Amoeba (The Experiments) (6 page)

Coming down the steps, wearing shorts and a tee shirt, Jake moved directly to the small living room closet and pulled the basketball from it. He checked the firmness of it knowing it had been seven months since he used it. It seemed fine, and he tucked it under his arm. “Hey, Cal, I’m out of here.” He moved toward the kitchen. He could smell the mixture of a baking cake and dinner. “I’ll be back in an hour and that’ll give me time to shower before . . .” He looked at his kitchen when he arrived. A bag of flour and a bag of sugar were on the small table. The mixing bowl protruded from the sink. Splashed on the stove were a few grease dots which must have escaped from the pot, and a few jars of seasoning sat on the counter right where Cal had her hands in a bowl making little balls out of some sort of tan mixture.

Cal smiled at him and placed one of those tan balls into a mushroom cap. “What’s wrong?”

“Is it customary for a kitchen to look like this when a meal is being prepared?”

“This isn’t the mess hall
, Jake. Yes, I’m cooking appetizers, dinner, and desert all at the same time. I’ll clean up. Go play ball.” She grabbed more of the mixture.

“Cal.” Jake stepped to her.

“What?”

“My ring.” He grabbed her hand and looked at her diamond covered in the moist substance.

“It’ll rinse off.”

“Wear gloves or something. I paid a lot for that.”

Cal rolled her eyes, turned on the water, and rinsed off her hand. She removed the ring and placed it on the window sill.

Jake let out a slight shriek. “You took it off. I can’t . . .”

“Jake.” Cal reached into the mixture. “Go. And don’t be late. We’re meeting Mrs. Whatever at the house at eight.”

“I’m going.” As Jake moved to step from the kitchen
, the phone rang. “Aha, phone service.” Jake picked it up. “Major, I mean, Lt. Col. Graison . . . Who’s calling?” Jake looked at Cal. His face took on an almost angry look. “She has this substance on her hands right now, she’ll have to call you back.”

“Who is it?” Cal asked.

Jake hesitated. He didn’t want to tell her.

“Jake?”

“It’s David.”

Cal smiled
, then erased it. She rinsed off her hands and took the phone. “Hi,” she said very chipper into the phone. “This is a surprise.”

Jake, gripping his basketball, sat down at the table and watched her.

“Hold on David.” Cal covered the mouth piece. “Jake, I thought you were playing ball.”

“I am.” Jake put the basketball on the floor. He leaned back in the chair. “After you’re off the phone. Why is he calling here? I don’t approve.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’ll never approve of my friends?”

“Oh, I will
, whenever your create a friendship link with someone that isn’t an organized crime boss or someone you haven’t previously slept with.”

Cal’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.” After flipping an observing Jake off, Cal braced the phone between her ear and shoulder, turned her back to Jake
, and talked on the phone while cooking.

In the large, white clinical room, it was a mixture of surgical team meets annihilation squad in a schizophrenic medical setting. All twenty people in the room were wearing sterilized hospital garb, even face masks. Some of those dressed held automatic weapons. In the center of the room on a metal cart lay a long oval mound, brownish in color, rough in texture. It seemed to shift some, and every once in a while, a rolling of the top would occur like a baby kicking within its mother’s womb. Monitor wires protruded from it, and a steady beeping echoed in the room.

Barely any of Greg’s face could be seen between his mask and head covering. He stood next to Dr. Jefferson
, who looked the same. “It’s been an hour now, and the movement is steady. Do you suppose there is trouble breaking through?”

“I don’t see why there would be
,” Dr. Jefferson answered. “No other has had trouble.”

“Yes, but we aren’t sure yet if this is like the others.”

There was a unison gasp when the top of the enigma raised high and fell. The breaths were released.

Greg shook his head. “This is getting unnerving.”

“I have to agree. I feel like I’m at the birth of my first child again.”

Greg’s eyes smiled. And then another gasp occurred
, an extending of the enigma followed by the groans of disappointment.

“Sir
,” a woman who stood near the table called out as she stepped closer to the enigma. “I heard . . . I heard a grunt.”

Greg’s eyes shifted to Dr. Jefferson. “That means it could actually be one of them.” He waved his hand over to the armed men. They pumped the chambers of their guns. Two other surgically dressed people hurried toward the enigma, pushing a tray containing syringes. Greg, with Dr. Jefferson
, moved closer.

A hush took over the room
, and the enigma shifted violently. A crackling occurred, followed by a loud grunt. Another moment of quiet, then what sounded like a deadened thumping knock. Once, then two times, then once again. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. The mumbling of voices buzzed about the room but were quickly silenced when a distant muffled voice called out. It came from the enigma.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Greg and Dr. Jefferson hurried even closer.

“I like, hear you out there. Hello? Dudes? Like
, this isn’t funny, it’s wet and dark in here and I’m stuck.”

Greg’s eyes lit up. “Surgical team
, join me.” He grabbed a tray with instruments on it and pulled it to him. “Let’s cut this thing open.”

In the jeep as they pulled in front of the house was the last time Jake had told Cal ‘I told you to just pick one’. Jake was filled with more comments than even Cal expected.

She thought it was going to be a good experience when they met the real estate agent whom Cal ended up just calling Estelle. Jake smiled
, looking up at the home, commenting on how big and how great the yard was. The he countered that by estimating how long it would take to cut the grass. Cal knew she was in trouble when they stepped inside and Jake continuously opened and closed the front door, cringing at every creaking sound it made.

Estelle kept up a happy appearance as she led them into a room by the stairs that
was set in the center. “This is a great old home,” Estelle explained. “Over a hundred years old. This room here. . .” She opened the double doors, “. . .could be used for a family room or a party room. It has cable.”

