The Bovine Connection (25 page)

The doctor slowly looked around the restaurant, as if he were profiling each person. A man sitting with two women looked back at him inquisitively. “Angelica, watch everything and everyone from this point forward,” he whispered, as he turned back around.

This wasn’t the first time she had heard of a shadow government. First it was Blake McKinney, then Paul Colbeck, and now Dr. Goolrick. Her mind raced. It was hot in the restaurant again, she thought.

Angelica adjusted in her seat and felt the moisture in her armpits. “There were also rumors in D.C. of such a group.” she paused. Dr. Goolrick sat silently, watching Angelica bite down on her thumb nail nervously with a blank stare.

“Yes, those rumors are true. Are you all right, Angelica?” 

She felt as if she were coming undone. Her head had started to tingle. “If I proceed with this story, it means I could be putting myself in danger. But I’ve never quit a story before, and most of them involved writing about something that at least one person in a powerful position didn’t want known.” She took a deep breath and probed his eyes for a response. She decided, right then and there, that she’d keep going regardless of the risk involved. “My satchel with my laptop and files was stolen on the flight today.”

Dr. Goolrick nodded. His face was flat. “The question is: who took it and why?”

Angelica looked at the doctor, puzzled. “Yes, I agree. This story may be more than I bargained for.” Angelica hesitated for a moment. “But I can’t turn back now. Well, how could I?” Her eyes shifted into a blank stare and she chewed at her bottom lip. “I have to know everything. Why the hybrids?” Angelica stared Dr. Goolrick straight in the eyes. His eyes appraised her as she raised her hands and clenched her fingertips under her chin. “What’s the connection with the government? Doctor, I don’t believe in coincidences. There’s a reason I’m covering this story and my gut tells me to keep moving forward.”

“Do you live alone?” he asked out of the blue.

“Yes.” She frowned as her face went ashen. She swallowed hard.

The doctor smiled sincerely. “You are a brave woman.”

After Angelica charged their dinner to her room, they both rose from the table and walked out into the hotel lobby.

“You have my work number,” he told Angelica. “Please stay in touch.”

The doctor took out a business card from the inside of his jacket pocket. “Here’s my cell number; if you can’t reach me on it, call the university and they’ll page me.”

Angelica extended her hand and took the card. “Thank you, Doctor.”

She watched the doctor as he walked out the lobby doors and then she walked over and stepped into the empty elevator. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes, reflecting on the evening. The interview with Dr. Goolrick had zapped the last bit of energy she had and she just wanted to sleep.

L
aughter erupted in the hallway outside her door. Angelica opened her eyes to the sound. She stretched her arms out in bed feeling rested, and then pulled the sheet back as she sat up and planted her feet on the floor. She let out a horrified gasp at the sight of blood on the white sheets. She suddenly felt a sharp pain and grabbed the back of her neck. The pain ran down her shoulders and into her back causing her knees to buckle.

As she lowered her arm, she noticed a raised area of skin on her forearm. She examined it closely. Right above her wrist was a rectangular shaped object under her skin. Shocked, she gasped and raised her hands to her face, the tips of her fingers covering her open mouth.

Angelica lowered her arms and stared at it in utter disbelief. She pushed it and the object moved. She pulled her hand back in shock. Quickly, she pushed it again and it moved again before it bounced back to its original spot. “What the hell?” she blurted out.

Angelica ran into the bathroom and looked through her vanity bag. It was an impulse response and she wasn’t really sure what she was looking for. She just instinctively knew that whatever was under her skin, she wanted it out. She searched her bag and produced a razor from the bottom.

Angelica held the edges of the razor carefully and bent it trying to loosen the blades inside. She looked over and saw a can of shaving cream so she placed the razor in a small white towel and began hitting it with the can. When she opened the towel, the razor was broken apart and the tiny blades were lying loosely inside. She used the towel to hold one end of the blade and began cutting into her arm. She let out a cry, gritting her teeth against the pain, but carefully and methodically continued to cut into the skin around the object. The object continued to move slightly against any pressure on it.

Crimson blood rushed down her arm, darkening as it hit the countertop in splatters and dripped into the sink and on the floor. Angelica then heard a slight metallic dinging sound as the object fell out from under her skin and was lying on the countertop in her blood. She looked stupefied, clearly trying to figure out how it got there. She pressed the towel into her arm and held it tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. She was panting fast and hard.

Angelica picked it up and observed it. “What the hell is it?” she asked out loud.

She went back out into the room and opened the curtain to let in daylight. Angelica held the object up in the light and examined it more closely. She had never seen anything like it before.
Was it some type of computer chip or tracking device?
she wondered. It seemed to have some form of artificial intelligence because it moved on its own when she pressed it. It wasn’t organic matter -- that was for sure. And then, like a wave rushing onto a beach, the reality of the moment set in… Someone had somehow surgically placed it under her skin with no obvious sign of incision. She wondered how long it had been there. Like with the cattle, it was a complete mystery to her.

Angelica heard the street sounds outside of the window; it all felt surreal. She turned and walked over to the dresser where she grabbed an empty glass and dropped it inside. Frightened, alone, and desperate for comfort, she picked up her cell phone and called Michael.

“Hello,” Michael answered.

“Michael, it’s Angelica!” Before she could say another word, Michael interrupted…

“Angelica, Sammy just returned from town! Matthew’s dead!” There was silence. Angelica looked away from the tiny metal device. Her mouth fell open.

“Angelica, did you hear what I said?”

