Terms (The Experiments Book 3) (16 page)

“A slice.”

“Um, yeah, sure.” Cal said.

“So what was the common factor?” Jake asked.

“Well, we all ….”

Jake waited. “Cal? Cal?”

Nothing.

He looked at the phone. The light was out. “Fuck.” He pulled the receiver from his ear. “Fuck, she was just about to tell me.”

“Hey, Sarge,” Rickie entered the office. “What’s wrong, guy, you looked perplexed?”

“I lost connect to Cal.” Jake hung up the receiver. “She was just about to tell me something, now I’m left hanging because just as she was about to say it, the connection was lost.”

Rickie snickered.

“What? That’s funny.”

“Nope.” Rickie shook his head. “It’s funny that you think you lost connection.”

“What do you mean.”

“Pilgrim, she’s like just about to tell you some vitals and bam, she’s gone? Sounds like Caldwell has a hand in that one. Terminated, dude.”

It was only a moment that Jake paused, and then he lifted the phone. “You may be right. Do me a favor, go use Adams computer and email Cal from your email, I’m gonna try to call her again.” Jake dialed.

“OK.” Rickie turned.

“Weird.”

Rickie stopped. “What is?”

Jake showed the phone. “It’s not in service.”

“Sarge, then you should be happy I’m gonna be there tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Rickie, I am. I really am.” Jake tried the number again.

***

Greg smirked.

He couldn’t help it the call from the island telling him that the phone conversation was interrupted pleased him and made his day almost as much as that cinnamon roll. Which ended up getting cold. But Greg vowed his news endeavor would not get cold.

“What did you do?” Dr. Jefferson asked him upon entering Greg’s office. “Like a kid that is up to something, you have that look on your face.”

“Yes, I know.” Greg smiled “Just doing a little tweaking here and there.”

“Really, Greg, this was simple pregnancy study,” Jefferson said  “I’m not fully understanding why you insist on making this continuance to the Iso Stasis?”

“Perhaps I miss the Iso Stasis.’

“You have other things to worry about.”

“I’m handling them,” Greg said.

“Greg.” Dr. Jefferson took a seat. “Look. I have been there. I’ve been in your shoes. I know what it feels like to have not completed the Iso-Stasis like you wanted.”

“Who said I didn’t do that?”

“Graison walked. Both of them.”

“Yes, but …” Greg lifted a finger. “We’ve actually gained though Cal’s walking.”

“But bothered over the fact you didn’t break the team, and they beat us again.”

Huffing some, Greg snapped his chair forward. “The reason they beat us is they knew what was coming.”

“Nonsense.”

“No, expect the unexpected. So in a sense they were prepared. “Come on, Dr. Jefferson, they thrive on that sort of stuff. My error. I thought I could beat them. And in a sense I did, but not the way I’d like to.”

“But this little Iso-Stasis part two, you don’t think Graison knows something is up? If it is your plan to beat him, you won’t do it this way. He will be prepared on every level.”

“No, I disagree.”

“How can you say that?” he asked.

“Because expect the unexpected, that’s the way he thinks. I want him to know exactly what is coming his way.”

“Doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

‘This is far beyond scientific.”

Greg fluttered his lips.

“No, don’t take that attitude,” Jefferson scolded. “This is science. There is no room for personal vendettas.”

“Personal, business. Scientific. Doesn’t matter as long as the end results are what you want.”

“And what end results are you seeking?”

Greg shrugged. He nervously played with a piece of paper on his desk. “Don’t know yet. Haven’t decided exactly what that will be.”

“But you’re willing to take it to the extreme?’

“Absolutely.”

“Does this have anything to with the new investor thing you set up.”

“Absolutely.”

“You’re borderline insane,” Jefferson said. “You know that?”

Greg smiled. “Absolutely.”

***

“Sarge!”

Jake winced. Why couldn’t Rickie just leave him alone to prepare his uniform and look for the event? They had a flight to catch I less than an hour.

“Sarge!”

“Christ, Rickie what?” Jake yelled from the bedroom in response to Rickie who was yelling from the downstairs office.

Footsteps. Running.

Rickie,

He caught his breath. “Did you know that Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were like pals?”

