Jake merely raised his eyes from the paper work he did at his desk. He motioned his hand for the Corporal to come in.
“Mail, sir.”
“I’ll get to it. Thank you.”
“Sir. You may want to take notice of the letter on top. It’s addressed to you and Mrs. Graison. I don’t know how it got in there, but I wanted to make sure you were aware.”
“Thank you.” Jake returned to his work. “That’ll be all.” He waited for the Corporal to leave and he dropped his pencil, sliding the stack of mail to him. That’s when the envelope caught his attention. It was odd that the envelope, which was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Lieutenant Colonel Graison, had arrived in his office instead of at their home. But what really got him was the return address on the envelope - Caldwell Research Institute - which prompted Jake to immediately open it. He unfolded it, reading the words, not once but twice. He rubbed his hand down his face, replacing the letter back into the envelope. He let out a deep breath, and picked up the photograph on his desk. He smiled at it, his and Cal’s wedding picture. Setting down the photograph, Jake stood up. He tapped the envelope on his palm and walked from his office. “Corporal, I’m going to see my wife at the school. I’ll be back.”
^^^^
“ATTENTION!” Those screaming words and the sound of Cal’s entire classroom standing up startled her from her reading, causing her to cringe. She knew what it was. Jake.
Jake walked strongly into the room, acknowledging those who stood at attention. “At ease.” He moved to Cal’s desk. “Gentleman, I need a moment with my wife. Leave. Thank you.” It took approximately thirty seconds and noisily the room became empty. “Hey babe.” He leaned in to kiss her.
“I hate when you do that, Jake. It demeans my authority in this classroom.”
“What authority?” He kissed her. “I’m authority.”
Cal laughed at Jake as he pulled her into him. “You are so arrogant.”
“Yeah, but you love me.” He began kissing her neck as she playfully tried to get away.
“Jake, we have an audience.”
Jake stopped, looking behind him to see the class standing in the hall looking in. “Excuse me.” He walked over to the door. “Take a break. Leave the premises.” He slammed it shut.
“There you go, dismissing my class again.” Cal threw her hands up. “Why are you here? You’re not wanting to sneak out and have sex again, are you?”
“As tempting as that sounds . . . no. I have a meeting in forty-five minutes with Colonel . . .” Jake glanced at his watch. “Well . . . yeah, we can squeeze it in. But first things first. Sit down.” He waited until she sat in her chair, and then he rolled her to face him as he squatted on the floor before her. “I was thinking.” His fingers trailed her hand. “I was thinking about you and I taking a little honeymoon. Another one. Something fun, challenging, isolated. What do you say? Time away . . .”
“Jake, we don’t need time away.”
“Sure we do. A nice long honeymoon.”
“What’s bringing this on?” She ran her hand down his face. “You didn’t do something did you?”
“Nope.” He reached into his pocket and hesitantly pulled out the envelope. He handed her the letter. “Here, read.”
Cal looked shocked when she saw the return address. “Jake, what is this?”
“Read.”
Apprehensively she pulled the letter out and read it. “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lieutenant Colonel Graison. Due to your history with us, it would please us immensely if you would give us your consideration in joining us once again for yet another challenging experiment. All proper channels have been taken, permission has been granted, and all preliminary interviews waived. We would like to cordially invite you, as a team, to participate in the Iso-Stasis Thirteen Experiment slated to begin on March 3rd of next year. Hope to hear from you soon, Dr. Gregory Haynes.” Cal lowered the letter. “Jake?” She raised an eyebrow, almost singing his name with just the right amount of excitement.
“Just . . . thought I’d show it to you.” He bit his bottom lip, giving her that arrogant Jake look. Then softly he brought his lips to hers. “So Cal, sweetheart, love of my life . . .” He saw her smile. “You game?”
^^^^
Jake wore his uniform jacket over his open dress shirt as he walked into the kitchen of his home. He started to button his shirt as he looked to Cal who was pouring herself some juice. “You ready to do this?”
