“Fresh water. They may try to find some. And that’s about the only place close.” Jake began walking.
“Sounds good to me.” Lou trotted to catch up to him. “So what did you find that let you know . . .” Lou’s pace slowed down as he looked at what Jake was poking a stick at. “God, Jake, that’s gross. You peered at that for that long? First the puss, then the phlegm on the tree, now this.” Lou started walking again. “Is it all body excretions in general, or do you enjoy all disgusting things? Jake, wait up.” Lou hurried. “Just tell me one thing.” His voice echoed down the hillside. “You didn’t touch that, too, did you?”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
I-S.E. - Thirteen - The Island
May 4th - 8:30 p.m.
Billy somehow regretted two things as he set bedside next to Cal. Using the words, ‘feel free’ and giving Cal a red pen, he vowed as he looked at all the red circles and marks that he wouldn’t get upset. He couldn’t have possibly made that many errors, it had to be Cal’s head injury causing her to see wrong.
“Billy?” Cal called him softy, noticing his wide eyed glare on his paper. “Something wrong?”
“Um . . . no. What did you think?”
“I love it. I love your writing.”
Billy tilted his head still staring at the paper mumbling, “Certainly looks it.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing I . . .” Billy lowered the papers when he heard the thump and felt the vibration on the soles of his feet. He looked to the floor. “Rickie.”
“Guy.” Rickie pointed then walked around to Cal’s bed. He laid across the foot of it. “So, like, is there not going to be any interesting conversation tonight?”
“I would think you’d find this interesting,” Billy said. “This has to do with the first . . .” He cringed at the loud thump. “Experiment.”
Rickie walked around Cal’s bed and laid back down across the foot again. “Cal-babe, good thing we’re sure Sarge is coming back after rangerizing then dudes, cause, like, I’d hate to see you end up with this guy.” Rickie shuddered.
Billy was not amused. “What is so wrong with . . .” Billy’s eyes closed tightly in a wince at the even louder bang. “Me?”
“Dude.” Rickie chuckled out the word. “I think you know.”
“Dude.” Billy tried. “No, I don’t.”
“See, right there.” Rickie walked around Cal’s bed again and laid down at the foot of the bed. “For example, the word dude. Some people aren’t meant to say it. You, for one, Sarge is another. Its sounds unnatural, you know? But, like, the Sarge, he leads an exciting life. You guy . . .” Rickie slid some off the bed, dangling his head to the floor and did what he had repeatedly done for the past half hour. He brought his legs up over his head and flipped with a ‘Bang’ to the floor. “You, guy, are like, Darren Stevens. I can, like, see you thinking a big exciting night is sitting in front of the TV watching Seinfeld Episodes.” Rickie made his way around Cal’s bed laying down again.
“That is really not fair,” Billy argued. “I lead an exciting life. I’m a reporter.”
Rickie laughed. “Guy, like, was it real exciting and life threatening when you did that pumpkin patch story last year? No.” Rickie flipped again, stood up from the floor, and walked around the bed.
“I don’t pick my stories, Rickie. I’m here, right? And I did some of those survival camps.”
“Failed them,” Rickie said.
“I still did them. And besides,” Billy explained, “Jake has his replacement all picked out for Cal.”
Cal, who was silently reading and relaxing, lifted her head. “Jake picked a replacement for himself? In case of what?”
“In case, well, in case . . .” Billy shrugged. “You know, he doesn’t make it.”
Cal rolled her eyes and fluttered her lips. “Yeah right. But who did he pick?”
“Chuck,” Billy answered.
“Chuck?” Cal weakly laughed.
“Chuck?” Rickie laughed. “Cool choice. Cal-babe, if you think the Sarge gets you rockin a lot, wait until Chuck gets hold of you.”
“Rickie,” Billy gasped.
“Rickie.” Cal shook her head at Rickie who began to flip again.
“Rickie!” Billy snapped at the thump.
“What!” Rickie stood up. “Scared my roll wrong guy.”
“Did you exercise at all today?” Billy asked him.
