Amoeba (The Experiments) (28 page)

“Sorry
,” Billy said.

“And stop being such a push over.” Jake ordered. “Just take a firm stand with that asshole and tell him to knock it the fuck off.”

“I thought you said to ignore him,” Billy said.

“That was before.”

“Well, I can’t tell him that. I can’t fight him,” Billy said. “He’ll kill me.”

“Yeah
,” Jake replied. “He would.”

Cal gasped. “Way to build his confidence
, Jake.”

“What? You want me to lie to the guy
? Fuck, Cal, at least I’m not wiping him off.”

“You can do something
,” Cal argued.

“Like what? If I step in, which I’d love to do, it’s gonna make matters worse for him.”

“Then teach Billy how to beat him.”

“Cal.” Jake folded his hands. “This isn’t the fuckin Karate Kid here
, babe, I can’t teach him how to kick ass in an hour and a half.”

“Excuse me.” Billy spoke up and pushed his plate forward. “Don’t argue over this. I think what
Jake said the first time is right. I’ll ignore him. He’ll eventually get over his immature antics and drop it. Until then, I can take a few pushes and name calling. I put up with that all my life.” Billy stood up and grabbed his plate. “Trust me, there isn’t anything he can do to get to me. Excuse me, I’m getting more breakfast.”

Cal moaned an ‘ah’ when Billy walked away. “I feel so bad.”

“I do too,” Jake said.

Judge, who was just going to sit at another table, stopped at theirs and spoke in a low voice as he watched Billy. “I have an idea for you two, if you care to hear.”

“Yes,” Cal said.

“No
,” Jake interjected.

“Yes
,” Cal insisted with a kick under the table to Jake.

“Cal!” Jake blasted. ‘Knock off the physical abuse.”

“Oh, you have room to talk, you dropped me off a cliff today.”

“You pushed me down a fuckin cavern.”

Judge winced. “Can I share it before the young man returns?”

Jake lifted up his hand. “Be my guest.”

Judge, with his plate, sat down with a painful grunt and adjusted himself to sit better. The weather pained his hip. “Now, the way I see it, you’d like to help your friend, only, ya’ can’t. Jake, you need to end this, but Larry won’t end it with you unless he starts with you.”

“Which he won’t
,” Jake commented.

“Not unless you make him.” Judge smiled. “He’s not a smart man. You unknowingly make him
smart.”

Billy knew Cal and Jake had to be talking about him as he returned with his plate. They could have been less obvious and not looked at him so much as they spoke with Judge. They probably were talking about how pitiful he looked with that syrup spilled all
over him. Awkwardly - and knowing he stopped a conversation because the table went silent - Billy sat down. Just as he picked up his fork, Rickie came flying in.

“Dudes. O
kay.” Rickie held up his hand. “Don’t say anything, like, whistle or something and pretend all is fine in experiment land.”

Jake looked at him
oddly. “Rickie what the . . . the . . . oh fuck.” Jake quickly turned away when Reed walked into the room.

Cal nearly chocked.

Billy hid his snicker.

Rickie bounced from he
el to toe and smiled at Reed. “Dude, like go get some nourishment.” He gave a thumbs up to Reed. “Looking good, guy.”

Reed nodded and waved as he walked pas
t the table. Everyone smiled politely at him. Reed fed off the smiles, and they gave him confidence. He walked straighter to the breakfast line, confident that - just like Rickie assured him - no one noticed he looked different. But they did. Not only had Rickie proceeded to shave Reed’s head bald, but just to help out his ego, Rickie, using some of Reed’s performer make up, drew a little hair on top of the shiny dome as well.

^^^^

“Give me some time,” Billy said to Cal and Jake as they began to separate in the unity circle. “I want to change. Get un-sticky and grab my gear. We can decide then where we go.”

“Take your time
,” Jake told him, leading Cal to their bungalow. He lowered his head closer to Cal and said, “You and I have to discuss this plan.”

Billy s
hook his head. He found humor in the fact that Jake didn’t realize that no matter how quiet he tried to be, how low he tried to whisper, he was still audible. Kind of chuckling at that, Billy opened the door to his bungalow and stepped inside. That chuckle left him and his facial expression dropped, because Billy didn’t recognize his bungalow. His mattress was on the floor, his things were sprawled out everywhere. At that second, he was grateful to Jake for insisting he always lock away his equipment, because if he hadn’t, he was certain that would have been destroyed as well. Not a drawer was shut. Clothing and papers were tossed about. Billy slowly moved further into his room, pausing in the center and bringing himself to squat near the floor. His heart sank. When he said at the breakfast table that there was nothing Larry could do to bother him, he was wrong. Because Larry, or whoever had destroyed his room, certainly found their niche in getting to Billy. They had ripped apart every single picture he had of Cal.

