"I know he's got it; I can feel it." Valery breathed, pacing around the lab.
"Do you think you could get it from him?" Howard asked her, looking up from his microscope.
She shook her head. "If he has found a way to weaponize it, it is too late."
"Have you been to see Abraham? He has some very promising young men for the program."
"Peggy is supposed to be helping with selection."
"You should be helping with selection." Howard snapped, looking into his microscope.
"Would you like me to hold their hand as well?"
"If we can keep from repeating the last, yes I would."
"This will be different, Howard."
"Make it different, Valery. Go meet this candidate. There's one Peggy finds particularly interesting."
She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly 3am in Germany right now, I should get back."
"Stop avoiding this, V." He snapped. "They will not make this decision without you."
"Look what happened the last time I made a decision."
"You made a mistake, V. You couldn't have known what he would do with the serum."
"It's still my fault."
"What he did is not on you."
She sighed, flipping a page in his notebook.
"You're smarter than that this time." He added.
She nodded. "We won't make the serum until its time. I won't leave it sitting around."
Howard nodded. He looked up from his work as she walked towards the door. "Valery?"
She stopped and looked back.
"Sargent Barnes." He waited for a reaction. "Is there a reason he is in your favor?"
"I happen to find him intriguing."
"Be careful then."