Trispero

by Sean Adelman

  “Are you okay? We have a counselor coming to speak with you.”

  Debbie looked down at what was left of her husband and said a silent prayer. She hoped that all the stories her grandmother had told her about seeing Papa in her dreams after he passed were true. There was sadness in her heart, but overpowering the sadness was an anger that was enveloping her entire being, enveloping her in a protective layer like armor that would allow her to go to battle. She felt the anger and sorrow mix inside her not knowing what emotions to show. Officer Macey took her arm and led her back to the waiting room. Debbie allowed herself to be led like a puppet while her mind struggled to bring things into focus. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she clenched her fists.

  Debbie woke up to a sunlight-filled room. What a terrible dream. She sat up in bed, stretched, and gazed out of the window that was partially open. She laid her arms back on the bed for balance and found an empty place beside her. She looked down at the empty pillow and realized that last night really did happen, and that her nightmare was just beginning. The anger she’d felt last night was now replaced with an emptiness that kept her in bed, thinking, planning. She got her phone out, knowing that she should have called last night.

  “Jason, is that you?” she managed to get out.

  “Debbie, are you all right?”

  “No, nothing is.” Debbie paused, and struggled to get the words out. “They killed him.”

  “Who, Debbie? Who is dead?”

  “Nate. He’s gone.”

  19

  BELLINGHAM—2014

  “What do you mean Nate’s dead? Debbie, what happened?”

  “He was hit by a loading truck downtown. I’m pretty sure Gibson Labs is involved.”

  “Stay put. Lily and I will be there as soon as we can.”

  “No, Jason. It’s too dangerous, especially after what you told me. I want you to lay low. I have some things to figure out. I’ll call you next week.”

  “Debbie, Debbie!” The phone went dead. He handed Judy the phone back and told her, “I think it’s time we go find that friend of yours in Denver.”

  “What was that all about?”

  “Debbie’s husband, Nate, was killed. I know it’s been a while. He and I were friends and students together. I introduced him to Debbie for God’s sake.”

  “How could it be connected with you?”

  “Nate was—I can’t believe I’m saying was already—a virologist for Gibson Labs and worked on viral vectors for gene therapy. I guess he had a run-in with some of the senior staff over a project. Gibson Labs has been one of the more outspoken opponents to some of the things I’ve been talking about. It’s strange, Judy, Rachel’s mom had a friend at Gibson Labs. His name was Randal. Do you remember him? He is actually how Nate got a job there.”

  “Well, it is still really early. Lily isn’t even awake yet. Let me make some phone calls, then we can get some breakfast and make a plan.”

  “I introduced Debbie and Nate. Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s gone.”

  Judy stepped away from Jason to make some phone calls while he went in to wake up Lily. She was already stirring when he came into her room.

  Jason turned to the front window and pulled back the shades just enough to look outside. I hope taking out the cash from the ATM wasn’t a mistake. Jason surveyed the street in front of Judy’s house. There was no evidence of the sedan that had followed them on Orcas but there were a few parked cars and enough trees that he really couldn’t see very far. Nate was gone and he was being followed Every shadow was becoming a threat. The line between paranoia and precaution was becoming very blurred for Jason. Before he could stray too far from the present, Lily brought him back.

  “Daddy, was that Aunt Debbie on the phone?”

  “How could you possibly know that? Do you have super hearing? Pull back your hair; let me see those ears.”

  “Stop it, Dad. I’m serious.”

  “I know, sweetie, it’s just that something bad has happened and Dad isn’t ready to talk about it yet.”

  “Okay. When are we going to get Eleanor back?”

  “Man, you aren’t going to let me off of the hook are you? I honestly don’t know. We may have to do some traveling so we can talk about it after breakfast.”

  Jason picked up a copy of the Berenstain Bears that Lily had in her backpack and sat on the bed next to her. Lily had fallen asleep before Jason had a chance to read to her the last few nights. Otherwise, almost every other night he would read to her at least a chapter. They had started reading earlier chapter books where she would read a page or sometimes a chapter and he would read a page or two. She loved the books and this helped her practice her reading. She had several of them in her bag. The one Jason had grabbed was The Bears’ Vacation that seemed strangely appropriate given their imminent road trip.

  After reading to Lily for a few chapters, Jason found that Judy was off the phone and ready to get some breakfast and talk about their plans. Much to Lily’s delight, Judy’s kitchen was stocked with cereal and plenty of fruit. Lily took great pride in being able to get her own breakfast. Judy and Jason poured some coffee and sat down in the kitchen while Lily ate her cereal while watching cartoons in the living room.

  “I spoke with my friend in Denver and she’s very excited to meet you. I told her and her father about the trouble you’re having. They have the resources to provide you a place to stay and funding. She knows me and has done her research, so they’re very excited that you will be willing to try and help them.”

  “It honestly sounds a little too good to be true. Are they really going to do this? Are they truly capable of getting me access to a lab and funding?”

  “As I told you, her father has connections with the University of Colorado so he has access to a lab that will allow you to complete your project. Before any of this can happen, we need you to meet them. They trust me but won’t commit until then.”

