The next day, 10:06 AM
Albany, New York
Patrick Sandlak was sitting at home that afternoon. He was feeling pretty confident now that he was one step closer to achieving his goals. Now all he had to do was tie up some more loose ends, and then he could make sure his project would come to fruition. He also realized that he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes at this point. Even though he wasn’t home-free, so to speak, he felt that there was nothing that could stop him now. He was going to wait until dusk, and find Arex and Janiece Ryder, who were . For the moment, he settled himself in his living room, watching TV to pass the time.
An hour later, he made himself a sandwich as the 12 o’clock news were showing. As he was eating in the kitchen, he heard the headlines. One of those headlines, was about a murder that occurred in an apartment building in New York City. His curiosity piqued, he waited and watched for that story to show in detail.
“A mysterious tragedy has occurred in an apartment complex in New York City. Janiece Ryder, 27, was found murdered in her home. Miss Ryder was an attorney at law for Henry‘s Law Firm. Her body was found brutally beaten and slashed to death yesterday. There are no clear suspects, but the F.B.I. has taken over the investigation in earnest. Details will be available as they come. Janiece Ryder was best known as the attorney who represented Erickson Meyers during his murder trial. Erickson Meyers‘ eight-year-old son, Jason, was in the apartment during the attack, but thankfully, was asleep, and was never discovered.”
Sandlak smiled maliciously. The story was a trap set to bait him, that much was clear. The F.B.I., and Sandlak’s own creation were baiting him in order to draw him out. Well, he was going to take the bait, but they were the ones in for the surprise of their life once he got there.
Chapter 7
Monday, November 2nd, 1998, 9:27 PM
Abandoned apartment, New York City
Arex had almost already forgotten where to find the old, empty apartment building. He really hoped he would never have to go back there. Coming back there and seeing, smelling breathing everything inside gave him nausea. That was bad enough, but his escort, Mike Scatchard, apparently thought it was a good idea to pass the time by commenting on everything Arex already knew was foul about the building.
The F.B.I. had worked for hours, setting up surveillance cameras in and around the apartment before they arrived. Arex was impressed at how hard it was to find the cameras without one of the agents pointing them out to him. Mike also carried a device with him called a radio that would allow them to communicate with the agents located in a van nearby.
“You know, Mika told me this guy Sandlak has some scars on his face that look like claw marks. How bad are they?”
“I wouldn‘t know how to answer that. They are the only scars I‘ve ever seen, so I can‘t compare them to any other. In fact, if Sandlak hadn’t told me so himself, I would have told you that they were simply a part of his skin.”
“It‘s gotta be tough. I mean having to re-learn everything that you‘re supposed to know already.”
“It‘s not that bad. There are some things I recognize, though I can’t tell you how or why. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything from my former life. Then again, I don‘t even remember ever having a former life.”
“You’re going to have a very hard time learning everything you don’t know about the world you live in. People will just assume that you’ll be able to hit your marks and magically figure everything out right away. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Maybe a little, but there‘s nothing I can do about it. If you want to know, there is a part of me that feels like I want to prove myself to people and show them that I can live in this society.”
Arex saw Mike taking his palm to his face in what seemed like exasperation.
“You’re way too good to be true. In our line of work, that’s suspicious.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you don‘t get it. Here, in this society, people just don‘t act like you, especially not when they‘re your age. They‘re not this innocent, this helpful, or this nice. It‘s not natural, and it makes people think you‘re constantly up to something..”
“What do you mean?”
“I‘ve only known you for about a day or so, and I‘ve never seen you angry. It’s like you’re the representation, the very symbol of kindness. You have a gentile heart, and it just doesn‘t fit with the way you look. I know, it‘s not right for me to be judging your character in this way, but still, you‘re a little weird.”
“So what you‘re saying is, I have to act in a different manner? Why should I live according to what other people think I should do and say? Isn‘t that just as unnatural?”
Arex suddenly felt uncomfortable with being so…unique. There was nobody else out in the world who could relate to the way he was feeling.
“Agent Scatchard?”
“Call me Mike.”
