Vicki takes a deep breath, then answers, “Dr. Landau, I must say it is beyond what any scientist could ever expect. This area is ten times bigger than any lab I’ve been in.”
Landau smiles from ear to ear, “This is the heart and soul of the project. This is just a sampling of the staff under your direction. You are the project director. As you can see, you can pursue dozens of different solutions of any theory you want to investigate. And, if you don’t have enough staff and say you need more investigators, we will immediately expand the center.”
“I really don’t know what to say.”
“We’ve provided you with a personal assistant, Candy. She is very understanding of your methods of research.”
As they walk through the center, nothing but young, beautiful people works everywhere. Vicki takes notice no one appears over the age of 35!
Vicki states, “Everyone’s so young.”
“The intensity of this project, the isolation, we find that only the young can withstand the rigors.”
She steps out to the center part of the room, sweeps her arms outward. “The equipment, it’s all state of the art; prototype designs the leading manufactures asked me to input on two years ago. It’s no longer theoretical equipment; the future wish list is in here.” Vicki rushes over to lab station one and caresses what looks like a special piece of equipment taking center stage on the counter.
She asks, “Is this an electron microscope micro-spectrometer, chemical molecule electric current detector?”
“Yes it is. That was your new primary device you wished to have been created when you consulted with the manufacturers two years ago. There is no limit to the amount of money we allocated to your project. They even made the test station for probes inside the clean room, and it will display the results from your tests on a screen as you do your tests inside.”
Vicki and Landau stroll by the center’s stations. As they continue their tour of the lab, they pass by a burly guard sitting at a desk, heavily armed, with a bullet proof vest on and helmet with a visor at the ready. He’s stationed at double doors at the entrance to an area with a warning sign above the entrance, Special Security Clearance Required.
“What’s in there?”
“Special Project security...You know... Hush-hush. That’s the only section in the city off limits to everyone.”
“Even me?”
“Especially you Dr. Collins. That is the business section of Alomet. We want your concentration solely on research. The product section will earn back all the money the company has invested.”
As they leave the guard behind, Landau notices a young man running towards him. “Oh, here comes Dr. Roberts. He has been directing the lab on confirming your previous discoveries.”
A very excited doctor rushes up to Landau. “Dr. Landau, I think I’ve just confirmed the gene for height predetermination.”
“Have you proto-tested it on lab embryos yet?”
“Yes. Preliminary results confirm.”
“Good. Let’s have some hard data to show the chairman of the world business cartel when he comes in next month. It represents the corporate buyers of our finished products, when we can guarantee our results. Let me introduce...”
“Dr. Collins needs no introduction. I’m Dr. Roberts. It’s an honor to meet you. We are so excited to pursue your discoveries. Doctor, I need to ask you a question. Rumors are your puzzle solving prowess is the reason you are so successful. It’s important because so many researchers would like to follow your regimen for training to duplicate your thought process. Is it true you can finish the New York Times crossword puzzle page in less than five minutes?”
Vicki blushes, stammers “I…I do find puzzles fascinating. But, I uh, don’t like to talk about my hobbies. I hope you understand.”
“Sure, sure. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. You’re a legend among the staff.”
“You’re so welcome.” Under her breath she mutters to herself, “a legend at 31, I’ll be an antique at 40.”
Chapter 23
Macon’s Camp
30 Days Later
The rope ladder is stretched out on the ground. “Okay Parks show me what you got.”
Parks starts off the crisscrossing drill, toe tapping his way down the 50 foot ladder. He doesn’t touch a rung. He reverses himself coming back and increases his speed. Another perfect drill.
“Your turn,” he tells Biggins.
“You’re giving me orders now?”
“Okay, bet you can’t keep up with me down and back.”
“You want to show off? See if you can catch me.”
Biggins starts the drill. Parks jumps on behind her. He’s toe tapping down the rungs like a tap dancer. His size allows him to gain on her. As he approaches running into her near the end, he shoves her off the ladder.
“Outta my way.” Parks tells her.
She goes stumbling from the surprise he sprung on her.
Parks reaches the end of the ladder, then, reverses his way back, but he criss crosses his feet alternating steps with a boxer’s speed. He’s showing off the return of his God given skills.
“You think you’re ready, pretty boy?”
“You said it, you always gotta be ready. Just practicing your preaching, Biggins.”
“Let’s go. I want to see what you really learned.”
Parks stands inside a circle of mercs with his gloves on. Marco enters the ring.
Parks is not going to let this little shit make a fool of him again. Biggins enters and holds her hand up like a referee readying two fighters to start.
“Parks, Marco’s your ruler, the measuring stick to see if you can last more than the 30 seconds you lasted the last time against him.”
She drops her hand, “Go!”
Marco tries to side kick him as before, only Parks is ready. He blocks it and smoother than silk, he swift moves a side kick against his ribs, with a finish of a quick punch to his gut, which puts Marco down.
Biggins steps in, “Time. Marco, good match. Okay, now you proved you’re willing to fight, it’s time to measure where you really are. Billy Harper, you’re up. “
As Marco leaves, he sounds off, “Now you’re going to get yours, asshole.”
