Preservation

by Charles Lemoine

  “Great,” Mariska said. “I need my things and to get out of here.”

  Dr. Tora turned and looked at her with surprise. “What’s going on?”

  Eddie said, “There seems to be some people following her. I heard the man pounding on the front door, trying to get inside.”

  Dr. Tora looked from Eddie to Mariska, and then to the work she was about to complete. “This will only take a minute. I’ll hurry. In the meantime, Eddie go to the phone and call down to University security. Tell them that there is someone outside the Lab building causing a scene.” Eddie went as he was told.

  “Thank you,” Mariska said. “I might need help finding a back way out of here.”

  Dr. Tora nodded. “We’ll do what’s necessary.”

  She turned back to the computer and started typing in more commands. Mariska looked over her shoulder and saw she was finalizing the steps needed to run the DNA comparisons.

  “Have you extracted the DNA from all the samples?” Mariska asked.

  “Yes, the DNA was present in both hair samples as well as the root system of the tooth.” Dr. Tora continued to type into the computer. “The quick part is pretty much done. Now we will have to wait for the computer to compile all the data and then sort through millions of other DNA sequences to find a match…if one exists.”

  Mariska looked around the examination table for the tooth but didn’t see it. “Where’s the tooth? I want it back.”

  “Of course. I have it here.” Dr. Tora reached into the drawer and pulled out the woven pouch.

  Mariska took it and examined the contents. Sure enough, the tooth and bead were safely inside. She closed the pouch and unzipped her suit.

  “What the hell are you doing? You can’t expose the lab to outside contaminants.”

  Mariska froze in place. “I’m so sorry.” Dammit, I fucked up—again. She shoved the pouch into the front pocket of her slacks and re-zipped her suit. “There’s no telling if that guy got inside.”

  Eddie returned from his phone call. “Security said there wasn’t anyone at the front door when they arrived. They are going to pull the security camera footage, but it’ll take a while.”

  Dr. Tora and Mariska exchanged glances. “He wouldn’t have just given up,” Mariska said. “That tells me he’s inside.”

  The door to the negative pressure room hissed open, and two people walked in and went over to the table next to theirs. The men were fully dressed in the appropriate attire, and Mariska couldn’t make out anyone’s face, but based on their general size she knew without a doubt neither man was her assailant.

  Mariska shook Dr. Tora’s hand. “Thank you so much for all your help. How long do you suspect it’ll be before we have the data analysis back?”

  “I suspect it won’t be too long. There are a couple of samples that are currently being computed, but I’ve pushed for this to be moved up as a priority. I will contact you as soon as I have something,” Dr. Tora said. “Please leave all of your contact information with Eddie.”

  “Definitely.”

  At the examination table next to them, the two scientists were looking at a bone under magnification and bright white light. Mariska couldn’t hear what they were discussing, but from this distance, the bone looked human. She craned her neck to see past the man’s shoulder. Sure enough, it was a human clavicle. It looked old, dirty…almost as if it had been stained by tar.

  The shorter scientist had a German accent and said, “That’s an astute observation.” He pointed to the midshaft of the bone. “As you suspected, the bone has an old fracture with bone remodeling present.”

  “Meaning, the injury was sustained pre-morbidly? And, the person lived long enough to have bone regrowth?”

  “Yes, you’re absolutely right, Dr. Heuston.”

  “Please, call me, Caleb.”

  Mariska heard the doctor respond and his voice seemed familiar, but at the same time she chalked it up to being an American accent. It was surprising how much she felt drawn to anyone else hailing from the United States when overseas. Still, something about this guy started sending up red flags.

  Mariska felt flushed, faint—suddenly claustrophobic inside the isolation suit. She staggered backward ever so slightly. Eddie placed a steadying hand on her elbow, preventing her from moving. She looked at Dr. Tora and Eddie and put her finger up to her mouth as if to say, “Shh.”

  “I need to get out of here, but I don’t want to draw any attention,” Mariska said.

