(Untitled)

[fredburkle]

All the things that I've seen, lived through, experienced, from demons to portals to vampires with souls didn't prepare me for the United States being taken over by Warren Meers. When he took control, I'd never heard of him before. But, not long after Angel and the rest of us soon figured out that Warren and his two friends were from Sunnydale,

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[_wes_pryce_]

I've been going though my books all day now and still I came up blink on that particular demon that would cause any such symptoms to humans and half humans. There were a lot of members of the lower caste's who had become ill and non of the higher castes had such symptoms. Which makes me wonder if it isn't yet another part of Meer's sacrificial plan.

I can't share these thought with anyone though. Lest they find out I'm working against the regime. But a cure must be found fast, the members of the resistance are being effected as well. The latest information I've received didn't bode well. Luckily Fred still has that soft heart when it comes to humanity. Though doesn't seem like a priority to her either, she's still working on it. Dialing her number I wait for her to pick up the telephone in the hopes that she's found out anything. "Hello Fred. I've come up negative on my side I'm afraid," I sigh. "What about you?"

[fredburkle]

My heart sank when he said no. "Nothing here, either. Wesley, there has to be something we're missing that's sitting right in front of our faces. We've gone over every bit of scientific and mystical pieces of information we have on this case and still we've come up with jack squat. I won't give up on the fact that it's something beyond our reach."

I was getting too heated, again. I had to catch myself sometimes because I start to cross over a line. The line that shows people where I stand in the Meers' regime. And I couldn't let Wesley in on my secret. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. My contact with the rebels told me that a few of them had become infected. I wanted to bring them into the lab to run tests, but that would be too suspicious. I was stuck. Hello rock, meet hard place. You should get alone well.

"Is there anything...anything at all that we haven't tried or read or thought of? Anything, Wes?" Wesley seemed as committed to this case as me. So committed, that sometimes I thought he might be a rebel sympathizer

[_wes_pryce_]

I frown into the telephone confused for a moment. Fred sounds a bit over concerned for someone who doesn't care. But then again, that's always been Fred when it came to diseases,threatening innocents. I sigh when she tells me she hasn't found anything either and rub my forehead. I quickly swallow a curse. Mustn't let anyone find out what's going on

[fredburkle]

I frowned, "Is there anything else I can do?" There was something else I could do. I had to call my contact into the rebels and tell them that I wanted to run tests on some of the infected. There had to be a way for me to secretly meet with some of the victims, get the information from the bodies that I needed and get out before anyone knew anything

[_wes_pryce_]

Chanting softly under my breath I put the glamor back on the telephone and replace it in my secret compartment of my desk. Lacing my finger together, I lean back in my chair and think this through. I need to get down to Fred's lab and carefully ask about any tests, gather that information and form a plan.

Plan a, see Fred. If only we could talk openly about this. Or as open as one can these days with the walls having ears. Times like these make me wish for the old days again. The time when we were all family. Now, I can't trust anyone. Not even Fred.

Sighing I get up from my chair and walk out the door. Placing the safety wards on my office I close the door and pocket the key. On my way down to the lab several questions I should ask her are running though my head. The lift opens and I step out. Fred's still hard at work I notice as I walk into the lab.

"Anything yet?" I ask, walking over to her.

[fredburkle]

I looked up from the microscope and smiled. "Wes." It was always good to see him, even if we weren't as close as we once were. I'd even thought, for a few minutes, before Warren Meers, that Wesley and I might have had a chance, but that was in the past.

I shook my head, my smile fading, "No..unfortunately not a thing, Wes. I just...I just don't see what I'm missing, which is obviously the problem. Because if I did know what I was missing, then I wouldn't be missing it and I could solve this case and these nasty critters wouldn't be able to hurt anyone ever again."

I sighed and looked through the microscope again and wished, with all I had, that the answer would just pop out at me. I knew it wouldn't so I pulled away and looked up at Wesley. He had an odd look on his face and I tilted my head, "Something on your mind, Wes?"

[_wes_pryce_]

I can't help but smile as she does, it's still infective it seems. Even after so long. My smile fades with hers as she tells me she hasn't been able to find a thing. Damn, that would be to much to ask wouldn't it? Why can't things ever be simple. I'm about to ask her about the tests when she says something I heard someone else say only moments ago.

Nasty critters? Now there is something you don't hear ever day. And here I suddenly hear it twice in one day? Narrowing my eyes I look at her. Could it be? No, it can't be. It would be to ironic. Which is exactly why it could very well be. Could Fred be Malcolm? I was suspecting someone from inside Fred's lab. But Fred herself never crossed my mind

[fredburkle]

I swallowed and blinked rapidly at Wesley. Crop? Rot? Is he...? He couldn't...? Could he be...Ackmed? I licked my lips and didn't really know what to say. What if he'd just been listening in on the conversation and was here because he was going to report me to Warren Meers' evil hench men?

I plastered on a smile, "Crop? What..crop?" My voice was too high and I was talking weirdly. He knew. I could see it on his face. He knew I was Malcolm. Should I make a run for it? Or would this all turn out ok?

Could Wesley actually be Ackmed? Could he be the man I'd been working with for almost two years to help bring down this monarchy? I sat stone still and blinked at him, "Now what, Wesley?"