“No, Rickie I didn’t know that. And could you please get ready.”

“I am.” Rickie stood proud in his John Wayne clothes.

“Rickie, I implore you to reconsider wearing those clothes.”

“Sarge, like you wanted me to wear something fancy and expensive. I am. Wait until you see the credit card charge.”

Jake crumbled.

“Besides,” Rickie said. “The president loves John Wayne.”

“How do you know that?”

“Just a Rickie Miester observation, guy.” Rickie poked at his own temple. “Ronald Reagan loved John Wayne.”

“Ronald Reagan is not the president, Rickie.”

“Yeah, but I think our president liked Ronald Reagan.”

“Everyone did,” Jake said. “But that doesn’t mean he likes John Wayne.”

“Dude, who doesn’t? OK, going back down to learn more John Wayne facts to impress the president.’

“Rickie …” Jake turned around. Rickie had gone. Ran … and it was obvious the way his cowboy boots clomped. “Christ, that kid will cause me never be invited again to the Whitehouse.”

Jake could see it. First problems with security and getting in. Jake would have to remove the spurs on Rickie’s boots, or else Rickie would be running around the Whitehouse in socks. Which wasn’t a pleasant thought. Jake could see Rickie sock sliding on the marble floors.

That thought caused him to wince again.

“Sarge!”

“Ignore him,” Jake  said to himself, and finalized his uniform preparations. He was all ready to place it on. It was freshly pressed, medals ready.

“Sarge.”

Jake kept focus. Even though his concentration was intermittently broken by the vision of Rickie spewing forth facts about John Wayne to the president, annoying the Commander in Chief to the point where he told Jake, “Can you tell your kid to shut the fuck up.’

Jake reminded himself right then and there to tell Rickie the age old say, “Don’t speak until spoken to.”

“Sarge.”

Tie. Shoes. Polish. Yes.

Clump, clump, clump.

Cufflinks, socks …

“Sarge!” Rickie yelled directly in the room.

Jake spun around. “Fuck, Rickie, what?”

“Sarge, check this out. Did you know John Wayne only dated Latino babes?”

“Rickie, who cares?’

“The president might.”

“I highly doubt that.”

Rickie gasped. “Dude, you’re being rude. I’m trying to share my knowledge about John Wayne with you so you don’t look dumb when me and the prez starts to chit chat the facts about the Duke. Sarge, you’ll be lost, and the prez …”

“Rickie, as much as I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me. I don’t think I’ll need to know it.”

“Yes, you will.”

“No, I won’t. Now I need to get ready.”

“Yes, you do,” Rickie said. “You’re being like a woman, Sarge,  next thing you know you’ll be worrying about your hair, guy.”

“Rickie out.”

“I’m going.”

“Thank God.” Jake reached over and closed the bedroom door. Outfit ready, he began to get dressed. He heard the phone ring, and didn’t rush to get it. If it were Cal she’d call the cell phone.

“Sarge.”

“Fuck.”

“Sarge!”

Clump, clump, clump.

Jake grumbled, and grunted as he heard Rickie run. “What now?” he whispered out.

After a double knock, Rickie opened the door. “Sarge. Phone.’

“Take a message, I’m trying to get dressed.”

“I tried,” Rickie said. “But he told me you want to talk to him.”

“Who is it?” Jake buttoned his shirt.

“It’s the chief goof from the toot.”

“Haynes?” Jake asked.

Rickie nodded. “What’s he want, Sarge?”

“I don’t know. But I’m gonna find out.” Jake walked across the bedroom and picked up the phone.

***

Although the phone call didn’t come directly from Jake, it was from Jake none the less. There was no other reason Jake would reach out to Aldo for information, unless he was a bit more concerned than he led on.

After weeding though the ‘idle’ as Rickie put it, and listening to John Wayne trivia, Aldo finally got out of Rickie the reason for the call.

The ‘Toot’ had called the Sarge.

It wasn’t too unusual, Aldo thought, the ‘Toot’ always called  Jake. What was it about that phone call?

Aldo could hear an aggravated Jake in the background coaching Rickie on what to say.

“Rickie, tell him to just get on the phone.” Aldo said.

