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At home, Major pottered around in the kitchen, digging through the refrigerator for ingredients. He didn't really need the health benefits of a smoothie anymore, but old habits died hard … and after all, it couldn't hurt. He felt good about today's work with the kids. Mental muscles he hadn't used in a long time felt pleasantly sore. But he also was disturbed by the session. The kids weren't wrong—zombies in Seattle were going hungry, and not just because there weren't enough tubes to go around. What was in the tubes was less and less nourishing all the time.

As he put his smoothie cup into the sink, the doorbell rang, and he answered it to find Clive and Liv waiting outside for him. "Hey, Major, can we come in? It's—official."

"Official?" The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. What could Clive want to interrogate him about now?

"We've got some questions about a Fillmore Graves soldier. Not you," Clive assured him.

"Well, I'll tell you what I can …" He left unsaid the idea that he wasn't going to be ratting one of his men out to the police. Fillmore Graves took care of Fillmore Graves—the bad along with the good. But he was pretty sure they understood the subtext.

At the table, Liv handed him a sketch. "Do you know this man? I saw him in a vision, wearing a Fillmore Graves uniform."

He studied the picture. As most police composites seemed, it really could have been anyone. Major looked at Liv, struggling with whether he should help them out or not. "What are you saying he's guilty of?"

"Uh, murder," she said, as if that should have been obvious. He supposed it should've.

"Possibly," Clive amended.

Liv went on, without acknowledging her partner's caution. "Plus, I saw him talking to another Fillmore Graves soldier about selling brain tubes on the black market. So we know he's doing that."

It was what Major was afraid of; what he knew Chase Graves was afraid of. With brain tubes at such a premium, so tantalizingly available to Fillmore Graves soldiers, the temptation to sell them for the large amounts of money they were worth was strong. He studied the drawing, pretty sure he knew who it was. He'd had a suspicion anyway. But should he say so, or should he just go to Chase Graves with what Liv had told him?

Clive and Liv exchanged a glance, and Liv said, insistently, "Major!"

Okay. They were already on to the guy, and if he had killed someone, the authorities should be able to continue their investigation. He could always put a word in Chase Graves' ear about him anyway. "His name is Russ Roach. And the black market thing makes sense. I hear he's been going to the Scratching Post every night, throwing money around like there's no tomorrow."

Yeah, he would definitely mention this to his boss tomorrow. Roach was giving Fillmore Graves a bad name in so many ways, a bit of disciplinary action couldn't hurt.

Behind him, he heard Ravi's voice calling out their friends' names delightedly, and he winced, knowing what they were seeing. Ravi, now a zombie three days a month, thanks to his self-inoculation, had recently eaten the brain of a nudist.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Ravi asked, lifting his teacup to his lips in a surprisingly delicate manner for a man who had all his parts on display.

Both Clive and Liv's eyes widened in horror.

"Ravi, you're um—" Liv averted her gaze, and Clive finished her sentence for her. "Naked." He seemed too horrified to look away.

"As a newborn," Ravi confirmed, smiling gently at them.

Now Clive managed to turn away, his hand over his face. "I can't. Mm-mm. Uh-uh. I—I can't."

Major nodded. "I should've given you guys a warning. Apparently this physicist whose brain he's on … yeah, must have been a big-time nudist as well." Actually, he didn't feel too bad about not having tossed them a heads-up. If he had to suffer, they might as well, too.

"Naturist," Ravi corrected. "I'm in harmony with nature, and I'm never going back. Anyone else like tea?"

Liv blanched and pushed her chair back, getting to her feet. "I think I've seen enough teabags today, thank you. Damn, son, put those things away."

"Offended by my utterly natural body, Liv? You should try it. It's so freeing." Ravi swayed his hips gently from side to side, and all three of the others scrambled away from the table—and away from him.

"Thanks," Liv called from the entryway. "I'll pass."

"Yeah. Me, too." Clive made a face. "Humans I can handle. Zombies I can deal with. This parts of one and parts of the other thing? It's just weird."

"I beg you," Major said, "not to say parts."

"Right. Thanks for the intel, Major."

"I hope it helps."

Clive headed out to the porch, breathing the cool night air—untainted by naked people for the moment, although Ravi was moving this way, and Major didn't think the neighbors were ready for him to naturist on the porch. Liv looked up at Major. "See you later?" she asked softly. Their current arrangement was a bit controversial amongst their friends, so they tried to keep it discreet. Besides, sneaking around was more fun.

Major grinned. "Will you wear my Udub jersey?"

She considered that. "Well, it is a Seahawks feeder school."

"Exactly."

Liv winked at him, and he shut the door behind her contentedly. That would be the perfect ending to a pretty good day, he had to admit. Turning around, he saw Ravi heading for the couch, and grimaced. And the perfect start for tomorrow would be to take the cushions in to get cleaned.