The Leaves in Winter (9 page)

“A million liters – that’s quite a test.”

“It’s a relic. The whole thing was decommissioned long time ago. They only keep it because it’s the largest aerobiology chamber ever constructed. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.”

“What rubbish!”

“It has to be something else. The 8-Ball test sphere has nothing to do with this.” Janis navigated to another document.

The ring of Malcolm’s phone startled them both. He answered it; the conversation was brief. Janis continued to cycle through open documents.

“Who’s that?”

Malcolm was grim. “NovoSenectus. They need me for an assignment right away.”

“Were you expecting this?”

“My work is far less predictable than yours. It’s hard to say.”

Paging through windows on the screen, Janis inadvertently brought up a saved copy of an email. As quick as her eyes could scan, they fell upon a word that shocked her.

“What’s this?”

Malcolm craned his neck to get a look. “Oh, I forgot to close that. It’s an email from an old contact. Why? What’s the problem.”

“What’s this list of words?”

“It’s just a list of words. No bother.”

Janis braced herself. “What contact? Where did you get this?”

“Why do you need to know?”

Janis felt like she was surrounded and had just opened her eyes. “Tell me what this is! Are we working together or not!”

“All right, all right. I know someone who has a hacker on his payroll. The hacker uses searchbots to troll government networks looking for new words. That’s all it is.”

“What kind of
new words
?”

“Acronyms, jargon, anything really.”

“What good are they to you?”

“Everything starts somewhere. If you want to find icebergs, look for the tips. It’s amazing what pops up in regular conversation, often unclassified. A simple acronym can be a clue to a whole lot more.”

“Who is this person, this contact of yours?”

“You don’t really expect me to tell you. What’s your problem anyway? If we’re working together, as you say, then explain.”

Janis took a deep breath. Her eyes riveted to the screen.

“I recognize one of these words.”

Malcolm jerked with interest. “Which one?”

“BIOPONORE.”

“No shit! What does it mean?”

“I know what it means to me.” Janis stiffened as she looked over at Malcolm. “
Biological Point of No Return
.”

“How in the devil do you know that?”

A sour smile creased Janis’ lips. “You won’t believe it.”

“Try me.”

Janis admitted, “I made up the word – over twenty years ago.”

Doubt shocked Malcolm’s face. “Like bloody hell you did!”

A fog of memory held Janis rapt. “Back in college I made it up to tease my best friend. She liked to study and I liked to party. She thought I dated around too much. I thought she was afraid of men. I used to rag on her about how fast her biological clock was ticking. I laughed at her and said a lot of rude things. I told her she’d never have any children unless she loosened up. I warned her BIOPONORE was coming.”

“Charming. What does that have to do with my email?”

“This can’t be a coincidence! What are the chances somebody else made up the exact same crazy word?”

“What am I supposed to believe – that your friend is using your word as part of some government project?”

“The last I heard, my friend was still working at USAMRIID.”

“Really.” Malcolm was suddenly more serious. “The same place that has that thing – the test sphere.”

Janis nodded. “8-Ball.”

“What’s your friend’s name?”

“Faye Gardner. We haven’t spoken in years.”

“Why not?”

“A lot of things. We didn’t agree on the dual-use aspects of our work. Later…it got personal.”

“Do you think she’d work on something like 3rd Protocol?”

“No! Of course not.”

“It doesn’t look good. We know Eugene Mass is using research from 8-Ball to plot the collapse of world population. 8-Ball might be his nickname for USAMRIID, the place that has the massive test sphere. Now we find out there’s a good chance your friend, who just so happens to work there, might be connected to something called
Biological Point of No Return
. It doesn’t take much to connect the dots.”

“She wouldn’t do such a thing. Besides, you can’t actually think the
US
government is mixed up with Eugene Mass in a plot to kill six billion people?”

“Not the government; maybe powerful elements hidden within. Some things are kept so secret, I doubt even the government knows how they operate or get funding.”

