Amoeba (The Experiments) (32 page)

Greg looked solemn as he sat at his desk, almost as if he were listening to a lecture handed to him by his father. And in a sense he was.

Dr. Jefferson spoke to him
in a concerned voice. “Listen to me. It was a good try, a very good try, but you are wasting way too much time on this. The little things here and there that you’re throwing at the other participants have to increase.”

“I know.”

“It is a six-month experiment, Greg. You have to start pushing all of these people now if you want to wear them down enough for when The Catch becomes the Stasis. Because let’s face it, the elements on the island are not enough to wear them down like any other place.”

Greg stared ahead, “I know.”

“You’re still in a safety time frame here. But in another week and a half, you will have hit one month. Our investors are gonna want to start to see something happen here.”

“And they will. I really wanted to break the Graison team first.”

“Then maybe . . .” Dr. Jefferson tossed up his hands. “Maybe it’s time we stopped leaving it in the hands of the participants and we stepped in some and pushed it along.”

“Let me
give some thought pm how we can do it scientifically.”

“Perhaps now is the time we remove the science aspect of it and play on the human side.” Dr. Jefferson saw the lost look on Greg’s face. “The human side is a powerful tool. Or did you miss that?”

Rickie wasn’t in his usual demeanor when he strolled back into the bungalow area of the compound. He stopped mid unity circle and looked for the longest time at Judge’s bungalow. Sighing heavily, he walked to his right and up to Cal and Jake’s porch.

“Ow
, Cal.” Jake pulled back his finger as he and Cal sat in the floor. “You pricked me with your needle.”

“Sorry.” Cal was sewing what seemed
to be the thumb on the hand of a larger-than-life dummy while Jake worked on the side of the arm.

“Who the hell taught you how to sew?” Jake sucked the blood from his finger and continued to sew again.

“You.”

“Funny. Very funny. Just watch that needle.” Jake looked up
at the single knock on the door. “Yeah. Come in.” He pulled on the thread and lifted his head to see Rickie step in. “Rickie.”

Rickie shut the door slowly. “Hey
, Jake.”

Jake quickly looked up with total seriousness, first to Cal
, then back to Rickie “What’s wrong?”

“How do you know
something’s wrong?”

“You’re a book
, Rickie. Three things,” Jake explained. “One, you aren’t smiling. Two, you failed to make that immediate sexual comment about our dummy. And three, the biggie, you just called me Jake. Now what’s wrong?”

“Can I . . . can you and I talk
? I, like, really need some Dad advice.”

Cal’s eyes glanced up to Jake so she could see it. She didn’t want to miss it
, that look of ‘touched’ that hit Jake only once in a blue moon. She smiled slightly and continued to sew.

“Sure Rickie.” Jake set down his needle and stood up. “What’s up
?” He pulled out a chair at the table for Rickie to sit.

“Thanks guy.” Rickie slid into the chair.

“First.” Jake joined him at the table. “Before we talk, this isn’t about Stan scaring you again with Wes Craven stories, is it?”

“No.” Rickie shook his head. “I told him I’m not buying his ‘People Under the Carrington Stairs’ story anymore. It’s about . . .” Rickie folded his hands staring at them. “You know how
, like, I’ve been calling the States for a med update of Judge’s granddaughter?”

“Yes.” Jake nodded.

“Well, I called today, see. And . . . and . . . .” Rickie let out the heaviest of breaths. “Sarge, she . . . she died last night. His little baby granddaughter died.”

Through his nostrils
, Jake took a breath. It was long and loud as his eyes shifted to Cal. He could feel his own heart pound in a sort of sadness for the little girl he didn’t even know.

Rickie was confused. “Sarge, like, what do I do
? Do I tell him?”

Cal jumped up from the floor. “No.”

“Cal.” Jake looked at her.

“No
, Jake.” Cal stepped to the table. “You don’t tell him, Rickie. It will destroy him mentally and he’ll never make it. The odds are against him as it is. Chances are he won’t make it anyhow, so give him all the chances he can have. He doesn’t need this on his mind.”

“Cal, you’re wrong
,” Jake told her. “He has to know. This is his family. How many times have you and I talked about hiding the truth? It comes back to haunt you.”

