Amoeba (The Experiments) (22 page)

Rewind. Stop. Rewind. Stop. The same screen played over and over again in the twenty monitors. A rush of the participants, thick black smoke, voices . . . static.

Dr. Jefferson rubbed his temples that
had begun to throb, wishing the investors would just be quiet so he could have a moment to think.

“Dr. Jefferson.” Barb, one of the monitors spun in her chair. “Dr. Haynes i
s on the line.”

“Quiet!” Dr. Jefferson called out to bring silence. “Put him on the speaker phone
, Barb.”

The click of the phone over the speaker carried out. “Dr. Jefferson
,” Greg spoke.

“Greg, what’s going on?”

“We were standing on the beach watching for them and we saw an explosion. We can see some of them now. We can’t count how many, but they’re moving slowly towards us now.”

Aldo sprang forward. “Haynes, get a chopper or something out there to
airlift them . . .”

Click.

Barb turned around. “We lost him.”

Dr. Jefferson held his hand
out in a calming manner to Aldo and the others. “I’m sure, gentlemen, he already has a helicopter on its way to them.”

Greg lowered the antenna to his cellular phone as he smiled, peering out into the ocean.

“Sir.” A Caldwell worker ran to him on the beach. “The
pilot said he can have the chopper ready in two minutes.”

“Tell him no.”

“No?”

“No
,” Greg reiterated. “This is a survival experiment.” He motioned his head to those in the water. “Let them survive.”

^^^^

“Uh!” Rickie cried out. “Shark!”

His comment brought about a unison of moans and a few ‘not again’ to those who stayed close and moved slowly, swimming and stopping on
their way to shore.

Rickie snickered as he laid,
with his life jacket on, on top of a large wooden door. He faced Lou who held on to the edge. “Dude, you don’t think we, like, jinxed the journey singing Gilligan, do you?”

“No way.”

“Cool. I feel like a castaway now, guy. Hey, I can be like Gilligan.”

“And I’m the skipper.”

“Without a doubt, dude,” Rickie said. “Sarge can be the professor.”

“I am not the professor!” Jake yelled out.

Rickie laughed. “So which babe is Cal-babe. Is she Ginger or Maryann? I say Ginger, cause Ginger was the most bodacious babe, and like I have to rank my mom up there.”

“Ginger was nothing compared to Maryann
,” Lou argued.

“Dude, like
, she was the homely virgin child. What’s so bodacious about her.”

“Bet me Maryann could cook.” Lou winked. “Any woman who can make a mean pot roast is sexy to me.”

“Cool theory. But boobs are, like, important too. Dude . . . watch. . . . uh! Shark!”

At the same time, everyone yelled “Rickie!”

Rickie laughed again. “Look at me, guy,” He told Lou. “Don’t I remind you of the babe from the Titanic flick?” Rickie fake shivered and did his imitation. “D. . . D . . . Dude.”

Lou tried to be serious as he clung and imitated also. “Don’t you do it Rickie, don’t you say your goodbyes. You will live a l
ong life.”

Rickie laughed loudly. “Hey
, guy, let me cast you into the water like a corpse.”

“Rickie!” Jake yelled. “Times up. Let Cal on that now.”

“Guy, like, I’m being Rose.”

Jake helped Cal to the door. “Rickie, you’re gonna be a dead Rose if you don’t get off that door now. Besides, you have a fuckin
life jacket.”

“Quick action
, guy.” Rickie slid from the door. “You guys could have had yours on, too, had you not been fighting.”

Jake grabbed hold of Rickie’s life jacket and moved him out of the way. “Here Cal. If you don’t get on, just hang on to it good.”

“Thanks, Jake. My legs are getting tired.” She rested her cheek on her arm that hung to the door. “Don’t yell about that.”

“Wouldn’t do it.” He kissed her on the cheek. Then he whispered in her ear. “Mine are too.”

“Uh! Shark!” Rickie called out.

“I’m killing him
,” Jake told Cal and turned around. “Rickie knock . . .”

Another scream en
sued, only this one came from Jason Perry. Immediately, Jason went under.

“Funny. Real fuckin funny boys. Now . . .”

