It could’ve happened something like that. And if it did, Todd’s self-imposed sequestration would have started very young and would run very deep.
Todd must have discovered at a relatively early age he had abilities other kids did not. He could solve puzzles more easily, win at games that required thought to play, and even manipulate his friends to do what he wanted. And yet, Todd didn't seem like the kind of guy that would flaunt his superior abilities. True, Richard had just met the man. Still...
Richard guessed Todd never wanted to be just one of the guys. Why, when he could lead them, be better than any of them? He didn’t have to be stronger, faster, have better endurance than others. He could use their abilities, make them an extension of what he was, simply by leading, guiding them in the direction he wanted them to go. And they would follow, when they learned it was a path to success. However, he did have to be careful not to alienate them with his superior abilities and he did have to learn how to be subtle.
Todd's isolation would have deepened as he grew older. Scholastically, he worked alone. He had to, because he had to shine. Few, if any, would have been able to keep up with him. Richard knew, from Todd’s scholastic record, he worked hard at learning more than was asked of him. Not just at the top of his class, he learned things that were beyond the best in two or three grades above him. He wouldn’t rub it in with his friends, but he was sure to let the teachers know about it. In junior high school, he was placed in specially designed courses. Surely he met other kids nearly as bright as he was and probably developed a healthy competitive attitude that not only drove him to stretch his intellect, it encouraged the others as well.
Richard wondered what it was like to go to a special school for the intellectually gifted. What would the kids talk about, instead of who would win the World Series, or the Super Bowl? Richard’s muse spoke.
“Hey, Carl, do you know what a cyclotron is?”
“Yeah, an atom smasher.”
“Do you think we could build one?”
There was a long pause. “I don’t think I know enough, but I bet we could find out in the library.”
“Just for fun, let’s go look it up and see if we can make one. We can at least design one.”
In high school, Todd continued to blossom academically, and Richard knew it was there Todd developed his curiosity about living systems. Richard also knew this was when Todd’s mother developed colon cancer and ultimately died. Todd must have researched all he could in a desperate attempt to control her fate. At that, he failed and must have been devastated that he lost his last opportunity to get close to his mother. But in the process of researching her condition, he would continue to set goals and meet them. He couldn’t cure cancer, and he wouldn’t be able to save his mother, but he could control his future and, through diligent use of his mental acuity, be in control of his life without having to rely on the vagaries of others. Surely, he saw where the future was leading him and how he could get there.
College must have been a treat. Richard wondered what it was like to have to decide where to go to school instead of worrying about where he would be accepted. And once Todd was in college, the opportunities to learn and show off his innate abilities would be limited only by the number of hours in a day. He would be in his element. As more and more accolades were accrued, he would feel his personal power grow. Many of the connections with people in power that he enjoyed today would be made then. A quick student, he would learn how to increase his influence over others by projecting self-assurance and an aura of success without seeming arrogant. That, tailored suits, an upscale condominium in Cambridge and a late model BMW M sports car might have been what attracted Patricia Morely. They were married just as he entered Harvard’s PhD program in virology.
Richard bet Todd was not surprised when Patricia left him after less than a year. Long, late hours in the lab, days spent poring over books and research articles, endless meetings with his professors and research mentors must have left her feeling awfully lonely and bored. Richard thought he could almost hear Todd’s thoughts when it happened. Oh well. Control the things you can, and accept those you can’t. I couldn’t save Mom from cancer and I can’t make Patricia more patient. I can understand viruses and gain notoriety in the process. I can build a career and be at the top of my field. I can control where my research takes me and build a meaningful, successful life based on that. Nice clothes, BMW’s, expensive houses are all well and good. But if the façade isn’t backed up with substance, it won’t go far. I’m just going to have to work harder and put all my energy into my career.
Richard knew much of what he’d been thinking wasn’t verifiable fact, but the details weren’t just wild guesses. He was pretty sure he was right on in its essence, even if wide of the mark in the particulars. He felt he understood the man a bit better. Richard had fleshed out his intuitive reaction to Todd and now saw him as a man that depended on intellectualism to answer the important questions in life.
. . .
Richard heard someone coming down the hall. “Don’t touch me, you dickless wonder! Leave me alone!” said a voice that sounded an awful lot like Emily.
Richard set down his cup and stuck his head out of the door to the cafeteria. Looking down the hall, he could see Alex, Doug and Emily coming out of the elevator. They were accompanied by a single man in a black suit and tie. It appeared Emily had just broken the man’s grip on her elbow and she was staring daggers at him.
“Emily?” said Richard as he stepped into the hall and walked toward them. He couldn’t help but take a quick glance at the spot where he left the vial under the carpet near the elevator. He hoped no one noticed and forced himself not to repeat that mistake.
Emily turned her head and saw him. “Richard!” Her escort apparently forgotten, she rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “Oh, thank God! You’re all right! We were so worried!” Looking down the hall, Richard saw a big grin on Alex as he approached. Doug was behind and seemed a little subdued. The guy in the black suit disappeared back into the elevator.
“Richard,” said Alex. “It’s good to see you in one piece.”