“Then let it come back to haunt him when he makes it home
,” Cal stated. “He won’t make it if he finds out. And then what? His son not only loses a daughter but his father as well? No, Jake. Rickie, don’t tell him.”

Rickie’s eyes were sad as he looked at Jake. “Sarge, what do I do?”

“Rickie.” Jake laid his hand on Rickie’s. “I can only tell you that I would want to know. That’s me. But whatever choice you make will not be wrong because if it wasn’t for you calling, he wouldn’t know anything anyhow. Take a little more time to think about it, okay? Take a walk. If he sees you before you decide on what to do, tell him you didn’t reach the states yet. But think about it a little more.”

Rickie nodded. “You know what? I will. I
’ll grab Lou-ster and him and I will walk Flute.”

“Good idea
,” Jake told him. “You do that. And you’re welcome to help Cal and I if that will clear your mind.”

“Nah.” Rickie shook his head. “I’m not into that kinky sexual perversion stuff like you guys.”

Cal smiled as she watched Jake gave that ‘I knew that was coming’ look. And Rickie’s comment confirmed more than the fact he annoyed Jake with it, it confirmed that Rickie felt a little bit better.

^^^^

Billy chuckled in the red lit bathroom, lifting photos from the developing solution and hanging them on the line to dry. He picked one that he was for sure giving to Cal, the one with a fallen Larry caught up in the dangling wall of rope. Finishing up the last of the photos, Billy took one more look at the long line of his day’s work and opened the door to his bathroom. Checking out the time, and seeing he had a couple hours of writing he could get in before dinner, Billy grabbed his laptop, a Ho-Ho from his dresser, and headed out to find a spot on the beach to work.

^^
^^

“There you go, guy.” Rickie tugged slightly on Reed’s arm as he and Lou brought him toward the walking path in the woods. “Watch your step. You don’t wanna twist your ankle like you did in the shower today.”

“Take a breath of this air
,” Lou instructed Reed who no longer wore his bandage over his missing ear. “You barely get out, and you should. You are looking sharp.”

“We wanted to get you out today. Take you on an adventure
, since we all need to clear our minds.” Rickie reached into his pocket pulling out a small can of spray paint. “And I have our handy-dandy road map tree marking. Today we establish the Blue belt.” Rickie snickered.

“Isn’t this nice?” Lou asked Reed
, and received a nod. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

Reed shook his head.

“Good,” Lou said in relief. “Cause I am really sorry about that egg shell getting into the omelete this morning. How’s that tongue?”

“Eh ah eye. Eh opt ur-ing a ow-or a oh.”

Lou’s face turned red and he nodded. “Oh, good.”

Rickie snickered. “At least you can talk now
, guy. Hey, we’ll mark this tree.”

With Reed
in the center, Lou on one side, and Rickie on the other, Rickie shook the can and raised it to the tree.

“Dude, how about I mark this one with a big ‘R’ for the Reed-ster?”

Reed smiled with a lethargic looking open mouth. “At ew e ice. Ank ew.”

“No problem-o
, guy. I’ll just . . .” Rickie’s index finger pressed on the button, but perhaps he should have checked the direction of the button, because when it pressed it, a spray of paint went straight into Reed’s eyes.

“Uh!” Reed
screamed, grabbing his eyes.

“Guy!” Rickie reached up. “Don’t
, like, rub it in, you’ll go . . .”

“Uh!” Reed screamed. “Uh an E. Uh an E!”

“Shit,” Lou commented. “You blinded him now.”

“Guy I didn’t mean . . .” A growling snort shut Rickie up
, and he and Lou turned their heads to see a wild boar huffing and staring at them.

“Eyes?” Reed questioned painfully. “Eyes? Uts o-in aw eyes?”

Rickie screamed. “Pig!”

“Run to Jake!” Lou screamed as well, and on his ‘get safe’ snap idea, Rickie and Lou took off running.

They didn’t hear the boar chasing them, and about twenty feet into their run they stopped cold when they heard Reed screaming.

“Shit.” Lou looked back.

“We have to help him, guy,” Rickie said.

“Loser helps him, winner gets Jake.”

“Deal.” Rickie quickly looked back at another painful scream from Reed. “Odd or even?”

“Even. Ready. One, two, three.” Both men shook their fist and flung out fingers.

