“Morning.” Greg Haynes walked in. He clutched a stack of folders in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other.
“Morning, Greg. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Greg pulled a chair up.
“I was reviewing your preliminary plans and notes for the next experiment.”
“And?”
With a slightly tilted head and a closed mouth look, Dr. Jefferson nodded. “Ground work looks good. But you do realize that these experiments are treated like a Fourth of July fireworks demonstration.”
“Excuse me?”
“Each event must out do the other.”
The corner of Greg’s mouth raised. “And you aren’t convinced that my idea for the next experiment will meet those expectations?”
“Let’s just say some of your new ideas are a bit different.”
“I’m confident.” Greg proceeded to lay his folders on his lap and opened them.
“They’re coming across conservative.”
“At first.” Greg’s mind was evidently elsewhere while rummaging through the folder. “When you see how deep they go, you’ll understand. It’s a new approach. I’m striving for ninety percent of the experiment to stray from the established format. It’ll add a new dimension.”
“Well, it’s your baby. You’re the new director soon.” Dr. Jefferson gathered up his notes. “I’m only going to be here for advice. Just remember, we want the investors back.”
“They’ll come back.”
“But here’s some advice.”
Greg smiled and gave Dr. Jefferson his attention. “What is that?”
“You may come off as, how can I put it? A softy?”
Greg slightly shook his head “Never. On the surface, yes. But I assure you, I’m not. Let’s just say if I watch a movie about an asteroid heading to destroy earth, I may not look it, but trust me, I’m rooting for the asteroid.”
With a chuckle, Dr. Jefferson held up his index finger. “Very good analogy. But somehow I get the feeling I-S.E. thirteen is not the reason you’re here.”
“No.” Greg laid a folder on the desk. “I’m here because of our enigma in lab seventeen.”
“I take it you have word?”
“Just spoke to the lab. Finally there is movement.” Greg spoke with relief. “I know you have a busy day and you were planning to leave early, but you may want to be reachable.”
“That close?” Dr. Jefferson asked.
“That close. All the signs are there. I have a team on standby to handle the situation just in case. Even though all testing shows normal structuring and nothing consistent to the other metamorphisms, we should still take no chances.”
“Conservative?”
Greg partially smiled. “Perhaps. Better safe than sorry.”
“All right. I’ll stay close tonight.”
“Great.” Greg closed the folder. “Hopefully, within the next twelve hours we will finally get some answers to these questions. I mean, this is the first thing thrown at me. I knew nothing about it at first. Now I’m intrigued.” Greg gathered his things and stood up.
“And probably glad to see it come to an end.”
Greg raised his eyebrow with a smile. “Yes, but . . . who says it’s going to end?”
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
March 7th - 8:45 a.m.
In an unusual fashion occurrence for Cal, she wore a little black skirt suit and high heels as she walked down the corridor of base headquarters in the direction she was pointed. Her purse, small, was tucked under her arm as she counted doors. At the end of the hall, she saw the large wooden door, partly open, with a maintenance man standing before it. Cal watched him as he was removing the name plate that read, ‘Major Jacob Graison’.
“Changing it?” Cal asked, even though she knew it was a stupid question.
“Yes, Ma’am,” the older worker stated. “New one will be ready shortly.” He undid the final screw and took it from the door.
“What, if I may ask, are you going to do with the plate?”
“Ask the major if he wants it. And knowing the major, he won’t, and I’ll toss it.”
“Could I have it?” Cal asked sweetly. “I’m the Major’s fiancé, and unlike him, I’m sentimental. Can I?”
“So you’re the one that the talk has buzzed about?” The worker smiled. “Sure. Here.” He handed her the name plate.
Cal looked down at it as it rested in both of her hands, proudly smiling as she ran her finger over the etching of his name. “Thank you so much.” Clutching it, she reached for the door, paused, placed the plate in her purse, and then walked in.