Trying with all her will to get a sound to come out of her mouth, Angelica finally whispered with her voice cracking, “Oh… my… God! How?”

“I don’t know yet, but I think it happened the night you stayed with me. Sammy said he thought he heard someone say it was a possible suicide. I just can’t believe it, Matthew of all people… Angelica are you there?”

Angelica recoiled, startled by the news and the pain in Michael’s voice. She stood there silently with her fingers over her mouth, shaking.

Michael continued, “I’m getting ready to head into town. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”

“Okay, please let me know as soon as you find out anything. I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say… please be careful, Michael.”

“I will. I promise.” Michael hung up. Angelica suddenly heard the street sounds from outside. She kept the phone to her ear for a few more seconds, listening in a trance-like state to the familiar sounds that now resonated ominous and frightening. The earth seemed to stop moving for those brief seconds. Every sinew of her body was now in full-on sensory overload, and she felt as if she might be going into shock. She felt the intense and sharp pain in her arm and she began to get dizzy as she sensed the pressure of her heartbeat in her throat.

Angelica stumbled back and dropped down onto the end of the bed. She sat motionless, looking into open space. She put her index finger to her mouth and chewed on the tip of her fingernail, as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at the glass with the metal band, and then at the bloody towel wrapped around her arm. She thought about the voicemail, her satchel. There were so many disturbing events in such a short timeframe. Was Matthew’s death connected? Did she possibly bring death to the quiet town of Elberton because of her investigation? She dropped her head at the thought.

After a minute, she instinctively jumped up, letting the blood-soaked towel fall to the floor. She went over to her purse and looked for Dr. Goolrick’s business card. Once she found it, she stood there staring at it with her cell phone still in the palm of her hand. Abruptly, Angelica changed her mind. She put her phone and the business card down on the dresser and went back into the bathroom. She turned on the sink and ran cold water over the open flesh, rinsing off the blood. The small piece of hanging skin fluttered under the pressure of the water and the wound started to bleed again. She quickly covered it with the towel and found the Band-Aids in her wallet. She always kept a couple in case a new pair of heels gave her a blister. After she covered the wound with the two Band-Aids, she looked into the mirror and froze. Angelica noticed dried blood along and under her earlobe. She leaned in and examined it closely. As soon as she realized she was holding her breath, she exhaled and closed her eyes.
What is going on
? she wondered.

Angelica went back into the room and started packing. All she wanted to do at that moment was to get the hell out of her room.

Angelica’s flight wasn’t until mid-afternoon. She needed to prioritize and concentrate or she knew she was going to turn into a basket-case. She decided logically that her first task was to go find an Apple store and purchase a new laptop.

Angelica showered and left her suitcase in the room.

A
ngelica put her hand over the blood-soaked Band-Aids and forced a smile. “Where can I possibly find an Apple store in the downtown area?”

The polite and overly eager concierge quickly responded… “It’s in the shopping center around the corner from here. Just take a right out the front entrance and it’s a block down on the left.” The concierge briskly opened the door as Angelica hurried past, outside. Even in one of the most beautiful hotels in the country, she felt as if she were walking out of prison.

“Thank you,” she said, as she stepped out to the noise of traffic.

Angelica looked ahead as she walked the sidewalk, along the perimeter walls of the Brown Palace, nestled between the high-rise buildings.
How did they get into my room and in my arm? Or had it already been there?
she wondered. She took her cell phone out of her purse and found a missed text from Gail sent earlier that morning. She realized she must have been in the shower when it came through.

“How did the interview go with the doc?”

Angelica responded… “My interview with Dr. Goolrick was very interesting. Matthew Tillman is dead! I will text you again tomorrow with a time I’ll be back in my office.” Angelica hit the send button and put her phone back in her purse.

After a short walk, she easily found the Apple sign on the mall directory. The concierge had given perfect directions. There was a long line waiting at the counter. Apprehensive about the long wait, she almost walked back out but dropped her shoulders and stepped into the line.

People were milling around looking at devices attached to the tables around the store. There were several high-tech young men and woman with Apple t-shirts assisting customers. Angelica felt flustered at the thought of a long wait.

She started to turn and walk out just as a representative walked up. “How can I help you?”

“I need a new laptop… like that one there,” Angelica pointed to the lady’s laptop beside her. He took her name and said it would be a few minutes, so she found a tall stool at one of the device tables and waited patiently for her name to be called.

Out of her peripheral vision, Angelica noticed a man with tan pants and a black collared shirt walk in. She nonchalantly turned her head towards him to get a better view and immediately felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. The man looked at Angelica and she gave him an odd look before he turned and scanned the room.

Angelica was sure she had seen him before, and there was something about his body language that set off alarm bells in her head. He was trying too hard to not be noticed, she thought.

The man walked over to the case covers on the wall. After a few minutes, he left and walked back into the mall. Her heart pounded against her chest and her legs trembled as she watched him leave. Something didn’t feel right about him, she thought.

Angelica was startled to see a young man standing beside her. “Miss, did you want to purchase a laptop?”

“Yes, mine was stolen. That one right there.” She nervously pointed to a laptop a customer was using. Her finger was trembling.

The man looked at her curiously. “Okay, you seem to know exactly which model you want. I’ll pull one from stock and meet you at the counter.”

After purchasing the laptop, Angelica left the store and walked back toward the front entrance. She looked around and took inventory of the people as they walked by. There he was again, staring blankly in the window of a men’s clothing store. Was he following her or was she just being paranoid? After the disturbing and macabre events of the past twenty four hours, it was a natural response, she thought.