Rickie jumped up. “Oh yeah, see ya!” He took a deep breath and at top speed flew toward the camp. “Sarge!”

Hesitantly and not as fast as he could, Lou picked up a stick and walked to Reed.

The ideas written on slips of paper, post-its, and gum wrappers ranged from placing Billy and Cal in another life threatening situation, to having Ollie at the control center on the island forge her handwriting in a note to Billy. All of the ideas, given to Greg from every employee, technical or not, were appreciated. He asked them what would bring two people emotionally close enough to be intimate, and he got many answers. Unfortunately, none of them were feasible.

He looked up from his shuffling of ideas when he heard the knock on his office door. Barb stood there. “Yes Barb?”

“I have your solution.”

“Come in.”

With confidence, Barb walked into the room. She took the seat across from Greg when he pointed to the chair.

“Talk to me.”

“Well, I have been married several times, such as yourself.” She didn’t notice Greg rolling his eyes. “And I know from experience that nothing gets two people into the throes of passion like a good old fashioned, knock down, blow out emotional battle.” She smiled.

“Nice. Good.” Greg leaned back. “But Billy and Cal get along. They never fight. How do we get them to that point.
It won’t work.”

“Yeah it will. One discovers the other one lied. I reviewed a tape from this afternoon. Jake was telling Cal that the truth always comes back to haunt you.”

“Okay.” Greg waited patiently. “And your point?”

“My point is
, we weren’t thinking. We missed it. We all know of a truth that was hidden that can easily come back and . . . haunt them.”

For the first time in the conversation
, Greg began to pay attention, and unlike Reed, he was all ears.

Not that Billy hated pork, but with the boar occurrences happening frequently, and Jake playing Rambo Hunter, the dining experience of eating pig was becoming a tedious one. But since Billy didn’t have to cook, he kept his complaints to himself. Parting in the unity circle from Jake and Cal, Billy went to his bungalow. He wanted to get that picture of Larry for Cal before he went back over to play cards.

He walked inside, eyeballing the newer bottle of Jack
, and he was proud of himself that he hadn’t touched it in days. After debating whether to sneak a drink before a night of poker, Billy walked into the bathroom turning on the light. His hand paused on the switch when he looked at the hanging photographs.

Where were the pictures of Cal and Jake working out
? The volcano? Rickie posing? None of the shots he had taken during the day were hanging there. Instead, pictures that horrified him were. His eyes were glued to them as he shook his head in disbelief. Not only were the pictures hanging on the line, but they were hanging in an obvious sequence of events. A wooded area near a stream. A photo of his father. His father dragging a tied-up Cal by her hair. His father holding Cal’s head as he submerged her in the water. And the worst, Cal lying on the water’s edge, muddy, eyes open.

With anger and hurt, Billy ripped them down from the line and gathered them up.
He was so shocked that his hands literally trembled as he held them. Staring down, Billy blindly walked with them from the bathroom and weakly sat on the bed. He realized as he looked at them that they weren’t just photos. They were painful pictures of the truth that took three years to develop for him.

^^^^

The roll of thunder and crack of lightening caused Cal to look toward the window behind her bed. “God, it’s raining again.”

“Maybe that’s what’s taking Billy so long
,” Jake commented as he lit a fire. “He doesn’t want to get wet.”

“You pick on him too . . .” Cal held her hand out when she heard the knock. “See, he’s not afraid of the rain.”

“Come in!” Jake yelled, and struck a match as he squatted by the fireplace.

With a squeak the door opened
, and a soaking wet Billy slowly walked in.

Cal smiled at him. “What did you do, stand out there
? You’re drenched.”

Jake poked the small flame he had going. “This should be good in about . . .” He slowed his words as he watched a silent Billy move to Cal.

“Billy?” Cal folded her arms. “What is it?”

With his eyes fixed on Cal, Billy reached into his shirt pulling out the pile of pictures and tossing them to the table. “Someone wanted me to know something. I wish to God it was you a long time ago.”

Cal’s eyes filled with horror when she saw the pictures. Speechless, she quickly looked at Jake.

Jake stood up. A shift of his focus occurred when he saw the pictures
, and he ran his hand down his face.

