Amoeba (The Experiments) (41 page)

Jake set the bottle on the table.

Cal looked up to him. “I don’t want a drink, thanks.”

“You will not drink from this bottle again
,” Jake told her. “Until we’re home and you have one of those Cal, ‘I’m not in the mood’ headaches.”

Cal looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

Jake’s hand lay on top of the bottle as he shifted his eyes back and forth to Billy and Cal. “The only way Cal and I would be considered successful participants of this experiment was to finish, both of us alive, and still a couple. There were three ways to break our team. If one of us mentally breaks . . . which would never happen. If one of us dies . . . which would never happen. Or if we break up . . . . which would never happen, unless,” Jake looked at Cal, “one of us cheats. You.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jake closed one eye. “Listen. Okay, so that’s the plan. They can’t kill us, they can’t break us, so they go after us as a couple. Break us up early on. We don’t fight as a team, we aren’t strong as a team . . . Cal dies.”

“Hey.” Cal’s eyes widened. “What about you?”

“Cal, please. Anyhow, so how do they do that? The one thing that breaks up marriages. Again, infidelity. Get one of us to cheat. It’s obvious who that would be. Not me. With only one other broad scheduled to be on the island, who was a . . . a dog, the only way I can physically cheat on her here is if I’m gay, and that ain’t gonna happen. So they go after Cal. She already started the ball rolling for them with her delusional housewife infatuation with some television reporter who happens to be one of her best friends. But how do they get a woman, who probably has delusional housewife fantasies about being with another man, to cheat on a husband she truly loves?”

“I do
, Jake. I do. I mean not fantasies, love you.”

“So how do they get her to cheat?” Jake held up his finger. “It isn’t by counting on the reporter slash best friend to be a heroic Casanova
. Let’s face it, she’s already married to that. They get her to cheat by . . . .” Jake’s finger tapped the cap of the Jake, “. . .drugging her and him.”

Billy’s eyes went from the bottle to Jake. “What are you saying
?”

Jake grunted long and loud. “Fuck, weren’t you paying attention? I just fuckin said it. You guys were drugged.”

“No.” Billy shook his head. “Still, drug or no drug, I should have had control. I’m so sorry Jake.”

“As much as I hate to say this . . .” Jake took a second to swallow. “There was no way, under the influence of this drug, that you could have control. And with both of you under it, it pains me to think of how out of control that got. And trust me
, I know what it does to one person. My back is killing me.”

Cal’s eyes widened. “Is that why you had me drink the Jack this afternoon
? You drugged me?”

A little frightened of Cal realizing
what he had done, Jake reluctantly answered. “Yes.”

“I was drugged?”
Cal’s expression was seriousness, and then it was replaced with a smile. “I was drugged!” Cal shrieked and jumped up grabbing and hugging Jake.

Billy slumped down in the chair, a heaviness lift
ing off his shoulders. Though they had still done Jake wrong, they hadn’t hurt him intentionally, and that meant a lot to Billy. He reached up and grabbed the bottle. “Drugged,” he said in relief.

“Jake.” Cal pulled from her embrace of him. “You are so brilliant. You figured it out all by yourself and narrowed it down to the Jack?”

“Not really,” Jake said. “Rickie overheard them at the toot, I mean institute. I was merely confirming it.”

“They set this up.” Cal s
hook her head. “That would be why Larry left those pictures in here.”

“Larry did that?” Jake asked. “Oh, he’s paying. He’s paying big time.”

The happiness left Cal’s face. “Jake, we were drugged. Okay, but . . . that still doesn’t lessen what we did. What we did was wrong. What we did to you was a sin. Don’t dismiss the act. I could use this as a way out, but I won’t. We . . .” Cal sat back down. “We had to start it. And we did that on our own. And even if we weren’t drugged and nothing sexual happened, starting it was wrong. Wrong.”

“I know.” Jake lowered to
his knees before her. “And what caused it to start is part of what you and I, Cal, will work on. I’m not dismissing it, but I’m not going to lie. Knowing the drug had a lot, a lot to do with what transpired, makes me feel a hell of a lot better.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Billy watched them for a second and stood up. “Thanks
, Jake. Thanks for letting me know. Just know, I never meant any of it. I never meant to hurt you. I look up to you and if I admired you before, I . . . I admire you more now.” Billy walked to the door. “It takes a big man to be the way you’re being. And I’m not just talking in size.” Billy winked and grabbed for the door.

