The door to the dining room opened and Horst entered bearing a small black case made of hard plastic. He set the case on a corner of the hibachi table near Kate’s head, flipped the latches in front, and raised the lid. Nestled in a bed of gray foam was a large syringe filled with a dark fluid. Horst took the syringe from its bed of foam and removed its cap to reveal a wickedly long needle. He gave the plunger a little push and a droplet of neon green fluid emerged from the tip of the needle. Daphne glanced at Vivian. “What’s that for?” “It’s an experimental drug that counteracts the effects of shock and slows the rate of blood loss in a trauma victim without causing a loss of consciousness. The sow will remain perfectly aware of what’s happening almost to the point of death.” Horst bent over Kate and placed the needle against her quivering neck. She winced as he pushed the plunger and the needle pierced her flesh. He took his time injecting the fluid, pausing several times and laughing when the muscles in her body began to spasm.