Jake was standing behind a corporal, looking over his shoulder at a computer screen when Cal walked in. Only for a second did Jake look shocked to see her, then he flashed a huge smile. “Cal.” He laid his hand on the corporal’s back. “Print that up. Thanks.” He walked around the desk. “You’re early.”
“I know. I couldn’t wait. Boy, my stomach.” Cal ran her hand over her abdomen. “It’s got the flutters for you.”
“Mine too.”
“Really?”
“No.” Jake kissed her. “I’m glad you’re early. I have some things to talk about with you.” He took Cal’s arm and moved her closer to the desk. “Want you to meet my secretary. Corporal Lancing, this is my wife to be, Cal.”
Corporal Lancing turned from the printer. He set down the papers and extended his hand to Cal. “Very pleased to meet you Ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
“Is that them?” Jake asked, and the corporal handed him the papers. “Cal, remember last night when I was talking about being spontaneous?”
“Uh-oh,” Cal stated.
“Now, I’m in an excited mood here. Do you have to do that sarcasm?”
“Sorry.”
“Not a problem. Anyhow, my mind was racing with spontaneous thoughts this morning.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Impressed?”
“Very much so.”
“Good.” Jake handed Cal the papers. “And I thought I would just start things moving. Spontaneous?”
“It depends.” Cal shifted through the papers.
“I’ve been busy since I saw you last. And for information sake, the phone should be on by noon. Which reminds me.” He faced the corporal. “Lancing, did you fax that letter of apology to the phone company for me?”
“First thing after you phoned them,” the corporal answered.
“Thank you.” Jake looked at Cal again. “What do you think?”
“It’s like the world’s biggest agenda.”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
Cal sifted through the four sheets of paper. “This looks like one day.”
“It is. It’s today. Shall I explain it to you?”
“Why not? Jake, you have me really busy.”
“Oh, it isn’t that bad. I just thought I would be spontaneous and get us moving on getting things rolling. See, I have you at the real estate office at ten. The real estate agent has some houses to show you today. Just go on and pick one. As long as it’s big and clean, it doesn’t matter.”
“Pick one?” Cal laughed. “Jake, it’s not that simple. I probably won’t find a house I like.”
“Just find one that will work and make it into what you like.”
“Okay” Cal shrugged.
Jake looked over her shoulder pointing to the sheets. “Now, after this promotion thing is over, Corporal Lancing will have all the directions to these places for you and a pass to get back on base. Don’t get lost out there, Cal, it’ll mess up the time table I set up.”
“I see you allotted me forty-two minutes for lunch.”
“You’ll like that place. I know exactly how long it takes for them to serve you.”
“Thanks.”
“And as you can see. . .” Jake flipped to the next page, “. . .it may look like I have you running around for this wedding, but I promise I won’
t be one of these guys who make the woman do it all. I have my appointments set up, too. I’ll take care of as much as I can, probably most of the arranging. You just have to do a lot of the footwork for me. That’s not a problem is it?”
“No.” Cal shook her head, still in shock.
“I don’t want to step on your toes. I know how women like weddings.”
“Jake, you can plan the whole thing if you want. In fact, I’d be interested in seeing what a Jake-style wedding is.”
Jake smiled. “Then you shall. You just have to pick out your wardrobe for that day and get your guest list to my secretary. He’s compiling mine.”
Cal looked to Corporal Lancing. “I’ll get that right out to you.”
Corporal Lancing nodded with a smile.
Jake continued to ramble. “The sooner the better, sweetheart. The wedding is in a month.”
“A month?” Cal whistled. “All right.” Cal read some more. “Jake? Uh, what is this here?” She indicated. “It says at one-forty-four there’s a Jake call.”
“Yes,” Jake said with so much excitement. “I figure you’ll be in the car, and I’ll call you. It’ll be one of those romantic, spontaneous, middle-of-the-day calls.”
Cal bit her bottom lip. “Will we talk dirty?”
“If you’d like. Here . . .” Jake leaned to the desk and grabbed a pencil. “Let me make a note of that there.” He scribbled on the sheet. “Lancing.” Jake laid the pencil in the holder. “Could you note that on my copy of Cal’s agenda?”