  “Are you feeling all right?” Eddie asked in hushed tones.

  “I don’t know how much time until the man who followed me here finds me. Better to make my getaway now.”

  Dr. Tora moved to the right, stepping between Mariska and Eddie. She came toward her and whispered, “There isn’t another way out of here. You’re going to have to go back through the negative pressure room.”

  Mariska nodded her understanding. She looked up at Eddie and said in a soft voice, “Will you come with me?”

  “Of course.” He gave her elbow a squeeze of reassurance. “I won’t leave you alone again.”

  Dr. Tora’s voice returned to normal volume. “Thank you, Eddie, for all your help. I will have the results sent to you as soon as they are available.”

  “Wonderful,” Mariska said. “I really appreciate all your help, doctor.”

  Mariska turned to Eddie and nodded. Without a word, they made their way past David’s table and to the airlock. Eddie pushed the button to leave, and for a split second, it seemed the door wasn’t going to respond. But with a hiss, it opened, and Mariska and Eddie stepped inside. She held her breath until the door slid closed and locked behind them.

  “Do you have any idea who the man is that’s chasing you?”

  Mariska shook her head. “If I knew, I’d have already found a way to make him stop…before he killed, Jane.” Mariska turned and looked behind her, back into the lab. “She was as close to me as my own mother.”

  “Wow,” Eddie said. “I’m so sorry.”

  A second gust of high-pressure air blasted them from the back. “Do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  The last blast of air hit them from the front. “If I don’t make it back to the United States I need you to contact Theresa, Theresa. Tell her the same man who attacked me in Los Angeles had followed me here to Copenhagen.”

  Another gust of wind and then the door slid open, and they stepped out into the locker room. “I promise,” he said. “I’ll make sure you make it back to the airport…I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She wanted to believe him as much as he believed himself, but she’d seen what this man was capable of doing. They stripped off the containment garments and threw them into a pile at the back of the locker room and hurried toward the exit when Eddie stopped her.

  “I think we should use Dr. Tora’s office. It’ll bypass the front desk and take us directly into the hallway. Might save some time, and minimize how many people we encounter.”

  “I’ll follow you,” Mariska said.

  They turned, veering to the right and through a doorway into a long hallway. Three quarters down the hallway they stopped at a door, and Eddie punched a code into the security pad. The door lock disengaged with a click and he pushed the door open. Once inside, Mariska closed the door behind them.

  Mariska reached for the front door of the office when Eddie stopped her. “Maybe I should go first.”

  Good plan. Mariska took a step back and allowed Eddie to go through the door first. He stepped into the hallway and looked both ways before signaling for Mariska to follow. After entering the hallway, she jumped with a start as the door slammed shut behind her. They exchanged a surprised look, but then let out a held breath followed by a quiet and short-lived, anxious laugh.

  “Do you know how to get out of here?” Eddie whispered. “Just in case we get separated?”

  She nodded. They ran-walked, side by side, down the hallway. Mariska looked behind her as they ro
unded the first corner and slammed face first into a human wall. She looked up into the face of a monster. The thug who had attempted to kill her back in Los Angeles stared down at her. His hand reached for her as she stumbled backward away from him. His powerful hand closed around her wrist like a painful vice-grip.

  Mariska cried out in pain. She pulled away, hard, but couldn’t budge him. Eddie jumped into action. His fist collided with the attacker’s jaw, throwing the man’s head back. Mariska pulled again and managed to free her arm.

  Eddie jumped on the man’s back, squeezing the man around the neck with his arm. Mariska jumped into the fray, kicking the man between the legs with every ounce of strength she had. The man fell to his knees with a thud.

  “Get out of here, Mariska.” Eddie struggled to remain on top of the giant man. “I don’t know how long I can hold him.”

  Mariska hesitated for only a second. She turned and ran for the exit, the sounds of the struggle behind her grew more intense with each step. She stopped at the exit at the far end of the hallway and looked back. Eddie and the killer were locked in a dance of death. She fought the urge to run back and help.

