The Infected 1: Proxy (19 page)

Lancaster snorted. "Given everything, do you really want Brian talking to the press? He can cause a national issue just by telling the truth about his story. Even without embellishing at all." He held up a hand toward Brian. "Not that you shouldn't, but the Infected issue is so big right now - calls for taking away rights and bullshit like that - Brian, people aren't looking at this as an Infected guy taking down a killer, or even some good Infected guy taking on a bad one, they see it as an evil Infected killer being taken down by a government agent. If you go and tell them that the police, the only group they think is really looking out for them, has been off torturing innocent people, well, I don't think people will respond by coming down on our side. They view the cops as their main protection and for the most part they're right. Dickheads that a lot of them are, they generally do look out for people, at least the rich ones and the unInfected. We need to be careful and not make people hate all of us here by threatening their security blanket."

Tilting his head Brian thought for a bit, then shrugged. That, of course was a huge mistake, shrugging. Hiding the pain as best he could he waited for it to pass before thinking about the whole issue. He didn't have to like the police to see that they were both bad and at the same time generally useful for most people. The two things weren't mutually exclusive. They could be evil to him and help little old women cross the street too, right? They shouldn't get away with the bad things they did, but that didn't mean they never did anything good. He could see that. Really.

Of course the Mafia committed crimes and helped people in their own neighborhoods sometimes, but no one mistook them for the good guys. He still didn't want the police to get him.

"Right, well, I can keep my mouth shut for now, since this isn't really a police issue. All they did here was fail. Or... did they manage to pick the Jackal up? I haven't heard yet." He looked around the room, Penny, sucked her lips into her mouth.

No one else spoke, so she did, finally, sounding a bit strange.

More than just a little actually, her voice was soft and a little weak sounding for some reason.

"Brian... you... killed him. You got both of them actually. The first one with his own gun, then you fought with the Jackal and... You killed him with your teeth. They figure he was dead before you started beating him with the fire extinguisher. It's on all the news channels. They even have a warning with it about extreme content. Most of them even bleep out the part where you called him a fucking monster." She reached out and touched his arm.

"Oh. Well. Good then." Everyone else looked at him funny, like he'd suddenly started talking to himself. He pointed to Penny and let them know that she'd told him.

The agent grimaced and then let it turn to a little smile. "Yeah, a bit harsh, but you did what you had to and... you know how many people the Jackal and his buddy killed in there?"

"No..." Brian swallowed, trying to get ready to find out how much he'd failed, how many paid for him not being good enough. Not getting there soon enough...

"None. Not one person. And he'll never hurt anyone else ever again. Those two killed over two hundred people across the country in the last few months. Two hundred and fourteen. Moving from place to place too fast for us to even track, much less stop, and no one else before today so much as touched him." He put out his hand again, his smile growing a bit. "Except some kid who got one lucky punch in once."

The man shook his head, trying to look serious then.

"Don't get me wrong, you still suck at fighting. You beat a bad ass, but that doesn't mean you're all that tough. Not yet. I can show you fifty ways you could have taken him faster and with less damage to yourself or I'll buy you dinner for a month." He put out his hand to shake on it and Brian did, feeling awkward. He'd left here for a reason and everyone acted like this meant he'd come back permanently.

"Um, isn't all the food here free?" Brian asked the tall man.

Lancaster grinned and nodded.

"Yes it is. Good point, so if I can't show you sixty ways?"

They both managed a chuckle over it at least. Tull smiled and the others looked like they'd lost their minds. Was Brian back? He didn't know.

Not that he could go anywhere at the moment, but he'd done as well on his own as not. He'd been lonely sometimes, but no one tried to kill him, well, except when he went other places, but that would have happened no matter where he'd been, right?

The Director acted like Brian had agreed to be his lap dog, and told him that a selected crew of reporters would be in the meeting room in an hour and a half. All he had to do would be answer some questions and try to smile. Brian wondered if he could fake a smile yet. He also wondered if he'd have to wear a little collar and a leash. If so, he wanted a little silver name tag in the shape of a bone. It was a style thing.

After the Director left, Doctor Tull asked if he wanted or needed anything.

"Um, I don't know if they'll come, but could you ask my friends if they'd visit? I understand if no one wants too, but you know, if they get a chance..."

She smiled and let her eyes grow happy. Maybe he was supposed to ask for money or drugs? More drugs would be good before he went to talk to those people, he mused, smiling a bit. He put his hand out to Penny, on his right, not expecting her to take it really. She did though, and smiled at him, still ghostly and pale, but visible enough that he had to wonder if seeing her wasn't related to his ability after all. He knew she didn't show up on cameras and stuff, so it had to be something more than just noticing her like he'd been thinking. It made sense for hearing her, because electronics could too, but the visual stuff was odd.

Tull didn't come back in when people started showing up, Bridget almost made him pass out when she jumped on his middle and started bouncing. He laughed after he recovered for a few seconds, Lauren holding the smaller girl up by one hand, dangling her above the bed. She started swinging back and forth giggling above him, but thankfully kept her feet up, instead of thwacking him with them each time they passed. Brian smiled at her.

It was cute in a painful way.

Mark showed up with Christian, who looked nervous. Standing in the room with him, feeling his pain and all the emotions from everyone had to be hard for her. He appreciated the effort it must have taken her to come see him at all. She smiled at him, looking pale, like she wanted to run, but held, not willing to leave until he'd spoken to her.

"Christian! Thanks. I know you have to go, but it's nice to see you." He said, trying to sound friendly and pulling it off well enough that she came over and patted his hand, her eyes going wide when she did.

