing you anymore," Marion finishes for Delphine, following the logical path.
"Yes…" Delphine nods, lowering her eyes once more. "I believe Cosima thinks we have some sort of… connection."
"A romantic one?" Marion lifts a brow.
"Perhaps…" the young scientist whispers. "I made it clear that I wasn't interested. That I wouldn't tolerate her looking for me outside of the institute again," she quickly adds, raising her voice.
Marion hums, raises her eyes to the ceiling in pretended contemplation. "Still, last night, you were the one who went after her," this time the accusation is less subtle. "Even after our last conversation, where I explicitly told you not to interfere."
"I thought I could use that connection she believes we have to bring her back to us," Delphine explains. "I know it was against your instructions, but I thought it was worth it. Having someone like Cosima can be instrumental to my research. She has proven she can be extremely cooperative, and despite her age, she has voluntarily signed up for the program. I believe she truly wants us to understand each other better."
"Considering how the events unfolded last night, I'd venture it was another lapse of judgement on your part, Dr. Cormier." The polished veneer of Marion's features starts to crack, her expression shifting from polite, to irritable. "It appears you have too many of those."
"Cosima was in a very poor condition when I was finally able to track her down," Delphine continues, forcing herself to ignore her superior's comments regarding her choices.
"I imagine so, she hasn't attended the treatment for how long?" Marion asks, but she's not really interested in knowing the answer, she's very well aware of it.
"Too long," Delphine replies. "I'm sure you know how devastating the consequences are if one of the subjects stops the treatment," she pauses, and Marion gives one short nod. "When I saw her, I thought there was nothing to be done, especially after I was informed that blood would be rejected by her system."
"An unfortunate necessity. If by drinking blood they could make the side effects go away…well, it wouldn't be very effective, would it?" Marion says, but her posture has changed, her interest peaking as Delphine continues to narrate last night's events. "In fact, blood consumption only aggravates the symptoms. It's something that, for obvious reasons, we don't like to advertise, but I'm not surprised that the vampires are aware of it. As you know, we've had our fair share of dropouts."
"Well, they have a solution, a cure for the withdrawal," Delphine deadpans, but she's carefully registering the other woman's reaction. "According to them, the effects of the treatment are completely reversed, they return to their original state."
Marion's reaction is instant, and appears genuine. The older woman leans forward, her eyes open wide, her hands form fists on top of the desk. This is a revelation to Marion, just as Delphine had hoped to be.
"As far as I'm aware, the treatment is irreversible," Marion says, a certain alarm in her voice, but she's not panicking entirely - either that or she's keeping it very well concealed. "Even the symptoms of the withdrawal can only be stopped if the subject resumes the treatment in time."
"That's not what I saw last night," Delphine says with confidence. "One of Cosima's friends made contact with her sire, who had access to the cure. According to her, it will take a few more rounds of the cure, injected directly into the bloodstream. Like our own treatment, it also takes some time to work," Delphine continues. She debated last night, whether she should reveal all, but decided that was the only way to bring Marion to her side. "But Cosima was able to feed after the first shot, although she remained very weak."
There's a long pause, during which Marion spins her chair sideways, her eyes blankly gazing out the window behind her desk. She drums her fingers on the top of her desk, her mind racing. Delphine can see it in the distant stare, the hard set of her mouth, and the deep crease between her eyebrows. For a moment, the blonde wonders if she should leave, allowing the other woman time to let the information sink in, but this small demonstration of vulnerability is too good of an advantage to miss.
"I wasn't sure you knew about the existence of this…antidote," Delphine says quietly, her gaze steady on her superior. "But judging by your reaction, I can see this is new information."
"Quite," Marion replies without looking at her. "It's safe to assume they didn't share with you where they came up with that."
"No idea," Delphine shakes her head. "But it was obvious that they're familiar with the process. I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume they've done it several times." The blonde continues, while Marion looks at her again. "I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but it would be a good idea to know exactly how many subjects DYAD has lost track of, since the first thing they do is to disable, then remove the chip."
"I'll have a word with who's responsible for that," Marion replies thoughtfully.
The surprise has faded for the most part, and her attention is back on Delphine. An intelligent gaze falls upon the younger scientist as Marion reads the woman she thought could become her protégé. Delphine remains serene, she doesn't show the kind of nervousness one would expect under these circumstances, and for that, Marion believes this move is a calculated one. There is a reason Delphine is volunteering this information, a reason she freely came forward, admitting to breaking the rules. Lapse of judgement or not, Delphine's revelations have a goal, but Marion doesn't know yet is what that goal is.
"More important than that, however, is to find out who's providing such drug," Marion thinks aloud. She doesn't trust Delphine, but is willing to share some of her concerns with her; it will be revealing to see how Delphine reacts, and what does she has to offer. "Because I doubt vampires have a lab somewhere, and are tirelessly researching a cure."