With a rushing sound of water, as fast as Jason went under, that was how fast half his body shot up into the air. Blood poured from his half eaten torso, and it dropped back down to the water and floated courtesy of the life jacket.

Jake watched the panic ensue in the water. “Don’t move! Nobody
move!” His eyes stayed fixed on the large fin that neared them. “Shit,” He whispered.

It was so quiet in that water
, not a sound or splash was made. All movement and talking stopped. Heavy breathing came from everyone. In a flash, the quiet was broken and shocking screams carried out when loudly the water splashed up and the rest of Jason’s body was pulled under.

“Billy
,” Jake called out to him. “Help me move this door out of this blood pool. He’s feeding now.”

Billy swam as fast as his exhausted body would allow him. He joined Jake and Cal at that door
, and they pushed it slowly and out of the way.

Heeding Jake’s advice that wasn’t directed toward them, the others swam from the blood that surrounded them and stayed near Cal, Jake
, and Billy.

Rickie
, with a doggy paddle flick of his hand, made his way near Jake. “Sarge, like, I promise I won’t do any more movies or TV that can get us in . . . shit.”

“What?” Jake asked and looked. The Shark, way out there, was coming back. Hoping Rickie didn’t start singing the theme from JAWS, Jake looked at Cal. “Cal, listen, I don’t want you to panic.”

“I’m not,” Cal said calmly. “I’m not even moving. I know better.”

“Cal
,” Jake said. “You’re on your period.”

Cal’s hand slammed hard on the door. “Well, thank you very much for announcing that Jake. Asshole!”

“No, Cal.” Jake warned. “Right now, you’re shark bait.”

“Oh
, shit.”

Between watching the shark and the others steer their way clear of Cal, Jake had to think. “Billy
, go with the others.”

“No.” Billy shook his head. “Let’s push her to shore.”

“We’ll never make it. It smells her.”

Cal grunted in disgust. “Thanks
, Jake.”

“That’s not what I mean. Billy, go with the others, I got a plan.”

“I don’t . . .”

“Bill.” Jake ordered. “Now.”

Billy gave one more look at Cal, then the shark, and slowly and steadily he swam away to the others.

Jake moved closer. “I have a plan. Do what I say.”

Cal felt Jake grabbing for her shorts. “Jake what are you doing?”

“I’m lowering your shorts for you.” Jake glanced up, the shark circled not too far away.

“Why?”

“I need you to take out your tampon.”

“What! Yeah, Jake, let’s ring the fuckin dinner bell.”

“Cal.” Jake
’s hands maneuvered her pants down.

“Jake, my shorts.”

“Cal, you will either take it out or I will. Now, Cal.”

Cal rolled her eyes. “This better work. Then what,
drop it?”

“Hold it.”

“Hold it?”

“Hold it.” Jake looked at the shark. “Hurry.”

“I’m tense. It’s not that easy.” Cal reached under the water.

“Hurry.” Jake beckoned, watching the shark.

“I swear I liked it better when I couldn’t mention the word menstruation in front of you . . . out.”

“Good.”

“Can you pull my shorts back up?”

“Why?”

“I am not going to be less my clothes if I die. Please.”

Grunting, Jake hurried and pulled them up. “Wait until I say ‘now’ and you drop it.”

“This is sick.”

“Cal.” There was a raised in tone in Jake’s voice.

Cal saw his eyes widen, and she felt him grab her legs. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you out of this. Almost time . . .”

The large fin of the shark parted the water as it made its way with speed directly toward Cal.

“Jake?” Cal saw it. “Oh
, God!”

“Ready and . . .
drop it!” At the same time Jake barked out his order, he hoisted Cal’s legs up. Flipping her on top of the door, Jake threw himself backwards and out of the way a split second before the speeding and stalking shark careened with a violent jolt into the floating door. It carried, on its back, a screaming Cal at a high velocity as the door wedged against the fin of the raging beast.

Cal screamed loudly, gripping the edge of the sailing door for dear life. Her eyes never left the fin of the shark, even after if backed off, releasing the door into the shallow water. Caught in the current of a shallow wave, the still moving door kept going until, like a surfer, Cal washed up with a
vengeance on shore and directly at the feet of Greg Haynes.