Billy’s mouth opened. “I . . . I thought this was a stupid mind game. You know . . .” He gave an emotional chuckle. “Maybe they doctored these. But
, uh, I can see . . . I can see that’s not the case.” He took in the awkward silence, and when Cal looked away, he reached out and lifted her chin to make her look at him. “I have been your friend for three years, Cal. I deserved to know this.” He let go of her chin, turned, and moved to the door.

“Billy.” Cal rushed to him.

Billy felt her grab onto his arm. He pulled gently away, opened the door and left, slamming it closed as he did.

Cal fell into the door, hitting her hand against it. Then slowly she turned around and leaned on the door. She watched Jake staring down
at the pictures on the table. “Jake.”

Jake’s hand shuffled over the photos. His eyes lifted to Cal, seeing the slight glossy look she had, the sad quiver.

“Say it. You can say you told me so.”

Jake shook his head. “I’m not gonna do that
, Cal.”

“But you told me I should have told . . .”

“Cal.” Jake interrupted her. “Choices were made, okay? But I do think that maybe you should go talk to him.”

Cal looked over her shoulder to the door. “What do I say?”

“The truth. Tell him all of it. Tell him why. But . . . .” Jake took a step to her softening his voice. “Tell him everything. Everything, Cal.”

Cal swallowed. “I can’t tell him that his . . .”

Jake laid his finger on her lips. “Everything.” He removed his finger and kissed her.

“Are you coming?”

“No. You have to do this.” He opened the door. “I’ll wait for you.”

Scared, Cal nodded nervously, peered out into the rainy evening and stepp
ing onto the porch. The sound of the door closing behind her made her nerves jump. She started to chicken out, and as she turned to go back in, she saw through the corner of her eye Billy walking toward the woods. Taking a deep breath and knowing what she had to do, Cal, in a run, chased after him.

“Billy!” Cal called out, running after him and following him to the path. “Billy, stop.” Even through the thickened trees, the rain beat so hard on Cal’s face that she could barely see. “Wait.” She caught him, and grabbed his arm.

“Cal.” Billy turned around. “Go back inside.”

“Come with me.” She tugged on his hand. “Come inside with me and let’s talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” The water dripped down Billy’s curls running into his face. He swiped his hand harshly over his eyes.

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m wrong?” Billy tilted his head. “No
, Cal, you were wrong.”

“For not telling you, yes
, I know.”

“What was it? I thought we were friends. Obviously you didn’t trust me enough to tell me what I should have known!” Billy turned and started to walk.

“Trust has nothing to do with it.”

Billy stopped cold. “Bullshit! Trust has everything to do with.”

“No!” Cal’s hand flew out. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you enough to tell you, it’s because I cared too much about you to tell you.”

“Then that was all the more reason.” Billy
yelled at her.

“Why? So you could beat yourself up over it
? God, Billy!” Her head flung back. “Don’t you think you did that enough with just the thought of your father being up there? What purpose would it have served with you knowing what happened.”

“Because had I known that my father, a part of me, my own flesh and blood
, tried to kill you, it would have stopped me from getting so wrapped up in you.”

Cal sniffled, shivered
, and wiped the water from her face as she folded her arms. “That’s so stupid, Billy. Your father trying to kill me would have stopped you from becoming my friend?”

“No, Cal.” Billy leaned
forward with passion to her as he spoke. “It would have stopped me from falling in love with you. I wouldn’t have let myself do it.”

“Billy . . .”

“No.” Billy closed his eyes painfully. He shook his head and softened his voice, almost burying it in the falling rain. “We clicked.” Billy clenched his fist. “God did we click. And even . . . even Jake, huge Jake, didn’t scare away what I felt growing every single day and every time I saw you. Because a part of me, a little part of me, believed, hoped, that someday, if I just waited . . . I would get that chance with you.” His emotions escaped him, and he laughed slightly. “And I knew there was a possibility that I would live my life not having you. I could deal with that. But I can’t deal with the fact that, even without Jake in your life, you wouldn’t have a thing to do with me because deep in you . . .” Billy touched his index finger to her chest. “Deep in your heart, you have to have some sort of contempt for who I am, who I came from.”