“Faye and I may not be friends now but I know her. She wouldn’t be a part of this.”

“Look at it another way. Maybe some deep-cover research group discovered something about climate change, or the depletion of oil reserves, or an impending fresh water crisis, something big. If a secret branch of government was convinced that a catastrophe was about to hit the planet, who could stop them from deploying their solution?”

“The 3rd Protocol.”

“If you had to decide between everyone dying or a preemptive strike to thin the herd and save humanity, what would you choose?”

“You’re assuming they would only have those two options.”

“It would make sense to move the project offshore, outsourced to a like-minded mogul, someone who could cloak the real work behind something as controversial as life extension. It’s the magician’s art of misdirection.”

“You’re talking hypothetical nonsense.”

“As hypothetical as scientists being murdered and children being kidnapped? As hypothetical as Riya telling me her contact at GeLixCo was none other than another ex-employee of USAMRIID – your ex-husband Colin? You say he’s disappeared. How convenient, especially if he’s now working for a deep-cover branch of government.”

The references to Alyssa and Colin struck home. Janis decided to force the issue. “We can’t be sure. I won’t jump to conclusions based on a word on a random list – a list from somebody who got it from somebody else. We need more information and you have contacts. Whoever sent you this email must know more – or they can find out more. The stakes are high enough – you need to lean on them.”

Malcolm took back the laptop and closed it.

Janis sensed his reticence was strategic but wasn’t sure.

“Who’s behind the email? What’s going on? All I want is my daughter back! Did somebody put you up to this?”

As Janis broke down into tears, Malcolm grabbed her by the arm

“All right. I’ll tell you what I can. Do you remember, years ago, when a group calling itself
Friends of the Ocean
got their hands on plastic-eating microbes and dumped them in the ocean?”

“I think so…”

“The microbes were stolen from the U.S. Navy. The thief was never caught and
Friends of the Ocean
never gave up their source.”

“So what.”

Malcolm leaned closer. “A few years ago, I got a tip. It led me to some incriminating evidence – evidence that identified the man who stole those microbes.”

“But you said the thief was never caught.”

“That’s right. Since then, I’ve been leveraging what I know. As long as the thief sends me email with answers to my questions, I sit on the evidence.”

“You’re blackmailing him?”

“He’s in a very sensitive position, with access to all sorts of things. He doesn’t want to jeopardize what he has. In exchange, I’m willing to do business with him.”

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me his name.”

“Makes no difference. It’s the same name he and I agreed upon years ago.”

“What is it?”

“Knockout Mouse.”

“Strange. Any reason for the genetic reference?”

“You’d have to ask him. He came up with the name but it fits him. Over the years, he’s impressed me as somewhat of a social mutation. Maybe he sees himself the same way – just an engineered little mouse. He’s the mutation that shows us how full functioning we are by comparison.”

“Sounds like you two have an odd relationship. Symbiotic yet parasitical.”

“In my experience, those two aren’t so far apart. The friend of my enemy’s enemy is still not my friend. And now that I’ve told you that, it’s your turn. You’re hiding something about Colin.”

“Why would I?”

“He’s the father of your child. You loved him once. You still may. It’s only natural.”

“We didn’t have that kind of divorce.”

“Aren’t you the least bit curious why Riya named him as her contact at GeLixCo?”

“Of course I am.”

“But not enough to ask him.”

“Have you heard anything I said?”

“How convenient.” Malcolm checked the time by glancing at his phone. “I’ve got to go.”

“Just like that? And what do we do about all of this?”

Malcolm looked Janis up and down. “That’s one big fucking question. What do you want to do?”

Janis stared out at nowhere. “I don’t know. If in doubt, I go the way I feel. Especially if what I know doesn’t make sense.”

Janis opened the car door to go but Malcolm stopped her.

“Here – take these.” He handed over his laptop and cell phone.

