“When the head is severed, the electrical pulses of the brain are disrupted enough to cause the ichor to abandon the body. To purge. Then it returns to where ever it came from. The point is, if a subject gets trapped in Phase, it means the ichor remains here because it’s merged with enough human tissue it can’t leave. When that happens, there’s nothing human left. It’s just the Anubis, and that means they’re ten times as dangerous because their Alpha has lost their hold.”
Harrington grunted and his mustache twitched. “Don’t you ever have any good news?”
Apparently not.
Reporters elbowed their way closer to the barriers.
“Goddamn it.” Harrington motioned at a group of military boys in fatigues. They cut off the reporters. Lights from their cameras seared Reese’s eyes.
Cameras.
“Uh, Colonel? Does the hotel have any security?”
The man yelled another order to his men, and the hard edge of his voice ricocheted off the building. Reese cringed.
“What did you say?”
“Cameras? Did you ask the hotel manager about any security cameras?”
“I’m not that green Dr. Dante. Of course I asked, and they haven’t been functional since the nineties.”
Fantastic. “Would any of the gawkers be willing to surrender their camera phones?”
“Most of them arrived after the shit hit the fan. They’ve got pictures of people covered in muck. The rest is blurred. Like on the cameras in the facility.”
Reese raised an eyebrow at the man.
“I told you, I’m not green.”
No, a man didn’t get as far as him by missing details.
The bar Vic talked about sat catty-corner to the motel. “How much you want to bet the cameras at that sports bar work?”
Colonel Harrington motioned over one of his uniforms. “Find out who owns that building and tell them they have fifteen minutes to get here and let us in, or we’ll be going in without a key.”
The uniform saluted and disappeared around the cluster of reporters. A few made chase.
“Don’t you need a warrant?”
Harrington glared.
Reese stuck his hands in his pocket. “I’m pretty sure you need a warrant.”
“And you talk like we’re engaging in a criminal investigation. This is a matter of national security. I don’t need a warrant. The fact I’m giving them the chance to open the doors is generous.”
Two military Humvee turned into a lot, followed by a truck with a canvas tent over the bed. It stopped near the reporters who turned their cameras on the men exiting the back of the vehicle.
To another soldier, the colonel said, “All those cameras, they’re mine.” He turned back to Reese. “There’s no freedom of the press here either.”