Altered Genes: Genesis

by Mark Kelly

  Mei stopped at the foot of the stairs. They were still wearing their dirty clothes. “Would you mind if I ran back and got a change of clothing for both us?”

  “Not at all.”

  She returned a few minutes later with clean clothes for her and Lucia. They stepped inside. The RV was cozy. Like an apartment on wheels, she thought as she looked around. ”I’m Mei, this is Lucia."

  “Nice to meet you.” Barb guided them to the door of a tiny restroom. “Towels are on the shelf above the toilet. I'm going outside to help Don. Shout, if you need anything.”

  The rank smell of sweat from the long hours spent in the van and their journey through the sewer tunnels hung in the air. Mei gently pushed Lucia into the restroom. “Wash…and not just your face,” she said through the closed door.

  Alone now, she studied the family photographs that hung on the wall. One showed a portrait of a much younger Barb and Don. In their forties, she guessed. They looked happy standing in front of an old farmhouse.

  She listened as they chatted with each other, their conversation mostly small-talk. She smiled when it dropped to a whisper. They’re talking about us.

  The restroom door opened and Lucia stepped out. Her hair was damp and pushed back over her ears. She gazed at Mei for a fleeting moment, as if to say something, but said nothing. At least, she washed, Mei thought as she squeezed past and did the same.

  When they finished, they joined the older couple outside. Don had found two more chairs and placed them with the others while his wife stood by a small camp stove minding a pot of water. Wisps of steam drifted up and faded in the cool evening air.

  "Can I get you a cup of tea...or coffee?” she asked. "I'm sorry, we only have instant.”

  "Tea would be great,” Mei answered, happy to spend even one more minute away from the van.

  "How about you, dear, tea?”

  Lucia nodded, surprising Mei.

  They accepted the mugs that were offered and waited for their hosts to serve themselves. A cluster of stars appeared in the night's sky. Mei watched them flicker on and off as the clouds drifted by. She could hear the distant hum of traffic from the highway. It’s almost peaceful.

  "Where are you ladies headed?”

  "Washington. How about you?”

  “Back to Canada,” Don answered. “We should make it home by dinner tomorrow if the traffic isn’t too bad.” Even in the dim light, Mei saw the worried look Barb gave her husband.

  “Is anyone hungry?" the older woman asked, changing the subject.

  "Famished. I’ll bet the girls are too."

  "You're too kind. It's late, we should get going.” Mei stood and placed her mug on the table.

  "Don't be silly."

  The older woman was already at the bottom of the motorhome's steps. "There's plenty and I don't imagine you have a kitchen in the back of that van. Come in and help me while Don puts things away."

  He stood and folded his lawn chair, making it clear that he and his wife were having guests for dinner.

  Mei watched Lucia follow the older woman into the Motorhome. Well, I guess that’s that.

  Don joined them a few minutes later. He closed and locked the flimsy door behind him. “Everything's away outside...How's dinner coming?"

  ”Almost done…go wash-up.”

  They ate quickly, filling the time in between bites with small talk. After they had finished, Barb collected the dishes and asked, “Where are you sleeping tonight...in the van?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at her husband. “We have plenty of room here, don't we, Don?"

  “Sure do.”

  "Thanks, you’re too kind,” Mei answered, surprised by the offer, “but we’ll be fine, really.” She reached over and tapped Lucia on the arm. “We should get going.”

  She turned back to their hosts. “Thanks for the great meal and your hospitality. It was wonderful.”

  Don stopped them at the door. “Just a second.” He was back a minute later with an armful of blankets. ”Take them, we've got lots. It’ll get cold tonight.”

  Mei knew he was right and accepted the bundle with a smile. “Thanks”

  When they reached the van, she turned and waved good night to him. He was still standing in the RV’s doorway. Only when they were safely inside, did he close the RV’s door.

  Mei pushed the suitcases aside and laid the blankets out on the ribbed metal floor. She motioned Lucia to lie down and then did the same.