“What’s this?” Janis had them in hand but froze.

“I’ve got this assignment to do. I don’t want to risk having Riya’s backup found on me. My private phone has emails from Knockout Mouse. I still have my work phone. Keep them for me until I get back. I’ll give you a call.”

Janis accepted the laptop and phone with a nod.

Malcolm stopped her again as she leaned out the door.

“Hey – it’s better knowing what we know.”

Janis muted her reaction. She stepped out of the car and held the door open. Within her, a sinking feeling told her the world had changed. The sunlight felt foreign, lighting a place where darkness hid in plain sight.

The impulse to answer Malcolm passed.

She shut the door and walked away.

Chapter 7

Near the
Forest
of
Soignes

South of
Brussels
,
Belgium

Plush carpet muffled the hurried steps of Leah Mass. The estate house was large but Leah knew right where to find her husband. With each stride along the hallway, sounds of conversation and family laughter faded from the first floor below. So did the warmer light.

Eugene
expected his wife to barge into his study any second. His meditation had overstayed its welcome yet, as the door opened and Leah rushed in, he couldn’t move from the window. A dutiful diversion had become a brooding daydream. All sense of purpose was lost on a higher but elusive focus. It was all he could do to watch the last light of day fade from the woods in the west.

“There you are…” Leah pretended her discovery was incidental. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything?” Purposely not loud enough, the word couldn’t be a question.

Leah closed the door behind her. She was accustomed to maintaining privacy in the study. She approached her husband from behind and laid hands on him with gentle reserve, as if not to startle him.

“Everyone downstairs misses you.”

“I was just about to come down.”

Eugene Mass turned and read the concern on his wife’s face. She was still a beautiful woman, at least to him. Sixteen years younger than he, she was his second wife and far more of a kindred spirit than anyone he had known.

“I was getting worried. What was the call about?”

“You can imagine.” He brushed his fingers through her hair and stepped away.

“I take it the news isn’t good.”

“Nothing I can’t contain.” The inference was clear.

“Someone else might know – besides Riya?”

Eugene
nodded, prompting Leah’s sighs of desperate disappointment.

“I warned you this was not the way.”

“Don’t start.”
Eugene
tamped down on a simmering frustration.

“You didn’t need to go down this path. It’s so unnecessary.”

“Under normal circumstances,
none
of this would have to happen.” Restless,
Eugene
searched his desk for answers that couldn’t possibly be there. “You said it yourself – we live in a time that forces good people to embrace drastic measures.”

“The whole situation’s drastic! That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it. You’re risking so much more by this foolishness. Doing nothing would have served us much better.”

“Where’s the guarantee? There’s no way of telling what might have happened if the information got out.”

“You have resources. Who is everyone going to believe? It’s far better to force them to prove a negative than give them positive evidence by trying to cover it up.”

“I can’t take that chance. Our work is too important.”

“You can’t afford to be this obvious. Where does it stop?”

Leah was the only person in the world who dared talk back to
Eugene
. For her love and his sanity, he allowed it. With his focus now on diffusing the situation, he held back the impulse to argue. There was still a family dinner party to return to and a daughter and son-in-law downstairs who shouldn’t guess anything was wrong.

“Don’t worry. All we need is a little more time.”

His attempt to calm Leah only shifted her mood from irritated to sullen.

“It wouldn’t take much to ruin everything we’ve worked for.”

“Soon, none of this will matter. Remember, we’re building a sustainable future where once there was none. This isn’t just about us; there’s a whole world at stake.”

Leah said nothing at the one time
Eugene
thought she was primed to do so. He turned to read cues from her body language. “This isn’t like you. Why worry when you know I have the resources to do what’s necessary?”

Exasperation drained from Leah’s voice. In its place was something sour and dreadful. “The real horror is that Riya was just the first of so many more to come.”

