Exposed (9 page)

     “But he is, isn’t he? He speaks to you like you’re his intern.”

     Alyson was silent for a moment. She remembered her own internship -- the one she was supposed to begin in a few weeks. She wasn’t sure exactly when because she lost all track of time since Mr. Parker kidnapped her. She didn’t even know what time of day it was. Cassie picked up where Alyson left off.

     “Don’t you want to just tell him off? Tell him you’re not going to take it anymore? You don’t need him. He has you doing all the work anyway. Why do you even stay with him?”

     “You’re right. I don’t need him.”

     “Get a backbone. Tell him that,” Cassie said, trying to instigate a fight between them.

     Divide and conquer. That was her new motto. Once she turned them against each other, getting Leonard to release them would be much easier. Just as Leonard was getting good and worked up, Howard entered the room. He looked around, saw the girls were awake, and reached for a scalpel.

     “What are you doing, Howard?” Leonard asked, his voice shaking.

     “What does it look like I’m doing? We need more tissue samples. Would you like the honors?”

     “Don’t we have enough samples yet? The girls need time to heal.”

     “They’ll have plenty of time to heal when I’ve finished my testing.”

     “We can’t do this, Howard. The girls need a break.”

     “We can do this, Leonard. The clones need to give me answers.”

     “They’re not strong enough. Give them a few days to recuperate. Then we can resume the testing.”

     “Do you hear yourself? Days? You expect me to wait days? Are you insane? You know how the scientific community is. Time is wasting, Leonard. If we delay, somebody else will make the discovery. Somebody else will mak
e
m
y
discovery. Where will that leave me? No! We press forward. If you won’t take the samples, I’ll do it myself. Step aside.”

     “I won’t let you do it.”

     “I said step aside. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. You need to move out of my way. Now!” Howard said, slamming Leonard hard against the wall.

     Leonard’s fingers dug deep into the plaster as he slowly slid to the floor. A trail of blood trickled down, staining the once sterile white with a scarlet ribbon. His eyes rolled up as he slumped over like a rag doll. He lay there, motionless, blood dribbling from his mouth.

     The girls were silent. They just lost their only hope of survival. They shut their eyes tight, pretending to be asleep. Howard reached down to feel for a pulse, knowing it was already too late. His partner, his lifelong friend -- was gone.

     “Why did this have to happen to me? Who will assist me now?” Howard cried out.

     He looked down at the body, limp and broken. Then, staring at his bloodstained hands, wiped them on his lab coat, no longer a pristine white.

     “I can’t just leave him here,” Howard mumbled. “The smell will get too great.”

     He ran his fingers, still smeared with traces of blood, through his thinning hair. Little red droplets mixed with sweat from his forehead. He looked a mess. His knees buckled, dropping him to the ground. Sitting on the cold tile, staring at the corpse of his best friend, he contemplated his next move. Drowning in the silence, his mind raced. His head dropped forward, thoughts jumbled from sleep deprivation.

     With a bolt of inspiration, he stood up, straightened his lab coat, and looked over at the girls, still pretending to be asleep. He unlocked the door and checked the hallway. Nobody was coming. Now was the time to move. Not wanting to get caught dragging a bloody corpse, he wrapped a blanket around Leonard and dumped him in the linen cart. He threw another blanket over him and wheeled the cart into the cryonics lab.

     Once inside, he placed Leonard’s limp body in a tank of liquid nitrogen and sealed it shut.

     “Good-bye, my friend.”

     Howard left the cryonics lab and returned to the scene of the crime. In an attempt to erase any evidence of Leonard’s existence, he poured bleach on a rag and scrubbed the wall until his hands were raw. Unfortunately, he neglected to check the floor before leaving the room again. His head spinning, he walked in a daze, quietly passing the security guard, Mr. Hopkins. He exited the building, momentarily forgetting about Alyson and Cassie. Once outside, the warm air washed over him. He meandered over to the benches near the facility entrance and collapsed onto the wooden slats, his eyes barely open. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept, but knew it wasn’t recent.

