by M. V. Kallai
Ganesh slumped down in his chair behind his desk. The phone rang.
“Colonel Ganesh speaking…oh, good afternoon, General Pike…3:30…yes, sir…I will see you then.”
Click.
Ganesh stood and walked to his office door. He looked out to see Bearden walking down the corridor. He had essentially just forced him to work as a liaison for Camden and Lee in the effort to counter what the government was creating. Ganesh had decided for certain earlier this afternoon, when he was briefly able to speak with Camden, where to place his own loyalties and now considered himself a rogue protector of humanity. He knew it was a rash decision to trust this kid and was counting on the temptation of Lee’s laboratory to further sway the impressionable Leitner. Ganesh felt even more guilt as he watched Sergeant Leitner step into the elevator with an enthusiastic spring in his step. He had not intended to turn this upstanding soldier and respected young scientist into a government traitor within hours of meeting him...it just...happened.
Chapter Fourteen
The Interviews
Part II
When Sergeant Bearden Leitner walked in to the waiting area of Tripple Laboratories at 1531 Damiera Place, over an hour late, he immediately scanned the room trying to size up the competition. He saw there were only five other candidates in the lobby and wondered how many had already been interviewed. Bearden walked over to the lady at the desk to sign in.
“You’re very late, Sergeant Leitner,” she said to him, while looking for his name on her clipboard. She sighed, looked at the clock and noted the time next to his name, which he could see had been crossed off. Bearden smiled a pleading smile at her and could tell it made her blush.
“Take a seat, please. I will call the medical examiners and let them know they have one more candidate.”
“Medical examiner?” Bearden asked.
“Yes, yes. Dr. Tripple has issued a pre-screening for all candidates before he starts his interviews.”
Bearden tried not to show the slight panic he felt on his face. He had not counted on this. With his instructions from Ganesh, it was imperative that he spoke face to face with Dr. Tripple. That letter was the key to his success, not a medical exam.
“It will probably be exactly like the government physical, which I passed with flying colors,” he assured himself and the lady at the desk. She smiled at him, trying to look unimpressed and nodded him toward the lobby chairs.
He turned to face the lobby again and took a seat next to a studious looking, slightly unkempt blond girl. A couple of people were tapping their feet on the floor while others were thumbing through their portfolios. It gave Bearden more confidence to see that the others were nervous too, not that he had any reason for nerves with the letter from Colonel Ganesh safely tucked in his jacket pocket…assuming that he actually would be interviewed. The chance to work alongside Lee Tripple was a once in a lifetime opportunity and Colonel Ganesh had handed him that chance.
Chapter Fifteen
The Interviews
Part III
Dana Hanks stared hopefully across the long table at Dr. Tripple. Of the six candidates who passed the physical, she was the fifth to be seen. A good sign, she thought, as she doubted Dr. Lee Tripple would waste his valuable time interviewing anyone just as a formality. As it was, he cut his candidates by more that half before he had even begun his meetings. The four people who had gone before her had been in and out in under fifteen minutes. As they had returned to their seats in the lobby, they were all wearing the same expression on their faces; slightly awe stricken and just a little baffled. No one had come out of the conference room with an, ‘I just nailed that interview!’ kind of look.
Although Dana also felt awe being this close to Dr. Tripple, she was comfortable being in the presence of greatness. Her mother was a well-known author for a popular scientific publication and her father was a well-respected scientist himself, specializing in chemistry in pharmaceuticals. This was not even the first time she had been in the same room with Lee. She frequently attended lectures with her mother that Lee also attended, and had just watched her father accept an award at the annual GSS ceremony. She’d noticed Dr. Tripple that night, standing in the back of the auditorium and looking uncomfortable. He hadn’t stayed long.
Dana had been sitting there for a good two minutes watching Lee Tripple, four seats away, shuffling paper and muttering to himself under his breath. He had not yet looked up at her. Where the other applicants had most likely sat in intimidation at his bizarre behavior, Dana sighed and stood up thinking; this poor man, he has no social talent whatsoever. He does need an assistant. She moved to Lee’s end of the large conference room table. He barely glanced up at her and pretended to be more interested in his pile of notes. How he hated being rushed. Dana now assumed that this interview process had put a great deal of stress on him. She understood the social awkwardness that sometimes came with being a scientist who worked non-stop. Dana sometimes felt she was well on her way to the same fate. She already had few friends and no boyfriends to speak of, not because she couldn’t, but because she chose to spend the majority of her time tucked away in a lab. It left very little time for a social life. She learned this from her father whose work had almost broken up their home when Dana was a child. Fortunately, her father learned over time to balance his work with his family. Dr. Tripple was a single man though, and had no one to keep him in check.
Dana sat down next to Lee and put her hand on top of his.
“Is there a particular paper I can help you find in this pile, Dr. Tripple?”