  Eddie yelled, “Get out of here.”

  She closed her eyes and pushed back through the exit and stumbled out onto the street. Looking both ways, she wasn’t entirely sure which direction to go. The sound of voices drew her attention down the street. She went toward the voices. Safety in numbers? She hoped so.

  Rounding the corner, she found herself in the middle of a street market. Signs indicating no motor vehicles indicated the rules of the road. There were people everywhere. Lining the street were vendors, both inside the buildings and outside in front on the sidewalks. Groups of people meandered from one shop to the next. It was all here, conversations in Danish, haggling between customer and merchant, laughter, and life. Mariska pulled up a map on her phone and located the hotel. It was close, no more than a few kilometers from this shopping district. Orienting herself using the compass app on the phone, she set out in the direction of the hotel.

  Mariska shoved the phone back into her pocket after memorizing the directions and looked behind her to see if she was being followed. At first, she didn’t see anyone. Sweet-relief settled over her until her mind shifted from preservation to betrayal. What was going on with David, and why was he in Copenhagen? Why was he with the man who was trying to hurt her? She continued down the street but felt like she was being watched. She looked around and saw an old man sitting in a rocking chair next to a cart. He smiled, and she crossed the street to greet him.

  “Do I know you?” Mariska asked.

  He shook his head. “I saw you.”

  “You saw me?”

  “You were at the library. There was a man following you.”

  A nervous energy tingled her belly. “You were there?”

  He nodded and continued to rock in his old wooden chair. “That man is still following you.”

  Mariska turned and glanced down the street. Sure enough, the monster walked through the crowd, stopping by each shop looking inside before moving to the next one. What was she going to do? There was no way she was going to make it all the way back to the hotel without getting caught.

  She looked at the man’s sales cart and saw it was covered in scarves, hats, and other fashion accessories. An idea lit up her mind. She handed the man a hundred-dollar bill and plucked a long blonde wig, sun-hat, and sunglasses from the display. She smiled and arched her eyebrows.

  The old man smiled back and motioned for her to hurry. Mariska donned the disguise and meandered down the street. She never really stopped at any one place but did her best to appear as a local shopper. At the end of the street, she quickly flagged down a cab driver and got inside.

  Mariska gave the cabbie the name of the hotel. “Please, hurry.” She sat back against the seat and tried to calm down.

  I want to go home? A single tear trailed down her cheek before she wiped it away. No, there isn’t time for me to have a breakdown. I’m stronger than this. She thought back to her conversation with Detective Wulf. What had he been trying to tell her? She pulled out her phone and called him. The call went straight to voicemail. She disconnected and tried the call again. Without a single ring, it went to voicemail.

  “Hey, it’s me. I’m not sure what you were trying to tell me, but the guy that attacked me in Los Angeles is here. He’s here in Copenhagen, and he’s definitely seen me.” Mariska paused, unsure of what to say next. What was there left to say? “I’ll try and call you again, later.” The phone beeped rapidly, and she pulled it away from her ear and looked at the screen. The call had disconnected. There was no way to be sure the message had gone through.

  She turned off the screen and put it back into her pocket. I’ll call him later. If there was a later…

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Mariska slid the room key into the slot and heard the high-pitched beep of the door lock disengaging. She cranked down on the doorknob and pushed the door open. Once inside, she closed the door by leaning back against it and slid down the door to the floor. An overpowering exhaustion took her from the conscious world to one filled with horrendous images that played out in her mind’s eye. Sleep was interrupted by a slam of a neighboring hotel room.

  She pushed back the cobwebs and monsters and stood. Her legs hadn’t stiffened up, and her butt wasn’t sore from sitting on the hard floor, which told her she hadn’t been out long. Yawning, she tore off the hat and wig, dropping them at the door. The narrow entryway opened up to the main bedroom and bathroom. That’s where she stopped, dead in her tracks.

