Dr. Bradford stepped in front of him and grabbed his arm. “General, please don’t get too close.”
If looks could kill, Dr. Bradford would be dead. “I’ll only say this once. Get your hands off me.”
Dr. Bradford complied and ground her teeth as her forehead creased. “I’ll only repeat this one more time. Don’t go near the tank. I just put arsenic in it to see if I could get a reaction. If you uncover it, not only will you inhale it but also your actions will ruin the experiment. It must be kept away from direct light.”
“Is this a ploy, Dr. Bradford?”
“It’s called fulfilling a Presidential mandate.”
General Anbar hesitated and then moved slowly to the tank as Dr. Bradford glared toward him.
“General, please. I’ll do my job if you and the rest of your goons stay out. It will be you answering to the President if this environment becomes contaminated, and I can’t continue my research. Understood?”
The General marched to the door. “Only because I’ll issue the order; not because of your threat.” He took his leave.
Dr. Bradford took a deep breath and exhaled. She rubbed her eyes.
“Dr. Bradford. Am I safe?” The boy’s voice muffled from inside the cabinet caused her to bolt for the lab’s entry door.
She cupped her hand behind her ear, leaned against the door, and listened. After she determined the General returned to his office, she opened the cabinet and helped the boy out. He hugged her as she stroked his hair.
“Thank you, Dr. Bradford, that is a scary man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I sensed you were scared.”
She gently pushed him back to see his face and kneeled in front of him.
“You feel my emotions?”
“Yes, Dr. Bradford. I have your emotions. Unique is just like you.”
“Your name isn’t Unique.”
“What is my name? Please give me a name.”
Dr. Bradford ponders a moment as she looked up at the A.D.A.M. research sign above the door. “Adam. Your name is Adam.”
“That was your son’s name?”
“How do you know that?”
“Isn’t that the likeness in which I have taken with this carbon form? Am I not a reflection of Adam? Do I not, please you?”
“You mean, this is what my son would have looked like if he had lived?”
“I cannot be certain of his likeness. How did your son decompose Dr. Bradford?”
“He died of a terrible disease when he was an infant.”
“Will I cease to exist too since I am your son’s carbon image, Dr. Bradford?”
Dr. Bradford’s eyes filled with tears because the pain and heartbreak of her son’s death filled her with deep-bone grief. She stood and gently grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry, Adam.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and face.
“Saline is not good for you, Dr. Bradford. Please stop making saline.”
Dr. Bradford continued to sob. The more she tried to refrain, the more the tears fell. She turned her back to him.
Adam tugged her hand. When she turned around, he flashed a silly-innocent grin and pulled her toward him. He wiped her tears leaving a neon yellow streak across her cheek. “Eat your substance. It will make you feel better; will it not?”
“What?”
Adam pointed at the plate of powdery donuts on her desk.
Dr. Bradford smiled and then retrieved two beignets. She handed one to Adam and ate the other.
Adam’s brow furrowed as he stared at the powdery beignet. He smashed it onto his face; white powder and crumbs covered his mouth.
CHAPTER 10 - ENERGY
General Anbar spoke on the red phone in his conference room. “That is correct, President Corbin. I will have the answer within minutes.”
“Time is running out. Do whatever you must to secure the remaining samples and evidence. Keep me posted.”
“Understood, I’ll maintain open communication with you at all times and report any progress.” The General hung up the receiver as the door opened.
Agent Morrison and Commander Anderson escorted Jessica into the conference room, her head drooped, and her eyes averted the General.
The General cleared his throat. “Agent remove those handcuffs. If we can’t control a young woman on a military base, then we are all in trouble.”
Agent Morrison removed the restraints. “General Anbar, this is Jessica Parker.”
General Anbar stood and extended his hand out toward Jessica. “Welcome to Fort Huachuca, Ms. Parker. I’m General Anbar.”
Jessica tried to smile; her eyes swelled. “Would somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?”
“That is an excellent idea.” Agent Morrison grinned to comfort Jessica.
The General sat. “Be seated, may I offer you something to drink?”
Jessica shivered. “No! Where is Dr. Bradford?”
“In due time.” The General pointed to an empty chair. “Please take a seat. I have many questions for you.”
“I thought I made myself clear if I didn’t see Dr. Bradford and have Rebecca Newcombe present to film it, I wasn’t going to talk. Unless you have some sort of truth serum to make me speak or some alien technology from Roswell to read my mind, my lips remain sealed; so, now what General Gangbar?”
“It’s General Anbar.”
“Not to me, it isn’t.”
“Jessica, do you know how serious this situation is?”
“Here we go! I heard it right before Agent Morrison stuck a needle into my neck. Unless I talk and give over my samples, I go to jail for the rest of my life.”
“We could have you executed for treason.”
“If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working. You see, I have an ally who implanted a GPS tracker in me. Actually, I swallowed it. He knows exactly where I am right now, and he is alerting the news authorities if I don’t call him off. I’m not just a pretty face; I’m super intelligent.”
“Welcome to the Stephen Stone Diamond Show. Caller nine eight five, you’re live.”