  In the distance, the sound of car alarms and the intermittent crack of gunfire disturbed the night. It was far enough away to not be worrisome, but loud enough to keep her on edge. Sleep didn’t come easily but after a while, exhaustion took over.

  "Psst..." She heard the hiss first and then felt someone shake her shoulder. Clumsy and half-awake, she jolted upright.

  "What–"

  "Shhhh..."

  Lucia?

  She was instantly awake.

  "What is it?"

  “I heard someone outside.”

  They crawled to the front of the van and peeked out the driver's window. A pair of men stood in the shadows near the side of the motorhome. Mei watched, transfixed, as one of them tried to open the RV’s door. She debated what she should do. If she shouted or honked the horn, she’d draw attention to the van and if she didn’t…

  Squeeeeak…the gut-wrenching sound came from behind her. She turned to see Lucia lower herself out of the van and disappear into the night, leaving the door wide open. What the hell is she doing?

  Panic stricken, she turned back to see if the men had heard the noise. They had and were looking for the source. One of them ducked down and searched beneath the motorhome while the other peered into the darkness. Unable to find a threat, they went back to fiddling with the RV’s door.

  A flutter of movement caught her eye and she saw Lucia creep out of the darkness. She watched her move in short spurts, stopping and starting until she reached the shadows at the rear of the motorhome.

  I have to stop her before she gets herself killed. She bit back the terror that pulsed through her body and crawled to the rear of the van being careful not to make any noise. She stepped out onto the pavement and slowly closed the door behind her.

  Squeeeeak…the sound of the rusty hinge pierced the night. She froze, paralyzed with fear. Maybe they won’t notice. She didn’t believe it for a second. Her heart pounded furiously. She fixated on the approaching footsteps, ready to run.

  "Well well, what do we have here?" The smirking voice came at her head-on, leaving no time to react. She saw the callous eyes first, and then the gun that was pointed at her stomach.

  "What do you want?" The words caught in her throat.

  "A piece of you," he said, "later maybe..."

  The man grabbed her and swung her around. With the gun pressed up against the small of her back, he marched her away from the van and up the steps into the motorhome.

  Barb and Don sat wide-eyed with fear at the kitchen table. With a push, he shoved her down in the bench seat. She reached over, found Barb’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  A second man sat at the table directly across from Don. His face was covered with tattoos and a stylized XVIII in black ink ran across his forehead. "Anyone else?" he asked with a strong Latino accent.

  "No Jefe—just her."

  The tattooed man undressed her with his cold black eyes. She knew what he was thinking before he said it. Panic bubbled in the pit of her stomach.

  He smirked. “Chica, you and I are gonna have some fun, but first...the old man is gonna give me his money...or maybe I should just ask the old lady."

  He moved without warning and grabbed the back of Barb's head, slamming her face down on the table.

  Mei and Don both reached for her. ”Stop...leave her alone!" Don yelled as she cried out in pain. "My wallet's in the drawer of the nightstand...in the bedroom."

  Jefe gave her hair one last twist. "Go look," he snapped to the other man.

  The man left and returne
d quickly with a black wallet and brown leather purse. He placed them on the table and then respectfully stepped back.

  Jefe leered at Mei. "Where's your money, Chica...in your pants?"

  She recoiled as he reached across the table and tried to run his fingers across the front of her shirt.

  The other man laughed. "Should I search her?"

  "Si, but not now. Take her and go.”

  Panic took over as the man grabbed her by the shirt collar and dragged her from the seat. She felt Barb’s hand frantically clutch at her from behind. Jefe bellowed in anger. She saw him swing his pistol and strike the older woman in the head. Stunned by the blow, Barb fell forward unconscious.

  Don scrambled towards his wife, but Jefe pushed him back. "How about you...You gonna fight me, Grandpa?” He stood and darted back and forth, baiting the older man as he pretended to box. "Come on, take a swing."

