Baker hung up on Julius before returning to his test subject.

"I am so sorry for the interruption. Where were we?" he asked, a cruel smile on his face.

The elf on the table didn't respond. With his chest cracked open and one lung already removed, he didn't have a choice despite being conscious.

Baker reached into the elf's chest, his massively meaty hand caressing the subject's still-beating heart. It was such a delicate thing and yet so important.

"I just don't understand it. heart, lungs, and a digestive tract, You're basically a human with pointy ears. So why do you live so long!? What's your secret to your extended life span?!" Baker yelled at the elf.

The elf sobbed around the gag in his mouth. Baker didn't know why. He didn't care. No matter how many elves he dissected, he just couldn't understand the secrets to their long lives. If they would just give up their secrets, he wouldn't have to deal with this inconvenience anymore.

Baker had been searching for the secrets to eternal life since his grandfather had died. Baker's grandfather hadn't gone quietly into the night. He had developed ALS, and Baker had been forced to watch as his grandfather's body betrayed him piece by piece. towards the end, his grandfather couldn't even control his bowels. His death had been slow. Each breath had become more labored than the last as his lungs slowly filled with liquid. He gasped to catch every breath before he died. To this day, Baker still has nightmares of his grandfather's death.

Baker had sworn that he would not suffer that indignity, ever. Fortunately, he was born to a wealthy family that had access to magic. It was easy to accumulate wealth and power. Yet he had been incapable of discovering the secrets to immortality.

Then one day, he found a lead. A rumour of an immortal working for the BPA. After some light blackmail, he was able to confirm this rumour. Julius Flamel: Senior agent of the BPA. The man file said he had been shot, blown up, eaten, and stabbed and was somehow still alive. Unfortunately, the file made no mention of how he was doing that.

Baker's first plan was to kidnap Flamel and then dissect him to discover the secrets of immortality. Unfortunately, because of the man's high profile within the BPA, he was under heavy surveillance, and his file mentioned him taking down powerful magic creatures on his own. Baker would have to send a small army to kidnap him, and then he would have to acquire the secrets of immortality and escape before the BPA rescued Julius. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could pull that off.

So instead, he joined the BPA. It wasn't that hard, a few heavy bribes here, a few favours called in there and some heavy blackmail on a particular politician. And he was able to not only join the BPA but he was able to quickly rise through the ranks to be one of the five board members in charge of the BPA. After that, it was a simple matter to discredit and demote Flamel at every turn until he was removed from the BPA once and for all. Then he would have him.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He turned back to his subject with a smile on his face. He was about to start cutting out the elfs organs when the doors to his laboratory were opened. His aid Owen Fowl walked in.

"Ah, Owen, so good to see you again. I trust you managed well?" Baker asked as he removed the elf's liver.

Baker stopped what he was doing and gave his full attention to his aid. Owen nodded his head respectfully. His immaculate appearance was a reflection of his professionalism.

"Of course, sir. Daphne Bruner will be occupied in Washington for the next two weeks to discuss the BPA budget. As such, she will not be able to counter any orders you give." Owen stated more than said.

"Excellent. Without her being here, I can finally relax a little. I am glad to hear of your success" Baker smiled as she stuffed his face with the rest of his cinnamon bun.

"Yes, sir, I was able to force through your orders that Ramona Vasquez be on this mission without too much pushback. I did not even need to manipulate their minds to get them to agree."

Baker smiled at the thought. Owen's telepathic abilities were why he had hired him in the first place. Not only were telepaths extremely rare, but very few people had any defences against them. It allowed him far more latitude than he would typically be capable of.

"Fantastic." Baker giggled with abject glee as he removed the elf's pancreas.

"With Julius having lost another Junior partner, I should have more than enough political capital to leverage his dismissal from the BPA. Without their protection, I can scoop him up and extract the secrets to immortality at my leisure. And besides, even if the plan fails, I can still claim credit for everything that girl does in the future." He said.

Baker smiled creepily as he began to surgically remove the elf's organs one by one with his fat fingers as the elf screamed into his gag.

"Make sure to dispose of this body after I'm done with it," Baker said. "I can't stand the sight of the corpse."

"Of course, sir," Owen said. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Hmm," Baker considered for a moment, thinking about what he wanted.

"I believe something delicious is in order, perhaps some cheesecake with a good white wine, perhaps some Riesling wine," Baker ordered. "Make sure to place it in my study after I'm done with this."

"Of course, sir, I will order it right away," Owen said.

But to Baker's annoyance, Owen didn't immediately leave to fetch his afternoon treat.

"One more thing before I go, sir. We still need to develop a contingency plan in regard to Mrs.Bruner's warning on the Alnune--"

"Agh, forget it. Aliens from the other side of the galaxy are coming to attack us? While they're already at war with their neighbours?!" Baker asked sarcastically.

Baker found the thought laughable.

"Sir, if I may?"

"No, you may not," Baker stated as he tears the elf's heart out of its chest in annoyance. "Julius Flamel expects us to believe that the Alnune are going to sneak halfway across the galaxy to earth, ignoring all the other potential targets along the way. While their own territory is under attack? Don't be ridiculous, Owen. We will ignore this goose chase and focus on the more important things."

"Are you sure, sir? We are still waiting for the preliminary report," Owen asked.

"Of course, I'm sure," Baker spat in anger, his spittle flying everywhere as he finished up his gruesome work. "I promise you, Owen, the Alnune have better things to do than coming to some nowhere planet on the wrong side of the galaxy. Now go fetch me my wine and cheesecake!"