  The room had been ransacked. The mattress was lying on the floor next to the bedframe, all the drawers were open with clothes flung around the room. Her suitcase lay on its side, open, and empty, the lining torn out and sitting on the floor next to it. She felt the room start to spin. Everywhere she went, they followed. Was there anywhere in this world left that they couldn’t follow her, find her?

  Pulling out her phone, Mariska placed a call to Theresa.

  “Mariska,” Theresa answered. “Is everything, okay?”

  “No.” She took what was left of her suitcase and put it on the mattress. “I don’t seem to be able to catch a break. Not even, here.”

  “What happened? What do you need?”

  Mariska started to laugh. She had no idea, why, but she couldn’t stop. Sitting down on the floor, she started throwing clothes into the suitcase. “The goon.”

  “What about him?”

  “He’s here,” Mariska said. “He’s here and tried to kill me, again.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re not safe there.”

  “You’re telling me? I was attacked at the University. I barely made it back to the hotel, only to find my room has been trashed.”

  “Get out of there…now. I’ll arrange for a ride to the airport.”

  “My flight isn’t until tomorrow night. What am I supposed to do until then?”

  “What could be safer than being at an airport? I know it’ll suck, but you can spend the night in the terminal. There will be armed guards, day and night,” Theresa said. “Now, get the most important things you need and get to the airport. It might take me a bit, but I will have a car waiting for you within the hour. I’ll make sure you know which one is your car.”

  “Can you also call Detective Wulf and let him know what’s been going on? I haven’t been able to reach him.”

  “Yes, of course. Anything else?”

  Mariska cringed as she thought back to Eddie and how the last time she saw him he was fighting for their lives. “Have you heard from, Eddie?”

  There was a long pause. “No, I haven’t.” Another long moment of silence. “Is he…okay?”

  Mariska cleared her throat. “I’m not sure, Theresa. The last time I saw him, he was…in a struggle. He saved my life.”

  “Struggle? I’ll call the university. Unless there’s something else you need right now, I think I should get
going.” The pain in her voice made Mariska rethink her decision not to come to his aide.

  But what could I have done? Mariska said, “Thank you for all your help…I hope he’s all right. He’s a wonderful man.”

  Their call disconnected and Mariska suspected Theresa had hung up. She hurried around the room grabbing up her clothes and putting them in the suitcase. Every time she packed for a trip, she could hear her mom’s voice in her head. Telling her to pack an extra pair of socks and underwear because you never knew when you’d get wet.

  Emotions well up inside her as she closed her eyes and saw her parent’s faces looking back at her. She missed them so much more than she ever thought she could. Opening the front pocket of her suitcase, Mariska pulled out a clear plastic Ziploc baggie. You never know when you’ll get wet. Placing her cell phone, wallet, and passport into the baggie, she pushed all the air out and sealed it. Shoving the baggie into her purse, she slung it over her shoulder. After zipping the suitcase shut, she pulled it to the hotel room door, stopping long enough to turn and take in the mess she was leaving behind. Stooping down, she picked up the disguise and put it back on. “I think I’m going to need this,” she said to herself.

  I also need to get the hell out of here. Fast. While there was still time.

  Mariska stopped at the hotel bar to wait for her ride that Theresa promised would be within the hour. “I’ll have vodka and soda with a lime, please.”

  The bartender brought it a few minutes later. She tossed some money on the bar and took the drink to go. Keeping to the edges of the expansive lobby, she found a discreet place to sip her drink. Pushing the suitcase up against the wall, she sat on it and crossed her legs. The drink was delicious, with enough fizz and lime taste to make it go down easily. A bit watered down, but tasty. She could see outside through the huge glass doors at the front of the hotel. A dark limousine pulled up, and a driver got out and helped a family load up their bags and get inside the vehicle.

  She pulled out her phone and found, Badger’s phone number. She knew better than to call him. He wouldn’t answer anyway, so she sent a message. I need immediate evacuation from the Copenhagen International Airport. I’m headed to the airport within the hour. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. The message showed as successfully sent, but there wasn’t an immediate reply. Not that she’d really expected one.