Jake peered in. He didn’t look pleased.

Estelle chuckled. “Doors, too. My ex-husband and I would have loved to have one of these rooms to lock the kids in.”

Jake turned his head to her. “That sounds rather abusive.”

The joking smile disappeared from Estelle’s face. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s go upstairs.” She held her hand to the stairs, and led Cal and Jake up. “As I was telling Cal this afternoon, The railings on both sides of the steps are great for safety purposes. The stairs are wide and deep.” They got to the top. “Up here, we have five bedrooms.”

Jake looked at Cal. “Five?”

Cal nodded. “Two more in the attic. You said big.”

“Five?” Jake repeated.

Estelle stopped at the first room. “Three of them have their own bathrooms, and there is a main bathroom up here. This room I love.” Estelle opened the door. The walls were white with a pink balloon border. Animal figures were painted on the walls.

Jake stepped in. “It looks happy in here.”

“A nursery,” Estelle said. “And conveniently close to the master bedroom.”

Jake placed his hands on his hips and looked around the room. Cal stood next to him. “Cal
,” he whispered with some disappointment. “What are we gonna do with a nursery? Come on.”

“You never know
, Jake.”

“Oh
, yeah, I’m going to miraculously become unsterile.”

Cal shook her head with a quiet smile. She grabbed Jake’s hand and brought him out of the bedroom. “Wait until you see the master bedroom. What a view. And large closets.”

“How many?”

“Two. Both walk-in.” By Estelle, Cal led Jake into the master bedroom. “Jake
, look at this window.” Cal immediately walked to the huge bay window. “Look at the view. Of course finding drapes that will fit is . . .” She turned around. Only Estelle was in the room. “Where did he go?”

Estelle pointed near the closet that was located just outside the master bedroom powder room.

Cal walked over there. Estelle followed.

Jake stood in the small hall before the bathroom shaking his head.

Cal tapped him on the back. “What’s wrong.”

“This is way too small
,” Jake commented.

“The bathroom? No way.” Cal argued.

“Cal, I’m telling you, it won’t work. Watch.” Jake walked in.

“Jake
, What are you doing?”

Jake walked to the commode, put down the lid
, and sat down. “See? My knees almost touch the sink.”

“I cannot believe you are doing this
,” Cal said with embarrassment.

“Cal, comfort is important. Look how close my . . .”

“Jake.” Cal called his name between clenched teeth. “Get off the toilet.” She moved her eyes to Estelle behind her.

“It’s too small.” Jake stood up.

“You’re too big,” Cal told him. “Just use the main bathroom for that.”

“Cal, please.” Jake started to walk from the bathroom and stopped when his phone rang. He looked down to where it was hooked to a holder on his belt. “Excuse me.” He moved through Cal and Estelle, lifting the phone
, and walking into the bedroom. He pointed to the window. “Great view.” He answered the phone. “Lt. Col Graison.” Jake peered out the window. “Who is this?” Immediately Jake spun to Cal.

Cal walked to him.

Jake’s eyes blinked several times. “Back up.” He spoke on the phone. “Who did you say this is regarding?”

Pale.

Jake’s face went immediately pale, and Cal saw it.

“Jake?” She whispered. “Is everything all right?”

Jake stared at Cal with nervousness creeping up on his face. His eyes shifted, and his mouth moved slightly. Surprise had taken him, but he quickly got a hold of himself. He nodded with closed eyes to Cal and returned to speaking on the phone. “When will you know more?” Jake asked firmly, back in military mode. “Fine. We’ll be there then. Thank you.” With a beep, Jake hung up the phone.

“What’s the matter?” Cal asked.

“Oh, nothing.” Jake put the phone away and kissed Cal on the forehead. “That was the institute.”

“What institute?” Cal asked.

“Caldwell.”

Cal’s eye widened. “What did they want?”

“There was, um . . . some papers we didn’t sign. Experiment releases or something stupid. They need us down there next week some time to finalize everything. I said we’ll be there.”

“Oh
,” Cal said nonchalantly, and moved away from Jake, never seeing the long deep breath he let out. “So.” She looked at Estelle. “I guess we’ll go. Thanks for taking time this evening to show him the house.”

Estelle looked a little dejected. “It’s a great house. But . . .” She shrugged. “At least now I know what to look for. We’ll find you something else. Maybe tomorrow we can . . .”

“Hold it.” Jake interrupted. “What do you mean find something else?”

Cal
, with a crooked smile, looked at Jake. “She means find another house. You don’t like this one.”

“What
, are you kidding me?” Jake said. “I love it. I want to see more.” He moved to the bedroom door. “Honestly, ladies, I wish you would let me say how I feel instead of guessing. Where in the world you got the idea that I don’t like this house is beyond me.” Jake, very poignant, walked from the bedroom.

Cal, with an ‘it figures’ look to Estelle, raised her hands and let them fall with a slap as she and Estelle followed Jake out.

Before a long observation window, Greg stood with his hands behind his back. He had a snickering smile upon his face as he stood with Stan watching inside. The vocal sounds of ‘ah’ in different musical notes seeped through the exterior speaker.

“How . . .” Greg cringed at a bad note. “How long has he been doing that?”

“Since seven,” Stan told Greg.

“Has anyone asked him why?”

“Oh, yes, several times,” Stan said.

“And what was h
is reasoning?”

“He um . . .” Stan hid his chuckle. “He wants to make sure he can still sing lead.”

Greg’s mouth opened with a silent ‘oh’ and he nodded. He looked back in the window and laughed.