A.D.A.M.

by Melissa Caudle

  “I understand. I must not reveal my presence to anyone.”

  “Not a soul.”

  “Dr. Bradford, I cannot see a soul. I can only sense carbon units.”

  “Don’t reveal yourself to any carbon unit. I’ve got to go; I’ll see you in the morning.”

  General Anbar, disgusted, stood and glared at Jessica. He handed her the red phone receiver. “Jessica, Stephen Stone Diamond and the President of the United States are on the phone for you.”

  “Well, it’s about time.” Jessica placed the receiver to her ear. “Hello, is this really Stephen Stone Diamond?”

  “Yes, Jessica, it is. How may I be of service?”

  “If it is really you, want is my radio name? Only the real Stephen Stone Diamond would know that?”

  “Caller five zero four your live with Stephen Stone Diamond.” Stephen leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his radio booth desk.

  “It’s you. Now there’s a lady on the line with us, is she really the President of the United States? Do you recognize her voice?”

  “I assure you Miss Parker that I am President Corbin and your country needs you.”

  “Jessica, that is the voice of the President. I’d recognize it anywhere. I’d stake my reputation on the Stephen Stone Diamond Show. Now, listen to what the President of the United States has to say.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Diamond on behalf of my presidency. Miss Parker, whatever you know about the Mono Lake samples and their whereabouts, you need to tell the General. Our countries national security is at risk. Do you understand me?”

  “I will tell you one thing they are in safe hands with someone I trust. May the Force be with you. You won’t find them unless I tell you where they are or if Hans Solo finds them beneath the Millennium Falcon.”

  Stephen looked at the envelope filled with Jessica’s items and immediately search through them. She’s telling me where the samples are.

  The President cleared her throat. “God speed Miss Parker. Please do the right thing for your country.”

  “I’ll think about it.” The phone call disconnected. “She hung up.”

  The General reached for the red receiver as Jessica handed it to him. “Jessica, we will convene again in the morning to give you time to think about things.”

  “So, I’m stuck here in your conference room?”

  “Your government isn’t barbaric. Commander Anderson, assign a room for Miss Parker and see to it she gets fed.”

  “Yeah! I get to go to a hotel.”

  A smirk crossed the Commander’s face. “Afraid not, you’ll be sleeping in our guest quarters, under guard.”

  Agent Morrison stretched. “General, may I return to New Orleans. I believe there is nothing more I can do here.”

  “That’s a negative Agent. I’ve assigned you to guard Miss Parker. You two seem to have made a connection.” The General glanced toward the Commander. “Assign both to a two-bedroom guest apartment. Place a guard at each entry and every window. No one is to go in or out except Giles who I will order to bring them dinner. Understood?”

  “Clearly. Consider it done.”

  “Bring them both to the conference room at zero six thirty.”

  Stephen opened Jessica’s diary and flipped through the pages hunting for any clue. “Okay, five zero four, where did you hide the samples?”

  He stopped on a page where there was a picture cut from a magazine of the Millennium Falcon taped to a neon pink sticky note. “There you are.”

  He lifted the sticky note and written in Jessica’s handwriting were the words, “Tick tock. Tick tock goes the clock. FRAC that.”

  “What in Hell does that mean?”

  He stuffed the items into a large white lock box beneath his desk. He looked at Robyn who stood in the control booth and waved for her to come in.

  Within seconds, Robyn entered his office. He handed her the lock box. “Take this to the safe in the basement and forget you ever saw any of this. Understand?”

  She shook her head. “May I ask why?”

  “The less you know the better. Go lock it up.”

  “Consider it done.” She left the room with a big smile on her face.

  Stephen scratched his nose and took a deep breath before he packed up his desk. He grabbed the envelope Jessica had sent the items in. “You’re coming with me.”

  Dr. Bradford paced in front of her bed wearing an army green T-shirt, and boxer shorts. She took a long-cleansing breath as she climbed into it, and then fluffed the pillow behind her back. She grabbed the remote and pressed the upper-red button. Her brow creased as she looked at the white-snow fuzz that glittered the screen. “Damn it; they said they’d have the satellite connection.”