“Okay, Stan, talk to me.” Greg leaned over the speaker phone in the control room.

“Well, Speed and ‘X’ were nearly spotted by Larry when he barged back from breakfast.”

Greg cringed at the nicknames Stan had given two of the controllers on the island. “But they weren’t?”

“No. Everything is in order. Provocation plan is under way. No one is the wiser.”

“Excellent.”

“Oh
, and Dr. ‘G’.”

Another cringe by Greg. He wanted to asked Stan if he had been spending just a little too much time with Rickie. “Um, yes
, Stanley.”

Stan chuckled. “Cute, you sound like my
dad. Anyhow, George here just slipped me a note. He overheard that they were going into that region. So . . should we now?”

“Did they eat?” Greg asked.

“Some did,” Stan answered.

“Round up eight and release them, that should stir some excitement. Get back to me. We’ll be watching.” Greg disconnected the call. He gave a pat to Barb’s back, a red haired woman who had been in the experiment for many years
, and he turned around to see Ron Douglass entering the room. “Morning,” Greg said as he walked toward him on the way to the door.

Douglass
, who carried a paper cup of coffee, hesitated in his walk to his seat having just overheard part of what Greg said. “Why do I get the feeling that my visit today may be worthwhile?”

“It just may be.” Greg smiled.

“Tell me, does it have to do with my participant?” Douglass asked.

“Nah.” Greg s
hook his head in certainty. “Lou is fine. Sit down, have a seat. Enjoy your morning. I’ll be back.”

Douglass’s eyes followed Greg as he left, then with his coffee he sat down. “Oh boy.” He looked up at the screen
, then reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his cell phone. As he promised, he was going to call Aldo when something was going to happen. And knowing the Institute’s determination with Cal and Jake, chances were good that whatever was going down had to do with them.

“Take the rope,” Jake instructed as he lay on his side on the bed reading.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us
? It’s your spot,” Cal said standing by the door with Billy.

“Positive.” Jake flipped a page. “Take the rope. It rained. That hillside can get dangerous coming down.”

“Jake, please.” Cal argued.

“Cal.” He looked up at her. “Never mind. Bill. Take the rope. It’s by the door.”

Billy looked at the pile of bunched ropes. “Which one?”

“Any
one, just be careful when you hold it that you . . .” Jake’s hand slammed to the bed when he watched the rope unroll. “That you don’t do that. Hold it by the loop. Grab another.”

Cal reached down, lifted a bunched rope
, and tossed it on her shoulder. “Anything else Jake?”

“Yeah
,” Jake said. “Stay off the tree. When the ground is this wet, it’s not stable.”

Cal rolled her eyes. “Sure
, Jake, what? I’m gonna show off my acrobatics to Billy? Right.” She grabbed the door. “Let’s go, Billy. And Jake, are you sure you don’t want to . . .”

“Positive
,” Jake said. “I have to do something with Rickie, if he doesn’t blow me off again.”

Billy had to laugh. “Jake, do you realize for as much as Rickie blows you off, you should never be sexually frustrated the rest of your life
?”

Jake glared up. “Bill
, was that a necessary sexual reference?”

Billy badly wiped the smile from his face. ‘Um . . . no. Let’s go.” He motioned his head to Cal and they left.

Jake returned to looking at the book, thought about Billy’s comment, and laughed.

^^^^

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” Billy huffed and commented as he and Cal climbed the steep hill through the woods. “You and Jake do this every day?” He grabbed a tree to get his footing.

“Every
day.”

“I think we should hook the rope up now
, Cal. I’m sliding.”

“Oh it’s fine. Besides, you are gonna thank me when we get to the top and you see the view. It’s a great view.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep. You can get a good shot of the little volcano.”

Billy stopped cold. “There’s a volcano on this island?”

“You’re kidding?” Cal looked back. “You didn’t know
? Can’t you smell the sulfur sometimes?”

“Is that what that smell is
? Oh my God, bet me it erupts.”

Cal shrugged. “Surviving the experiment. Would be neat
, though.” She started walking.

“You and Jake would love it, wouldn’t you.”

“It would definitely be a new . . .” Cal crinkled her face when she heard a snort. “Did you just make that sound?”