     “What have I done? What have I done? I murdered my best friend. What have I done? All in the name of science. It’s always for science,” Howard muttered, barely audible.

     As two fellow scientists approached, Howard tried to regain his composure. He sat up straight, pushed his hair into place and wiped the crust from his bloodshot eyes. When they saw his disheveled appearance, they kept walking, whispering in hushed tones. He wanted to say something, to defend himself, but knew that would only arouse more suspicion. He stayed quiet, sat for a few more minutes, then got in his car to clear his head. He drove aimlessly until night turned to day.

Chapter Thirteen

     Jake was preparing breakfast when he heard his father finally come home.

     “I’m in the kitchen, Dad. Do you want some toast?”

     Howard was confused by Jake’s behavior, but hated fighting so he called back, “Yes, thank you.”

     He entered the kitchen to see his son mixing the ingredients for cinnamon French toast.

     “You’re very ambitious this morning. Why the fancy breakfast?”

     “I got tired of cereal and milk,” Jake said, dipping the bread in the batter.

     When he looked up and saw his father covered in dry, crusted blood, he dropped the egg-soaked bread on the floor. Without thinking, he grabbed the sponge from the sink and sopped up the mess. His father’s mental state was clearly unraveling so he chose his words carefully before speaking.

     “Wow. That was more slippery than I realized. No problem. I’ll just get some more bread and start over. It’s a special occasion now anyway. You’re finally home. I haven’t seen you in days.”

     Jake tried sounding sincere, but his sarcasm seeped through.

     “You know I would be home if I could. My work is very important, Jake. I’m in the middle of a huge project right now.”

     “Maybe I can help, Dad. Then we could spend time together.”

     “You don’t have the background for it. You would just get in the way.”

     “Give me a chance. I need something to take my mind off the breakup. I realized you were right. It could never work between me and Alyson.”

     “I’m glad you finally came to your senses. You need to be with a normal girl.”

     Jake bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood. Then he took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and spoke again.

     “You’re right, Dad. I need to find a new girl. One who’s...normal.”

     Jake almost choked on the word. He knew Alyson was a normal girl. She was better than normal. She was very special. She was the only girl who ever got him. They really understood each other.

     “Maybe yo
u
ca
n
be of some assistance to me. That is, if you’re really over Alyson. Are you?”

     “It still hurts, but yes. I am...over her.”

     “Good. I’ll find something at the lab for you. You can come in after school. I’ll put you to work.”

     “Thanks, Dad. You won’t regret it. I really want us to start spending time together.”

     Jake placed the toast on two plates and sprinkled extra cinnamon on each. They ate, made small talk, and after they finished, Jake placed the dishes neatly in the sink. He felt confident his plan was working. He just needed to be agreeable and maintain his father’s trust.

     “I’ll see you at the lab after school today. Check in with security. They’ll page me when you arrive.”

     “I’ll see you later, Dad.”

     Jake wanted to tell his father to get some sleep or ask him why he was covered in blood, but instead, he grabbed his books and headed to school. He counted down the hours until he would see his father, knowing somehow he would lead him to Alyson.

     When three o’clock finally arrived, Jake bolted out of the building. He arrived at the facility and checked in with security.

     “I’m Jake Parker. I’m here to see my dad, Howard Parker. He’s expecting me.”

     “Do you have identification?”

     “Of course,” Jake said, pulling out his driver’s license.

     He stared wistfully at Alyson’s picture, still in the ID slot of his wallet. When the security guard reached for his license, Jake quickly closed the wallet, trying to conceal her picture. The guard examined the license carefully, checking Jake’s face against the picture.

     “You may put this away now,” the guard said, handing Jake his license. “I’ll page Mr. Parker.”

     A few minutes later, Jake’s father came out to the security desk to escort his son inside.

     “I’ll take it from here, Hopkins,” Mr. Parker said, flashing Jake a half smile.

     Mr. Hopkins nodded and waved Jake through.