Parks feels the hate coming from the group. He’s the outsider trying to fit into a military family. They let him know, he does not belong here.
They part the circle to let a man about Parks’ height enter. The circle starts cheering and cat-calling for him to take down his opponent. These guys want his skin tacked up on the wall.
Biggins sets the rules. “Okay men, you pull your punches, but make sure Parks you throw death blows, because that’s what Billy will be doing to you. Oh, by the way, he’s a 5th degree Navy SEAL, Dan level, that’s a black belt instructor. He’s the best you’ll ever face.”
Oh shit, Parks thinks to himself. I’ve really stepped into it.
She steps back and signals, “Let’s go!”
They both circle each other. Billy strikes out at Parks, and he blocks his thrust and counter punches. Oops. Big mistake, Billy counter strikes a throat blow and temple shot. Thank God he pulled his punches, Parks tells himself.
Biggins declares, “You’re dead Parks.” The men cheer. She moves between them, hand up, then drops it and moves out, “Ready, go.”
He’s talking to himself, “Shit, this guy is fast. Well, got to find out how fast I am. I’ll let him see if he can stop the moves he put on me.”
Parks attacks, Billy blocks, then, with a lightning swift move Parks scores a throat move. The men ooh and ah. No cheers for him from the mercs. There’s no stopping Billy’s embarrassment, so he moves fast onto Parks and puts him on the ground, then strikes at his ribs. He’s not holding back the force of his blow so much.
“Time” Biggins yells. “Enough Parks, Billy, good match.”
The crowd disperses.
“Why’d you stop it?” Parks demands.
“You got him. He was g
oing to kill you if you went at him and showed him up again.”
“You’re kidding me. Because I got a strike in, you mean he would actually take my life?”
“C’mon, Parks, let’s take a walk.” They move away from the camp center.
He’s confused. Yeah, he could hold his own a little against the best, but would that be a reason to actually eliminate him permanently in a practice match? After all, wasn’t this a contest to test his skills against a superior opponent?
Finally, they are away from any other mercs and all alone.
“You are a guest among men who risk their lives when they go into combat. You’re the part time warrior who happens to have the skill to best them in a fight. They take it very personally that you could kill them. That’s what I’ve been trying to make you understand, you must fight to kill or you will be killed. No more fun and games in a gym. You’re going to have to choose, life or death for your opponents, from here on out. He would have killed you to prove my point, but, I stopped it to save your ass for Vicki. She’s the reason we’re both out here.”
Chapter 24
Dr. Landau is pacing back and forth behind his desk using his putter as a nerve soothing prop, with Henry sitting in the chair in front of him. “It's been 30 days and still no word on Parks. I must tell you, you have given me pause as to whether or not I chose the right man to head Alomet security. I am quite disappointed we have a loose cannon running around that would threaten my project with Dr. Collins”
Henry smiles less and answers, “He disappeared without a trace. There has been no sight or sound of him anywhere. I’m using all of our resources that you authorized.”
Landau grabs his putter with two hands, “I didn’t want to have to go to NSA, but they track everyone and everything communication-wise in the world. You’re leaving me no choice.”
Henry takes a step back.
Landau leans the putter up against his desk and sits down. Now I have to turn to our government’s clandestine operations section. Hold on while I call the director.” The doctor grabs his phone and places a call.
Henry exhales deeply.
“Edward, this is Dr. Landau. You remember the Nick Parks incident?”
Inside the director’s office, Edward Tallon, sits behind an enormous desk and answers to Landau on the phone. “Of course I remember him. I was wondering how long it was going to take before you called me.”
“Well, I need that favor you owe me. We have tried every source we know and have come up with nothing on this guy. It’s like he disappeared in thin air.”
“Okay, sounds like the perfect job for us. I’ve got a feeling he had help getting to an undercover group, invisible to everyone. But, I can guarantee you he won’t stay lost. What do you want me to do when we find this guy?”
“I was hoping you could assist in giving us some air support, especially if he’s out of country.”
“We can’t use our combat personnel, but I will be able to send two choppers for you if you can provide the manpower. In fact, I’ll also assign a liaison man with combat experience who has our codes to coordinate an attack with our AWACS.”
“That will help our situation. I have the resources to take care of the problem anywhere in the world. I just have to locate the problem.”
“Okay, give us two weeks since I have to send this to you on our back channel network. I’ll find him and send you the intel to coordinate with us.”
“Thanks, Edward.”
He turns to Henry, “Get our world response security forces ready to move within 24 hours’ notice. NSA will find him or at the very least, get you a hard lead on him.”
“Do you want full weapons response activation?” he asks.
“Yes, get all of our security assets ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. I want you to continue looking after you notify our team to be ready to roll. We won’t get any combat people from NSA, but they will supply armaments and transportations. It’s all on us to fix the problem when we find it. Use an Alomet airport as the staging base for the operation.”
“Yes sir.”