“No, like, the Sarge isn’t here to run me like a dog.” Rickie moved to lay down.
“Stop.” Billy stood up laying down his pen and standing. “Go run a mile or something, or I’ll tell Jake you blew off what he wanted to do.”
“Guy.” Rickie pointed to the door. “Like, it’s dark out. If I go, can I have a gun?”
Billy’s head flung back in laughter. “You of all people don’t need a gun, Rickie.”
“Cal-babe?” Rickie looked at her with pleading eyes.
Cal’s eyes stayed on the paper she had started to read again. “Take the one in my second drawer.”
“Thanks.” Rickie hurried over, opened the drawer and pulled out the revolver. “I’ll run it off.” He walked to the door. “Oh!” His excited call caused Cal to look up and Billy to pause in his sitting. “I’ll go get Paul. I’ll see if he’s up to playing a little cowboys and Indians. What do you think?” Rickie slanted his stand and limped to the door. His words had a drawn out effect. “If you’re looking for me, partner-dude, I’ll be out, like, fetchin up some Indians.” Rickie lifted his hand and tipped his head as if he tipped a hat he wasn’t wearing. He turned, opened the door, and limped out.
Billy sat down pointing, looking so baffled. “He really doesn’t interact with normal people too often, does he?”
“He’s always around me and Jake,” Cal responded.
“Point proven.”
Caldwell Research Center - Los Angeles, CA
May 4th - 10:15 p.m.
Greg considered himself a nice guy, even though others did not. And he even debated on not being the nice guy as he went to the empty commissary to get a cup of mud coffee. But knowing he had a reputation to live up to, at least in his mind he did, the nice guy route was the one he took.
Aldo sat in the commissary, playing with the paper cup of coffee, turning it more than sipping it.
“Thought you’d want to see this.” Greg extended stapled papers over Aldo’s shoulder.
“What is it?” Aldo asked as he took them.
“Results of Cal’s examination.” Greg walked around him and sat down.
“I’m not a doctor. I don’t know what I’m looking at.”
“You’ll know this.” Greg pointed. “Page two. Second line.”
Aldo flipped the page. His hand slowly dropped as his eyes widened. Speechless, he just looked up at Greg.
I-S.E. Thirteen - The Island
May 4th - 11:15 p.m.
An hour or so of rest was all Jake was allowing himself and Lou to take. Just an hour. And then they would scout for the glow of a campfire, hopefully their guiding light to the three prisoners who remained. Jake must have been more tired than he thought. No sooner did he lean back against that tree than he fell asleep, a deep asleep, slipping immediately into a dreaming phase.
The dream seemed so real. The sound of doctors being paged over the intercom. The feel of those flowers in his hand as he moved quickly and with a happy feeling down the corridors filled with nurses. Feeling that glow when he turned into the last room and seeing Cal sitting up in bed. A blue blanket in her arms.
“Jake.” She smiled his name. “Look.”
Jake’s heart beat with enthusiasm setting the flowers on the bed, kissing Cal, and peering at the baby she held in her arms. “Oh, Cal.”
Cal extended the baby to him. “Hold him, Jake.”
So tiny and fragile that baby felt as Jake lifted him, pulling him immediately close to his chest. The pouty face, the closed eyes. “Cal, he’s ours?” And just as Jake, still in awe, lowered his eyes
to the baby again, the emptiness hit his arms. “No.” Jake looked around. “Where did he go? Cal!” The room grew black. “Cal!”
“Cal.” Her name escaped him as he brought himself awake. Jake’s heart raced and he ran his hand across his face. The animal noise around him brought him back to reality and out of the dream. But the feeling of loss was still with him. How could it not be? Because like in that dream, Jake had something he wanted snatched from his grip, without warning, and unlike anything before, there was nothing he could have done to stop it.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
I-S.E. Thirteen - The Island
May 5th - 7:45 a.m.