“No.” Cal grabbed his hand before he could pull it away. “That is not true
, Billy. I let you into my life knowing fully who you were, who your father was. I trusted you with my secrets. I care for you because of you. You are not your father, and I know that. And that’s why I chose not to tell you.” She stepped closer to him so as not to have to speak loudly. “Billy.” Her voice quivered. “You came to me to find out about the experiment. I told you about the experiment, everything you
needed
to know. And the more I got to know you, the more I knew how much knowing the whole truth would destroy you. You spent your entire adult life in some sort of mission to protect others from your father. And I knew you would somehow blame yourself if you knew. I couldn’t do that to you. I care way too much about you. I just . . . I just didn’t want to see you hurt.” Cal’s head dropped . “I’m sorry I hurt you anyway.”

Billy could see even th
rough the rain the tear that rolled down Cal’s face. His hand slid against the dampness of her cheek, and using his thump to raise her head, Billy stepped towards her, his eyes locking into hers. “Let’s go inside. We can finish talking there, okay?” Still holding her cheek, Billy felt Cal nod slowly. Laying his other hand on her shoulder, he turned her around, and together, slowly, they walked back to his bungalow.

^^^^

Cal finished what was in her glass as she sat with Billy by the fireplace. She cleared her throat. “Another, please.”

“I’m with you.” Billy
, lying on his side before her, poured some Jack Daniels into her glass and filled his empty one as well.

“I can’t warm up.” Cal
, wearing Billy’s clothes, brought her legs close to her chest.

Billy rolled some on his back and reached to the ledge by the fireplace
where Cal’s clothes were drying. He touched them and said, “These are gonna take forever to dry, we were pretty soaked.”

“Yep.”

“So.” Billy sipped his drink. “My father was the Stasis?”

Cal choked as she swallowed her bourbon. How calmly he said the words. She looked at him, downed her drink
, and held out her glass. “Another, and yes, he was.”

“Did you ever worry about me?” Billy poured her some more. “Did you ever worry that I was like my father?”

“No. Never. I knew there was something, you know . . .” Cal shrugged then sipped. “Special about you.” She looked down to him as he leaned up to drink from his glass. “And uh . . .” She rubbed her eyes.

“What? Did you drink too much too fast?” Billy snickered,
and finished his drink with a gasp and set the glass down.

“Who
, me? Please. I can drink half a bottle without feeling anything.”

“True. So what’s wrong? You feeling sick?” Billy asked

“No.” Cal shook her head. “You look really cute when your hair is messed up like that.”

Billy burst into laughter. “And you aren’t drunk?”

“No.” Cal set down her glass. “But I better be going. Can I get my clothes tomorrow?”

“Sure. Not like I won’t see you.” Billy stood up and extended his hand down to Cal. “I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.” Cal took his hand and advantage of the leverage he gave her. “I’m glad we got this talk out of the way. I feel better now. And again, I’m sorry.”

Billy looked down to the hand he still held. “Cal, just tell me you don’t feel awkward around me now.”

“Why would I feel awkward around you.”

“Well . . .”
Nervously, Billy scratched the bridge of his nose. “I uh . . . I did sort of blurt out feelings I really, really wanted to keep hidden from you.”

Cal smiled stepping closer to him giving him a deep stare. “I’m flattered.”

“And I’m . . .” Billy leaned down. “ … glad.” He flashed a brief smile, brought his lips to her cheek, and lightly kissed her. Pulling back slowly, his eyes connected with Cal’s again, and he stopped moving. The silence rang around them in a second that seemed like an hour. Breathing. Staring. Quiet. And then Billy lowered his head again to her, this time in his reach to meet her lips, Cal’s met his.

A quivering nervousness was in the first light touching of their mouths
, followed by a slow parting of their lips. And like a vampire with blood, they tasted the kiss that hesitantly ensued, and with a wanting of more, their mouths widened, pressing harder and deeper against each other.

The ache of a moan escaped from Billy’s chest as he grabbed onto Cal, pulling her tight
ly against him, and his hands moved with restlessness up and down her back. Her lips and every part of her mouth responded to him like he wanted. And every second that they kissed was a second of intensity that the moment increased.

Cal’s fingers crept with a probing under his shirt, feeling the bareness of his back and the strong thumping of his heart beating against hers. Her fingers spread wide as he pressed his waist against hers, and in feeling
his
excitement, a tingling engulfed her entire body. She gripped Billy, and his hands moved with a rigidness up her back and to her shoulders.