“No. What sound?” Billy’s eyes widened when he head it.

Cal slowly turned around and smiled. “Ah, look Billy. It’s a pig.”

“A pig?” Billy looked over his shoulder.
It stood about twenty-five feet down the hill. “Oh shit.”

“What?”

“Cal, move.”

“What for
? It’s a pig.”

“Cal.” Billy backed
up. “It’s a wild boar,” he said, moving into her.

“Oh shit.”

With a loud squeal and heavy huffing, the wild boar began to charge their way.

Cal let out a shriek that hid a bit of a laugh as she started to run up the hill, sliding some as she did and gripping the mud to get her footing. “Oh
, this is way too funny.”

“I’m glad you think so. Hurry.” Billy ran as fast as he could.

“What’s it gonna do Billy, eat us?” Cal laughed.

“Yes.”

“It has to catch us first.” She picked up her speed.

They no longer heard the grunting and huffing of the boar as they reached the top of the hill. Billy, out of breath, grabbed his knees, bending over.

“Safe.” Cal took in the air stretching out her arms. “Isn’t it great up here
? You should take a picture.”

“Cal.” Billy slowly lifted his eyes.

“Huh?” Cal turned to face him and saw the black boar.

“What now?” Billy asked backing up.

Cal looked behind her. “The tree.”

“Jake said not to go on that tree.”

“What choice do we have, Billy? Besides, we have a rope.” Cal inched her way back.

Billy saw them nearing the edge. He looked over. “Oh my God. I can’t do this.”

“Yes you can. Give me your hand.” Cal grabbed his hand.

“I thought you were terrible at this tree thing.”

“I am.” Cal stepped onto the fallen tree.

“Oh shit.” Billy joined her on it.

“Again, what choice do we have?” Nervously, Cal and Billy inched their way over the tree.

“How far do you think we’ll have to go
?”

Cal looked at the pig. “Not far. What are the chances he’ll come after us?”

“Good.” Billy watched the pig move onto the tree. “Very good.” Billy looked down to the cavern. “We’re dying.”

Cal
, in a near crawl, crossed one foot behind the other. Her hand reached for Billy’s shirt as if his off-balanced body would give her more balance. Her fingers had barely touched his tee shirt when she started to sway. “Oh shit.” Her arms waved out trying to get her footing again.

“Oh shit what?” Billy looked over to a swaying Cal. His hand reached out to help her
, and as he grabbed hold, Cal tipped over the side of the tree. The weight of her going one way made Billy’s mud covered boot slide. With his hand gripping tightly to hers, he slipped off the tree hitting against the bark with a hard smack to his chest, and grabbing himself, still holding Cal, a split second before they both fell to their deaths into the cavern below.

Cal almost panicked, but
only for a second. She let out an emotional gasp, dangling by Billy’s hold. She looked up to see him hugging the tree, holding onto her, and watching the boar. “Don’t let go.”

“I’m trying.” Billy’s face was red.

“One sec . . .” Cal swung some trying to reach the tree with her other hand.

“Cal
, don’t swing.”

“I have to . . .”

“Cal, don’t swing, I can’t . . .” Billy shrieked as he slipped from his hug of the tree, losing Cal’s hand as she swung up with her other, gripping to suspend herself. And at that moment in time, both of them hung, hands above their heads, gripping the tree.

Cal smiled. “Hey, at least we’re safe from that pig.”

“Yeah, but what do we do now?”

“Climb down.”

“How do you intend on tying that rope around the tree.”

“It locks. A Jake design.”

Billy raised his eyes. He could hear the snorting and feel the vibrating of the branch. “Okay, lock, how do you intend on doing that. We’re dangling here, Cal.”

“How strong are you?”

“I’m Super Man. Shit, Cal, I’m weak.”

“Nah. Give me a minute.” Grunting as she did, Cal, hand over hand, moved closer to Billy.

“What are you doing?”

“You have to hold me.”

“Oh God.”

“Shh.” She snickered, swung out her legs and wrapped them around Billy’s waist.

“Cal.”

“I’ll try to support myself as much as possible. Just hold on tight for a sec . . .” Cal locked her legs tight around him, holding on to the tree with one hand and removing the other. She slanted her shoulder to allow the rope to fall to her hand. “Got it. Now just b
ear with me.”

Billy watched her reach up, her legs squeezing tighter around him with every move up she made to get the rope over the tree. His eyes moved from her arms, to his hands, to his waist. Looking at where and how tight the
ir bodies were locked. He swallowed. “Oh, God, now is not the time to be having this thought.”