“What happened to you guys?” asked Richard. They looked tired and their clothes were covered in dust, their shoes caked in mud. “It looks like you’ve been crawling around in the dirt.”
“Pretty much,” said Alex. His face dropped a little. “How’s Oscar?”
Emily relaxed her hold and stepped back, looking at Richard with expectation. “Is he okay?”
“They tell me he is. I gave them the pen so they would take him to hospital.” Richard held his breath. He had to be careful not to say too much.
Alex looked down at his shoes. “So it’s true. I had hoped…”
Richard searched his mind, carefully probing for the right thing to say. “There’s always hope, Alex.” Ears were listening.
“I suppose.” Alex looked back up at Richard. “So, do you have any idea what happens next? Has Todd told you anything?”
“Only that he’s going to ‘explain all’. He said he wanted to wait until we’re all together. More than that, I don’t know.”
“Well,” said Doug. “I, for one, am hungry. There any food around here?”
“Yeah, right down here is a cafeteria. Follow me and catch me up on what’s been happening.” Richard led them back the way he came.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much to tell,” said Emily. “We tried to force Todd’s hand and got captured ourselves. Whatever’s going on seems to involve people in the highest places - the FBI, CIA, Office of the President. It’s international too. Russia, China, Germany, Great Britain, France. Sometimes, I wonder if we five are the only ones who don’t know what’s going on.”
Alex sighed heavily. “I guess none of it matters, now that they have the vial.”
“Let’s see what Todd has to tell us. Maybe things aren’t as bleak as they seem,” said Richard.
“I didn’t realize you were such a
n optimist,” said Emily.
Richard wanted so much to reassure his friends, but he had to be very careful. “Don’t give up yet,” was all he could come up with.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A day went by. A day filled with reconnections. They filled in the gaps created from separation and detailed what occurred in the others’ absence. This included what little Alex, Doug and Emily learned about Todd’s plans, and what little Richard knew about the place they were now in. Alex particularly enjoyed Richard’s description of their safe house attacking the invaders when he and Oscar were captured. In his turn, Richard seemed impressed with Alex’s ability to fly a jet. “Did he put you in a spin?” he asked Emily with a glint in his eye.
Alex did edit some of his story. He didn’t want to burden Richard with what happened with the pilots – something he’d as soon forget anyway.
Quarters were assigned. Alex, Richard and Doug shared a room; Emily had her own next door. Despite the size of the place, it wasn’t built as a hotel and that was what they were given. They were comfortable and well fed, but left alone. They neither saw nor heard anything of Todd or Martin. It was if, now that Todd had the pen, they were forgotten.
Late on their second day in the underground lab, the four of them were eating dinner in the cafeteria. Alex looked up at Richard. “Did you really have to give them the vial?” he asked. Emily gave him a questioning look.
“I was pretty sure Oscar was near death and if I didn’t take any action, he wouldn’t have much longer to live,” said Richard.
“Damn.” Alex took a deep breath. “I just wish there’d been another way.” Had all their efforts been for nothing?
Richard hung his head and looked at the floor. “There’s still hope. There’s always hope.” He raised his eyes and looked at Alex. “You never know what could happen. We just have to keep our eyes open, recognize an opportunity when it presents itself, and then take the appropriate action.”
“I don’t see a lot of options here,” said Emily. She sat slouched in a chair, playing idly with her silverware. Her plate of food remained half uneaten.
“There’s always hope,” Richard repeated.
After dinner, they sat together around the table, sipping tea and coffee. The door opened and Martin walked in. There was a cold half-smile on his face. “Follow me. Now,” he said. He held the door ajar.
“Why should we go anywhere with you?” asked Emily.
Martin opened the door a little more and three men dressed in black suits strode in like mastiffs circling for attack. The layers of clothing they wore did not hide their beefy physique. “Because they won’t let you stay,” said Martin, nodding toward the men.
The four of them looked at each other and, without saying a word, rose from their chairs. Alex shrugged and Emily let out a long sigh. “Where’re we going?” she asked the nearest black suit as she passed him for the door. She got no response other than a wave out the door.
They made for the elevator, Martin in the lead, the three mastiffs driving from behind. In the elevator, they descended to floor “C” some distance below. The doors opened onto a hallway. “Don’t push,” mumbled Emily as they were herded down the hall to a closed wooden door.
Martin knocked on the door. “Come in,” came a voice from within.
The door opened and Alex saw Todd sitting behind a large wooden desk. He was impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit and was once again immaculate – some change from the warehouse. The place looked like a library - books everywhere. A large flat screen monitor was on the wall opposite the desk between floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. There were four chairs, two placed on each side of the desk facing the monitor. “Please, sit down,” said Todd, waving in the direction of the chairs. Martin nodded to the mastiffs, moved over behind the desk just behind and to the right of Todd and stood with arms crossed. The mastiffs left the room.
Alex looked at the others, sighed and took a seat next to the desk. Emily sat next to him and Doug and Richard went to the other side of the desk. “What now?” asked Emily. Alex noticed her eyes were continually moving, as if she was trying to take it all in. Maybe she was looking for an “opportunity.” He hoped so. He couldn’t see any.