Delphine raises a brow. "You think it's possible that it comes from our labs?"
"If it does, it's a project off the books. But it makes sense. There aren't many facilities that would have the resources necessary to develop that kind of treatment," Marion says. "Perhaps one of our scientists has a private side project."
"Maybe I could help you find out," Delphine suggests, and this is exactly where she wants to get.
"How?" Marion is not particularly surprised. She knew Delphine had a plan, a reason for the blonde to come clean about her actions.
"Through Cosima," Delphine answers. "Her sire seems to be very well connected. If I cement my relationship with Cosima, I could convince her to find out for us."
"And you think she trusts you that much?" The older woman inquiries, only now fully twirling her chair to face Delphine and look her close.
"I could at least try," Delphine replies. "It's worth the risk."
"I'm curious," Marion says after a small pause, "why would you be willing to do so? What's in it for you?"
Delphine knew her motivations would be questioned, but for that she didn't have to think too much. "I want more resources to be allocated to my research," she says firmly, but not in an overly demanding tone. "I want it to be truly considered a viable alternative to the more…mainstream research. At least three more scientists, more subjects, handpicked by me, and a fully equipped lab at my disposal."
Marion chuckles a little with an amused expression. "That's quite a tall order, Dr. Cormier," she says. "Especially after the little stunt you've pulled. You must understand, that due to such, I have a very hard time putting that much trust in you."
Delphine shakes her head a few times. "I'd still report my results to you," she carries on with determination. "I just don't want to ask your permission for every little step I take. I don't think it's that much to ask."
"Yes, it is when you're offering nothing in return but empty promises," Marion points out. "You say you'll try to convince Cosima to try to find out who the potential mole is," she says it in a slightly mocking tone. "For the moment, let's ignore the fact that to get in contact with her now is next to impossible, since, last I checked, Cosima was being taken away by a group of unregistered vampires. Even so, what makes you think she'll agree to betray her own kind, her own sire, for you? Especially knowing that you work for us?"
"Let me worry about getting in contact with her. I have means," the young scientist assures her. "As for the mole, you definitely have one, she's confirmed it. Whoever it is, maybe not a scientist providing a cure, but the vampires have eyes inside the institute. They know a lot of what's happening here," Delphine taps her index finger on top of the desk. "They don't know yet about the… most sensitive projects, but how long do you think it'll take for that to be leaked? And what do you think will happen when something like the sterilization program becomes public?"
"I hope that's not a threat, Dr. Cormier…" Marion comments, her features unfriendly.
"It's not!" Delphine says with assertiveness. "But it's something we need to consider. They already know about the trackers on the chips, and they know what happens when a subject decides to stop the treatment. That alone is enough for them to hate us. If they discover that we're working on a plan to stop their propagation, it could mean an open war.
"I, for one, would like to avoid that, Dr. Bowles," Delphine continues in a calm but decisive way. "I don't know which side would win, or who'd benefit from it, however I'm certain that it would mean too many casualties. The best way to prevent such an outcome is to find out who's passing this information to the other side, and shut them up."
Us, we. Delphine's speech, although appearing passionate, is deliberate. She's making herself one of the DYAD cronies. Under the guise of the greater good, Delphine is not so unconsciously, choosing sides, DYAD's side, even if only to get what she wants. Which is access. Of all the demands she's making, only one really matters: access to DYAD's entire database of vampires. This is the perfect opportunity she's been waiting for to put her foot on the door. The Company might've helped her get into position, but the opportunity to take advantage of such, and get what she needs, has fallen into her lap. If she plays this right, in one swift blow, Delphine will gain access to information on both sides of the barricades. Cosima can be her inside man in the vampire community, provided that she's willing to trust and work with Delphine, while she herself gains DYAD's trust and, consequently, rise in their ranks by delivering to them their mole.
Delphine knows this is a dangerous game she's playing, one false step, one wrong word, and all will fail. She needs to get it all, and ditch the safety net. Make this right, and win it all, or fail, and it will mean her complete downfall.
"Perhaps we can reach a compromise," Marion says thoughtfully. "You ask too much, and I need some guarantees. Get in touch with Cosima first, see if she's willing to work with you, and then come back and we'll talk strategy."
"And I'll get what I've requested after that," Delphine prompts.
"As far as I can tell, your research is still at a very early stage," Marion says, a small smile on her lips. "You'll get your space, and one more scientist…for now. But you still have a budget to work with. You can pick however many subjects you think you can handle."
"And Krystal," Delphine adds in an afterthought. In fact, this is the only request she's making which wasn't planned.
"And Krystal Goderitch," Marion assents with a nod and a larger smile, pleased that they've reached an agreement.