“Wait.” Jake stood up. “There’s one more thing.” He waited for Billy to turn around. “The experiment wanted to break up me and Cal
, cause dissension in the three of us. If there’s one thing I hate it’s losing. Letting them get the best of me is letting them win, and I refuse to let them win. Even if I wanted to keep you away from Cal forever, even if I wanted to break your neck right now . . .” Jake failed to see the sudden fear on Billy’s face. “I wouldn’t do that, because that’s what the experiment wants to happen. And the last thing I want is to give them what they want.”

The music that played into the microphone finally stopped, and a long sigh of relief was let out by the two monitors, Greg, and Aldo who were in the control room. They kept their eyes peeled to the screen that was still black.

Though they
had tired of Reo Speedwagon, those in the control room didn’t know what was worse, old eighties music or Rickie trying to be a D.J., speaking muffling close to the microphone in a smooth soft way.

“Dudes
,” he said. “Like, welcome back to the world of the Graisons. We hope you enjoyed this commercial break. And like, now, we’d like to take you back into the world of the wedded bliss.” The snickering of Rickie was heard, and then, after a shuffling noise, Rickie’s eyeball peered close into the camera. “Dude, Haynes, man you’re looking rank.” Rickie laughed again and stepped back jumping off the chair he stood on. “Okay. Where were we?” He ran to the table.

“Your turn
,” Jake said as he sat at the table with Cal and Billy, a game board in front of them. He kissed Cal and grabbed his beer. “Bill, you ready for another one?”

“No I’m fine Jake.” Billy stared at his tile holder. “Rickie go on.”

“Dudes.” Rickie spoke with excitement to the three. “I got, like, the perfect word. Check me out.” Rickie began to lay down his tiles. “Building off your ‘S’. S--U--C--K--E--R.”

Greg’s jaw moved slowly as he peered with angry irritation at the laughing Scrabble playing annoying four. But Aldo, Aldo took the opportunity while watching to lean back in that comfortable leather chair . . . and smile.

“Almost done, babe.” Jake encouraged Cal as they stood in a small clearing in the woods. “Give it a little more.”

Cal charged forward, kicking hard into the Stasis size dummy Jake held.

“Good, again. Try a little higher.” Jake held the dummy tight.

Cal backed up and caught her breath.

“Cal, you should quit smoking. You’d do better.”

“Maybe.” Cal leaned into her knee in a runner
’s stance.

“Maybe? What, no ‘fuck you’.”

“Why would I say that?”

“You always do.”

“Nah.” She shook her head. “Ready.”

“Yeah. Did you think of one yet?”

“No.” Cal took off running, plowing into the Stasis dummy and sending it back a foot.

“Good. Once more. And why not
?”

“Why not what
?” Cal walked back the ten feet.

“Why didn’t you think of something
? There has to be something I do in our marriage that needs to be worked on.”

“No.” Cal got ready to run again.

“Cal, come on, I’m not perfect.”

“Pretty much so.” Cal smiled at Jake and prepared. “Ready?”

“No,” Jake said. “I told
you
something. This is a daily thing. You have to tell me something.”

“There’s nothing to tell. You don’t need to change. I do.”

Jake grumbled and rolled his eyes. “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s finish up. Do a slide in, sweeping out his legs.”

Cal widened her eyes stepping back further. “All right.” She looked and took a few more steps back. “You gonna let him go this time
?”

“Yes.” Jake answered.

With everything she had, Cal raced forward like a baseball player charging to second base. And in one swift movement, Cal leaped forward feet first, slid in the dirt with a huge dust cloud, caught the legs of the dummy, and swept it to the ground. The moment the dummy fell to the ground was the moment its heavy weight caused Cal - entangled within it - to flip over from her back to her stomach. She started to get up and fell back down.

“Whoa.” Jake rushed down to her. “You
okay?”

Cal shook her head staring
out blankly. “Yeah.” She blinked.