There was a hint of a well-smile on Cal’s face that Billy enjoyed seeing. The swelling had gone down, and besides the bruising, Cal was looking better and moving more easily. She breathed without wheezing as she moved, sniffling some from the damp air left over from the torrential downpour they had an hour earlier. But they were outside walking - slowly - to the dining building, and Cal looked as if she were enjoying every moment of it.
Billy gripped her hand, staying close to her, shoulders touching, an unacknowledged sense of support. “Wait until you see how hard Rickie worked this morning to make you breakfast.”
“Rickie has learned a lot off of Lou, hasn’t he?” Cal’s words were still not as strong as she usually spoke them.
“Yeah, he has. I don’t get as frightened at the prospect of eating his food.”
“He told me he has aspirations of going to culinary school when we get done with the experiment,” Cal said as they neared the building.
Billy laughed. “Oh I can see that. Chefs are temperamental as it is. I can see Rickie if someone hates what he made.”
Cal looked oddly at him. “What do you mean? Rickie doesn’t have a temper.”
“Cal, he goes monster.”
Cal laughed and grabbed her side that was still sore. “Billy, he’s joking about that.” She shook her head and walked through the door Billy had opened for her. “And you believed him. I thought you were college educated.”
Billy hesitated before saying anything further. “You’re right.” He followed her in. “How gullible of me.” He placed his hand on her back. “Here, sit down.”
Cal stepped over with a painful grunt and sat on the bench. The spot at the table was already set for her. “I see Reed is assisting.”
“Unfortunately.” Billy leaned over her shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll get your breakfast. Rickie broke out the last of the sausage from the freezer since he knows you like it.”
“Thanks.” Cal folded her hands, shifting in toward the table. She saw Judge wave as he walked in, stopping before going to the line and walking to Cal.
“Morning. You’re looking better,” Judge said.
“I’m feeling better today, thanks, Judge.”
“You know, you may not feel much like hearing this, but I picked some nice green tomatoes. Was gonna try to fry them up for you today. What do you think?”
“I think that would be nice.” Cal smiled. “Thank you.”
“Good.” Judge nodded. “I’ll do that.” He gave a pat to her shoulder and moved on.
Before Cal knew it, a plate was set before her and a cup of coffee. “Wow.” She sniffed in the aroma. “Rickie did work hard.”
“Eat.” Billy told her. “Oh, ketchup. I’ll get it.”
Only nodding, Cal was still amazed at how well Rickie did. As she reached for her utensils, fingers not even touching the fork or knife, she felt the nudge in her back. Though stuffed up from the damp weather she could still smell Larry. She tried to ignore him, but he sat down next to her.
“Nothing keeps you down does it?” He asked angrily. “What does it take?”
Cal patiently waited for him to get to his point and get out. She wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation or feeling up to it.
“I heard, Cal. I heard they jerked off all over . . .”
Bam!
Larry’s face careened down to the table with a crash so fast, Cal’s plate rattled and blood shot out from the sides of Larry’s face as if a melon was smashed before her. She jolted, then sprang up as fast as she could when she saw Billy directly behind Larry, more angry then she had ever witnessed him.
Billy’s hand was red from the tight grip he had to Larry’s head, pinning him to the table. And with one quick motion, Billy clenched Larry’s hair and whipped back his head. In a swoop down to the table, Billy grabbed the knife and placed the sharp edge directly to Larry’s arched throat speaking gruffly to him. “Guess who’s out of the experiment?”
“Billy!” Cal screamed lunging forward and grabbing Billy’s hand just as the knife seared into the skin drawing blood. “No.” She stopped him from slicing any further. “He’s not worth it, Billy, please. He is not worth this on your conscience.”
“Cal.” Billy said her name painfully.
“No.” Cal held his wrist tighter, burying her forehead to the back of his shoulder blade. “He’ll get his. Trust me. He’s not worth you doing this. Not you, Billy. This isn’t you.”
Billy’s hand trembled as it instinctively pressed the knife harder against Larry. And hearing Cal whisper one more ‘please’ to him, Billy dropped the knife. Cal’s fingers immediately slipped in between his, and he released Larry harshly, turning around.
Cal pulled him gently away from the table. “Let’s go. We’ll eat at the room.”