“Alright, Mike. Should I be acting a certain way? What should I be like, according to you?”
“Well, from what someone like me has read, an anthropomorphic reptile such as yourself shouldn‘t care about other people, have a very angry disposition, and have a very audible lisp.”
“What‘s a lisp?”
“A hissing sound. It makes one slur his S‘s.”
“Do I really have to be that way? It sounds stupid and annoying.”
“You‘re right, it‘s actually just a comic book stereotype. And I tend to sound like a complete idiot sometimes when I make a reference to something I read from one. People say that my inner geek is either my most endearing, or my most annoying feature. You know what? Just forget everything I said about your behavior. You‘re great the way you are, so just stay that way.”
“Did you think I was a monster when we first met? Were you afraid of me?”
“Oh definitely. You look pretty scary.”
“What do you think of me now?”
“I think you‘re pretty cool. And I also think that Janiece might have some feelings for you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean romance.”
“Romance? With me?”
“Why not?”
“Because I‘m not human. And Janiece is a little afraid of me. I also suspect that she thinks I‘m not smart. Not to mention the fact that I was sent here to kill her. She hasn‘t forgotten about that, how can she? Besides, she doesn‘t trust me. You heard what she said in front of everybody.”
“That was her maternal instincts kicking in. She was afraid that Jason would be in danger. Think about it this way: If you weren‘t sent here to kill her, someone else would, and maybe then she wouldn‘t be alive today. And if you didn‘t exist and she would be killed, you two wouldn‘t have met in the first place. Do you see? It‘s a good thing you both met.”
“I suppose you‘re right,” said Arex, though he wasn’t too convinced by Mike’s words.
Night had fallen a couple of hours earlier. The pair waited, wondering whether or not Sandlak had seen the newscast, and if and/or when he would come. To pass the time, Mike began teaching Arex how to play with cards. The silence of the surrounding area was unbearable and only broken by the occasional car passing by. From the window in the empty bedroom, Arex could see only the street in front of the building, and not the alleyway. Everything else was blocked from their view, but could be seen by the agents in the van.
Suddenly, the lights in the building went out. Mike’s radio gave him a signal.
“Yes?”
“Be advised, there is a car slowing down in the vicinity of the building. We also have to warn you that the cameras are down.”
“What‘s happening out there?”
“Somebody cut the power outside of the building. We‘re coming to your location, but it will take some time to arrive. If Sandlak arrives, you will have to apprehend him alone.”
“Roger that.”
He closed the radio and turned to Arex, whispering.
“Loo
ks like Sandlak has a friend in the electric company. Just relax, the other agents are on their way. I‘m getting into position.”
“Understood.”
Mike hid himself in the small bedroom, while Arex stood in the living room and waited, staring at the door. His stomach in knots, he listened as someone walked up the stairs and eventually came to a halt and knocked hard on the door.
Arex breathed in hard. His pulse racing, he slowly walked to the door. When he opened it, he was shaken right through to his core. His visitor wasn’t human, it was another A.R.EX. reptile.
This reptile was dressed mostly in black with a leather jacket and jogging pants, and a green t-shirt. His hair was graying, and his eyes were a clear grey. Arex guessed that the human used was older than he was.
“Fancy meeting you here, traitor,” the newcomer rasped.
Traitor? Arex had always felt like he was the one who was betrayed. He was created from someone else, his memories erased. On top of that, he had almost killed someone on false orders.
“The only traitor I know is Patrick Sandlak,” said Arex.
As he said it, something about the face of the other reptile struck him. There, on the left side of his face, were three scars barely visible on the black hide.
“You… you‘re Patrick Sandlak.”
“Took you long enough to figure it out. Yes, it‘s me.”
“Are you insane? Why did you do this to yourself?”
“Well, you kind of force my hand when you betrayed me, your creator.”
“You are not my creator, you‘re a monster, a crazed scientist.”
“I may be insane, but you owe me your very existence, and you have a funny way of showing your gratitude.”
“You expect me to show you gratitude? For what? Changing my body, erasing my memory and abandoning me in this strange world I no nothing about? Should I really feel grateful for that?”
