In Death 15 - Purity in Death

the whole pie, sacrificing one little slice is a reasonable trade. That's how the P.A. figured it. That's how Dwier knew he'd figure it. I wish I could. Get me an address on a Dru Geller. She'll be in the system."
    She pulled out her communicator to run the next steps with the commander.
    ***
    It took an hour to set it up to her satisfaction. Precious time, but she wasn't losing another cop. Not today.
    "We can't be sure what kind of shape she's in," Eve reminded the crisis team she'd handpicked. "We will assume she is violent and armed. Three men on the door, three for the windows. We go in fast. We subdue, secure, and transport. The subject cannot be shocked with standard weapons, even on low setting. The probability is high that the infection has spread to the extent that this would result in termination. We use tranqs, and tranqs only."
    She gestured to the apartment blueprint on-screen. "You've familiarized yourselves with the setup. We know the subject is in this location. We don't know where she is within its perimeter, but the highest probability is for the main bedroom, here. Communications are to remain open throughout the op. When the subject is secured, she will be transferred, immediately, to the medical techs, accompanied by two team members during transpo to designated health center where a medical team is waiting."
    Maybe they'd save her, Eve thought as she approached the door to Dru Geller's apartment. And maybe they wouldn't. If Dwier's information was accurate, she had under eight hours left. Morris had called the infection irreversible after the initial spread.
    She was risking six cops, her aide, and herself over a woman who was in all likelihood already dead.
    She drew her tranq-shooter, nodded for the crisis team cop to uncode the locks. "Uncoding," she said quietly into her communicator. "Locks disengaged. Wait for my signal."
    She eased the door open. She caught a whiff of spoiled food, of stale urine. The lights were off, the sun shields tight at the windows. The room looked and smelled like a cave.
    She gestured, pointing Peabody and the second officer left. She went in fast, low, and right. "Living area clear."
    She heard it then, a kind of growling. The sound a rabid dog might make when cornered. "Moving to main bedroom. Hold at the windows."
    She took flank at the door, nodded again, then kicked it in.
    Dru Geller had her back to the wall. She wore nothing but panties. There was blood on her breasts, breasts scored from her own fingernails. Her nose had bled as well, and the red ran down over her snarling lips, stained her teeth, dripped off her chin.
    Eve saw it all in the space of a heartbeat and saw the long-bladed scissors in her hand.
    The scissor flew, like an arrow from a bow. Eve pivoted, deployed the tranq. It caught Geller in the left breast. "Now! Go! Hit her again," she ordered as Geller lunged forward.
    A second tranq hit her midbody, and still she leaped on Eve like a wildcat, all teeth and nails. She saw the red eyes wheeling, felt the blood drip on her face. Geller howled as a third tranq took her in the right shoulder.
    She shut off like a light, red eyes rolling back, limbs going limp.
    It took seconds, only seconds. There was a flurry of movement as Geller was rolled away, her unconscious body restrained.
    "Get her to the MTs, get her transported," Eve ordered. "Move."
    "We got an officer down."
    "What?" Wiping the blood from her face, Eve gained her feet, spun around.
    And saw Peabody lying on the floor, bleeding, the scissors jammed deep into her shoulder.
    "No. Goddamn it. No." She was on her knees in one fast move, and without thinking brushing her hand over Peabody's white face.
    "Zigged right, should've zagged left," Peabody managed. She turned her head, stared dully at the bright silver scissors. "It's not too bad, is it? Not too bad."
    "No, it's nothing. Get me a medical, now. Right now!" Eve stripped off her jacket, prepared to use it to staunch the flow of blood.
    "Pull them out, okay? Wouldja?" Peabody groped for Eve's hand. "It's making me pretty sick, having them sticking out of me."
    "Better not. MTs coming up right now. They'll fix you up."
    "They'd hit an inch over, the riot vest would've deflected them. What're the chances? Really hurts. Jesus, it really hurts. I'm cold. Just shock, right? Right, Dallas? I'm not dying or anything?"
    "You're not dying." She snagged the wrinkled bedspread from one of the crisis team. "I don't have time to waste training