“Oh, wait! I didn’t want to be on your show; I just wanted to talk to you.” Rebecca, at her KWNC news desk, shifted in her chair.
“I see, but now you’re on the air, what do you think about today’s topic?”
“If you’re asking if a NASA employee stepped out of line, I’d have to say yes.”
“So, you’re saying this employee was out of bounds when they sent up air balloons where the President of the United States was vacationing?”
“It did create a scare, and the secret service was called in. In my opinion, that’s taxpayer’s money being wasted.”
“Wait a minute; I recognize your voice. Please stay on the line as we go to a commercial break.”
Stephen removed his headset and picked up the phone. “Rebecca, can we meet?”
“That’s why I’m calling. I don’t give a damn about the air balloon.”
“Name the time and place.”
“I’ll text it to you.” Rebecca hung up the phone just as Henry strode to her desk.
“Good news, Rebecca. Congressman Stewart agreed to speak with you, off the record.” He handed her a piece of paper. “Follow these instructions.”
When Patrick opened his eyes, his bedroom went in and out of focus. He rubbed his temples and blinked his eyes. “Son of a bitch. How did I get here?”
He slowly sat upright and waited until the room stopped spinning. As he stumbled toward the bathroom, his white-cracked knuckles fisted.
“Take it easy; you’ve been out a while.” Spike lunged to catch Patrick before he collapsed and helped him to get back into bed.
“What happened?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you. You called me last night to pick you up.”
“I did?”
“You were out of it. It was all I could do to get you home. You refused to let me take you to the emergency room.”
“I don’t remember a thing.�
�
“What is the last thing you remember?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Your phone has been ringing off the charts. Somebody by the name of Henry keeps calling.”
“Shit! That’s my producer. What time is it?”
Spike glanced at his watch. “It’s five.”
The tension between General Anbar and Jessica built inside the conference room as Agent Morrison and Commander Anderson listened. Evidence files covered the table with Jessica’s mugshot the most prevalent. Multiple coffee cups and soda drinks splattered the conference table.
“Now, Jessica, it’s time for you to tell the truth.”
“Well, General, it’s time for me to see and talk to Dr. Bradford. Is she here? Is she even alive?”
“In due time, Jessica, but first, we have to address several issues.”
“I can see you’re an old fart, but are you deaf too?”
Agent Morrison cleared his throat. “Jessica, be mature and stop acting like a child. The General is trying to help you and keep our country safe.”
“Safe! By arresting me? Seriously, like I can take down a country as a terrorist.”
The General retrieved the red receiver and pressed the speed dial. “Yes, President Corbin, we’ve secured the girl. She refuses to share the location of the other samples.”
“If you’re trying to impress me that you’re talking to the President of the United States, I’ve seen fake news before. It’s not working.”
General Anbar handed Jessica the receiver. “The President wishes to have a word with you.”
She jerked the receiver from his hands. “Right, I’ll play along.” Her sarcastic tone irritated the General as he puffed his cheeks. She placed the receiver to her ear. “You have the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Parker. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”
“Miss Parker, I’m President Corbin.”
“I don’t believe you. Prove it.”
“You see that red phone. It is a direct line to me.”
“That doesn’t prove anything. Try something else.”
“Don’t you recognize my voice?”
“Nope, sorry. You’ve got to do more than that.”
Agent Morrison stood and exhaled. “Jessica, that is the President of the United States. Show some respect for the office.”
Jessica handed the phone to him. “Then you tell her the only way I’ll believe her is for Stephen Stone Diamond to talk to her while I’m on the line. He’ll know it’s her. Besides, speaking with Stephen Stone Diamond is one of my demands, remember?”
The General’s jaw clenched as he huffed. “Unbelievable.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Now you know how I feel.”
Agent Morrison put the red receiver to his ear. “Madam President, I’m Agent Morrison. It’s an honor to speak with you.”
“Thank you for your service to our great nation. How may I help you today?”
“I have a message from Jessica Parker.”
“I can’t wait to hear this one, go ahead.”
“She wants Stephen Stone Diamond to confirm your voice before she speaks to you.”
“Then get him on the phone, now.”
“Yes, Madam President. Please hold.” Agent Morrison handed the phone back to the General. “She said to get Stephen Stone Diamond on the phone.”
“Now we’re talking.” Jessica quickly clapped her hands twice. “I’m so excited I get to talk to Stephen Stone Diamond.”
The General rubbed his forehead.
Seated at the corner table in Austin’s, an upscale restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana, Rebecca, and Congressman Steward, a salt-and-pepper-haired sixty-year-old robust male with soft-blue eyes, dined. The waitress who wore a black tuxedo brought them a bottle of wine and held it for the Congressman to view.
“I think you will find this bottle of the 2016 Josh Cabernet Sauvignon perfectly paired to your meal. Shall I open it for you?” Her eyes met the Congressman’s blue eyes. Warmth sprinkled down her spine as she batted her eyelashes remembering the one night she spent in his bed.
His eyes darted toward Rebecca as he lifted his left brow. “Is this the label you requested?” A smirk crossed his lips.