Both women are pleased with what they're getting, in fact. Delphine's given access to the database, while Marion is able to contain the young scientist's ambition. There's plenty of room in the institute's facilities to accommodate a new, small lab, and although she doesn't like that she'll have to allocate one more scientist to a project that's nothing but a pipe dream, at least Marion will be able to choose a trusted man. Perhaps it's even better that way, she doesn't trust Delphine to truly report to her, but someone else will, someone handpicked by her.
"I had no idea this research was so important to you," Marion comments, while standing, indicating that the meeting is approaching the end. "From our early conversation, I got the idea you weren't completely on board with what we're trying to achieve here."
"It's the methods I have serious reservations about," Delphine replies with as much sincerity she can draw, and rises as well. "The end doesn't justify all means. To use vampires as lab rats…" she stops and shakes her head. "We should at the very least try to do this in the most humane way possible. I have to admit, that reading the reports of the trials affected me."
Marion stops by the door, hand on the handle but not opening it yet. "They're not like us, Delphine," she points out with a narrow of her eyes.
"No, they're not," Delphine admits. "But they feel pain the same way we do. There's no reason to make them suffer if another, less aggressive treatment is possible."
"Well…" Marion finally opens the door, and shows Delphine a forced smile. "It seems that you're in the right path to make that a reality."
Rachel Duncan always had a particularly exceptional taste for power. She never had to fight to get it, it was given to her at birth, but that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate it with the strength of someone who had to acquire it through hard work. She liked it so much, in fact, that power was the force that guided her in all aspects of life, a constant presence in every little thing she does. From the bedroom, to her professional aspirations, power is the driving force behind her actions. When she was turned, not even 30 years ago, that attribute of hers was exacerbated.
Ferdinand, on the other hand, has an appreciation for relinquishing that same power in the bedroom, while in his public life, he prefers to maintain at least the illusion of power. He could be docile, his humanity gave him the right trait to be submissive, just enough to give Rachel what she wants.
In a peculiar way, the two of them fit perfectly.
With his hands tied behind his back by the narrow, black leather belt he had used, and nothing but his fitted, maroon boxer shorts, Ferdinand was sitting on a chair, eagerly waiting for the next crack of the whip to slice across his chest and leave another reddish line. What he doesn't know, is that this session, although similar in many ways to previous ones, is also somewhat different. He does notice the more aggressive lashes, the quicker pace between each stroke, but he's not aware of the reasons for such.
"Uff!" Ferdinand complains when the new blow finally lands. "This is going to be rather quick if you keep up like this."
Rachel's bright blue eyes look down at him, the smirk on her lips giving a glimpse of shining fangs. "Now…that's not good," she says in a soft voice with a posh British accent, hiding her anger. "I want you to remember this for a long time."
The vampire moves around the chair Ferdinand's tied to, raises her hand, and delivers another stroke that lands on his shoulder. "Because either you're being careless, or you're hiding something from me," she continues, her right hand resting on the recently bruised area and smoothing it. "And neither of those is acceptable."
"What are you talking about, my dear?" He answers after a moan, a mixture of pleasure and pain. "You know I couldn't keep anything from you."
"Then why is one of your operatives sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?" Rachel asks in the same soft voice, the tip of the whip brushing over his chest as she moves to stand in front of him. "Cormier has been asking questions that are too dangerous for us," the vampire explains when the man gives her a confused look. "She was supposed to be feeding us information about what's going on inside that wretched institute, not jeopardizing our work, not looking for our informants, and certainly not making our antidote known."
"I never instructed her to do something like that." For the first time Ferdinand's voice wavers, as if he only now realizes the seriousness of the situation.
"On the positive side, she's now perfectly positioned to obtain even more intel about DYAD's researches," Rachel doesn't react to Ferdinand's hesitation. She keeps her glacial gaze on him, raising her left leg until her foot, still inside a stiletto red shoe, rests between his legs. "Keep Cormier contained," she presses each syllable, her foot gradually increasing the pressure.
"Oh, oh…" Ferdinand hisses a little. "Yes, I will speak to her."
While her foot maintains the pressure, the vampire leans to the human, grabbing his face with her right hand, her long nails biting into the flesh of his cheeks. "You'll do more than that," Rachel says, barely an inch away from his face. "You'll make her see that it's in her best interest to abandon this search for the mole, and to forget about the existence of an antidote."
"Yes…yes…" Ferdinand responds weakly, trying to nod his head, but the firm grip prevents him to do so.
"Good…" she praises. "Because if you fail, Ferdinand, I'll be powerless when you have to face the wrath of the council," Rachel insists, her nails digging deeper while she forces his head to the side, exposing his neck. "And you know how much I hate to feel powerless," she hisses just before her fangs pierce excited skin.