Taming the Telomeres, a Thriller

by R. N. Shapiro

  "She really puts some kind of spell on you doesn't she?"

  "No," he says, but even he is unconvinced.

  Chapter 42

  Coincidences

  Kent notices that Sienna has a routine. It’s not exactly extraordinary, just a little weird. During her ten-minute breaks, she gets her laptop out of her backpack, powers it up, and does some browsing. That’s not a lot of time to catch up, he thinks. She also sits right by the window every time.

  Today, while contemplating Sienna’s choice of location, Kent notices a black SUV with dark tinted windows pulling into the space right in front of Café Loco. He thinks a black SUV was parked in the same spot yesterday. But Kent isn’t sure when exactly he saw it, and who knows, maybe the owner just needed to stop in a shop or office nearby two days in a row.

  Then he sees Sienna pull a thin card out of her backpack. She plugs it into a USB port in the laptop. Kent finishes ringing up his customer and walks from behind the counter toward Sienna because his curiosity is piqued. As he approaches Sienna, her back is to him and she is facing the window.

  “You know we have free Wi-Fi…” he says.

  Sienna actually jumps in her seat. She quickly closes the screen of the laptop, too quickly, in fact. She slides the card out of the USB port and puts it back into her backpack.

  "Oh, uh, the password didn’t work for me the last time I tried it,” she says.

  Kent notices that the black SUV is pulling out of the parking space. It was only there a minute or two and no one got out.

  "Did you know the person in that black SUV?"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I thought I saw that same SUV right there yesterday."

  Sienna has already zipped up the laptop in her backpack, and is headed toward the counter. Kent stares out at the now empty parking space, wondering if he is just paranoid.

  Chapter 43

  Released

  The process of removing the halo and the shoulder harness was simpler than Amanda or her family members imagined. It was done in the outpatient surgical center at Loudoun Hospital. The only tricky part was removing the screws penetrating her skull. But Wrightson had no trouble, and in about 30 minutes the halo and harness were gone. Amanda’s biggest concern then was the holes left from the screws. She demanded a brush to try to cover them up but some of the areas simply didn’t have enough hair.

  About a half hour after Amanda was moved to recovery, Wrightson spoke to Amanda, Andy and Barb. "Everything looks excellent as far as bone growth and stability. We took some images in the operating room once we removed the halo. All is good. So here are the main restrictions. Absolutely no driving for 30 days. No athletics, no exercise whatsoever, except for walking, which is encouraged. After 30 days I want to see you at my clinic to determine if I can lift any of the restrictions."

  "Why can't I drive? How’s that different than being in a car with someone else driving?" Amanda asks.

  "We want no sudden head-turning.”

  The staff had already informed the family that Amanda would be free to leave after 2:00 p.m., once the doctors went over her instructions. The press conference would begin at 2:30 p.m. Andy had discussed this earlier with Amanda, and they decided not to participate. Rather, they would use that time to escape so Amanda wouldn’t be mobbed by reporters.

  Iris, Charlyne, Kent, John and David all stand in the hall outside Amanda's room waiting to walk out with her. The doctors walk into the news conference, where at least 12 video cameras, dozens of microphones, and more than 30 reporters patiently wait. The hospital staff never disclosed that Amanda isn’t coming, so the reporters are eagerly awaiting her appearance.

  “Dr. Wrightson, is it unusual for a patient with a neck fracture to be released so soon? What are the medical risks?” These are the first questions posed to the five doctors seated behind the table on a small stage.

  At the same time, Amanda and her entourage walk through the hall, in an almost parade-like atmosphere. Amanda pauses many times to receive hugs from the staff. As they hit the doors at the service exit of the hospital, Natalee Spalding, her cameraman, and one young cub reporter are there, having been tipped off to Amanda’s departure.

  "Amanda, how do you feel about finally being released?" Spalding asks, pressing a large microphone in her face.