“Ready.” She took a drink. “I feel so out of practice, though.”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked, picking her up and sitting her like a child on the island kitchen counter.
“Well, school has had me bogged down the past five months. I’ve worked out, but other than that, I haven’t done anything. You at least went on that raid last month, and were on that jungle thing in October.”
“Perks of the job sweetie.” Jake took a deep breath. “Tell you what. I’ll call up Rollins. If you can clear it with the school, I’ll bet he can squeeze you in for a week up at survival camp.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, especially if you’re going alone. What level?”
“Definitely hard core. It’s more fun. I’ll try not to break anything this time.”
Jake touched the tip of her nose. “I’ll set it up.”
“Thanks.”
“But first.” He reached over and grabbed the phone. He pulled up a chair placing it directly in front of where Cal’s legs dangled over the edge of the counter. Staring at her with an ornery grin, Jake dialed. “Dr. Gregory Haynes, please. Tell him it’s Lt. Col. Graison.” Jake’s hand went to Cal’s leg. “Dr. Haynes . . . Yes. My wife and I received your correspondence today . . . you can say we’re mildly intrigued, although the prospect isn’t really striking an exciting chord in us yet.”
Cal grinned with a thumbs up to Jake.
Jake winked at her. “We can do that.” Jake’s hand crept up her leg. “Not a problem.” His eyes stayed glued to the edge of her skirt which his hand moved slowly under. “See you then.” Stretching back without losing hand-to-leg contact, Jake hung up the phone and stood up.
“What did he say, what did he say?” Cal asked with excitement.
Jake parted her legs and stepped closer to her. “We’re going up first thing Monday morning for a meeting. He really wants us to go, Cal.”
Cal looked down at Jake’s hands that manipulated her skirt. “Jake, what are doing? I have to get back to class and you have to get to work. No being late. Billy is coming . . .”
“Cal.” Jake laid his hand over her mouth. “It’s bad enough the man invades our computer nightly and comes to our home. Don’t bring him into our intimate moment.”
Cal laughed. “Intimate moment?”
“Yeah.” Jake leaned to kiss her. “I have to tell you, the prospect of going on this experiment again with you, facing danger, death, the challenge. It really has me . . .” He pulled her closer. “Aroused.”
“Danger does that to you. You do realize that if they asked us back, there is no way they’re going to follow the same experiment format.”
“I hope not. It would be too boring knowing what would happen. I think the not knowing excites me more.” He laid his lips to her neck.
“Jake, stop.” She felt him lead her back down to the counter.
The second Jake’s body secured her down was the second loud alarm sirens blared. Jake only lifted his head to see Rickie coming into the back door.
“Sarge, like, why is the alarm on in the middle of the day?” Rickie, wearing his Pizza Hut Delivery Uniform and carrying a pizza box, rushed to the keypad punching in numbers and silencing the alarm. “And, like, Cal-babe prepares my meals on that counter.”
“Rickie. You’re supposed to be working.”
“Check this out.” Rickie set down the pizza box on the counter above Cal’s head. “Can you, like, not do that in my presence? It’s really creepy seeing your pseudo-parents trying to rock like kids on the
kitchen counter. Pizza?” He opened the lid.
Cal nodded. “Thanks.”
Jake stood up bringing Cal with him. “Rickie, you’re supposed to be working.”
“Check this out.” He handed Cal a slice kissing her on the cheek after. “I got fired again.”
“I just talked to the manager last week,” Jake said.
“Sarge, the dude bites.” Rickie moaned as he ate the pizza. “He told me just because you’re, like, my Dad, doesn’t get me a buy. He said . . . you suck.”
“He did not.”
“Did too.” Rickie held up his pizza in his right hand.
“I’ll find you another job.” Jake helped Cal off the counter.
“I really don’t need another job guy.” Rickie walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. “I still have money left over from them scientists killing me last month.”
“Dying for money is not a job, Rickie.” Jake snatched the beer from his hand. “And you know the rules of the house. No drinking in the morning.”
