The Governor's office was quiet, but it was the kind of silence that precedes a landslide. Thompson sat behind his massive mahogany desk, looking significantly older than he had just two weeks ago. When Ethan walked in, the Governor looked up with a weary but respectful nod.
"Ethan. I wasn't sure when you'd drop by," said Thompson.
"I wanted to see how you were holding up, Governor. And to thank you. Your intervention during the attack didn't go unnoticed," said Ethan.
Thompson let out a dry, hollow laugh as he poured two fingers of bourbon into a glass.
"It was my duty, Ethan. I couldn't sit back and watch people be slaughtered in the streets. Though, looking at the data, it seems my men were mostly cleaning up the mess your team had already handled. You were remarkably prepared," said Thompson.
"Preparation is the difference between a tragedy and a statistic. But tell me, how has the federal government reacted? My sources tell me there's blood in the water," said Ethan.