     “I’m glad you want to be a part of my work. A father and son should work together. We’ll make an excellent team.”

     “We certainly will, Dad,” Jake said, trying to keep his father off guard.

     Mr. Parker led him to a laboratory where he was running tests on the tissue samples. Jake hoped his father would lead him straight to them, but it wasn’t going to be that easy. He would have to earn his trust first.

    The girls were in a different wing of the facility, far from the laboratory Jake would be assisting in. As eager as he was to find them, and as much as he hated playing the game, he knew it was a necessary evil if he was ever going to save them.

     “If you do well today, I’ll have you come back tomorrow. The work we are doing is critical. I need you to take this seriously. No distractions.”

     “Don’t worry, Dad. There’s nothing more important to me than being here right now. I’m ready to learn everything you know. Don’t hold back.”  

     Mr. Parker set Jake up in front of a microscope, a list of instructions taped next to it. Then he handed him a stack of slides. The names were concealed, but Jake knew who they belonged to. He just didn’t know which were Cassie’s and which were Alyson’s. Either way, they were his ticket to getting the girls back. Somehow, these slides would help lead him to where the girls were being kept.

     Jake placed the first slide on the microscope stage and adjusted the eyepiece. When the cells came into focus, he removed the slide and added a drop of methylene blue to the tissue sample. He wasn’t sure how to interpret the findings, but he did know how to prepare the samples for evaluation. Especially since his father left him a specific set of instructions in large bold print.

     “How are you doing, Jake? Do you have any questions before I leave?”

     He wanted to say, “Yes, Dad. Could you tell me where you’re keeping Alyson and Cassie so I could save them from you.” 

     Instead he said, “No, Dad. I’m okay. I’m finally getting to put those biology labs to use.”

     “Don’t go thinking about replacing me now. Just because you have a little knowledge doesn’t make you as good as me. I worked many years to get where I am today. Even crushed some people on the way up. You’ll see. One day you’ll find your true calling and you’ll do anything to get what you want. Anything. Nothing and nobody will stand in your way.”

     Jake had never seen his father like this before. Normally, he was distant and self assured. A man of very few words. Now, he was rambling on. Even sounding a little paranoid. Jake didn’t know how to respond, so he stayed silent.

     “What’s the matter, Jake? Usually you’re not this quiet. This is a new side to you. Are you sure you’re up to this. I can’t have you making mistakes because you’re distracted thinking about something else. Or somebody else. Is that it? Are you still thinking about...”

     “No, of course not. I’m not thinking about anyone. It’s just a lot to take in. I guess I’m feeling a little...overwhelmed.”

     “That’s understandable.”

     Jake breathed a little easier.

     “This is after all the first time you’ve assisted me in my work. It is very exciting, isn’t it?”

     “Yes, Dad. I can’t wait for you to teach me more. I want to understand everything you’re doing, not just prepare work for you.”

     “In time, Jake. In time.”

     But Jake didn’t have time. Time for Alyson and Cassie was running out. The more sleep deprived Mr. Parker was, the more delusional he became. His normal sense of right and wrong was weak, but now, it was nonexistent.

     “If you don’t have any questions, I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll be back soon to check on your progress.”

     “Okay, Dad,” Jake said as he placed the next slide on the microscope stage.

     Jake desperately wanted to follow his father, but knew it was too risky. He was impatient, but knew the importance of playing the game. Slide after slide, he added the appropriate dyes and checked the results at high magnification under the microscope. 

  
 
He has to see what an asset I can be. He has to need me. To believe he can’t do this without me. Obviously he can, so how am I going to convince him? How am I supposed to prove anything to him doing this? This is so frustrating. Sitting here, surrounded by slides of Alyson’s DNA, and I can’t do anything to help her.

     How does my dad do this all day without going crazy? Oh wait. That’s right. He has gone crazy. He’s gone completely insane and stashed my girlfriend somewhere in this building of bricks and glass. She must be terrified. Cassie, too. I can’t imagine what kind of tests he’s doing on them.