“If it weren‘t for me, you‘d be rotting from the inside out in a prison.”
“But you took me from that prison, stole my very self from me, and then ordered me to kill an innocent person.”
“It seems I should have trained you in the art of killing. You wouldn‘t be such a bleeding heart. Compassion, honesty, love, they have no place in this world.”
“I can‘t believe what I just heard. The art of killing? Do you really believe that taking someone‘s life can be a beautiful thing?”
“It is when it‘s for the right reason. For example, I will enjoy it when I paint the floor with your blood.”
“You‘re disgusting. Just because you‘ve never felt love from other people, it doesn‘t mean you should make it your life‘s work to destroy other people and end their lives simply because they don’t agree with your way of thinking. I may not have many memories, but I know that much.”
“Do you really think I hated being human? I had a decent family. I was always a proud father.”
“Then why are you doing this? I could have someone‘s father, husband, or even brother.”
“And you were also Erickson Meyers, the convicted criminal who killed an entire family out of revenge. No one cares about you. As far as I know, I did you a favor.”
That was all Arex could take. He took Sandlak and pushed him up against the wall.
“How dare you?! Jason loved his father. He thinks about him all the time. Janiece never stopped believing in his innocence…”
“…Maybe she just told you that because she knew who you were all along. How long did she beg before you finally spare her life?!”
“Arex! Let him go, man. He‘s just trying to get under your skin. If you fall for it, he dies winning.”
Arex, still holding Sandlak, turned to see Mike, who had a hand to his gun.
“Yes, Arex listen to the agent,” Sandlak hissed, “be a good little boy and let me go before anybody thinks even less of you.”
Arex fought with himself for a few second while he let Sandlak go. The latter was breathing heavily. Arex pondered: Should he hold on a little more? Was Sandlak really thinking about giving up, and submitting to the F.B.I.’s interrogation? What if he tried to run? Would Arex be fast enough to catch him? What about the other F.B.I. agents, the one surveying the whole scene? When would they intervene, if ever at all?
“Come on, Sandlak,” said Mike, “hands in the air. You‘re under arrest for the attempted murder of Janiece Ryder, the murder of Daisy Carter, and the illegal extradition of Erickson Meyers.”
Sandlak turned to the side, still breathing hard. As he started putting his hands up, he spun around , using his tail to whip both Mika and Arex so hard, they were thrown to the floor. Mike, whom the tail caught in the chest, hit the bedroom door frame before collapsing on his side.
Arex quickly recovered from his blow. He lunged forward, catching Sandlak on his left, tripping him and then pinning him down. His opponent was quick, kicking him the ribs, pushing Arex away and to the side.
Arex fell to the right, pain searing through his ribs. He put his hand to his flank, grunting as he tried to pull himself up. He had just managed to stand up, when Sandlak jumped on his back weighed him down. On the defensive, Arex felt he had roll over in order to gain the upper hand, but Sandlak had him pinned and was throwing punch after punch, leaving his opponent incapacitated. Trying to respond, Arex slapped Sandlak’s arms away from him, grabbed his t-shirt, and rolled him over. As he tried to pin Sandlak’s arms to his sides, his foe started clawing at him, the nails biting into his skin. Being unable to bear the pain much longer, Arex punched Sandlak, cracking his jaw.
Sandlak recovered fast, got his hands free, and punched Arex in the same ribs he’d hurt before. Arex stumbled to the side, pain blurring his vision. Sandlak took the chance, tackled Arex, and rammed him into the wooden desk, shattering it.
Fear gripped Arex. He wasn’t certain he’d be able to stop Arex on his own. He looked up, and saw Sandlak looming over him. Arex had no will to fight anymore, he was in pain and fatigued.
“It‘s over,” said Sandlak. “Say goodbye to your short life.”
BANG!
A loud popping sound was heard behind them. Sandlak jerked up as something seemed to him in the back. Arex nudged himself sideways. Looking behind Sandlak, he saw Mike, who was on his knees, holding a smoking pistol in his hands. Sandlak was now clutching his chest, where a dark red stain was growing on it.
