Endemic Rise of the Plague Read Online Free PDF Page A

over to Kate—who couldn’t help but giggle.
    “So tell me, how was your day and how’d practice go?”
    “It was good,” Kate said, tearing off a piece of the cotton candy and letting it melt on her tongue.
    “Did you put away your gear in the garage like I asked?” He probed.
    “Uh,” she smiled sideways and sunk her shoulders, “I forgot. I left the duffel bag next to the hutch. My bad, as soon as we get home, I’ll put it away, I promise.”
    “As soon as we get home,” he confirmed, tucking his free hand into the back pocket of his faded, black jeans and taking a bite out of his corn dog.

CHAPTER SIX
    Lex raised his eyes from his laptop at Angie as she vigilantly peered into the microscope at a slide of organically grown vegetation. Their study of organic vegetables progressed at a predictable pace. Angie had been Mara’s lab technician at Angora for over a year now. While Lex knew Straight-Arrow-Angie appreciated the opportunity, he also knew that nothing stays the same for long. Lex had seen Angie on many recent occasions eagerly checking new position postings on the other floors within the facility. Lex, on the other hand, who had been on for slightly longer, loved the exploratory laboratory. He had no interest in transferring or moving up within the ranks, feeling comfortable with this lab and with Mara. Instead, he chose to goof off in his spare time when Mara wasn’t around, which he knew pissed Angie off, but he wasn’t about to let miss prudent ruin his hard earned gaming time. They had both started out at another Angora facility in Blue Falls, before transferring to the Port Steward lab. Angie had been in a genetics lab in Blue Falls, while Lex had worked in the fish bowl. A circular room with walls of glass, so that visitors and children on field trips could crowd around and observe chemistry in action from outside. Lex took satisfaction in working in the fish bowl, but there had been no time to goof around in a room made of glass, plus he had to cover his tattoos with his sleeves at all times and keep his hair presentable . When he saw the posting for a position in a basement, exploratory lab, he let nothing stand in his way.
    “ Lex, do you think that you could give up the gaming for a second, and get over here and help me with these slides?” Angie asked impatiently, her green eyes glaring at him from above the microscope.
    “ Yeah, I think I know what tactic I am going to use on the next level,” Lex closed his laptop and galloped tauntingly to Angie. “I gonna go all mission impossible, and launch a super spy plan of action.”
    “Wow that sounds great. Take a look at this,” Angie said dryly, motioning at the microscope.
    “Hmmm,” Lex adjusted the focus, “This—”
    Suddenly, Mara’s office door burst open. She briskly emerged from the doorway. With a wild-eyed, clenched-jaw look upon her face, and stiffness in her shoulders and arms, she strode closer to the lab techs. Lex and Angie instinctively stood up straight, as Mara drew closer.
    “Has anyone been in my office?” Mara whispered, through gritted teeth. Her eyes darted back and forth between Lex and Angie, while she gradually smoothed her hands over her hips.
    “Just you Mara, we’ve been out here,” Lex said in a flat tone. Mara would not be charmed by his sarcasm right now. “Can we help you out with anything?”
    Lex could see through the phony smile. As Mara drew in a long breath through her nostrils, trying to maintain her composure, it seemed obvious that her level of control neared its limit.
    “Not just now, I mean, has anyone been in my office while I was out?” Mara asked.
    “Yes,” Angie squeaked, pulling at a button on her lab coat.
    Lex adjusted his stance to face Angie, looking at her in bewilderment, eager to find out who had been in the lab during Mara’s absence.
    “Angela, please tell me who went in there and why?” Mara asked in suspense.
    This had to be the first time Mara had ever been