  Don ignored him and lifted his wife’s limp body. Her temple was split and bleeding from the blow.

  Mei twisted her body and pulled away from the man who held her. She dropped to her knees beside Barb. "Let me help her.”

  The shots came without warning, one after another, thunderous in the closed confines of the motorhome. Mei recoiled in horror as blood and gore, bits of brain and bone fragments splashed across her face.

  "Take her!" Jefe shouted.

  She heard the command, muffled by the ringing in her ears, and felt the man grab her by the hair. He yanked her up and away from Barb's body. She stumbled and fell to the floor. "Get up," he screamed and kicked her. ”Get up, bitch.”

  She scrambled away on all fours and he followed, shouting obscenities and kicking even harder. When she reached the door she surged to her feet in a desperate attempt to escape and pushed it open.

  Lucia stood at the bottom of the stairs holding a tire iron. Her pupils were tiny black pinpricks. She raced up the steps past Mei towards the man, catching him by surprise. Her first swing hit him in the arm, and he dropped his gun with a loud grunt. Before he could react, she screamed and swung again, this time striking him in the forehead. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

  Jefe fired and the bullet grazed Lucia’s shoulder. Enraged, she swung the tire iron wildly and attacked. The momentum of her charge carried her into his arms. He grabbed her in a bear hug, crushing the air from her lungs and forcing her to drop her weapon. When she was no longer able to breathe, he threw her to the floor and stood above her.

  "What's the matter, too tired to play?" He dropped to his knees and sat on her chest, taunting her as she struggled to free herself. Finally, tired of the game, he cocked his fist to punch her.

  At the first sign of his swing, she grabbed the tire iron that lay on the floor beside her. She thrust upwards, driving the sharp end into his neck and then pulled it out. He clutched at his throat. His black eyes were wide in surprise as each beat of his heart sent a spurt of his blood out and onto the floor. She pushed him off her and climbed wearily to her feet. Hatred burned in her eyes as she look down at his corpse and spat. “Calle 18 pig.”

  Mei stared at her with a mixture of awe and fear. She climbed to her feet and staggered to the table where a few hours earlier they had eaten dinner with the two people who now lay sprawled on it. From the amount of blood, she knew they were dead, but checked out of habit.

  She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Lucia staring down at her. The anger was gone from the Latino woman’s eyes, replaced by cold determination. “Let’s go,” she said to Mei.

  “Are you okay? let me check.” She reached for Lucia’s wounded arm but the Latino woman pushed her hand away. “Later, let’s go.”

  “We have to get the police.”

  "No police.”

  She blinked. Things were different now, but were they that different? What would the police do? Arrest the other man? Question us? Put us in a cell?

  She decided none of it mattered. Barb and Don were dead, she and Lucia were alive and the two men on the floor didn’t count.

  “Okay,” she said, “Let’s go.”

  Lucia rolled Jefe’s body over and took the money from his pocket. She pried the gun from his hand. She then did the same with the other man. As she passed the table, she grabbed the wallet and purse.

  Mei stared at her.

  “They don’t need them anymore—Lets go!”

  She followed Lucia out of the motorhome. They ran to the van, ignoring the shouts from the people who had been woken by the gunshots. Lucia reached it first and jumped into the driver's seat. Mei paused and then ran to the passenger side.

  "Where to?”

  Mei looked at her. “Washington.”

  26

  WHERE IS HE?

  April 8th, 16h35 GMT : Washington, D.C.

  They drove in a criss-cross pattern until they found the street. It was lined with oak trees and red-brick two-storey houses that had been converted into student apartments. Mei counted off the street numbers.

  “That’s it,” she said, pointing to an older townhouse with 4424 stenciled above the pale yellow door.

  Aside from a small sedan parked in front of a closed restaurant, there were no other cars on the street. Lucia edged the van up against the curb and stopped.

  “I guess we can park here,” Mei said tentatively. She rubbed her hands back and forth on her pants and checked the address again.

