Marius Read Online Free PDF

she did not regret her gamble to help Hannah.
    Steeling herself, Rachel stood and took a deep breath. She could do this.
     
    * * *
     
    Marius was surprised to find Sol and Major Carter in the office when he arrived. Although he wasn’t included in all the tactical meetings, generally there was some push to try and include him. It was obvious this was not the case this time. He sat on the couch to the side of the desk. He stared at Sol and Carter across the room. Neither would look at him.
    He turned to watch as Rachel walked to the only chair in front of the desk with her head held high and took a seat. It was clear they were planning on ganging up on her, and something soured in his stomach. A fight like this was just as dirty as trying to jump her from behind. He glared at Titus as the man shut the door and made his way to the desk.
    “Thank you for meeting with me,” Titus said to Rachel as he sat down.
    She snorted loudly. “I didn’t realize I had a choice.”
    Titus paused and narrowed his eyes. There was one thing Marius knew his leader didn’t like, and that was being talked back to.
    “There is always a choice, Ms. Miller,” he said and leaned back.
    “Doctor,” she corrected.
    Titus frowned. “Doctor.” The irritation was evident on his face. “Let’s cut the posturing and get down to it. We’ve had a number of complaints, and I think we need to address this.”
    Rachel tossed her head back and laughed loudly. Her brown hair shook as she laughed. “You know,” she said. “I would love to cut the posturing, but I think I’ll let you all go first.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t see what’s so funny,” Sol asked gruffly.
    She turned and pinned him with her stare. Marius watched as Sol squirmed uncomfortably. “It means that I’ve been met with nothing but posturing and hostility since the moment I got here. So you’ll excuse me if I find my many complaints just a bit funny.”
    “I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration, Ms. Miller,” Titus said.
    “Doctor,” she corrected. Marius could see her brow twitch in irritation and was surprised she hadn’t gone off. “For all your complaints, I’ve been filing my own. Surely you’ve seen the reports that go to Major Carter.”
    Titus sighed and folded his hands on his desk. “So you’ve had a few incidents with the men,” he said. “Many are still adjusting.”
    Marius could see her squeeze her hands in her lap to try and regain control. “Look, I can deal with trouble adjusting, but this goes beyond that.”
    Titus stood, cutting off whatever else she had to say.
    “Look, the truth is Ms. Miller, you just aren’t fitting in, and we’ve begun to look for another doctor. When they are hired, your services will no longer be required. We offer a nice severance package through Major Carter, but—”
    Titus came to an abrupt halt as the crack of a palm on the desk split the air.
    “It’s Doctor Miller,” Rachel said. She was up out of her seat, leaning in toward Titus. “I’m a fucking medical doctor. Not only that, I’ve also got a fucking PhD. You place the blame on me while in the same breath you disrespect me. Well, let me tell you a little something. You aren’t going to find someone better than me. I’m not the best doctor out there, but you can bet your ass I’m the best geneticist next to Fisher. And considering he’s gone, that makes me the best. I didn’t just graduate at the top of my class, I graduated top one percent in the country.” She moved away from the desk and back behind the chair. Marius could see that as she held the chair, her knees shook slightly.
    “I’m sure there are others,” Titus fired back.
    Rachel shrugged. “Maybe. But there’s only one me. You’re so quick to fire me, but did you even think about how hard it’d be able to find someone else with my credentials?”
    Titus glanced over to Major Carter, who seemed just as surprised. Marius wondered how far they