“No can do my little casino-bino, Sarge wilts at that guy.”

“What doesn’t the Sarge wilt over?” Aldo rubbed his eyes in aggravation. “OK, so, what is going on.”

“I’m going to see the president.”

“Yes, Rickie, I know that. I’m talking about with the institute.”

“Ok, Sarge said …” Rickie paused, Jake yelled something in the background. “All right, all right, all right. Sarge didn’t say, I said. Yeah, that’s it, it’s all my idea to call you dude.”

Aldo was able to decipher through further hints that Caldwell had called Jake and made yet another request of him in the name of the contract. This was the second time they were using the Iso Stasis contract against him. Neither incident was a big deal. Both requests seemed relatively simple to Aldo, maybe more emotionally testing for the big guy, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

What Jake wanted to know via Rickie was there anything Aldo knew that would make Caldwell want to use the babies as leverage. Aldo didn’t.

He wanted to convey to Jake that like with gambling, he has beat the house one too many times, and the house is looking for a way to beat him.

But again, the two requests were nothing. Which led Aldo to think over the situation. If Caldwell was using the babies, then Caldwell was confident enough in that leverage to get Jake to do what they want? Why waste that leverage on stepping stones? And that was exactly what they were, stepping stones. All leading to something else. Something bigger. A little nudge to Jake here, a nudge there, then ‘bam’ they shove him.

Granted, to Aldo, in the name of a child, a parent would do anything to protect that child. But they were children. Just children. If Caldwell was going to push the envelope to a huge gamble, then they wanted those children.

Badly.

And that was where Aldo felt Jake was concentrating as well. What was it about the unborn Graison babies that Caldwell wanted so badly?

Cal wasn’t asking for a million dollars, but Stan acted as if she were. He kept saying ‘no,’ over and over, as he evaded her in his office.

“How did you find me?” he asked.

“I knew you were here.”

“But still …”

“Stan.” Cal stayed firm. “You have an office. Come on.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“He’s gonna see it anyhow. And this is by far the best one.” She lifted the photo. “Look how cute the babies are. It’s better than the one I got in LA.”

“That’s because their sonar equipment is barbaric. Ours is not.”

Cal stared at the picture. “They are so cute. I’m so glad we can’t tell if they’re boys or girls.”

“I could.” Stan said.

“By this.”

“No by the serious of shots they sent me.”

“What are they?”

Stan stared at her.

“Stan?”

“I’m not telling.”

Cal huffed. “Doesn’t it look like baby A has three arms? It doesn’t does it?”

“No,” Stan replied. “Baby A does not have three arms. That extra arm is baby B, they are sharing a placenta and sac.”

“Oh.” Cal nodded “So will you?”

“I told you no.”

“Come on, Stan. Just scan it and email it to Jake for me, please? I really want him to see his kids. Please. It’s the best one.”

“Quit begging.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“I’ll tell Caldwell how great you are.”

“No.” Stan said.

“I’ll help you out. Help through some testing if you want.”

“Like the observers at the experiment?”

Cal nodded.

“As much as that sounds good, no.”

“I’ll sneak you some of my rich deserts.” Cal suggested.

“Get them. No.”

“I’ll pay you.”

“How much?”

“Fifty.”

“Make it a hundred and I’ll do it.”

“Deal.” Cal held out her hand, shook with Stan, and walked to the computer.

“What is the number on that image.”

“You mean you can email it directly.”

“Yes. Number?”

“Fourteen.”

“Thank you.” Stan  began to type. “What’s his email?”

“Big Jake, one word, at Iso Stasis, one word, dot com.”

Mid typing, Stan looked over his shoulder. “You have a website named Iso Stasis?”

Cal nodded. “We own the domain. It was my idea, especially when I discovered Caldwell hadn’t bought it.”

“Have you made the website.”

Cal shook her head. “No. But I figured eventually Caldwell will want the name, so they’ll have to pay for it.”

“That’s pretty smart.” Stan resumed typing. “I’ll put in the subject from Cal. Anything you want me to add.”

“Tell him I wanted him to see it.”

Stan typed.

“Tell him I’m fine, having fun and eating healthy.”

“So I take it a whole bag of chocolate licorice is healthy.”