Jake reached his hand down to Cal, hoisting her up. As his huge hands brushed her off
, he noticed her balance was off. Slowly he raised his eyes to her. “You sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”

“Yeah.” Cal took a second then helped him brush off the dirt. “I just got dizzy from being turned so fast.”

“You didn’t eat. An empty stomach will cause that.”

“You’re right
,” Cal commented, and then snapped herself back together. “Race back?”

Jake stared at her for a moment. No.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s uh . . . walk.”

^^
^^

Before a wide metal door, Stan stood with Ollie and Rickie and, of course, a clipboard. “Rickie,” Stan told him. “You have to. It’s part of your job, guy. That’s why you’re getting paid three hundred dollars a day.”

“No way
, dude. You’re teasing me,” Rickie argued.

“No
, we are not.” Stan showed him the clipboard. “See for yourself. Ten seconds. First step.”

Rickie turned back and looked at the door. “Dude
, I can’t.”

“Then you don’t get paid for today
,” Stan stated. “Right Ollie?”

“Right
, Stan,” Ollie said.

Stan held up the stop watch. “Ten seconds
, three hundred dollars.”

“O
kay.” Rickie reached for the door. “But, like, you start timing me the second I go through this. Don’t wait.”

“You got it.” Stan held his thumb on the watch. “Ready? And . . . Go
.”

Rickie flung open the door and stepped down the first step. The slam of the metal door behind him made him jump. ‘Two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . .”

Creak

“Six . . seven . . .”

A slight, very soft moan was heard.

Rickie’s eyes widened. “Eight nine ten. Guys!” He turned and banged on the door. “Guys!” Rickie heard another creak and another moan
. “Guys!” The door opened and Rickie flew through, slamming it shut with his body. “I hate you guys.” Pouting, Rickie folded his arms and walked by Stan and Ollie who laughed at him. He turned half way down the hall and sang his words out to them. “And you’re in trouble.” Rickie spun his body and stormed off. “Cause, like, I’m telling my Dad.”

^^^^

His growing coal black hair was still wet from his shower when Paul put it in a ponytail. He smeared the fog from the mirror as he checked his reflection, then stepped from his bathroom. He could feel his stomach churning in hunger, and wondered if he missed the clang of the pot signaling that breakfast was ready. Wanting to just head down to eat, but knowing what he had to do, Paul grabbed a pack of matches from his dresser and pulled one from the pack. As the sulfur tip struck and ignited, mixed with the ‘hiss’ of the lighting match, he heard something else. Groans.

They were p
ainful, but soft, coming from within his room where the shades were drawn and only a candle was lit. Confusion on why he heard them ended when he heard something else. Lou’s voice. Tiny, little, and miniaturized.

“Help me. Please help me.”

With his face glowing from the candle, Paul turned and the candle dropped to the floor when in the center of his room, no bigger than a foot tall, he saw a vision, bluish in color, ghostly, arms reaching out, bodies of the damned going after and trying to get a crying Lou. The vision was a calling, and after stamping out the small fire that had started, Paul left the room to begin on his new mission.

^^
^^

Joking around and in an upbeat mood, Jake lifted Cal in a swinging hug over a small puddle as they walked to the dining room. He set her down and kissed her. “Tell me.”

“Jake, there’s nothing to tell. Really
,” Cal told him.

“I’m finding that hard to believe. If Chuck was here
, I’m sure he’d rattle off a list. There has to be something.”

Cal paused. “All right. You get up too early. There. How’s that?”

“Cal, sweetie, I have to get up that early. I’m in the service.”

“Well then.” Cal tossed her hands up. “That’s all I can think of.”

“What about on the weekends when I don’t work? What if I sleep till . . .” Jake shrugged. “Six?”

“If you want.”

“Cal, are you paying attention? I only said six, that’s not . . .”

“Sarge!” Rickie’s calling voice careened his way.

Jake turned to see Rickie running to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Sarge, they did it to me again.” Rickie caught his breath. “They . . .” he paused when Judge walked by with a ‘morning.’ Rickie waited until it was clear
, and he dropped his voice to a whisper. “They Wes Cravened me again.”

Cal hid her snicker and pointed to the dining building. “Jake, talk him calm again. I’m
, uh, gonna get some coffee.”