"Holy fuck, Brian, do they have you on pain medication at all?" She ran from the room not stopping to explain.

Mark smiled looking calm as always.

"Mark, thanks... I heard that it took you a long time to get me, and a lot of work too. I owe you." He didn't know what else to say, the guy had done a lot to save his life. There could be no doubt he'd be dead right now without him. It made him feel awkward and tense, not knowing what to say.

The other man just shrugged and smiled at him. "Nothing you wouldn't do for me. Consider it my small part of taking the Jackal down. You do owe me for six candy bars though." His eyes narrowed on that.

Brian chuckled.

"I do that. They were tasty ones too. I'll try to get you more. You know, in case I need them in the future."

That got a chuckle at least.

Beatdown, walked in slowly. Marcia he amended, she was more to him than a code name, and hard as she'd been on him, her lessons had saved those people lives in the end, hadn't they? She gave him a serious look.

"That..." She waved her hand at his shoulder. "Was the second suckiest job fighting I've ever seen. Kids on a schoolyard would have done better. If it wasn't for Prime you'd be in the number one spot right now. By any normal rights we should be laying your body out, not coming to tickle you on the belly and tell you good boy." A smile crossed her lips. "I'll let it slide this once, but we have a lot of work to do as soon as you can. You won't always be able to count on luck and balls to get you through."

He shook his head a little and laughed.

"Second person to tell me that today, so it must be true. I don't know how long this will take to heal, practice-wise, but I have to guess I'll be back walking and running with Karen before I can do anything with you. On the good side, I think I did enough while I was gone to keep getting in shape. Lots of walking and running. Not much for the other stuff, unless fighting counts as practice?"

The long-faced woman crossed her arms. "The way you've been doing it? Probably not. We'll review everything later, tomorrow maybe, and see what we can fix."

At the door Karen stood, looking more uncertain than everyone else for some reason. She didn't come in, just stood there.

"So, you think you'll be back working with me first?" She sounded sad about it to his ears, so Brian smiled at her and put a hand out, hoping she'd walk over or else he'd look stupid.

Slowly at first, hesitantly, she finally rushed the last few steps and hugged him, he tried to reassure her that, while he'd been injured, he could probably get back to at least the basic stuff in a few days.

"I don't want to try running right now though, Jackal nailed me in the groin pretty hard. Jerk. That hurts, you know? No kids for me I guess. But as long as no one comes and tortures me tonight, I should be ready soon. I'll get with the doctors later and see what can be done safely. I just wanted to check in with everyone. I kind of missed you all while I was gone..." He teared up and wiped his eyes sheepishly.

"Anyway, I have some press thing to go to, where they'll probably ask what kind of a dufus I am while accusing me of being a cannibal. Which can't be true... because that guy wasn't human." He'd meant it to sound funny, but his voice had gone cold at the end by itself. Everyone looked around nervously, except Marcia who grinned.

"If the fuckers want a news conference with you in this state, then they deserve to hear the truth, whatever you think it is. We'll scoot. You need stuff, clothes and what not? Any preferences?"

Brian decided that what he wore before, in the store, black fatigues and running shoes would work for him, if it could be dug up. He refused make-up, not because he didn't think it would make him look better, almost anything would, but because people needed to see that things had real world consequences. Besides, taking it off would be a pain.

It was mainly that last part really. He didn't say that out loud though.

They all left, except Penny, who stayed and when Marcia ran in - literally running - with the clothes, helped him change. He didn't have time to worry about modesty, being too chubby and all that. His looks just didn't matter anymore.

Then really, had they ever? It seemed odd, but looking back in life he could tell that the answer was really no, wasn't it?

The girls walked him to the elevator, and rode with him to the second floor, a level he'd never been too before. It looked like an office building, generic tan carpet and off white painted walls. Near the front, so he didn't have to walk too far, a bunch of reporters were already setting up, cameras on little stages and risers toward the back to the room. He could see the space through the wide doors that had been propped open. Penny pulled him around to the side gently, making sure to use only the lightest pressure on his right arm. When they got to a plain blue door, she walked him inside.

People stood and sat, the director having makeup applied, Prime sitting in a corner talking to several attractive women while a tall brunette in heels and a business suit stood, staring at him, giving him a frown. As she walked over to him, her body language seemed aggressive, as if she were almost angry with him personally about something.

"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago. Now we won't have time for makeup!" She spun away, going to the older man in the makeup chair and pointing at him.

"Why is Mr. Yi late? And what moron picked his clothes. He looks like a military misfit, not a superhero! Couldn't we have at least gotten him some boots? And something with some color? A green beret or something? Argh." She threw her hands up and stomped back to Brian.

"Well, nothing to be done for it now, we go on in five minutes. All right, try to smile and look intelligent. If you can't think of something witty to say, or get lost... screw it, just tell them you came from your hospital bed for this. That always plays well."

Smiling Brian put his right hand out to shake.

"Brian Yi, fresh from his hospital bed, regardless of how it plays, pleased to make your acquaintance?"

The woman stopped, looked pissed for a second and then smiled, a cold and wintry thing. "Good. Keep that attitude. Polite smart ass is better than dopey moron at least. Charlot Chambers. I'm supposed to make you look good. As it stands we might have to put Prime behind you to dress the frame up." She said this like a threat, but Brian nodded.

"That sounds good. People like him already, and trust him. If he's willing to go out there with me, it can't hurt..."

Prime perked up and smiled, walking over suddenly, leaving the women to trail him, each looking more than a little desperate for attention. It was both sad and funny, Brian decided.