Cal waved him off. “See him soon, I love him.”

Stan nodded.

“Oh! And…” Cal tapped him on the shoulder. “Tell him to give Rickie a hundred bucks for me.”

“Got it.” Stand finished. “It’s sent.”

“Ah, Stan thank you,” She gave him a hug. “You’re a sweetheart.”

“You won’t think that tomorrow.” Stan swirled his chair to face her.

“Why? You aren’t making me watch another sappy movie are you?”

“Not only that, you Cal, are on the ‘feed me right’ schedule.”

“What? What the hell is that?”

“For three day you eat good, healthy food. You will be provided with ample snacks, all of which will be healthy. Your calorie intake won’t be cut so it won’t be like a diet. But it will be healthy.”

“Fuck. Are you serious?”

“Very much so.”

“But why me, I’m the worst one, I live off of junk food?”

“Cal, this is a research experiment. The fact that you live off of junk food makes you perfect.”

“Fuck. Ok.” Cal turned. “I want to show this picture to Billy, then stock up on the junk. What time does it start?”

“Eight AM.”

With an agreement nod, Cal walked to the door.

“Oh, and Cal?”

“Yeah.” She paused mid opening.

“We will check your room for a stash.”

With a grumble, Cal walked out.

***

“Why the hell does she need a hundred dollars?” Jake mumbled, sitting before his laptop on the plane.

“What’s that Sarge?” Rickie asked.

“Cal needs you to bring a hundred dollars.”

“I don’t have a hundred dollars, the toot didn’t pay me yet.” Rickie said.

“She wants me to give it to you.”

“Something wrong with her email?”

“Why?”

“Stan sent that. What else did he sent you?”

“What are you talking about, Rickie.”

“Sarge guy, God of illiterate email dudes.” He sat down next to Jake. “The email has an attachment. What is it?”

“Says number fourteen.” Jake checked. “Good thing you were here Rickie, I wouldn’t have even noticed.”

“Open it.”

“I will.”

“Are you gonna tell the Cal-Babe about what Caldwell wanted?” Rickie asked.

“No.”

“Can I?”

“No.”

“Can I make her guess?”

“No. And Rickie, I’m trying to open my attachment.”

“And I’m trying to see what it is?”

“Can I have some privacy? It could be personal.”

Rickie snickered. “Like a naked picture of a pregnant Cal-Babe.”

“Rickie …”

“Oh, Sarge, that would mean someone else would have taken it and …”

“Rickie there are other seats on this plane, go away.”

“Fine.” Just as Rickie stood, the flight attendant approached.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to disconnect your cell phone, we’re getting ready to take off.”

Jake nodded.

Rickie whined. “Now we have to wait in suspended suspense until later to see the attachment.”

“I’m sure meeting the president will take your mind off of it. Besides, it’s on the computer now. We’ll look as soon as we’re in the air.”

“Dude, I can’t wait for that. Like I have like all my John Wayne facts all ready. I’m gonna impress the prez.”

“I’m sure.” Jake disconnected the phone from the laptop, as soon as it did, it rang. “Graison.”

“Aldo.” Aldo said.

“Hold.” Jake handed the phone to Rickie. “It’s Aldo, tell him we are taking off.”

Rickie took the phone. “Hey guy, it’s the middle miester. We’re taking off, so it’s got to be brief, guy, we’re meeting the president. What’s up?”

“Tell Jake we need to talk. Tell him to call me ASAP.”

Rickie chuckled. “OK. Assep. Got it”

“What?”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Rickie …” Aldo tried to talk but Rickie hung up and shut off the phone.

“Here you go,” He gave Jake the phone. “He said you and him need to talk and from this moment on call him Assep.”

“Assep?” Jake questioned. “What he thinks changing his name is going to cover the fact that he and I talk.”

Rickie lifted his hands. “That’s what he says.”

“Well, I’m not calling him. If he has a message he can talk to you.”

“Should I call him Assep?”

“I really don’t care.”

At that moment, the attendant announced take off, and Jake and Rickie stated into the flight.

***

There were three speeds in which Billy typed. Cal had learned them. There was the average speed when he was trying something technical, or copying. Slightly faster was the email speed, but the fastest he typed was when he was writing.