  Furious, she bolted from her bed toward the door, and then banged her fist onto it. “Whoever is out there; I have a complaint.”

  She stared at the doorknob as it slowly turned. Just as the door eased opened, she yanked the knob toward her. “I am not pleased.”

  Sergeant Merritt entered. “Excuse me, Dr. Bradford. Is there something I can assist you with this evening?”

  “The television isn’t connected unless the only station I get is the outer limits of Antarctica.”

  “I’ll put in a requisition.”

  “Requisition? That’s it. What about getting on that fancy intercom and getting someone in here to fix it? I’m going stir crazy.”

  “I’m truly sorry Dr. Bradford for the inconvenience, but the maintenance crew only answers emergency calls at this time of night.”

  “It’s eight o’clock, are you kidding me?”

  “I’m sorry; there isn’t anyone I can call for this trivial matter.”

  “Then take me back to the lab.”

  “I’m not authorized to do that.”

  “Then, get me the General.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Sergeant Merritt exited and gently closed the door behind her.

  Dr. Bradford’s eyes glared as if fire shot through them, and she kicked the door.

  Stephen stood on the balcony of his one-bedroom apartment that overlooked a small pond. He looked up at the stars. Where are you Jessica Parker and where have they taken Dr. Bradford?

  Bang! Bang! The front door burst open as a four-member SWAT team led by Mac Allen scurried in. Each member pointed their weapons ready to fire if necessary.

  “What the Hell?” Stephen bolted into the living room.

  “Freeze! Put your hands in the air.” Mac lowered his weapon and approached him.

  Stephen’s heart raced. “What is the meaning of this?”

  “Mr. Diamond, we have reason to believe you are holding evidence received by a Miss Jessica Parker.” Mac fixated his ice-cold stare upon Stephen’s.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you think I’m in cahoots with a terrorist? Now I know Big Brother has lost his mind.”

  “Search the apartment.” Mac handcuffed Stephen as the rest of the team engaged in a search and destroy through the apartment.

  “I’ve never met Jessica Parker and I’ve only spoken to her. I’ve spoken to the President of the United States too, is that why my place is being ransacked? Look, if you tell me what you are looking for, if I have it, I’ll gladly turn it over to you. You don’t have to tear up my apartment.”

  “You deny you know Ms. Parker.” Mac inched closer to invade Stephen’s space.

  “Let me put it to you in simple terms. I have never met Jessica Parker. I don’t know her, personally.” A lump lodged in the back of his throat.

  “We have you on tape speaking with her.”

  “Tape? You recorded me illegally, then. Did you get the recording of me talking with the President too?”

  “Your podcast, Mr. Diamond. It’s available online.”

  “Podcast! This is about my podcast?”

  “She called you.”

  “Are your referring to the President or Miss Parker? I get hundreds of callers. That doesn’t mean I know them. Hell, I d
on’t even know their names when they call. So, if you’re implying I’m hiding anything, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Again, I do not know, and I have never met Jessica Parker.”

  “Sir! We found an envelope with a return address from Miss Parker.” Juice, the junior SWAT member, held up the large envelope.

  “Bring it to me at once.” Mac glared toward Stephen.

  “It’s empty, Sir.” Juice attempted to dump the contents from the envelope only for nothing to fall out.

  “Mr. Diamond I’m only going to ask you one time before I haul you to jail. Where are the contents from the envelope?” Mac inched closer to Stephen.

  Stephen took a slow deep breath as he tilted his head. He shrugged and, then smiled. “You’ll have to ask Jessica Parker that question. She has what was once inside.”

  “Don’t play games with me, Mr. Diamond.” Mac backhanded him.

