Thalia's mouth fell open. She then grabbed the remote from Dean and turned up the volume. "The network just received a video from the United Freedom Fighters, a revolutionary group based in San Jose," the male reporter continued. "Just minutes ago, this network as well as several others received a video from what is believed to be a militant faction of the UFF. They claim to have splintered from their counterparts and are taking full responsibility for the deaths in Tuxie, New York.""What the hell is going on?" Dean burst out, raking a hand through his hair. "How could any member of the UFF be linked to the virus?"Thalia had no answer for that. He just stared at the screen, feeling more and more anxious by the minute. "The tape is currently being edited by our producers, as it contains content that may not be suitable for all audiences," the anchor was saying. Dean quickly changed the channel, until he found the network that was speedier with the airing of that tape. A man's fumi

A bell dinged over the door of the motel office, but the young male behind the counter didn't even look up when Dean walked in. His eyes were only focused on the television hanging on the wall, while watching Pedro Escalante's video clips. "Did you see this?" the clerk demanded, sounding awed. "This is some crazy stuff right there.""Yeah. Crazy," Dean agreed. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the countertop. "I need a room."Without wrenching his eyes from the TV, the clerk slid over a clipboard. "Fill this out."He wrote his fake name, address and credit card number there, then handed it back to the clerk, and he received a big red key in return."Towels in the bathroom. Wi-Fi password is the motel name and your room number. Check out time is 10:00 a.m." The clerk recited the facts without once looking at Dean. As Escalante's angry eyes flashed on the screen, the clerk shook his head. "Freak terrorists! Think they can mess with us?"Trying not to roll his eyes, Dean left the office

Dean noticed Thalia's grip tightening over the strap of the messenger bag on her shoulder. The bag contains the water sample and the note on the research done by Dr. Matthews, but he could tell she wasn't anxious to part with it just yet. He didn't blame her. Even though he believed that Bhram didn't know anything about the Taurus project, he still couldn't fully trust the man, especially that he said, "You need to come in officially.""No way," he said emphatically. "I promise you, I will protect you. We'll take your story to the secretary of defense himself. Verano--""--might be behind this entire mess," Dean finished. "For all we know, Secretary Verano green-lit Project Taurus.""Then we contact the Bureau, place you and Dr. Ricafort in protective custody." Immediately after the words left his mouth, Bhram chuckled ruefully. "Don't bother answering - we both know you'll reject the offer."Dean just shrugged. "How do we handle this, then? I don't have the authority to negotiate

After a while, Thalia joined him in bed. "I just thought about how much sex can release stress," she admits. "I have never experienced that in my whole life.""Like what happened to us earlier?" He leaned over to turn off the bedside lamp, then settled on his back and pulled her closer so that her head was resting on his bare chest. "Because you are so passionate, Dean." She felt that her cheeks were red, fortunately it was dark in the room and the man couldn't see her blushing face. "That's why I feel so totally out of control.""Is that a bad thing, Doc?"She paused thoughtfully. "Before, I would have said yes, but now that I know how extraordinary it can be, I think letting go is a very good thing."She turned to the alarm clock on the bedside table, and was surprised to see that it was past midnight. But she hadn't felt tired or sleepy yet, and Dean seemed to feel the same way. "What's your favorite place that you've been?" he asked Thalia pursed her lips for a moment. "Canada.

Thalia seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief. She was also impressed by Dean's acting skills as if the scene was real. They followed Dr. Lucas on his wide balcony. Then he led them into a large den that smelled of leather, firewood and cigars. The carpet beneath their feet and the expensive artwork on the walls revealed that Dr. Lucas liked his surroundings fancy. According to the files they read from Ina, this scientist owns a luxurious villa in Greece, and also owns yachts. Thalia wondered if he'd paid for all these luxuries with the money he made from gambling, or if he'd started gambling to support his life of luxury. She suspected it was the latter. "Look," Dr. Lucas said as he flopped down in a leather armchair adjacent to a stone fireplace, "the Pentagon already contacted our lab yesterday morning after the Tuxie attacks. The director of D&N briefed us about it, and blood samples from Tuxie victims are already being analyzed in our facility. We've been working around the c