At his door, Cal could hear Billy’s fingers as they whapped against the keys at an incredible high rate.

He had to be writing.

She listened, knowing he only really kept them up in sections. Whip through some. Pause. Whip through. Pause.

Depending on where he was and if he knew what he was writing, the pauses varied in length.

It had been a while, and a long stretch of typing; Cal knew she’d get that break soon. When he stopped she raised her hand. Just as she was about to knock on his door, he clicked away again.

After two or three times of missing her brief window, Cal held her hand close to the door so as not to miss the opportunity.

The split second he stopped, she knocked.

He had heard her. She knew that because the pause was long and soon followed by the opening of the door.

“Hey,” Billy said brightly. “Why didn’t you just come in?”  He opened the door wider for her.

“You were writing.”

“How did you know?”

“I could hear.” Cal stepped in. “I don’t want to bother you.”

“Oh, no bother. In fact …” Billy led the way further into the room. “Maybe you can help me.”

“I’d love to.”

“Cool. Because I’m stuck. Let’s sit.” He walked to the sofa. “What brings you here?”

“This.” As Cal took a seat next to him, she extended the ultrasound picture. “The babies.”
Billy was in awe. “Wow.” He wisped out. “Oh wow. Wow, look how great. This is …” He stopped, and titled his head. “Does one of them have three arms?”

“No, that’s just the other baby peeking in.”

“Oh, whew.” He breathed out. “Not that it mattered. Can I have this?”

“No.” Cal took it back. “I’ll see if I can get you one, though.”

“I’d like that.” Billy smiled “Because the one girl looks just like me.”

Cal gave a quirky look. “What makes you think one is a girl.”

“One’s a girl, one’s a boy.” Billy said.

“How do you know?” Cal questioned, thinking Billy had some deep psychic baby prediction skill.

“Because those are the better odds. Fifty-fifty chance I’m right.”

With a playful nudge to Billy, Cal laughed. “OK. So, what do you need my help with?”

“OK, check this out.” Billy rubbed his hands together. “Haynes’ brother in law or something like that, is a huge network big wig, and he approached Haynes about doing a reality show. Haynes came to me with the project.”

“What does he want from you?”

“He wants me to develop possible …”

“No,” Cal stopped him. “This is a huge opportunity. Haynes has to want something.”

Billy shrugged. “Maybe it’s all part of my good guy for Caldwell image.”

Cal sputtered a ‘hmm’ in thought. “Maybe. Anyhow, go on. He needs you to develop it.”

“Yep. But first I had to submit to him a list of reality show ideas.”

“And you’re having a hard time coming up with some.”

“No, I came up with some. Even sent them off. Caldwell has them already.”

“Then what do you need my help with?” she asked.

“Well, I would like your feedback on my ideas. And …” Billy said. “I’d love your help on the project. Because once an idea is taken, we’d have to develop it further. I thought it would be a blast for you. Because they are looking for something to start filming right away.”

“OK.” Cal nodded. “I think I might like that.”

“And there’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“One of my ideas involves Jake. If they accept that one, which I doubt, but if they do, I need your help to convince Jake to do it.”

Cal choked a laugh. “Jake on a reality TV show. No way. He won’t do it. We laugh at those.”

“He may. Jake hates them so bad, he may want to do one to make it authentic.”

“So you want him to be one of the contestants?”

“Not exactly, I want him to be one of the stars.”

“Jake? My Jake?” Cal laughed.

“Yes.”

Cal laughed again.

“What is so funny.”

“Jake a star. Sorry …” She flung out her hand. “Anyhow, what’s the Jake idea.”

“I’ll get to it. But I’d like your feedback, and thoughts on some of the ideas I submitted, OK? Tell me what you think.”

“Shoot. I’m all ears or belly.”

Billy smiled. “Ok. Keep in mind these are all elimination reality shows. First one …” His view moved to the computer where he clicked a few times. “Country Bride.”

“Country Bride.”

“Yeah, 8 really, city, city girls moved to the country where they are eliminated each week by bumpkin Joe, the hot local farm boy. He owns a lot of land, great with horses, down to earth and looking for a birthing bride.”