Billy closed his eyes. His body shook. “Cal, I’m sorry.”
“No. Shh.” She reached up and touched his face. “Thank you for defending me. He really will get what’s coming to him, and it will all be worth it.” Cal’s eyes shifted to Rickie who was closing in. “Rickie, will you bring some food up to my room? The three of us will eat there.”
“Sure, Cal-babe.” Rickie nodded, stepped back, gave a thumbs up to Billy, and walked away.
Cal held Billy’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Before moving, Billy brought Cal into him, hugged her briefly, then keeping his arm around her, more so for his own support, he walked from the dining area with her.
Rickie, before getting some breakfast for the three of them, wandered over to the table where Larry lay face down moaning. “Dude.” Rickie snickered. “Did you, like, know you’re blood’s, like, all over the table?” Snatching up the ketchup bottle that lay on its side, Rickie laughed once more and moved on.
Caldwell Research Center - Los Angeles, CA
May 5th - 9:15 a.m.
“Can someone tell me why this fuckin asshole isn’t dead yet?” Aldo’s hand extended in a point as he sat in his leather seat in the control room. Papers were spread across his lap, his own work he had brought with him. “I hate that Larry Kale.” He shook his head after viewing a bloody Larry go into his bungalow.
Lyle spun around in his chair. “I thought Billy had him.”
“Yeah, well, I’m personally thinking of buying out his investor.” Aldo shifted through his work.
“Why’s that?” Lyle asked laughing. “I thought you said you hated him.”
“I do. But anyone that lucky to escape all that he has escaped just may survive this experiment. And if that’s the case, I want him.”
“To secure a win?”
“Hell, no.” Aldo shook his head. “To secure his accidental death when he arrives back.”
Lyle laughed some more. “Actually, I’m hoping Cal remembers him having something to do with what happened to her. We don’t know for sure, but my gut tells me she does.”
“Mine too.”
“But even aside from that.” Lyle swirled his chair. “With all that asshole has done, I am a bit surprised Cal just didn’t let Billy end it.”
“Nah.” Aldo made a scoffing face. “I know my girl. Trust me.” Aldo looked up at Cal’s monitor and smiled with a wink. “I believe she’s just waiting for the right moment.”
I-S.E. Thirteen - The Island
May 5th - 12:30 p.m.
“East,” Jake stated as th
ey trudged.
“Why east again?” Lou asked. “And why do I smell sulfur?”
“East because I say so, and sulfur because the volcano is nearby.”
“That’s not good,” Lou stated. “So we’re on the other side of the island again?”
“You’re not paying attention.”
“I am. But we keep moving.”
“We keep moving because they keep moving. We’re bound to catch them when they rest up again. This island isn’t all that big.”
“Tell that to my legs.” Lou looked down to his muddy shoes. “And now walking is harder since we’re trudging in sludge.”
“With all this, we’ll have to be careful when we get to that next cavern,” Jake stated.
“How do you know we’re hitting another cavern?”
“Listen to the sound of your voice.”
Lou sang out a note and shrugged. “Still sounds bad.” He snickered. “Hey, Jake, just about when do you get to the point when you give up your search?”
“Never.”
“Never?”
“Never.” Jake reiterated. “Once, I guess about seven years ago, there was this militant gorilla leader who was wiping out villages. Single execution style, women, children, and such. I was sent into the jungle to find him. It took seventeen days but I tracked him down.”
“And?” Lou asked.
“Killed him.”
“I see.” Lou widened his eyes. “Seventeen days?”
“Yep.”
“Hey, uh, Jake. I heard it took some marine only sixteen days to track down a militant gorilla . . .” Lou saw the glare he got. “Kidding. And . . . oh wow. Hey you’re right.” Lou saw what seemed like a break in the world. He stepped to the edge with Jake. “This is a new one.”
“Yeah it is. Excellent, huh?”
“How exactly are we getting across?” Lou questioned.
Jake pointed down.
Lou peered over. “Climbing?”
Amoeba (The Experiments) Page 49