  "A lot better than I did at the beginning!" Amanda says sarcastically. "I'm really excited to finally have the halo off my head."

  "How about your memory, Amanda? What do you remember from before the crash?"

  "Unfortunately, still very little. But I have a bunch of great friends and family and I'm just moving on."

  "When will you be returning to high school?" Spalding asks.

  "Right away I think."

  Barbara and Andy both put an arm on Amanda's shoulder and indicate that they would like to move her toward the car. Her Uncle Steve has pulled Barb's car right up into the circle and Amanda prepares to climb into the backseat. She turns, looking for Kent.

  "Kent, are you going to come over?"

  "No, I think your family wants to be with you alone. Text me and we'll make some plans."

  Just then several of the TV reporters come sprinting down the hospital sidewalk in their direction, realizing that the guest of honor just sneaked out through the service exit.

  Within 15 minutes, the exclusive interview and video footage from the hospital news conference appear on CNT’s continuous news coverage.

  * * *

  "Today, Amanda Michaels had her cervical halo removed and was released from Loudoun Memorial Hospital, just about a month after the Hemispheres crash in Pennsylvania. At a news conference today, her doctors called it nothing less than a miracle. One of the most significant lingering problems is her amnesia, according to her doctors. As for the cases filed against Hemispheres, possible electrical issues continue to be where the accident investigation is focused. The NTSB has offered nothing on the cause since its preliminary news release. Most of the family lawsuits are pending in D.C., although a few cases have been filed in other jurisdictions. This is Natalee Spalding, reporting for CNT from Loudoun County, Virginia."

  Steve Simon has opened the front door to their home, and Barbara and Andy stand beside him in the foyer with Amanda. Steve holds the small rolling bag from the rehab hospital, but everything else has already been placed into the room upstairs that they have set up for her. The awkward scene plays out almost like foster parents bringing home a foster child.

  “Your room is at the top of the stairs to the left. We hope you like it. We brought a lot of your things from your room in your own house,” Barb says, leading the way.

  Amanda silently follows Barbara, and Steve and Andy bring up the rear. Once they enter the room she sees a number of posters on the wall. There is one of a female soccer player kicking a ball near a goalie, a picture of a female musician with flowing red hair, and there are a couple of mirrors with metal star shapes around them. Amanda stares around the room.

  “Does it bring back any memories?” Steve asks her.

  “Who is that soccer player?”

  “Mia Hamm, a famous American soccer player.”

  “How ‘bout her?” she asks, pointing to a red-haired musician.

  “She’s Florence, from Florence and the Machine, a rock band you like,” Barb answers.

  Everything is set up the same way it was in her old room, but Amanda doesn’t remember any of it.

  “Why don’t you settle in and we’ll eat together later.” Barb says, backing out of the room with Steve and Andy.

  Amanda lays down on the bed and looks around the room, at the posters and the books. She wonders about her own taste. She resolves to get some Florence and the Machine music on her phone and laptop.

  Chapter 44

  Paris

  Kent had been promising for some time that he would take her to Skyline Parkway to show her places he had described in their conversations. One of them was the old B&O Railroad bridge trestle o
ver the Shenandoah River. Kent arrives at Barb's place. The sky is a deep blue with a couple wispy clouds and the temperature is pleasant. Amanda is standing in the front foyer, ready to leave. She has already said goodbye to Barbara, who was baking in the kitchen.

  "I am taking you to Paris," Kent says.

  "The doctors will never let me go," she replies longingly.

  "Not France. Paris, Virginia, just west of Upperville. That’s how we got the name of our band."

  Huh. I thought you just made it up.”

  “Nope, it’s real.” He closes the front door after her.

  As they walk out to the street, Amanda eyes the little red two-seater convertible Kent has brought. "What kinda car is this?"

  "Alfa-Romeo, don't see ‘em around much anymore. Great car, even though it’s stick and not totally reliable anymore." Kent walks around and gently closes her passenger door.