Leah’s confession was a truth too raw to be stated so frankly. What it implied was not something
Eugene
liked being reminded of despite his commitment to the plan. For what it made him feel, he resented Leah’s sudden sense of revulsion. A compassionate but exaggerated conscience should never overrule a clear, altruistic vision of what needed to be done. In reflex, his resentment turned flippant.

“Every remodeling project starts with demolition.”

The reference was distasteful. “Don’t talk like that. You make it sound so wooden and impersonal.”

“We’ve gone over this a thousand times.”

“There’s sanctity to sacrifice. That’s what it comes down to. The sacrifice of many for the greater good. For our children. I hate to hear you be so debased about it.”

“If there was another way…if the world had time…”

“The necessity wouldn’t be so clear. I know. You’ve told me.”

“Why go into this again? We both agreed someone must take action – someone with the power and means to do something on the scale required.”

“It’s not about that. I agree something needs to be done. I have issues with how you’re going about it. We’re going to have to live a long time with the legacy of how this was done. I want that legacy to be a blessing, not a burden.”

Eugene
was suddenly incensed. His voice fell to a whisper. His anger was not directed at Leah, but everyone he had witnessed giving little but lip service to the crisis enveloping the planet. “Same old story. Everyone wants to be at the feast – but no one wants to get their hands dirty killing the beast!”

For the sake of their evening together, Leah thought better of snapping back.

Eugene
stepped around his desk in a huff and sat down. “After a lifetime of trying everything else, I see no other way. No one else is stepping up. I love the fact you have sensibilities. But to get through this, you need to love the fact that I don’t. How else is anything going to get done?”

Eugene
didn’t expect an answer but he hoped for one.

Instead, there was a knock at the door. “Grandpa?”

The child’s voice belonged to Jayden, their nine-year-old grandson.

Leah retreated to the door and opened it. “Here he is.” She braved a smile in the presence of innocence.

The boy idolized his grandfather for the way he doted over him. Jayden shuffled into the room, enthused to be the center of attention. “I’ve got the billiards table all set up. Are we still going to play?”

Leah headed out the door with an eye on
Eugene
. “See you downstairs.”

Seated behind his desk,
Eugene
nodded and watched the boy approach.

“Mom said not to bother you but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Eugene
patted the boy on the back. “Not at all.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just some work.”

“You have to work
tonight
?”

“I got a phone call I had to take.”

Jayden snooped on the desk and jiggled the computer mouse, canceling the screensaver. An open document blazed on the screen before them.

“What’s that?”

Eugene
leaned back. “A speech I’m working on.”

“Who’s it for?”

“A university. They asked me to talk to the students.”

“What about?”

Eugene
considered an appropriate way to sum it up. “A lot of things – how the present becomes the future. What happens to those who ignore the past.”

Jayden strained to read the title, then pointed at it. “How do you say that?”

“The Anthropocene Dilemma.”

“That’s a funny word.”

“Anthropocene is the period of time we’re living in right now. Just like the dinosaurs lived in the Jurassic Period – right now is the
Anthropocene
Period.”

“Oh…” Jayden’s confused lack of interest spurred
Eugene
to explain.

“This is the time in Earth’s history when human activities for the first time are having a big impact on the whole planet. We’re using up the Earth, the oceans, we’re changing the weather and making it hard for all the animals to live. There are so many of us and we’ve gotten so good at what we do, we’ve become a bad thing for the Earth. We have to realize if we hurt Mother Earth, we hurt ourselves.”

Jayden fidgeted. “So what’s a dilemma?”

“It’s when you’re trapped in a place with only two ways to go – but neither way gets you out of the trap.”

“So what do you do?”

“With any luck, you won’t have to worry about that. Grownups are going to fix that problem before you’re old enough to care. Come on, let’s go downstairs.”

“Great! More time to play! I bet I can beat you this time!”

Eugene
stood and led the boy towards the open door. For the next hour, the old man would try to lose himself in the moment – enjoying the present without a care for the unthinkable future it was becoming.