  Lucia gave her an odd look. “Are you okay?”

  I haven’t been this nervous since my first patient. It’s been years since I last saw him. She nodded and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

  They followed a cobblestone walkway to the house. A cast iron ring sat in the middle of the door. She stared at the door-knocker for a second, lifted and dropped it. It clunked against the wood with a resounding thud. She picked it up and dropped it again for good measure.

  The sound of footsteps approaching came from inside. Her stomach turned over and she jammed her sweaty hands into the pocket of her pants. The door opened.

  A young woman with glasses gawked at them. “Ah…hi, is one of you, Dr Ling?” she asked after a moment.

  “I am,” Mei answered.

  The girl in the doorway beamed at her. “Hi, I’m Emma. It’s great to meet you. You must have had a long trip. Are you tired? I wasn’t sure if you got the email I sent—my email and phone stopped working—Professor Simmons isn’t here.”

  Overwhelmed by the flurry of words, Mei stared at her. “What do you mean, not here?” she asked. “Where is he?”

  Emma looked at her with a serious face. “The army took him. There were soldiers and everything. Please come in…come in and I’ll explain.”

  They stepped inside. Mei watched the girl peer up and down the street nervously before she closed the door and spoke, “The army took Professor Simmons to Fort Detrick a couple of weeks ago, but he’s not there any more. He’s at a garbage dump.”

  Mei shook her head, confused by the odd girl and her even odder story. None of it was making any sense. “I’m sorry, I’m not following you.”

  “Yeah, I know, crazy isn’t it?” the girl said, bobbing her head up and down. “He sounded freaked out—said he had to leave the base and wanted me to come get him. But I don’t have a car, do you?” She smiled. “Of course you do, that’s how you got here, right?”

  “A van,” Lucia answered. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the talkative girl.

  “Okay, cool, when do you want to go?”

  “Stop.” Mei held up her hands. “I’m sorry, but I’m completely confused.”

  “Come in and I’ll explain again,” Emma said, inviting them into the living room. It was filled with cardboard boxes. “Sorry about the mess,” she said as she lifted two boxes off the couch and placed them on the floor. “I was just getting organized in case I had to leave. Do you want something to eat or drink?”

  “No—thank you,” Mei said curtly. “Where’s Tony?”

  She listened as the girl explained. It made more sense thi
s time. She watched the girl get up and walk to the window for what seemed to be the tenth time.

  Why do you keep looking out the window?”

  Emma’s eyes lit up. She pushed aside a box of freeze-dried food and sat so close to Mei their knees touched. She leaned in and looked her straight in the eye.

  “There’s an Asian man. I think he’s spying on me,” she said in a low voice.

  Mei looked at Lucia who rolled her eyes.

  27

  BANG BANG

  April 8th, 18h55 GMT : Washington, D.C.

  Gong chewed on the ball of nicotine gum as he watched the three women carry box after box out of the house and down the steps to a white van. The van, with its two occupants, had pulled up around noon. They’re preparing to go somewhere, but where? He’d find out soon enough.

  He knew the young woman who lived in it was a student at Georgetown University and that her father was a colonel in the US Army. He’d been given that information a week earlier during his last and presumably final communication with the team in Beijing. Shortly after he had received the message, his cellphone stopped working. It wasn’t just his, none of them worked. Neither did the internet. He was on his own.

  During the long and mostly empty hours he spent watching the house and the young woman who lived in it, he often thought of his daughter and wondered if she was alive or dead. He didn’t know, might never know. He pushed her image from his mind and watched as the young woman followed the other two out of the house and locked the door.

  They’re leaving. They might lead him to Simmons.

  He rolled the car window down a crack and spat the tasteless gum out before slouching down in the seat.

  MEI OPENED the passenger door and Emma climbed in. The college student hunched over as she moved to the back. She pulled a box forward and sat on it.

  “See,” she said, pointing down the street. “You can just see the top of his head. I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy who followed Professor Simmons and me from the university.”