“Cal I . . .” Jake flung his hand in frustration as he watched her walk in
to the building. He looked back to Rickie. “Make it good, Rickie,” Jake warned, then proceeded to listen to Rickie dramatically ramble.

Cal felt like she had walked into some bad summer camp movie when she saw Lou, cigarette dangling in his mouth, carrying a pot to the table. She waved to him, going to the coffee pot and getting a cup of coffee. Her eyes glanced at Judge who patiently waited by the table for Lou to set the food down, then Cal, mug in hand, found a spot at the table.

At first
, as Cal brought her lips to her mug, she thought it was Judge or Lou when she felt the weight near her. Then, through the aroma of the coffee, she smelled the bad after shave and she knew exactly who it was. So close, hip touching her hip. “Do you mind?” She merely shifted her eyes to Larry who sat backwards on the bench seat next to her, back against the table, elbows back.

“Not at all
,” Larry said, leaning into her coffee, placing his face to hers. When Cal went to swat him away, he quickly grabbed her wrist and slammed it to the table. “Don’t.”

Cal’s jaws clenched thinking of how she would find an original way to nail him. “I’m warning you.”

“Don’t warn me,” he told her gruffly. “I’ve noticed the happy reunion, the three of you back together, every night. Probably having some sort of kinky trio thing happening.” Larry clenched her wrist. “Not that it bothers me. In fact, I find it intriguing because you’re really cute.”

“Fuck off.”

Larry snickered. “Attitude. I was curious, Cal. I see how happy Jake is. I wonder if he would be so happy to find out that your little one night stand with Billy goes deeper.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Larry released her wrist. “How happy would Jake be if he found out about you and Billy kissing, mud covered, right before being chased by pigs. Or . . . that intimate embrace you took from Billy because Jake is too big to hold you like that.” Larry smiled. “I kept a few of those pictures Caldwell gave me. And you know what?” Larry spun and stood up, leaning over Cal’s shoulder. Cal stared coldly forward.“I’m tired of jerking off to them. If you don’t want Jake to know, be at my room tonight.” Touching her shoulder, Larry turned around only to see Judge standing there. “What old man?”

Judge ignored him and sat down next to a blank staring Cal. He looked over his shoulder to see Larry sit somewhere else. “Cal
,” He whispered. “You tell Jake. You tell your husband right now what that man said to you. You hear me?”

Cal shook her head. “I can’t tell . . .” She stopped talking when she heard laughter. She looked back and saw Jake, Rickie
, and Billy walking in. “I can’t.” She swallowed, then sipped her coffee waiting for the inevitable, the smiling trio to arrive at the table.

“Dudes, it’s not funny.” Rickie sat down. “Cal-babe
, you okay?”

“Yeah.” Cal looked up then down when Jake set food in front of her. “Jake
, I’m not . . .”

“Eat
,” Jake ordered, grabbed her hand, and placed a fork in it.

Billy joined the table. “Cal, you
okay?” He slid into a seat. “You look upset.”

“No I’m . . .” Cal tried to answer.

“Cal-babe,” Rickie interrupted. “If you want a little humor today, come on my fishing expedition with me and Reed. Wait . . .” Rickie laughed. “Me and
Reed
will hit the
reef
to
see
if
we
can possibl
ee
, catch us all some big fish-
ees.
”

In the silence Jake glared at Rickie. “What the fuck was that about?”

“Just a little midmorning Rickie-Meister Shakespearean moment, Sarge. That’s all. So do you want to go fishing Cal?” Rickie asked her.

“No, Rickie
, I . . .”

“She should stay inside
,” Jake interjected. “It’s gonna get hot, and you did get dizzy this . . .”

“I’m fine.” Cal spoke. “I flipped . . .”

“You got dizzy?” Billy asked. “Are you sick?”

“Fuck!” Cal slammed her hand down to the table and stood up. “I’m fine
, all right!” She stepped over the bench, and without saying anything else stormed away from the table.

Everyone looked at the door and to Jake.

He peered up from his breakfast. “It’s a female thing.”

Just when a long drawn out ‘oh’ came from everyone
, the door to the dining room opened again and Cal popped her head in. “I heard that Jake. Thank you very much.” The door slammed.