“Talking dirty?” Corporal Lancing snickered. “Sure.”
“See, Cal? Spontaneous. What do you think?”
“I’m impressed, moved, and speechless.” Cal folded the agenda and placed it in her purse. “And, it’s almost time.”
Jake took a deep breath and looked at his watch. “They should be here soon.”
“Let me look at you.”
“Why?”
“Jake.” Cal said his name with a tad of irritation. She stepped to him.
“Cal, you really look nice, I have to tell you.”
“So do you. So handsome.” She ran her hands down his chest smoothing out his uniform. She softened her voice while inching nearly against him.. “And if you’ll allow me, I’d like to just be very sentimental with you right now.”
“I’ll allow it.”
“I am so proud of you at this moment. I remember when we were at the experiment I promised as your friend I would be there for your next promotion. Never did I doubt that I would stand here for you, Jake. But trust me, I never thought I’d feel so overwhelmed.”
“This . . .” Jake swallowed, looking in her eyes. “This is really nice.”
“Wait, it gets better.” Cal’s voice was so soft yet intense. “I’d like to tell you something, and it will be the last time ever I’ll be able to address you with it in a way I grew so accustomed to. Ready?” She watched Jake slowly nod and she neared her lips to his, almost touching. “I love you . . . Major Graison.”
“I have chills.” Jake clenched Cal to him, taking in a long deep breath. He paused, and looked over his shoulder to his corporal. “Lancing, we need a private moment. Spin it around.” Waiting for his secretary to turn his chair, Jake returned to Cal, brought her as close as he could, and began to kiss her. Jake stopped suddenly when he heard the clearing of a throat. He stepped back, ran his hand over his top lip, and snapped to attention when he saw Colonel Roberts and a General standing in his office. “Pardon me, Sir.”
“Quite all right.” Colonel Roberts, a man in his late forties, shook Jake’s hand. “Major Graison, you remember General Graves.”
With a quick snap to attention, Jake shook hands with the much-older General. “General, Sir.” He retracted his hand then placed it on Cal’s arm. “Colonel, General, may I introduce you to Caleen Reynolds, my wife-to-be.”
Colonel Roberts shook Cal’s hand with a smile. “It is a pleasure to meet the woman who finally opened his eyes.”
“Not completely.” Cal smiled. “I’m trying.”
Jake twitched his head Cal’s way. “She adds a bit of sarcasm to everything.” Jake closed his mouth tight and shook his head. “You’ll get used to it.”
Even General Graves chuckled. “Well, I bet you’re anxious to proceed, Major Graison. Will Ms. Reynolds be a witness?”
“Yes, Sir.” Jake tried to answer with seriousness, but he had a smile to him. “In all my career, I’ve never had anyone present at a promotion. I am very honored that Cal is here.”
Colonel Roberts looked at the proud look on Jake’s face. “Major Graison, you and Cal go on in your office, we’ll be right there.”
“Yes, Sir.” Jake extended his hand in a leading way, allowing Cal to go before him, and he followed her into his office.
General Graves look a little surprised. “Is there a problem, Colonel?”
“As a mater fact, there is,” Colonel Roberts said. “You and I have known Jake for many years. I’ve known him since he was seventeen. General, he has no family. He’s been alone his whole life. When others customarily chose the person to pin on their first officer’s commission, the Chaplin pinned Jake, because his only friend was out of the country. Do you get where I’m going sir?”
“I think I do.” General Graves motioned his hand to the door. “Let’s take care of this.”
Cal’s hand shook so badly as she stood on near tip toes pinning the silver oak leaf to Jake’s lapel. She looked up at him. Jake stared ahead, so stern, so strong. Yet his jaw twitched slightly, and in a rare moment for Jake, his eyes actually had a slight haze of sentiment to them. Cal snapped the back onto the pin. When it clicked, her body trembled, her eyes watered, and a near silent quiver of pride-filled emotion seeped from her. Cal wanted to grab him, hold him, tell him how she felt, but she knew she couldn’t. She gave a firm squeezing grip to his arm and then she stepped back.