  “That sounds reasonable. It’s just hard to imagine someone doing this.”

  “Jason, ask yourself what you have done for the last ten years. What would you do if Lily developed a terminal disease with no cure and there was someone working on an answer? I don’t know what I would do, or if they can actually do what they say, but I think that they can. What I do know is that they would move heaven and earth to help my friend’s little boy. Paying you and giving you a place to stay, to them, is like tipping the barista at the coffee shop. You, my friend, are a world class bargain if it means helping her son.”

  “I guess, when you put it that way, when do I start?”

  “You mean, when do we start? I’m not letting you get away that easily.”

  “Judy, you have a job and a life here. What are you talking about?”

  “You can’t be that stupid, Jason,” she said, with a smirk. I’ve just been taking up space since Asher left me. After Rachel died, I lost both of you, my best friends. I can get a job as veterinarian pretty much anywhere. Frankly I need some change.”

  Jason looked at Judy and realized it was Lily that had kept him going; without Lily he would be in the exact same place Judy was. Although he had to admit this was a little too much excitement for him. He also realized that Nate was gone and that this was not a holiday. Over the remains of breakfast, which included a day-old bagel, a Pop Tart, and a banana, they came up with a plan for getting to Denver.

  As they finalized their thoughts, Jason had a question. “What about your house?”

  “I can cover my mortgage for a few months with no problem. My friend has a real-estate connection. I’m just going to pack up what we need for the trip and fly back next month to get everything else in storage. If we are okay by then, I will rent it. If not, I can just come back.”

  “What about work?”

  “The veterinary office I work at is really an animal urgent care center where most of what we do is work shifts. I know you are trying to look out for me Jason, but honestly I have been thinking about what I really want to do for a
while now.”

  As Judy laid things out for Jason, he could really see how lonely she’d been. He’d been so caught in his own life he had forgotten her. Unfortunately, there was no safe way to get Eleanor back, at least not easily, so they would take her car, an old Subaru. They would be much harder to track that way as well. Jason and Lily were already packed and Judy knew she would be coming back to put things in storage. In a few hours, Judy had clothes and enough to get her through the trip.

  By lunchtime, Judy’s old Subaru station wagon was full and enough phone calls had been made so that everyone who needed to know Judy was going away had been informed. As they were loading into the car, Lily made it clear that they had to stop at the bakery before they left because she was hungry and wanted one of their cookies.

  There was no arguing with a hungry ten year old before a road trip. Especially when she was wearing a blue shirt with a sparkly heart on the front of it.

  With full bellies and a fresh tank of gas, they were on their way. The Northwest rain caught up with them, and despite the fact that it seemed to rain constantly, people never seemed to learn to drive in it. As they merged on to Interstate 5 toward Seattle, traffic was at a crawl. Everyone in the Northwest loved the occasional sunny day, but the rain in the trees held its own beauty. Lily was happy in the backseat, and once they hit Everett, the running was smooth. After a brief pit stop in Bellevue, they headed up the pass through the Cascades and headed toward Boise, Idaho. It was an ambitious first day, but they wanted to put some distance between them and Washington. The clouds over the mountains made it seem like they were floating, making the road trip seem like an adventure.

  “You were correct, sir, he did come to Bellingham to meet with her.”

  The voice on the other end of the phone responded, “I don’t know what he’s up to yet. Bringing the vet into the game may change things. She’s been involved in their research before so I want you to follow them closely. Don’t get caught this time, am I clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The man turned to his partner. “He just wants us to follow them. He’s still pissed. I don’t think we’re going to get another chance if we screw this up. Make sure you stay back enough so that they don’t spot us.”

  “This isn’t my first rodeo. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Didn’t we have this discussion before?”

  “Don’t rub it in, asshole. We aren’t going to screw this up.”

  The blue sedan fell behind a small container truck a good ten car lengths behind the Subaru.

  The Subaru dutifully made it over Snoqualmie Pass on their way to Pendleton, Oregon. Judy told Jason she was getting tired but refused to let him drive. She explained to him that it wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, she just knew that he was shaken and tired and wanted to give him a break. With only one stop in Ellensburg for a bathroom break and snacks, everyone was done for the day by the time they got to Pendleton.

  Fortunately, the first hotel they found had rooms available. It was a small hotel room with a double bed and a couch. Judy got the bed, Jason got the couch, and Lily got a corner of the room with pillows and a blanket on the floor. Jason finished in the bathroom last, and when he came out, Judy and Lily were already asleep. Lily had never had a consistent female figure in her life. Jason had really not even dated, so it had always been just the two of them. He’d never asked for help, but it was nice now that it had happened. Jason was thankful Lily seemed to be taking to Judy. They had discussed hitting the road early the next morning so Jason set his alarm and hoped sleep would find him quickly.

  The pillow was still warm against his cheek as he slowly began to regain consciousness. Jason glanced around the room. Judy was still asleep on the bed so he rolled over on the couch to look at Lily. The pillows were in the corner, but Lily wasn’t there. Jason got up to see if she was in the bathroom. The light was out, but he knocked anyway.

  “Lily, sweetheart, Daddy needs to use the bathroom. Lily?”

