Chapter 4

Dr. Burnings had been nothing but his irritable self for four days. His face never leaving the shade of bright pink. The mood emanating from him was beginning to make the staff on edge, lashing out at the smallest inconvenience.  He sent one employee to the emergency room after throwing a full coffee pot upon finding out it had gone cold. 

"Ms. Share, what have you got for me there?" The Doctor asked, looking at the thick stack of papers barely being held by the clipboard in her hands.

"General Barium is waiting for you Dr. Burnings." Ms. Share said in a quiet tone, 

"I believe he is here to be updated on the incident in Caracas." 

"Ah, I see." Dr. Burnings began to loose his bright red hue, his face visibly lost color, turning pale. 

"Have the General wait in the conference room while I-"

"He is already there, Doctor." Ms. Share interrupted.

"Well that is just…fantastic. I will go there now. Have the combat summary brought in for review during our meeting."

"Very well Doctor."

Ms. Share walked away to retrieve the brief and Dr. Burnings was left alone. 

He began his way to the conference room which held the man holding the future of thirty five years of work. Painstaking work containing literal blood, sweat, and tears. They may not have been his blood, sweat, and tears but that is besides the point. And with this new incident which not only lost the most productive and efficient Agent, but also risking exposure to the entirety of Operation: American Alphabet 

His thoughts of worry followed him but all of them focused on the same person. He stopped in front of a pair of closed solid oak doors leading into the conference room. The doors were hand carved as per his request. He wanted all persons to be intimidated the moment they saw it. It depicted an empty noose on the left side, and a guillotine on the right. And above written in Latin,

Mors illis qui mentiuntur

Meaning, Death to those who lie. It was meant to try and create a sense of unease in an attempt to keep meetings honest. But now he only saw it as a sick joke knowing he might have to bend the truth in order to stay alive and away from a "suicide". 

"Enough stalling." he told himself. he took a deep breath, and opened the doors.