Jake turned on his heels and snapped to attention.
General Graves held his hand out to Jake. “Congratulations . . . Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Graison.”
CHAPTER SIX
Las Vegas, Nevada
March 7th - 9:30 a.m. PST
Aldo’s office was at its usual Monday pace, packed with people buzzing in and out, catching up on the work that seemed to compile over the weekend. Amidst the commotion, Aldo was on the phone. He’d laugh loudly, review a paper, hand it to someone, return to speaking, laugh again.
“Thank you for that, Cal.” Aldo wiped an after-laugh tear from his eye and leaned back in his chair. “It brightened my day. You do know, though, if you don’t want that ho-hum military life complete with a daily agenda, I got a big house out here.” Aldo looked at a paper laid in front of him and shook his head.
“I appreciate the offer.” Cal drove Jake’s jeep as she talked on the phone.
“It’s a big house. Just me, and, well, the downfall, my rambunctious teenage daughter.”
“Always remember, Aldo, the teenage daughter is your best asset.”
Aldo smiled. “I am humbled. So I take it I cannot propose marriage right now to you and move you into my house?”
“Thank you, but no. As a matter of fact, I have to get to the bridal shop, picked out by Jake of course, and then, speaking of houses, I have to drag his big ass tonight, whether he likes it or not, to check out a house I looked at today.”
“I thought he told you to just pick one.”
“Aldo.” Cal chuckled. “Come on, it’s Jake. Bet me he finds a million things wrong.”
“I’ll take that bet. You’re on, I think the big guy is too busy and will just tell you it’s fine.”
“It’s a bet.” Cal shifted her eyes to the clock in the jeep. “And I better go.”
“Cal, wait. Before you go, there is something I need to discuss with you. It’s very important. It’s about the . . .” Aldo stopped before he said the word ‘experiment’. He looked down at a note set in front of him, a note that read, ‘Dr. Gregory Haynes on line 25’.
“Cal, let me call you back.”
“You’re leaving me hanging, Aldo.”
“Sorry, but I’ll get back to you on that.” After hearing Cal’s goodbye, Aldo snapped his finger and held up his hand to bring silence to the room. He pressed the line that blinked and immediately switched to the business man tone. “Dr. Haynes. What do you have for me?”
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
March 7th - 3:15 p.m.
From the back of the military jeep that stopped in front of his house, Jake lifted his briefcase. “Thank you, soldier,” he told the corporal who was driving. After saluting Jake, the corporal pulled away. Jake turned toward the walk of his house and stopped when he heard the call of his name.
“Jake,” Chuck called out stepping away from his car.
“Hey Chuck.” Jake lifted his head.
“Wait.” Chuck trotted his way. “You’re home early,” he said, making his way to Jake.
“Yeah. And don’t forget Cal’s serving dinner at five-forty-five. She has me looking at some house at eight even though I told her to just pick one, so don’t be late.”
“Jake, before you go in there’s something I have to do.”
“What’s that?”
Chuck put on a stern face, snapped to attention, and firmly saluted Jake. “Congratulations Lieutenant Colonel Graison.”
The corner of Jake’s mouth raised, and he saluted Chuck back. “Thank you.”
“Goddamn am I proud of you Jake.” Chuck gave a pat to Jake’s arm. “I really am. Way to kiss ass all the way up the ranking ladder.”
“You’re an asshole.” Jake shook his head and turned back to his house. “You can’t stay serious for five fuckin minutes.”
“Jake, wait.”
“What now?” Jake slowed down.
“We have two and a half hours. You’re tense, you wanna go shoot some hoops before dinner?”
Jake looked at his watch. “You know what? Yeah. Cal said something about baking. She does that, you know.” Jake nodded. “I’m gonna have baked goods.”
Amoeba (The Experiments) Page 4