“I believe so, Congressman.” He’s a pompous ass.
His blue eyes glanced toward the waitress. “Yes, please open it and let the lady have the pleasure of tasting it.” She was a good piece of ass.
“Yes, sir. It will be my pleasure.” The waitress corked the bottle of wine and then handed Rebecca the cork who immediately sniffed it.
“Smells delicious.” That could have gone fifty-ways bad.
After pouring a taster into the crystal wine glass, she waited for Rebecca to sample it. Her eyes never left the Congressman.
Rebecca lifted the wine glass, swirled it, and smiled. Slowly, she tasted it, savoring the flavor. “Very nice. Congressman, I think you’ll enjoy this.”
He flashed a wry-sleazy grin. “Seems to have nice legs.”
The waitress filled Rebecca’s glass as she glared at her and, then presented a perfect pour into the Congressman’s glass.
After taking another sip, Rebecca stared at the wine’s legs flowing inside the glass. “Yes, very nice legs.”
The waitress nodded. “I’ll be back with your appetizers. Please enjoy your wine.” It should be me tasting this wine. She took her leave as the Congressman’s eyes fixated on her backside.
Uncomfortable with his attention toward the beautiful young waitress, Rebecca pursed her lips. “Congressman, I have something important to discuss with you. First, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” Her heart fluttered as she heaved a breath.
He placed his hand on hers. “I agreed to meet you off the record, so I trust the information I provide will stay between us.”
“You have my word.” She placed both hands onto her lap. “I’m not here as a reporter; I’m here as a sister.”
“I thought you wanted information on Dr. Bradford.”
“Congressman, may I speak off the record?”
“This ought to be good; you have my word.”
“Dr. Bradford is my older sister. We have the same mother, but not the same fathers. We weren’t close, and I was a teen when she located me.”
“I wasn’t aware of this.”
“No one is, sir. We chose to keep it that way for professional reasons. There is one more thing you ought to know.” A bead of sweat formed across her upper lip.
His brow lifted as he puckered his lips. “You’ve got my attention.”
“Jessica Parker, Dr. Bradford’s graduate assistant, is our sister too. Again, we have a different father.”
“I didn’t see that coming. No wonder you’re concerned about them, but I’m not sure how I can help.”
“I need to know the location they took Dr. Bradford to and what is going to happen to Jessica. I received intel the government took Dr. Bradford to a military base in Arizona. Can you find out for me?”
“What makes you think that?”
“I won’t disclose my informant, but he believes she’s being held against her will at Fort Huachuca.”
The Congressman took a long deep breath. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll look into it. If I find out anything, you cannot tell anyone who gave you this information.” I can play this to my advantage.
“Sir, I never disclose my informants. There is one other thing. Can you get me onto the base?”
“What’s in it for me, if I do this for you?”
“Other than I’ll owe you one, I’m not sure Congressman.” What a sleazeball.
“I can think of one thing, but I don’t think you’re going to like it as it might compromise your journalistic integrity.”
“If you’re suggesting what I think you are, forget it.”
“You have to promise me you will give me positive press when things get rough for me in my upcoming campaign.”
Jessica blew air out of ‘O�
� shaped lips as her heart pounded against her ribcage. “This sounds like blackmail.”
“Do you want to know Dr. Bradford’s whereabouts or not?”
Dr. Bradford stood in front of Adam as he sat on the center lab table dangling his feet. “Adam, there is so much I don’t understand. Your existence is difficult for me to believe.”
“Why is it difficult, Dr. Bradford? I am right in front of you.”
“That is the simple explanation. You shouldn’t exist at all.”
“But I have existed for hundreds of thousands of years.”
“That is not what I meant. You in this form as a human isn’t right. Just two days ago, you were a massive blob.”
“I believe the accurate name is a microbe, Dr. Bradford. I was a microbe; was I not?”
“Yes, of course. So how did you evolve? None of this makes sense.”
“That answer evades me as it evades you. I am certain I do exist.” His forehead creased as his eyes jetted toward the door. “Dr. Bradford, I must hide. They’re coming for you.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m aware of the energy humans radiate. I feel them. Sergeant Merritt is on the other side of the door. Major Dwyer is coming down the hall. General Anbar is not happy and is in a room with three others.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“No, you must introduce them before I can identify them. Once they are in my presence, their energy stays with me forever. I must hide in the cabinet. It’s time.” Adam jumped from the table and bolted to the cabinet.
“Wait, Adam. I’ll make this right.”
Just as he closed the cabinet, Sergeant Merritt knocked on the door. “Dr. Bradford, it’s time for you to return to your quarters for the evening.”
“Just a minute, I have to secure the lab.” Dr. Bradford set up the cot in the corner behind the large tank and then proceeded to make it. After she placed the pillow onto it, she shuffled her hands as she strode to the cabinet. She peeped inside. “Adam, I made a bed for you. Once I leave, and the lights are out, you can sleep there. I’ll be back early in the morning.”
“Thank you, Dr. Bradford.”
“If you sense anyone, and I mean anyone at all coming toward this lab, including me, hide in this cabinet. Do you understand?”
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