  “I’m not. She mailed me a photograph of me with a return pre-paid envelope and asked me to autograph it. I did and mailed it back. What you are flapping in front of my face is the envelope she mailed my picture to me in. Now where she put it after I mailed it back to her, I have no earthly idea. Like I said before, you’re barking up the wrong tree. By the way, do you even have a warrant?”

  “Move out!” Mac and the rest of the SWAT team members exited the apartment.

  “Okay, Jessica, what does all of this mean? What have you gotten me into?”

  Adam lay on his back on the cot with the blanket pulled up to his chin. His eyes darted around. How do humans sleep this way? He rose and placed his hand against the small tank. The water glowed a neon yellow. After several seconds, the water started to vibrate, and on the inside of the tank, a replica of his hand formed. “There you are.” Adam gradually aged ten years as his body juddered and vibrated. He popped his jaw as he squinted his eyes as if he grimaced in pain. The transformation took his breath as he heaved in, and he jerked his hand away.

  The water in the larger tank vibrated and turned neon yellow.

  His eyes opened, and then they darted toward the door. Still aging, he bolted for the cabinet and crawled inside.

  Inside the cabinet his breaths became short and his eyes blinked rapidly. His body slowly grew as the area seemed as if it shrunk. He drew in a deep breath and held it in. I cannot reveal my presence to the carbon units.

  The lab’s door opened, and Dr. Bradford turned on the lights to illuminate the area. She held her hand up toward Sergeant Merritt. “Please, you have to remain in the hall. I can’t chance you contaminating the environment.” Dr. Bradford glanced toward the cot. Her brow creased. Where is he?

  “I’ll be stationed at the door if you need me.”

  “The only thing I need is for you not to allow anyone into this lab.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Dr. Bradford closed the door and waited several seconds before she proceeded to the cot. “Adam, where are you?” So, she wouldn’t alert the guards; she kept her voice barely audible.

  “Dr. Bradford, I’m in the cabinet.” His voice muffled by the cabinet’s doors caught her attention.

  She inhaled and exhaled a sigh of relief as she strode the cabinet. When she opened the doors, her mouth whopper-jawed, and her eyes widened. “Adam?”

  “It is I Dr. Bradford. I have transformed.”

  “I’ll say. You look like you are twenty-years-old.”

  “In human standards. May I come out now?”

  “Of course. I’m sorry; let me help you.” She extended her hand.

  After his hand grasped hers, he struggled to exit the cabinet. By all accounts, stuck, he wiggled and struggled as she tugged and pulled.

  “We’re going to have to find a different hiding place.”

  “Indeed, Dr. Bradford. My carbon unit does not fit in the confinements of this space.”

  “Indeed.”

  Inside the military two-bedroom apartment, Agent Morrison stood by the door as Jessica sat with her legs crossed on the beige worn couch. She plopped her hands onto her lap. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

  “Correction Jessica. It was your idea.”

  “I had to help. Now what?”

  “Jessica, I’m sorry. I had no idea this would be the outcome.”

  “Somehow I find that hard to believe. You represent the government. Umm, you’re FBI. That means crooked to me. I should never have trusted you in the first place.”

  “I’ll make this right, somehow.”

  “Well, I may as well spit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up the fastest.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The one I spit in has a better chance.” Her lips pouted. “I’ll never see Dr. Bradford again, will I?”

  “General Anbar seems to be a man of his word, but if I were you, I wouldn’t give him what he wants until you see her.”

  “So, you don’t trust him, do you?”

  “I wouldn’t say that. I believe he has a hidden agenda. That’s why I’m not trusting him right now.”

  “What now? Do we stay here locked up for the rest of our lives?”

  “No, I’m going to take this to the head of the FBI. They won’t tolerate this.”

  “Right, like I’m going to believe that.”

  “Look, it’s late, and you’ve had an exceedingly difficult twenty-four hours. Go take a shower and go to bed. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

  “I guess you’re right. I am exhausted.”

  “Jessica, why don’t you tell me where the remainder of the samples are and who has them? That’s the only way I’m going to be able to help you.”