“One last thought concerning his disappearance that night. I’ve been thinking that may be where you overlooked some clue as to how he vanished at the attack location where his car blew up. That’s when he went silent. Work backwards from when I arrived at Dr. Collins apartment, back to when his car’s gas tank exploded, and leave no stone unturned. I want you to consider even the wildest idea as to how that could have happened.”
Chapter 25
Eddie, Biggins and Parks are gathered in the merc’s command center. It’s a tent with three computer consoles and three 36” inch monitors. There are also two mini satellite dishes on top of the tent and a small radar array poking above the leaves spinning slowly. The camouflage cover is so effective, you can’t see the center if you’re standing twenty feet away. The electric generators hum quietly in the background.
“Our center’s communications’ piggy backs on commercial carrier’s satellites. Our employers pay a heavy price to keep a secure and secret connection with our group.”
Parks shakes his head in amazement, then asks, “I’m surprised at the amount of equipment you have. How did you get it in here?”
Eddie explains, “We used modified school and passenger buses to bring it in, to make life out here civilized. All messages are scrambled, both in and out. So, a breach of security could only occur from the outside. Biggins, you can go ahead and make a connection to your source.”
“My contact uses a secure method I put in place,” she informs Eddie. She dials a number on the computer console, then, “Jenna? Any news?”
Jenna reports, “Well, the heat has died down completely. There hasn’t been a mention of him for ten days now, anywhere. The last published story highlighted the absurd notion of our friend’s involvement. His record was too clean. So, a lot of holes are what made the interest die down in the ridiculous story they put out. But, they will still snatch our boy if found. The bolo will never go away.”
“Do me a favor and check in on my personal package, make sure it’s okay.”
Jenna assures her, “Been doing it once a week, its good.”
Biggins reports, “Our package insists there has to be a connection to the big corporation. Her disappearance means there’s some place she was taken to. What do you know about their facilities?”
Jenna continues, “Well, research is that company’s black hole. Their stock filings to the SEC shows the absurd amount of money the company earns. But, all they do is show an ungodly amount allocated to that division.”
“Can you locate all the facilities?”
“No. I’ve checked out all the listed ones. But, they are standard small operations that could in no way be using that amount of money. Knowing they have secret locations just whets my appetite to feast on the story that’s waiting to be found. Finding them is going to be hard. How’s our package doing?”
Biggins laughs, “Getting there. Physically ahead of schedule, but hardheaded like a mule on the total program. All we can do out here is get ready to act when we get some intel.”
“Okay, I’ll keep the line hot between 12 A.M. and 1 A.M. every night starting this Friday. I think that since I know to look for the unknown, it will actually make it easier to locate some information.”
Biggins replies, “Thanks. It’s too dangerous for us to give you a channel, that’s why I have to make contact with you.”
Jenna answers, “I know. Stay safe. Bye.”
Biggins turns to Parks, “Wherever they took her, its super-secret.”
Parks steps back and slams his fist into his hand. “You’re not telling me anything new. I’m so pissed off that even a reporter can’t get a lead. This is so bullshit.”
“Calm down. Eddie’s got some underground sources too. It’s early in the mission; it’s been only 30 days. Concentrate on getting ready for the battles ahead. I know I’ve given you shit, but you’re doing pretty damn good.”
>
Eddie chimes in, “Yeah, you got the physical tools, but you gotta keep your mind right. Hell, if you had a right mind, I might even take you.”
Parks stiffens, juts out his jaw, “Okay, I get it. Biggins, I’m gonna toast your ass.”
“You mean you’ll try big mouth.” They all laugh.
Chapter 26
Inside Vicki’s lab, Candy watches a computer screen flash while it’s working to solve a problem. Printer starts to hum readying to print, then the printer stops almost as soon as it starts.
Candy slumps her shoulders, “It’s no use Dr. Collins. The sequence ran out before it registered. What are you looking for?”
“There’s got to be a cell programming mechanism for DNA. I know it!”
Candy asks, “You mean like a switch?”
“It’s a code. That invisible code sends the message to reproduce exactly like the original cell at life’s beginning. A baby begins to form from a single cell. That cell keeps dividing, growing double in size, forming body parts, until it’s born.”
She looks puzzled, “You mean a code gives instructions to make that baby half of each parent, not the mom and dad?”
Vicki tries to explain. “Well, something nature or God put in all humans at the beginning of life; that when they start to grow into a baby, reproducing from a single cell, instructions are sent out to form the parts of that life. It’s the primer code that sends the orders to the rest of the genes for arms, legs, everything, in a special sequence at the beginning.”
Candy tries to clear up her confusion. “What about the human genes already known and mapped out by the Human Genome Project? How are we able to clone animals?”
Vicki shakes her head no. “That’s not the same. The best way to answer your question; when we clone today, we are putting a duplicate identical cell of another animal inside an egg. That egg has no information in it because the nucleus or other animal’s information has been replaced. When they cloned Dolly the sheep many years ago, they discovered her telomeres were shorter, actually the same length as the donor six year old sheep. Telomeres are pieces of DNA that protect the chromosomes, like the plastic tips on shoelaces.”