Todd stood and walked around the desk, facing them. He paused for a moment, as if considering his next step. “I am genuinely sorry,” he said, “that we got started off on the wrong foot. It’s entirely my fault and I apologize. I was a bit too eager and tried to move too quickly.” He paused again and paced back and forth, looking over their heads. “Srivastava panicked, passed the vial to Richard and all I could see was the loss of years of work and a delay we can’t afford. Again, I apologize.”
“Apology not accepted,” said Emily.
“Well, maybe you’ll feel differently after you hear what I have to tell you,” said Todd. He paused, paced a few more steps and looked up at Martin.
“Anytime, sir,” said Martin.
Todd stopped and leaned up against his desk. “We’re just waiting for one more person to show,” he said.
There was a knock at the door and it opened to reveal a man in a wheelchair being pushed by one of the mastiffs.
“Oscar!” said Emily as she sprang from her seat and dropped to her knees next to the wheelchair. She threw her arms around Oscar and hugged him as best as the wheelchair would allow.
“Hi, Emily, everybody,” said Oscar. He seemed a bit slow somehow.
“Are you okay?” asked Emily.
Richard, Alex and Doug also rose and approached Oscar. Richard stood next to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Damn good to see you in one piece,” he said.
“Well,” said Oscar, “I guess I’m not exactly in one piece. Just had surgery a couple days ago, you know. Lost some of my beloved parts.”
“Maybe so, but you’re breathing,” said Alex as he reached down and grabbed Oscar’s hand, giving it an eager shake. “We were really worried when we heard what happened.” He gave Oscar a clinical once-over as he spoke, felt his pulse and watched him breathe. He decided Oscar was doing okay, despite all he had been through.
Doug stood in front of the chair, smiling. “I was afraid we might’ve lost you.”
Oscar groaned and shifted in his chair.
“I’m sorry,” said Emily. “Did I hurt you?” She let go of her hug and stood up.
“No, I’m just not myself yet. They also have me hopped up on painkillers. Makes me a little off.” Oscar smiled up at them. “Sure is good to see you again.”
“Thank God, you’ve survived these people’s cordiality.” Emily turned her head and scowled at Martin. Martin smiled back.
Todd cleared his throat. “Sorry to break up your reunion, but we have some business to take care of.” He nodded at Oscar. “Welcome, Oscar. It is good to hear you’re recovering well.” Todd looked at the others and waved toward the chairs. “Please sit,” he said. They returned to their seats and the mastiff wheeled Oscar over next to Emily. He then nodded at Martin and left.
Todd began pacing again. “We have a problem here.” He stopped and looked at each of them. “Due to my fumbling, we now find ourselves in violent opposition to one another. I want to change that.”
“Good luck with that,” muttered Emily.
“Who is this guy?” asked Oscar.
“He’s Dr. Griffin Todd,” said Alex. “He’s the one we’ve been trying to stop.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Oscar, raising his eyebrows. “I thought he looked familiar. So what’s this all about?”
“I’ll get to that,” said Todd. “But first, let me say that each of you have earned my respect. Richard, the fact that you were able to avoid capture for as long as you did is simply remarkable. True, you had help from the others, but even so, I‘m impressed. I’ve looked into your scholastic and professional record and I know that you are an excellent physician.”
“I’ve done some research into your record too,” said Richard.
Todd paused, as if not quite sure h
ow to take that, then continued. “Alex, you are not only a brilliant doctor, you’re a very competent pilot and obviously quick-witted enough to deal with unusual circumstances on the fly.” Todd looked at Alex. “But, I guess one shouldn’t be surprised, given the fact that you work in an emergency room and never know what’s going to come in the door next.”
“Apparently, I make a damn good target, too, given the fact your guys have been shooting at me as much as they have,” said Alex.
“Yes, well,” said Todd, “like I said, that is most unfortunate. Forgive us, please.”
He turned to Doug. “Doug, not only from personal observation, but also from the highest authority at the FBI, I know that you are one of the best agents they’ve had. I don’t know how you got into this, but I am most impressed at what you’ve been able to figure out. I know how well we’ve buried it from prying eyes. Quite amazing.”
Doug frowned, but said nothing.
“Oscar, pure genius. Your technological capabilities are unsurpassed anywhere. I’m guessing that if you hadn’t been pulled out of the chase, we would still be looking for you all.”
Oscar seemed to be snoozing in his chair.
Todd stopped and looked at Emily. “Emily, you are one extraordinary woman. And police officer. I don’t know of anyone else that could keep Martin dancing in the dark so long.”
Martin grunted.
“I am so pleased to have you on my list of admirers,” said Emily. “Now get on with it. Just what is this all about?”
“I’m getting to that. I just want you to know that I think you five have outstanding abilities that we can use. We would like you all to join us.”
“You’ve said that before,” said Doug. “Just why should we want to participate in a genocide to kill off more than ninety percent of the world’s population with a deadly virus?”
The Devil's Vial Page 29