Taking Lee by surprise, her voice was soothing and her touch was kind. She reminded him of someone…from long ago…perhaps when he was a child. Childhood memories were just flashes for Lee and he quickly moved his mind away from that thought.
“Maybe a dream,” he accidentally mumbled out loud.
This statement confused Dana, but she didn’t show it.
“My name is Dana, Dr. Tripple…Dana Hanks.”
That name rang a bell for Lee and he shifted his focus to the interview now.
“Hanks, you say?”
“Yes, sir. My father is Garrett Hanks, the chemist.” Dana wondered if Dr. Tripple knew who her father was. Surely he had heard of him.
“Yes, yes, Garrett Hanks. Fine Scientist!” he stated as he looked at Dana, “and a good man, of course.” As if being a good man was not nearly as impressive as his scientific contributions.
Dana smiled at him and Lee continued.
“I assume you meet my required qualifications for the assistantship.”
“Of course, and I am eager to get to work as soon as you are ready.”
“I don’t sleep much.”
“I can keep up.”
“Will you travel if necessary?”
“Certainly, wherever you need me to go.”
“Will you donate your own cells to my current project on a regular basis?” Lee’s head dropped a little in embarrassment as this fell out of his mouth. This was the first interview he had asked this question and it surprised him when it rolled off his tongue. More unexpected was Dana’s response.
“I will put the projects in your lab first in my life’s priorities and do whatever I am mentally and physically capable of doing to make your work a success.”
Lee raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat, becoming even more embarrassed by this entire exchange, especially since she still had her hand on his. Lee suddenly stood up.
“You can start tonight. 8:00 sharp! The lady at the desk can take you where you need to go for your lab clearance…security first, of course.” He wrote on a small piece of paper and handed it to her. It read:
Dana Hanks
Level 2 Clearance Effective Immediately
Dr. Tripple
“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Tripple.” She stood up to leave the conference room thrilled that she was Dr. Lee Tripple’s assistant, but she couldn’t help feeling that she had just vowed to something more than she
realized; giving up her soul perhaps? As she left the room she gave a small sigh and turned to Lee. “I won’t let you down.”
“Oh… yes, then… right,” Lee mumbled after her and dropped his eyes back to his papers.
Lee picked up the phone in the conference room and called the lady at the front desk.
“Hello, Dr. Tripple,” she answered.
“The interviews are complete. Anyone else waiting is excused,” he replied.
“Okay.”
“Dana needs security clearance, level two. She is on her way to you now. See that she is attended to.”
Wow, level two. The lady thought, this girl must have impressed.
Lee hung up and smiled to himself, filled with relief from not having to continue these dreadful interviews, and happy with his choice in Dana. Again, for a brief moment, a memory from his childhood flashed in his mind as he thought of her and again; he ignored it.
Dana walked over to the lady at the desk with the paper Lee gave her. A gloating smile inevitably spread across her face as she glanced at the remaining candidates in the lobby. Another one, she thought, taking notice of the latest arrival, Bearden Leitner. Cute too. Too bad he's going right back home.
“Miss Dana Hanks?” The lady at the desk extended her hand and Dana handed her the paper with her clearance instructions on it. In return she was handed a small computerized key. Dana raised her eyebrows and stared at the device.
“Place your left thumb and forefinger on either side and press. It will record your prints and be your access key to the Tripple Laboratories elevator that will take you down to the security chamber.” She nodded slightly to a small alcove behind a half wall. Dana looked over at the brown paneled wall and looked back at the lady.
“It's there,” she smiled. “Just wait until the other candidates leave before you use it.”
“Whom should I speak to when I get to the security chamber?”
“I don't know dear, I've never been down there.”
Dana gave her a weak smile and walked to the chair furthest from the remaining candidates and sat down to wait for their exit. They all glared at her, but none as much as the new guy.
When the lady at the desk made the announcement that the interviews were over, panic fell on Bearden's face. He stood up and instinctively marched over to the desk, insisting on speaking with Dr. Tripple. It was no use though; the lady at the desk was powerless, even if she was kind enough to help. Bearden sighed, defeated, and looked around the lobby. Everyone had left except for the girl Dr. Tripple had obviously chosen to work with. He threw her a nasty look and stomped out of the building. Once outside, he regretted his temper, realizing she was probably the best way to get Colonel Ganesh's letter to Dr. Tripple, aside from stalking the guy. He paced up and down the walk for a few minutes and decided to go back in and try to talk with the newly appointed assistant. But when he walked back inside, she was gone. He looked at the lady at the desk who was looking at him with concern and caution. She had a phone to her ear and Bearden got the feeling she was speaking with security. He dropped his head slightly, smiled at her, and walked out again. He did not return to the military lab. Instead, he walked across the street and sat on the stoop of a neighboring building to think.
Chapter Sixteen
Ari's Plight
Major Mace Magner paced back and forth in the sterile room trying to intimidate Professor Camden Riles with his glare. It was working. Camden began to wonder if he would get out of this unscathed...or at all. He held his posture erect and did not speak. The major slammed his fists on the table suddenly and got in Camden's face.
