Page 42 of Sorcia's Heart
The flight took only thirty minutes at their speed and altitude, the sprawling city of Chicago coming into view beneath them.The skyline gleamed in the late evening light, the lake stretching out like a vast mirror to the east.
“There,” Marcus called, pointing toward a wooded area just beyond the city limits.“We’ll land there.I’ll get us a ride to the lab from the edge of the forest.”
Sorcia nodded, angling her descent toward the spot he indicated.As they approached the ground, she felt a surge of hope.Maybe this dirt sample would give them the edge they needed to find Bethany.
Chapter 23
Ahalfhourlater,Marcusswiped his badge to unlock the doors of a high-security building, its sleek modern design emphasizing functionality over flair.The sound of the automated locks disengaging was sharp in the sterile hallway.
“Good afternoon, Mr.Tinsley,” several employees greeted, their tones brisk but respectful as they passed him in the corridor.Marcus gave curt nods, his sharp, focused expression warning them not to interrupt his progress.His stride was purposeful, and Sorcia had to quicken her pace to keep up.
“The lab is just ahead,” Marcus said, his voice low and steady.“I’ve got one of my best technicians standing by.”
They entered a gleaming white room, the air cool and tinged with the faint, sterile smell of chemicals.Metal tables stood like sentinels amidst rows of sleek, humming machines, their purposes a mystery to Sorcia.She stayed near Marcus, silently observing, feeling slightly out of place in this world of science.
“Melanie,” Marcus greeted the technician, a petite woman with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor.“We need to analyze this dirt sample.Check for any foreign chemicals.It’s from a woodland area outside Baltimore.”
Melanie accepted the glass container, gently swirling its contents before holding it up to the light.“What makes you think something’s wrong with it?”she asked, already moving to one of the tables.
“We noticed an odd smell in the area,” Marcus explained, his tone clipped.“And the trees around it didn’t look healthy.”
Melanie nodded, her focus already shifting to the sample.She used a small metal scoop to transfer a portion of the dirt into a test tube.“Give me a few hours, and I’ll run a full analysis.It should be straightforward to identify any contaminants.”
“Contaminants?”Sorcia echoed, her brow furrowed.
Melanie glanced at her briefly, then continued her work.“Sometimes, companies—construction crews or chemical manufacturers—illegally dump toxic waste in remote areas.It’s cheaper than processing it legally.”
Sorcia’s eyes widened.“But wouldn’t the Environmental Protection Agency fine them?”
Melanie shrugged, not looking up from her task.“First, the EPA would have to figure out who’s responsible.That’s not easy.Companies go to great lengths to cover their tracks.Even if they’re caught, they can drag it out in court for years, sometimes decades.Meanwhile, they keep dumping and profiting.”
She added a blue liquid to the test tube, causing the mixture to bubble faintly.“Even if they’re fined, the penalty is usually far less than the cost of legally disposing of toxic materials.It’s an ugly truth.It’s more profitable for some companies to pay fines than to handle waste ethically.”
Sorcia clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger.“That’s horrible!How can they get away with that?”
Melanie glanced up briefly, her expression grim.“They do because they can.And it’s not just about profits—it’s about the power to avoid accountability.”
As Melanie set the test tube into a centrifuge, Sorcia turned to Marcus, her fury barely contained.“If this has something to do with what’s happening to Bethany…” she trailed off, her voice filled with both determination and dread.
“It’s bad,” Melanie said, her voice sharper now, “but what’s worse is that eventually, those trees will be cut down, and someone will build a home right on top of that mess.The homeowners will let their kids play in the yard, completely unaware of the toxic fumes leaching out of the ground.”
She finally looked up, her intelligent eyes blazing with frustration.“Kids get sick all the time, and no one realizes how much of it is caused by toxic chemicals hiding in the ground.Think about it—how many neighborhoods are built on old garbage dumps or contaminated industrial sites?”
Sorcia stared, her anger simmering in response to Melanie’s words.There was a ferocious intelligence behind her directness, and Sorcia admired how focused the lab technician was on her task.Melanie’s fingers moved deftly as she transferred dirt into test tubes, carefully adding precise amounts of various solutions.
And then she was gone, her attention completely absorbed by the analysis.The faint whir of the centrifuge filled the silence, punctuated by the clink of glass and the soft hiss of liquids being added.Melanie was in her element, and it was clear she wouldn’t surface again until she had answers.
Marcus turned to Sorcia.“Let’s grab some dinner,” he suggested.“It’ll take her a couple of hours to run the tests.”
Sorcia nodded, though her thoughts were still tangled with everything Melanie had said.As they left the laboratory, she glanced at Marcus, curiosity blooming.“Why did you get into pharmaceuticals?”she asked, realizing she’d never delved into this part of his life.
He pushed open the door to the parking lot, the sunlight washing over them.“Because medicine does things we can’t with magic,” he said with a shrug.“We can heal to an extent, sure, but we can’t cure cancer, set a broken leg, or take away chronic pain.Science fills those gaps.”
“That’s true enough,” she admitted, her voice tinged with grudging respect.“I guess that makes sense.You went into something that challenges your intellect.”
Marcus smiled slightly.“I suppose that’s one way to put it.”
An SUV pulled up to the curb, and Marcus opened the door for her.Sorcia hesitated, looking up at him.“We’re not flying back to Baltimore?”