     I never should have had that fight with her. I never should have let her leave. How could I let her go when she needed me the most? What was I thinking? She must hate me now. I wouldn’t blame her. After all, it’s my dad that’s keeping her prisoner. I hope one day she can forgive me for being such an idiot.

     The clock on that wall must be broken. It can’t possibly be only ten minutes since my dad left. It must be running slow. Preparing slides is so tedious. Any monkey could do it. I guess I’m the monkey of the day.

     At least I’m in the building. I’ve got an in now. Security won’t stop me if they see me walking the halls. I just have to be patient. Play it cool.

   
 
Oh, where is he? I’m about to pull my hair out from boredom. What is he doing? Is he with them? Is he hurting them? I can’t take this waiting. I feel so helpless. I’m sitting here looking at stupid slides when I should be on the other side of that door searching for her.

     Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Mr. Parker was entering the girls’ room with a smug expression on his face.

     “Okay, clones. It’s just you and me now.”

     The girls, half asleep, quickly awoke to the sound of his voice. Alyson, weak from mental exhaustion and inactivity, cringed. Cassie fought to keep her eyes open. For a brief moment, she thought Leonard’s death was just a dream, but the smell of bleach and antiseptic confirmed her worst fear.

     Her mind flooded with images of Leonard defending them. Then, the crack of his head smashing into the wall. As angry as Cassie was at him, she couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for his death. He died defending her and Alyson. She never meant for that to happen.

     Cassie trembled, her stomach tied in knots. Her pulse quickened thinking about Leonard’s last moments. His final words. Leonard was her best chance at survival. Her and Alyson were depending on his humanity to pull them through their ordeal and eventually release them. How would they ever survive now? In her heart, Cassie never really believed Mr. Parker would kill anyone. Certainly not his partner and friend of more than twenty years.

     Cassie wasn’t the only one struggling to deal with the consequences of Mr. Parker’s actions. Even though Alyson pretended not to notice, the sound of Leonard’s last gurgling breaths was imprinted on her brain. She heard the crackling wheeze of his final gasp for air and then -- silence. Alyson tried to stay detached, but like Cassie, felt somewhat responsible for Leonard’s demise. The sound of Mr. Parker’s footsteps nearing her bed snapped her back to the present. She forced her eyes shut when she felt his hot breath on her face.

     “I know you’re not sleeping, Alyson. Eyes open, eyes shut. It doesn’t make a difference to me,” Mr. Parker said as he unwrapped a fresh scalpel.

     Alyson shivered as the cold, metal blade penetrated and sliced away layers of flesh from her right forearm. Tiny crimson droplets quickly formed. A stinging sensation intensified with each burst of air blowing from the vent above. She wanted to scream, but forced herself to stay quiet. Her heart raced. She could feel it pounding like an African drum during a tribal ceremony. The second she heard his footsteps moving away from her bed, she bit down hard on her bottom lip and dug her fingernails into the mattress. Through tiny slits, she peered across the room to see him preparing a scalpel to repeat the procedure on Cassie.

     Cassie looked in her direction and Alyson gave her a knowing nod. They knew they couldn’t fight him, so they acquiesced and waited for the testing to end. He labelled their samples, and not realizing he dropped one, placed them in his lab coat pocket.

     “I’ll be back. Try not to miss me too much.”

     After he was gone, Alyson clenched her fists.

     “If I wasn’t held down in these stupid restraints.”

     “I know, Alyson. I’m as angry and frustrated as you are. Leonard was our only hope. How are we going to get out of here now? We’ll need a miracle.”

     “More than a miracle. Nobody even knows we’re here. I wish I never had that fight with Jake. I wish I never dragged you into this mess with me. Most of all, I wish we were both someplace else right now.”

     “Wishing isn’t going to get us out of here,” Cassie said.

     “If only it could. I never would have left home if I knew this was going to happen. My dad wasn’t that bad. Even if he wasn’t really my father. He always acted like he was. I just wish I wasn’t something he created in his lab. It doesn’t even matter now. I’m probably never going to see him again.”