“What?” Cal spoke muffled, one end of the long rope in her mouth.

“Nothing.”

“Got it.” Cal slipped the one end through the other that contained what looked like a belt loop. She gave a tug, pulling the rope and locking it against the branch. “There.” Her one hand held on to the branch again to give some relief to her weight that Billy supported. “Now let me get this end . . .” As she brought the rope near Billy’s waist, her eyes widened. “Billy?”

“Sorry.”

Cal laughed. “Oh
, that is really bad timing.”

“Sorry.”

“Wait until I tell Jake.”

“Don’t you dare!” Billy struggled to hold on as Cal maneuvered the rope around him. “Cal
, I can’t hold . . ow.”

“What?”

“Ow!” he nearly shrieked.

“Am I hurting . . .”

“Ow! I’m pig food. He’s biting my fingers.”

“Oh
, fuck,” Cal said with a chuckle, pulling back from Billy.

“I’m gonna fall . . . ow.”

“Grip the rope, you’re good.”

“I’m glad you’re finding humor in this.” Billy let one hand go, grabbing the rope, then when he was secure, he gripped his other hand to it.

“This whole thing . . .” Cal hoisted herself up. “ . . . is pretty . . .” Her legs reached up and hugged the tree. “Funny.” Cal lifted her body up, letting her chest hug against the under part of the tree. Her eyes stayed fixed on the boar who spotted her wiggling foot. “Come on,” she beckoned.

“Who are you talking to
? I thought we were climbing down? Cal?”

“Come on.” Cal pulled herself tighter
, and just as the boar opened its mouth to grab for Cal’s boot, she loosened her leg from the tree, bringing it out slightly and nailing the boar in the side of the face. With a loud squeal, the boar flew off the tree, and Cal let out an echoing ‘Ha!’ as she watched the boar smack into trees, bounce on the plateau, and finally land lifeless in the cavern below. “Now who said pigs can’t fly?”

“Can we climb down now?” Billy asked, holding on to the rope.

“No need to now. We’ll just . . .” The tree shifted.

“Cal.” Billy’s eyes grew wide. “Did you feel that?”

“Um.”

The tree jolted again.

“Cal.”

Cal looked to see the end of the tree slipping and sinking into the hillside’s mud. “Climb down Billy! Climb down now!”

Billy, trying not to rope burn his hand, lowered himself, watching as he did.

Cal
, in a fast belly crawl, scooted herself across the tree, first gripping the rope with her feet, then sliding her feet down until she grabbed hold with her hands. There was a loud slushy sound, and the tree, with a creaking sound, moved violently.

Billy nervous
ly held on to the rope with one hand while untying it from his waist. He looked up to Cal not five feet above him. “Cal, there’s still ten feet left to go.”

“Jump.”

“Jump?” Billy undid the knot.

“Oh God
, Billy.” Cal felt the tree move again. “Jump!”

Billy did
, and the tree creaked loudly, letting loose on the muddy hillside as Cal slid, rope burn and all, down that rope and letting go. She landed in the thick mud next to Billy and looked up at the tree that was falling their way. In a huddle, they scooted together as the whistling limb sailed down. Before careening to the cavern, one end of the tree hit with a huge vibrating thump against their little landing causing the weakened plateau that they thought was their safe haven to crumble into a muddy slide, sending Cal and Billy, feet first, on a fast slop-filled roller coaster ride all the way down the bottom.

The weight of Billy brought him to the bottom first
, rolling him into a shallow pool of water. Moments later, Cal, with a high velocity, rolled right into him knocking him back with a splash.

“Whew!” Cal lifted to her knees shaking her head. “All you all right?”

Billy couldn’t speak. His mouth moved and his body shook. “I’m . . . I’m . . .”

“Dizzy?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you hurt?” Cal asked.

“No.”

“Well.” She looked up. “At least we don’t have to worry about climbing back down now, do we?”

“Are you . . . are you normal?” Billy asked her.

Cal laughed
and tried to stand up, but her boot found a hidden hole slipping deep into a mud pocket and caused Cal to trip backwards.

“See, that’s what you get.” Billy pointed at her, raising
himself into a sitting position. He breathed heavily while looking down at Cal covered with thick mud, on her rear, legs bent up, her blonde hair so soaked it was flat against her face. His eyes shifted to her knee, then his hand moved over it as he smiled. “But I have to tell you.” He flicked mud at her face. “You really look great covered in mud.”