Interrogator’s note: All of my questions, and the awkward periods of silence and angry glaring from the subject, have been omitted for the sake of brevity. I have never, in all my years, encountered anyone or anything this surly and menacing. Franks is completely incapable of mercy or kindness. As this process went on he began to open up, granting me a good look into his thought processes. I know that it isn’t my decision to make, but in my professional opinion I would find the deepest hole possible and bury Franks in it.

* * *

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

Where do you want me to start? My contract? I kept my word. It was the government that broke Benjamin Franklin’s contract. Stricken shouldn’t have crossed me.

Earlier than that . . .

The first words I ever heard in my mortal life were “It’s alive. It’s alive.” Is that what you want?

Before that even . . . Hmmm . . . Normally I’d kill you for asking.

You want the real beginning, but it’s hard to remember and harder to explain.

Buckle up. This is about to get weird.

Aftermath of the Level 5 ICMHP Incident

12 Days Ago

Las Vegas, Nevada

The man’s ID badge read “Foster.” The command tent was full of people called Agent, but his title was simply Mister. Despite that, he was the one in de facto command. Franks really wanted to kill him, but that would only complicate matters. Foster was from Special Task Force Unicorn, one of Stricken’s handpicked human lackeys rather than one of their monstrous foot soldiers, and was thus worthy of having his neck snapped, but since Franks had been placed in chains and surrounded by guards prepared to shoot him down at the smallest provocation, Foster’s death would have to wait.

“If Franks so much as twitches, kill him,” Foster ordered.

The assembled MCB agents were following orders, but they were obviously uncomfortable with it. Several blocks of Las Vegas were in smoking ruins around them. The situation had descended into complete chaos. The chain of command was broken. There were hundreds of eyewitnesses. Rather than being allowed to fulfill their primary mission of trying to keep the existence of monsters and supernatural threats concealed from the general public, these MCB agents had been tasked with securing the most legendary operative in their organization’s history as if he were some sort of traitor.

One of the men voiced his concern. “I don’t think this is necessary. Franks cooperated fully with your arrest order, Mr. Foster.”

It was true. There would have been no point in resisting, so he’d allowed the arriving reinforcements to secure him until their superiors arrived. Franks had very little faith in the wisdom of mankind, but he trusted Dwayne Myers. Myers would sort this out.