“Tell me where the biomer is!” he yelled, spit flying from his lips and landing on various points of Camden's face.
Camden took a long breath and closed his eyes to control his temper. Then, keeping his eyes closed he answered through gritted teeth.
“I don't know what you are talking about.”
Mace motioned to Aldretti who was enjoying this exchange. He practically ran over to the table and secured Camden's wrists around the back of the chair he was sitting in. Just as he got up to go back to his post by the door, Mace hit Camden square in the jaw. Aldretti smiled. Camden's head flopped to the side like a puppet. The impact was unexpected. A drop of blood rolled out of the corner of his mouth. Mace grabbed a handful of his hair and picked his head back up.
“Maybe knocking some sense into your famous brain will help you remember, you arrogant son of a bitch. You have one hour.”
Mace left the room again and Camden let his head flop down on the edge of the table and spit a mouthful of blood on the floor by his feet.
Mace walked into his office, closed the blinds and situated himself behind his desk. Adrenaline rushing through his body, he tapped his feet on the floor as he picked up his phone and dialed the head of the surveillance team, charged with finding more about Ari, Detective Jodis Arman. He answered on the first ring.
“Mace.”
“Jodis.”
“Haven't got any major news for you yet on this Ari guy. He parked the transport in a private hanger on top of the professor's building, opposite the penthouse, and then took an elevator ten floors down. He's been inside an apartment since then. I think he lives here too.”
“He must be more than a driver.”
“That's my gut feeling. Do you want me to pick him up and bring him in?”
“No. Not yet, let's keep watching him. He may be more useful to me out of custody. Let me know if he does anything, and I mean anything. No matter how insignificant it seems to you and your team.”
“Will do boss. This guy won't take a shit without you knowing about it.”
“Good man,” Mace said and hung up the phone.
Mace headed back down to the atrium lab to take another inventory of the biomer. This was his second time today and though it was probably not the best use of his time, he no longer trusted anyone else with access to the product.
Ari sat in his empty apartment and pretended to read. His forehead had produced a steady stream of sweat since Camden had been taken into custody. His phone sat beside him and he kept willing it to ring. He knew he was being watched, but knew nothing else. Calling Lee might make him feel better but he didn't dare. Any move he made could make Camden's situation worse.
Ari looked down at his phone and wiped his sweat. His wife and kids would be home in a few hours and he had no plan yet to keep them out of danger. It wouldn't take his wife more than a day or two to notice Camden's absence. If she said the wrong thing...he couldn't think about that now. Planning a last minute vacation would be too obvious, but maybe not for Camden. He has a niece that lives in the north, it wouldn't seem far-fetched for him to go and visit. Yes...that’s it. It was a plausible story to tell his wife. He needed to stay close by anyway because he had a feeling that he still had a part to play in getting whatever was hidden in that transport to Lee Tripple. He wiped his forehead again, gave his phone another aggravated look, and went back to his book.
Chapter Seventeen
Pike's Plan
At 3:15, Colonel Ganesh straightened his uniform as he walked toward General Pike's office door. His expectations for the outcome of this meeting were grim. Mace Magner was a rising star in the general's view and Ganesh knew that he supported Mace's investigation strategies on the missing biomer. He was a war hungry man and everyone knew it. The entire weaponry unit was employed because of him. Pike was a perfect role model for Major Magner, hard to the core and brutally efficient.
Ganesh was ready to say anything to the general that would get him off the suspect list. He was an honest man by nature and didn't take pride in being a good liar... but he was.
“Come in, Colonel,” the general's voice boomed after Ganesh rapped on his office door.
He walked in and sat down across from General Pike after the two men gave their customary salute. Pike spoke first.
“I've been thinking hard on what to do about our Professor Riles situation.
Obviously the disappearance of such a high profile citizen will raise more than a few eyebrows. The media will go crazy with it.” Ganesh listened intently to General Pike and nodded, more than a little intrigued, as this was completely unexpected. “I know that you are aware he was brought in because you paid him a visit earlier.”
Ganesh shifted in his chair and the general continued,
“It seems that the two of you didn't exchange many words so one can only assume that you know why he was brought in. Now, I know in my gut that you and Riles are responsible for the theft of the material down in the labs. And while I can't prove it yet, I can't in good conscience let him just walk out of here either. Especially after being interrogated by Mace. It could look bad for our division if he talked about it.”
“What will you do then, sir?” Ganesh remained calm as he spoke, not allowing the General's words to get a rise out of him.
“Well,” General Pike folded his hands and answered, “I am not going to harp on that subject, but I am going to use you.”
“Use me how?” Ganesh asked.
“Since his arrival at our facility is an extremely sensitive matter and the two of you are such obvious friends, I am going to count on you to make the next several months go smoothly. For the division and the press.”
“Months? What is your plan, sir?” Ganesh asked.