  "We'll head out 50 West. Ever been to Paris?"

  "Kent!"

  "Sorry, that was pretty brainless. It's a farm town. We'll stop there then head west. I want to take you to this overlook near the old B&O Railroad bridge."

  "Why an old bridge?"

  "The view’s amazing. It's really high, like a couple hundred feet above the Shenandoah River. Someone told me it's been there since before the Civil War. The train comes all the way down from Harper's Ferry, which is actually in West Virginia. It’s got a little walkway down one side. We lived a mile or two away until I was in seventh grade, and I used to play by the river under the trestle.”

  There's a song on Kent’s phone playing through the car’s speakers.

  * * *

  Hey where did we go,

  Days when the rains came

  Down in the hollow,

  Playin' a new game.

  Laughin' and a runnin' hey, skipping and a jumping …

  * * *

  "If you’re walking on the bridge, which is like half a mile long over the river, and you hear a train whistle, you’ve gotta take off running as fast as you can for the other side. Or else jump in the river, and it’s a long way down. Scary but kinda cool. Like Huck Finn or something."

  "Almost getting hit by a train is cool to you?" Amanda asks, looking at Kent as he stares intently ahead.

  "If you never take risks, life’s boring. I told you I’ve got a twisted view of the world. Probably because of what happened to my mom." They both look ahead at the farms and cornfields dotting Route 50 on each side while listening to the close of “Brown-Eyed Girl.”

  "Not to freak you out or anything, but when I was in middle school a girl and a guy got killed on the trestle. They lived in my neighborhood. The guy got hit, and I think the girl actually jumped, but she drowned because she wasn’t a good swimmer. Or maybe the impact of the water knocked her out. It was all over the newspapers here. First friends of mine that died."

  “Were you with ‘em?”

  “No, we’d moved six months before, but I’d been there with ‘em. We used to ride our bikes and then climb up there.”

  “Were they trying to outrun the train?”

  “No one ever figured out what happened.”

  A few minutes pass and Kent downshifts the Alfa, hits his blinker and navigates a right turn just past a sign reading “Paris, Virginia - Population 51.”

  "Wait, there’re only 51 people in Paris?"

  "Yep. There’s a street fair today.”

  Once they park they make their way onto the busy single block of town. They hear music from a fiddle, bass and drum. A couple guys walk toward them and Amanda notices their cowboy boots and jeans. Another couple and their toddler are walking down the center of the road.

  Street vendors line both sides of the road selling funnel cakes, barbeque, and snow cones. One vendor is selling all kinds of jewelry on a cloth-covered table.

  Amanda stops and admires the bracelets, many of which have small colorful stones and charms.

  “All handmade,” the thirty-something lady seated in the folding chair says.

  “Pick one. I’m buying,” Kent says.

  Amanda holds one up to her wrist. It has three peace-sign charms and small colorful stones

  “How about this one?”

  “Yeah, it’s totally you. How much?” he asks the lady.

  “$25.00.”

  Kent hands her $40.00 and she makes change.

  “Wanna bag Honey, or are you gonna wear it?”

  “I’ll wear it,” Amanda responds, and Kent helps her hook it around her wrist. They walk down a short distance to a street vendor selling chocolate and candy-coated apples, some with rainbow sprinkles.

  Kent stops and points. “Split a candy apple with me?”

  “Sure.”

  Moments later, Kent pushes the candy apple toward her face.

  “Go for it, it’s awesome.” They stop walking and she takes a bite. Little pieces of sprinkles and red candy stick to her lips on one side.

  “Let me help you with that,” Kent says. Instead of using his fingers he pulls her close, kisses her momentarily, then pulls away slightly and nibbles the small candy pieces off her mouth.

  “Hold it to your mouth, I’ll get a picture.” He quickly snaps it with his phone. Then she gets one of him doing a goofy bite.

  They finish strolling along the short block that comprises the Paris street fair, and are back in the Alfa within 20 minutes.