Sandlak stumbled to his knees, his breathing getting more and more labored. Mike, still holding his gun and his ribcage, was now calling for an ambulance on his radio. People running could be heard outside.
“If you check the dumpster beside our building, you will find the body of Daisy Carter.”
That statement took Arex by surprise. It meant that Daisy Carter was, in fact, dead, and that Sandlak was likely the one who killed her, but why was he saying that now of all times? Could they even trust what he just told them?
“My family was mostly military. I lost my father, my-my brother,” he rasped, “my sons, my wife. I-I just couldn‘t handle it any more. I figured low-life criminals wouldn‘t be missed. D-D-Did Jason really…love his father that much?”
“He never stopped believing in his innocence,” Arex replied.
“Good. That‘s the way it should be.”
Arex struggled to his feet, then edged his way to his wounded creator. If he really had to bury his entire family, then Sandlak had the right to a little empathy. How does it feel when a father outlives his son because of a war?
Sandlak was now fumbling inside his pocket, still breathing harshly, blood still pouring from his wound. Arex saw him taking a shiny red object out.
Before anybody else could react, Sandlak made a knife appear from the object and plunged it his throat. They could only watch as he turned the knife on its side, while it was still in his neck. Finally, with a last effort, Sandlak took the knife out. As blood sprayed heavily on the floor, the body slumped down, limp.
He’s dead. Arex couldn’t believe what just ha
ppened. Someone just died right in front of his eyes. His mind went blurry, barely registering Mike’s frantic voice over the radio. Why would someone choose to end his or her life, especially in such a brutal manner?
Mike bent down and put his fingers on Sandlak’s throat.
“Suspect is dead. I repeat, suspect is dead. He just stuck a Swiss Army knife in his neck.”
Arex felt Mike’s hand on his shoulder, taking his mind away from the body.
“An ambulance is on the way,” Mike told him, “we should get ourselves stitched up. You‘re bleeding.”
Arex looked down and found several cuts and bruises from his fight. He didn’t really care about his injuries, though. One question was still on his mind.
“Do you think he was telling the truth?”
“What?”
“Was he telling the truth? About me, and Janiece‘s friend?”
“Who knows? Who knows if he even had a family, much less lost one. You can‘t trust a criminal.”
“You mean a criminal like me?”
Mike was about to answer, but kept quiet, and Arex knew why. The question of Arex’s identity was never a huge problem, but this was personal. Jason was in Janiece’s care, and he might also be his son, and that fact would completely change the dynamics of the relationship between them.
He took one last look at the body which now laid on the floor. Did he hate Sandlak for what had happened to him before and after his creation? Not really. He was comfortable with who he was now, did he really want to change back? That was why he didn’t hate Sandlak.
It was only then that he started to feel the smarting pain in his body. The cuts weren’t very deep, but there were so many of them, they slowed him down considerably. At least one thing was certain, it was officially the last time he needed to be in that abandoned apartment building.
Chapter 8
Monday, November 2nd, 1998, 7:24 AM
Bellevue Hospital Center, New York City
Janiece was going through a range of emotions as she arrived at the hospital. She had been told by the F.B.I. that her friend Daisy was, in fact, dead. She also learned that Patrick Sandlak had chosen to transform himself into a reptile so he could kill both her and Arex. Thankfully both Arex and F.B.I. agent Mike Scatchard weren’t that seriously injured. As for Janiece, she had to contend with emotions that were simmering inside of her. She felt anger at Patrick Sandlak for the fact that he killed her best friend. She felt grief that Daisy was gone, and there was no bringing her back. There was a considerable amount of sadness, because this all happened because of sick man’s dream. On a positive note, though, she was relieved to hear that Arex was still alive. She couldn’t believe it when Mika Nomura told Arex might have once been Rick Meyers. It frightened her a bit, when she thought about what might’ve happened had Arex not decided to be on her side. Then she, along with Daisy would be frozen in a morgue, and Sandlak would still be alive.
The A.R.EX. Project:Transformation Page 10