Soaking wet, and breathing heavily, Cal
, face down, dug her hands into the sand and lifted herself up.

“Are you all right?” Greg asked, extending his hand down to her.

Cal took it and using his hand as leverage, she stood up and brushed herself off. Her hair stuck to her face. “Where are my things?” She asked in a soft, raspy, yet anger-filled voice. “I need a tampon.” With heavy bouncing shoulders, Cal removed the wet hair from her eyes and spun to look out into the ocean. “And then I’m coming back to kill him.”

^^^^

It didn’t take that long for Cal to return to the beach. Greg didn’t suspect it would. Cal didn’t have to trot the mile to the living area, having lucked out when a female Caldwell assistant had the means to help her out.

“Better?” Greg asked her as she joined him on the beach.

“Much.” Cal still looked mad as she stood, arms crossed, watching Jake and the others so close to shore. The first thing to roll onto the beach was debris, which pleased Cal. She grabbed an average length board and held it behind her back, waiting and watching, and finally smiling when she saw Jake stand up and walk out of the water.

“Cal.” He hurried to her. “Are you all right?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “But you’re not going to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean . . .” Cal brought the board forward and swung outward nailing Jake in the side of the arm. “You big asshole! You don’t think you could have told me what you were doing!”

“When Cal!? Give me that!” Jake yelled at her, snatching up the board from her hand and tossing it angrily aside. “What the fuck! You’re alive! You aren’t shark food right now!”

“Oh, yeah! But I’m really pissed at you, Jake! You could have told me I was going on a ride! And what the hell made you so sure it would work!”

Jake placed his hands on his hips and ran his hand over his wet faced. His eyes shifted to everyone that gathered around. “I . . . I . . . I didn’t.”

“What!” Cal shrieked. Quickly she dove for the board again, picking it up and going after Jake.

Billy, who
was trying really hard not to laugh, grabbed hold of Cal from behind. “Easy,” he said, trying to control her as her legs kept moving in her pursuit of Jake.

Jake just nodded his head at her. “Can you make any
more of a scene, Cal?”

Billy put his mouth close to Cal’s ear. “Calm down
, okay.” He waited for the nod, and then he set her on her feet. Before she could go after Jake again, Billy took the board.

Greg stepped into the confusion. “Are we done?” He didn’t get an answer. “Good.” Letting out a breath, he turned. “Everyone, follow me.” He trotted ahead in a casual pace up the beach.

^^
^^

“This area here,” Greg explained as he led the group from a small wooded area over a slight grade, “used to hold two rows of town houses when the island was inhabited by another research institute. We tore all that down to make room for the compound, so you may notice the lack of grass.” Greg stopped. “This is what we refer to as the compound. This is the housing section. We have you in separate buildings as you can see behind me.” He pointed to the back of the small bungalow-type buildings, ten of them forming a circle. “This way.” Greg led them further, through two of the bungalows and into the center circle, which was a huge dirt area. A pit was in the center for a fire, and logs surrounded it. “This is where you will live for the next six months. The units are nice sized, one room buildings, each with a private bath, a fireplace, and a cooling unit. There are no cooking facilities. I’ll take you there after this, but right now, all of your things have been placed inside your housing unit. Some of your requests were rather big . . .” Greg looked at Jake, “. . .so you’ll have to make room and put them away as you see fit.”

Jake saw Cal looking up
at him. He shrugged. “What? I needed the beer and the arsenal.”

“Then you’ll bitch that the room is messy.”

“No I won’t.”

“Yes you will. What did you do last experiment
?”

“Cal.”

“Jake.”

Jake waved her off and moved a foot from her to
wards Billy, lowering his voice to talk to him. “Billy.” Jake twitched his head at the bungalows. “Ten houses built. Ten houses needed. Well, eight now.” Jake sniffed. “You still want to think they picked you at the last minute?”

“As I was saying . . .” Greg raised his voice to capture Jake’s attention. “We placed the housing in a circle to promote closeness and unity.”