“Sarge, it’s not morning to me, I haven’t been to bed yet. So there you have it.”
Jake walked to the fridge, opened it, and put the beer back. He pulled out a carton of milk. “And here you have this. Rickie if you don’t start taking care of yourself, you’ll never pass the Caldwell tests to be on your own and out of the house.”
Rickie grabbed the carton and moved to the table. “Dude, why would I want to leave home? I like it here. Oh, wow.” Rickie lifted the letter that was open on the table. “Cool.”
“It’s exciting, isn’t it?” Cal approached him with a smile.
“Yeah,” Rickie said. “And you know what makes it really awesome? I get this whole big house to myself for seven months.” Nodding with pleasure, Rickie, pizza in his mouth, walked from the kitchen.
A shocked expression graced Jake’s face, Cal’s too, as he faced her. “Remind me to speak to Haynes about that special housing they have for Rickie.”
Caldwell Research Institute - Atlanta, GA
December 3rd - 12:30 p.m.
Like the pastor emeritus of a church, that’s what Dr. Jefferson was at Caldwell. Advice giver, father figure, part-time monitor, and, of course, the only one the investors still took seriously and listened to. He was informed of everything, and called upon often. If he wasn’t called upon, he made it his business to see what was up, because since he stepped down as Director, Dr. Jefferson’s life was pretty dull.
Dr. Jefferson stared down at the smug, pouty, and closed lips of Greg, who nodded as he folded his hands.
“I see no problem,” Greg said.
Dr. Jefferson singularly nodded. “You don’t think you could be inviting trouble?”
“Nope. Mr. and Mrs. Graisons’ participation in the experiment will not only prove beneficial to our research and the research needs of others, but I also feel they will help provide maximum entertainment.”
“You’d have to break them or come awfully close,” Dr. Jefferson said. “These two beat the last experiment. How do you propose to stop them this time?”
“Conditions.”
Dr. Jefferson let out a single breath that was accompanied with a short laugh as he shook his head. “They’d better be hard core conditions. These two are tough.”
“Yep. And we’re counting on a fight from them.” Greg leaned back in his chair. “Keep in mind, Dr. Jefferson, that this experiment will play upon something the last one couldn’t.”
“Which is?”
“Physically and mentally, yes, these two are tough. But there’s another side to them, and no matter what, nothing can change the fact that that side is human.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
December 3rd - 1:30 p.m.
Jake nodded to his secretary as he covered the mouth piece of the phone. He signed the paper handed to him then gave it back to the corporal. He removed his hand from the mouth piece. “Cal, sweetie, I’ll do the best that I can do. All right?”
The corporal shuffled through the stack of papers he held.
“Jake, just don’t be too late, okay? I’ll hold dinner until you get here,” Cal told him. “But I don’t know how long I can hold off telling Billy. He’ll be here soon.”
“I know you want to wait until I’m there . . . hold on.” Another piece of paper was dropped in front of Jake, which he scanned, signed, and handed back. “Cal, I’m trying to catch up so I don’t have to come in this weekend while your computer buddy stays with us, okay? And . . . if the excitement gets too much for you, go ahead and tell him without me there.”
“Are you sure? We are both going on the experiment, so you may want to be present when we tell him about . . .”
“Cal, if you want to tell him, you go ahead. I’ll manage emotionally.” Jake rolled his eyes. “Cal, I really have to go sweetie.” Jake looked at more papers that were set in front of him. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Hurry home.” Cal hung up the phone.
Jake looked at the receiver that he set down. Running his hand over his face, he peered up at the corporal. “How many times does that make?”
“I think eight in the last two hours, sir. Not that I’m counting.”
“And it’s the same conversation.” Jake grunted.
“Perhaps Mrs. Graison is just excited about something, and she has to release that energy, so she calls you.”
“There has to be another way.”
“Well.” The corporal tilted his head and saw Jake glare up at him. “No, I’m not meaning that. I give my wife the credit cards and tell her to go shopping. Usually I send her on a wild goose chase for something.”