  “I don’t trust you. Besides, the person who holds this information is very trustworthy. He’ll know what to do. That’s one thing my daddy taught me.”

  “What is that young lady?”

  “You always have to hold an ace in your pocket. You’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.”

  “This isn’t a game of poker, Jessica.”

  “Who said anything about poker? He was a General and controlled bombs and rockets. As in rocket scientist and an astronomer who knew when to drop a bomb or hold onto it.”

  “That explains where you got your intelligence from.”

  “I took after my mom. She was a physicist. She’s dead now.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “That’s okay, Dr. Bradford raised me.”

  Agent Morrison’s eyes widened in surprise. “Dr. Bradford is your foster mother?”

  “Not exactly. We had the same mother. We’re half-sisters.”

  “Let me see if I have a clearer picture. You, Rebecca Newcombe, and Dr. Bradford are sisters.”

  “You can bet your bottom bitcoin on it.”

  “This explains a lot.”

  “Will you help us, Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

  “Jessica, just go to bed.”

  Rebecca stood in a hall in front of Patrick’s apartment. She banged her fist several times. “Patrick, open up. It’s Rebecca. It’s urgent.”

  Inside the apartment, Spike held up his finger to his lips and motioned to Patrick to remain quiet.

  Dr. Gilbreth injected a syringe into his neck. “That will keep him quiet until we have a chance to reprogram him.”

  Patrick nodded as he lifted his eyes toward Spike’s. His vision blurred.

  Bang! Bang!

  “Patrick, this is important. Open the door.” Rebecca waited and then leaned her ear touching the door to listen for noise. “Shit! Where could he be? This isn’t like him.” Rebecca stormed down the hall and out of the building. As she looked up at the sky, she screamed to relieve her stress.

  Adam sat on the lab table. “Adam, I need you to help me with something.”

  “Of course, Dr. Bradford. What is it?”

  “I must conduct several tests that require me to take samples of your skin, saliva, blood, urine, and hair. Some may hurt, but I’ll do my best not to cause you pain.”


  “What is the purpose of your invasion to my carbon unit?”

  “I will compare your samples to mine to see if we are alike or if we are different.”

  “Does this mean, you will remove your skin, saliva, blood, and hair?”

  Dr. Bradford rubbed her chin and swallowed. “Yes, Adam. I’ll do the same. We must have a comparison.”

  “If you insist.” Adam spat into his hand and held it toward her.

  “What is this, Adam?”

  “Did you not request a sample of saliva? Am I in error?”

  “I’ll need you to spit in a cup, but first things, first. Let’s take a swab from your mouth.” Dr. Bradford strode to the cabinets, gathered the needed supplies for the tests, and then placed them on the lab table next to Adam. “Let’s do the easiest first.” After she put on a pair of surgical gloves, she plucked strands of her platinum hair, placed them in an evidence bag, and then sealed it. She used a Sharpie marker to identify the sample as “Sample B.” “Your turn, Adam.”

  He immediately plucked one strand of his hair and handed it to her.

  “I’m sorry, Adam. I must remove them to make sure the sample is pure. It shouldn’t hurt.”

  “You may proceed with your invasion.”

  She took a deep breath and gently plucked several strands of Adam’s hair and secured them in an evidence bag. More protocol followed as she labeled it, “Sample A.”

  “Dr. Bradford. Why do you mark the first sample, ‘B’ and the second sample, ‘A’? Doesn’t ‘A’ precede ‘B’?”

  “Yes, Adam, you’re correct, but I marked yours with an ‘A’ because your name starts with it.”

  “I understand, Dr. B.”

  Her brow furrowed. “No one has ever called me that but my younger sister, Jessica.”

  “What is a sister?”

  “Oh, boy. I think I just opened up a new can of worms.”

  “Worms?”

  “I’ll explain both later.” She grabbed a long-sterile Q-Tip. “Open your mouth. I need to swab your cheeks.”

  His mouth opened wide as she swabbed it.

  As she secured the sample, his mouth remained open.