  Jason opened the door to find the bathroom empty. First confusion, then paranoia. He surveyed the room then woke up Judy.

  “Have you seen Lily?”

  “No, Jason, I’ve been asleep. Why?”

  “She’s not here, Judy!”

  Jason frantically went to the front door but before he could turn the knob...

  “Daddy, Daddy!”

  Jason burst out of the hotel room, only to see two men carrying Lily kicking and screaming into a blue sedan.

  “Lily, Lily!” Jason began screaming as he ran toward them.

  “Jason, what’s wrong?”

  Jason could feel his whole body shudder. Cold sweat drenched his body causing him to shiver.

  “Jason!”

  He once again felt his body shudder as he found himself looking into Judy’s eyes.

  “Jason, wake up. You’re scaring Lily.”

  Jason sat up realizing he was still on the couch. “Oh my God, Judy, I dreamt they were kidnapping Lily.”

  “I’m sorry, Jason, but Lily ran into the bathroom after you yelled. She’s fine. I calmed her down and she fell back to sleep right away. See?” Judy pointed to the lump of blankets in the corner. “Why don’t you get up when you’re ready and we can get some coffee.”

  Jason could still feel the cold sweat on his neck and didn’t trust himself to stand yet. “It felt so real Judy. I could see them taking Lily into their car just before you woke me.”

  Judy took Jason’s hand while he shivered for a few more moments. “I can’t even imagine. Are you okay?”

  Jason was now fully awake. “I’m fine now. Sorry if I scared you. Coffee does sound good now that I’ve stopped shaking. I saw a coffee shop across the street when we came in last night. I can go get us some stuff before we head out. I still have a little cash left.”

  “Sounds good to me. I actually slept pretty well last night. I’m so sorry you had such a rough time waking up.”

  Jason walked across the street while Judy cleaned up. The coffee shop was a little local café with fresh pastries and remarkably good coffee. Jason smiled at his good fortune, and took this as a good sign for the beginning of today’s journey. With his arms full of goodies, Jason returned to help get the car loaded up. Lily was still sound asleep, so Jason carried her to the car while Judy got back behind the wheel of the Subaru. Judy was wearing a clean shirt and had brushed her hair, but still had shadows forming under her eyes.

  “Are you okay? Do you want me to drive today?” Jason asked.

  “I am actually fine. Why don’t we see if we can make it to Boise, then see how I’m doing.”

  The trip to Boise went quickly. Lily woke up about halfway and preoccupied herself with drawing and writing notes in her journal. Jason didn’t have any real duties as navigator since it was just a straight shot to Boise where they would make a pit stop before arriving in Salt Lake City. He took this opportunity to go through some of his data while everybody else was occupied. Jason thought he would find something, he just didn’t know what he would be able to do with it until he got into a lab.

  Jason could tell the day’s events and travel were starting to wear on Judy. She smiled weakly every time Jason looked over to check on her, and was barely making idle conversation when he attempted to draw her in. She was definitely in need of a break. They weren’t planning on doing much in Boise except taking a break. They chose the downtown exit so they could walk around a little bit and get some food before getting back in the car.

  Boise was bigger than they realized, so they were thankful to find parking close to the convention center. Judy took Lily to play in the fountains just outside the convention center while Jason grabbed food from a small deli across the street. Jason smiled as he crossed the street with the bags in his hand; apparently Lily had discovered that the fountains spontaneously popped out of the ground. She had a grand time running around trying to avoid getting wet. When she finally got tired, Lily came to sit next to Judy. Lily looked a little wet so Jason
tried to remember where they’d put her bag in case she needed to change. He didn’t want to spend too much time walking around waiting for her to dry.

  “All right guys, let’s get back in the car. We can get gas on the way out of town. Judy, why don’t you let me get behind the wheel for a while?”

  “Fine with me; I could use a nap honestly.”

  Jason was relieved that he could help with the driving. “It’s a deal.”

  With that, everyone piled back in the car with Jason behind the wheel. Lily wasn’t as wet as he thought so Jason just let her get back in the car. They stopped at a gas station right before they reentered the freeway. As he filled up the car, Jason noticed another car pull in behind him. He thought he recognized it from downtown, but as he finished up with the gas, it hit him with a start. It wasn’t downtown where he’d see it. He remembered seeing the car on Orcas Island. What the heck? How did they find us out here? He looked back again. It was light blue, but since he’d never gotten a good look at the car, he couldn’t be sure. What am I doing? There is no way that could be them. I just need to get back on the road. After realizing he needed to calm down, he finished filling up the car and headed back to the freeway.

  “All right guys, next stop Salt Lake City.”

  Shortly after hitting the freeway, Judy was asleep in the passenger seat and Lily let it be known how bored she was. Lily loved word games, so for the next few hours they played twenty questions, I spy,, the alphabet game, and the license plate game. Right about the time Jason was going to ask Lily for a break, Judy woke up to help with lunch. Judy got the bags of food from the deli out of the backseat, and as Jason looked in the rear view mirror to check on them, he spotted a blue sedan. Jason took a mental note and turned his attention back to lunch.