Chapter 85: (1) Pentagone
As the black limousine drove through the empty streets of Washington D.C., a peculiar silence reigned. Here, there was no crime, no drug dealing, no gunfights. Compared to ordinary life after the Great Wave, it was a whole different world.
Inside the limousine, two people were having a discussion—General Pantherson and Director Hart.
The general reached into the cooled center console of his seat and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "Can I tempt you, Director?"
Hart waved it away. "No thank you, General."
Pantherson shrugged. "Suit yourself." He gave himself a generous pour, then added two huge, crystal-clear ice cubes. "I guess young people just don't have a taste for whiskey anymore. A shame. You could use an excuse to relax a bit."
Director Hart didn't reply. She knew the general was taunting her. "Why has the Pentagon summoned us? We have so much to do in preparation for the academic year... and you don't need me to tell you that it's going to be a busy one. We have no time to play the spectator sport that American politics has become."
The general gave a sloppy smile. "Implying it hasn't always been that way, Director. Well... as for why they've called us up, I'm not yet sure. Something to do with money, I imagine. That's the downside of the Hunter Association's particular status... unlike the guilds in the private sector, the Hunter Association costs the American taxpayers billions every year. I'm sure our friends in Washington would like to pocket a little bit more of that themselves!"