Jake’s fingers tapped on the desk just below his paper work. His eyes lit up, and he grabbed the phone, dialing it. “Cal, hey, Billy’s not getting here for a few hours, and there’s some things I need you to get for me. Can you?” Jake looked up to at corporal with a wide grin and a thumbs up.
^^^^
The urgency behind Jake’s ‘must have now’ list baffled Cal, but he had to have his reasons or he wouldn’t have asked. And Cal really didn’t see a problem with it. Her dinner had been started, she had some time to kill, and she just finished wrapping the gift for Billy.
It sat on the dining room table, a letter-sized box, wrapped in paper that sported little yellow dinosaurs holding balloons and birthday cakes. She chuckled, placing the little card on it, and then she picked up Jake’s list which was jotted on the back of an old money machine receipt. It was going to be a task finding items that ranged from golf-ball shaped pens for Colonel Roberts, and a trigger finger warmer, to, oddly enough, a deep-sea living and survival program.
After checking the timer on the stove - all she needed to do was burn dinner - Cal grabbed her purse, shoved the list in, and walked out of the house by way of the dining room through the living room. Standing in the huge entrance hall, she could hear Rickie laughing in the family room. She pushed open the already slightly open double doors to see Rickie at one of the two computers. “What’s funny?”
“I got a toon from this email bud of mine.”
“Rickie, I’m heading out. I have to go shopping for some things for Jake. Check this out, I think Jake’s finally going to try to use the computer.”
“No way.” Rickie looked surprised. “Did he say that?”
“Well, he asked for me to find him an ocean survival program.” Cal shrugged.
“So does that mean you’re headed to the Oddball Software? I love that store.”
“Going there now. Wanna go shopping with me?”
“Can you buy me something?” Rickie asked.
“Sure.”
“Cool.” Rickie made a few clicks on the computer and stood up. He moved to the front door with Cal. “I smell cake. Does Sarge know you’re baking a cake for cyber-boy?”
“Yes, he knows.” Cal opened the door and walked out. “He’s coming around on Billy. Hey, he’s making room in his schedule to be home t
his weekend. That’s a start.” They moved to the car. “And I think getting Jake to form a friendship with Billy is important, especially since we’re all gonna be on this experiment together.”
“Or maybe the toot is hoping Jake and Billy don’t click in the old friendship latch process. You know, it could like make the experiment way more interesting.”
Cal chuckled as they both got in the car. “That is really farfetched Rickie. Where did you dig that from?”
“Just a Rickie Meister-observation.”
“An off-the-wall Rickie-Meister observation.” Cal started the car and backed up out of the driveway.
“No, not really. Especially since the dudes at the toot were like super-de-dupery interested in Jake and Billy’s bond. When I went there to die last month, they kept asking me about it.”
Cal hit the brakes. “You’re joking.”
“Whoops.”
“What?”
Rickie started laughing. “If I signed, like, a form that said I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone what they asked me about, does that mean you?”
“Um . . .” Cal, her mind wandering, continued to back up. “No, Rickie, I don’t count. I’m like your mom.”
“Cool.” Rickie bobbed his head and turned on the car radio. “Uh!” Rickie shuddered. “Sarge was like chilling and cruising to the news again. Man, how can he sing along with that?” Shaking his head, Rickie switched the station.
First Class - En-route to Fayetteville, North Carolina
December 3rd - 3:45 p.m.
“Ladies and Gentleman.” The stewardess spoke with obvious fake pleasantries over the intercom. How could her conduct not be fake? Not only did that rambunctious little boy rampaging up and down the aisles of first class ruin her day, but all of the other passengers as well. Her once perfect hair dangled in her face. “We are about to make the approach into Fayetteville Airport. At this time, we would like to ask that all beverages be discarded, trays returned, and seats placed in an upright position. Hope you had a pleasant flight with Trans World Airlines. We will be landing shortly.” She lowered the microphone and mumbled. “Thank God.”
Amoeba (The Experiments) Page 14