  “That was a pleasant little surprise,” Amanda says once they are leaving town.

  Kent follows several back roads and they end up in Delaplane, the tiny town where the overlook is located.

  "Let's get walk up. I want you to see the view back to Paris," Kent says.

  "I've never been to Paris, France. I wonder if this is as good," Amanda muses.

  "It ain’t the promenade on the Eiffel Tower, but it’s one helluva view." Kent walks past a small number of gravel parking spots and along a narrow trail. Amanda follows close behind until they reach a clearing no more than 50 yards away from where they parked Kent's car.

  “Look straight ahead and you’ll see the red roof of a really old church. That's the old Methodist church, been there since the Civil War.”

  Amanda looks into the distance and notices the bright red roof and the colors of the trees dotting the valley. The sun is setting and the view is breathtaking.

  "Well?" Kent reaches for her hand and wraps his fingers through hers. Amanda feels electricity from his touch.

  "This is really nice. Kent, what do you see in me?"

  "Don't ask me questions like that. Why do women ask guys questions like that?" He stares toward the red-roofed church.

  "Okay, whatever."

  Before they leave the overlook Kent walks over to a waist-high tree stump and places his phone there with the photo timer set. He tells her he wants one picture and runs over to her right before it flashes. Kent checks the photo and then reaches over and shows her.

  "Let's go. You haven’t seen the bridge." Kent says, pulling her toward the car.

  Once they’re belted in, Kent peels out in reverse, shooting gravel in several directions, then quickly shifts back into first gear and squeals back onto the roadway.

  The stereo is cranking out tunes and the wind is gusting. Over the din Kent finally says, “I'm infatuated with the fact that you’re the only survivor. Is that weird? I keep thinking maybe a little bit of your magic fairy dust’ll land on me. And you’re hot." Kent laughs.

  A warm smile comes to Amanda's face.

  “What’re you gonna do with the rest of your charmed life anyway?”

  Amanda’s first impulse is to say spend it with you, but she doesn’t. She is proud that she is able to keep the thought from leaving her lips. “Dunno. Maybe charity stuff. I’m way behind in my classes, so I may never graduate.”

  “You’ll graduate. And go big, whatever you do. But be sure to use the fairy dust a little at a time so it lasts.”

  “Ha ha… funny.”

  Chapter 45

  Trestl
e

  Kent parks along the shoulder of the road. After opening the passenger door for her, he grabs her hand and says, "We gotta get moving. The sun's going down soon and you have to see it in good light."

  They walk near each other along a thin but well-worn dirt path. Maybe 100 yards down the trail, they come to a sign partially covered by brush. Kent stops and points.

  "Can you read that?"

  "Yeah, ‘No Trespassing.’”

  "The other part says ‘Walking on bridge strictly prohibited. C&O RR.' C&O Railroad hasn’t existed for decades."

  "I'm not so sure we should…" Amanda says, but Kent persists.

  "Come on, I'm just going to show you the scenery, not sit in the middle of the trestle."

  Kent pushes back part of the old fence. "Go."

  Amanda partly ducks through the narrow space and Kent follows. Then he lets the rusty fence spring back. Up ahead she can see a clearing in the distance.

  "Look," Kent says.

  She and Kent stand right beside the gravel ballast rocks lining a single railroad track, and she looks down the track and sees rusty metal supports in a reverse U-shape over the track.

  "The right side is the walking side."

  “There’s no way you can walk on that if a train’s coming. I’m not sure even a cat could."

  "The railroad built it so there’s gotta be enough space for someone to walk. Besides, they have to blow their whistle well before they hit the bridge. If you hear the whistle, you should have plenty of time to run to the opposite side."

  Amanda inches forward a few steps to look down the trestle and she sees the greenish-brown water of the Shenandoah River.

  "Does anyone ever do anything in the water? Like, I don't see any boats."

  “Small fishing boats or canoes. It's sundown so they're not around right now.”