The Immortal Gene

by Jonas Saul

  Jake collapsed in a fit of sneezing and coughing until Kirk shouted something. Before he could stop his partner, Kirk asked for the ambulance guys loading up their equipment four cars over to come tend to him.

  “It’s okay—” Jake sneezed. “It’s just a cold or”—another sneeze— “something in the air.”

  “Fuck that,” Kirk said matter-of-factly. “You’re all red around the neck and I think that’s hives breaking out on your face.”

  “What?” Jake managed to get to his feet. “Hives?”

  What the hell was happening to him? Why a sudden violent reaction to this house? If it was something in the air, how come no one else appeared to be sneezing?

  Two paramedics ran up. “What have we got here?” the man on the right asked.

  “My partner can’t stop sneezing and he’s breaking out in hives and a rash.”

  “Sir?” the paramedic leaned down to Jake. “Can you hear me?”

  Jake nodded as he let go of the fence and dropped to the ground. The horse whinnied behind him.

  “Sir, do you have any allergies that you’re aware of?”

  Jake shook his head, then sneezed again, a headache already started.

  “Sir, do you suffer from asthma?”

  “He doesn’t,” Kirk answered for him.

  Jake shut his eyes and focused on his breathing, which seemed shallow, difficult.

  Is my throat closing? Like what happens to people with a bee sting?

  “Get the Epi-pen,” Jake overheard the paramedic say to his partner. “Fast.”

  His nose was clogged now. He breathed through his mouth, but that proved more and more difficult. Everything itched, too.

  Something cold touched his right ear. He jerked to the side and banged his head on the fence.

  “Sorry, sir. Need to check your ears.”

  “For what?” Kirk asked. It sounded like his partner’s voice was far away.

  “Looking for fluid behind the eardrum. It tells me if this is an allergic reaction.”

  “Can’t we do this in the hospital?” His partner, always standing up for him when he was down.

  Then Jake went swimming. His consciousness floated out as if he was about to sleep and was already dreaming. In his semi-somnambulistic state, Jake felt his body being lifted, then carried. Frantic voices shouted at each other. Car doors slammed somewhere. A siren. Someone took his hand. A needle pierced his flesh.

  The rest became a blur as he sank lower, breathing still a chore.

  Until it all stopped.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Paging Dr. Clemens to the ER. Dr. Clemens to the ER.”

  Voices drifted in and out. Sounds and smells. Hospital smells. Heavy eyelids that refused to respond. Darkness, then light across the backs of his lids. Breathing rough, but easier now. Itching in several spots, but overall not as bad as mosquito bites.

  Jake tried to pull himself up and out of the semi-conscious state, swimming higher until things around him were clearer, the sounds less filtered, crisper. Someone stood close by.

  He was in a hospital. But why? Because he’d had a sneezing fit? And why was it so hard to wake up, open his eyes? Had he been drugged?

  “He’s coming to, doctor.”

  Cindy’s soft voice. The voice of reason, understanding. His future wife. Happy she was nearby, he tried to smile.

  Someone moved close to his side, their clothing brushing along his right hand. Something cold tapped his inner ear, then retreated. That same device edged in his right nostril, then retreated. He had enough strength to pull his head back at the intrusion.

  Fluttering his lids, he opened his eyes slowly, then closed them. The light was too bright.

  “Cindy?” he whispered.

  “I’m here, baby.” She wrapped a hand around the top of his head as she came down close to his face. “I’m here.”

  Jake closed his eyes. “Where’s here?”

  “You’re in the hospital.”

  “Why? Because I sneezed?”

  She pulled away. “I’ll let the doctor explain. He was just about to tell me everything anyway.”

  Jake opened his eyes until he could see the room well enough, then focused on the doctor, a pit of dread welling in his stomach.

  “What happened to me? A tumor? A stroke?”

  The doctor wore the proverbial white lab coat and had a thin, white beard. He reminded Jake of Sean Connery.

  “I assure you it’s nothing like that, Mr. Wood. As far as we can tell, anyway.”

  “Good, then I’m sure we can handle the news. Bring it on, Doc.”

  The doctor didn’t appear to have a sense of humor. Not a single muscle moved in his face as he stared down at a clipboard in his hand.

  Cindy stopped leaning on the bed. She stood beside him, her hand in his.

  “Early results suggest you had an allergic reaction,” the doctor said.

  “That’s all this was?” Jake asked. He looked from Cindy to the doctor again. “Bit violent to be just an allergic reaction. What am I allergic to?”

  “Based on the skin test we did since you arrived, I suspect you have an allergy to horses. We pulled some blood and sent it off for a RAST test, but those results might take a few weeks.”

  “Horses? How could I be allergic to horses? That’s weird.”

  The doctor set the clipboard on a hook and approached Jake. “It happens.” He pointed at Jake’s ears. “You have fluid in the ears, behind the eardrum. The pale, swollen mucus membranes in your nose also suggests allergies. You have allergic shiners in just a few short hours, too.”

  “What are allergic shiners? And what’s a RAST test?”

  The doctor checked his watch, then adjusted the sleeve of his white coat back over his wrist. “RAST stands for Radio Allergo Sorbent Test. Basically, they’ll do this test on your blood to determine exactly what it is you’re allergic to.” He edged closer and pointed at Jake’s eyes. “Allergic shiners are the dark circles under your eyes that are due to nasal congestion.”

  “It happened that fast?” Surprised, Jake stared at the doctor, then turned to look at Cindy who offered him a comforting smile.

  “You’ve been here since this morning,” Cindy said. “It’s mid-afternoon. I was getting worried you wouldn’t wake up.”

  “Your condition precipitated a response similar to asthma. A horse allergy is caused by a blood protein called albumin. It can cause urticaria, which are hives, angioedema, which is the swelling that accompanies hives, and anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening reaction caused by your own body’s defenses to the allergen.”

  “Which means what, exactly?”

  “When your body produced the necessary histamines, leukotrienes and tryptase from mast cells—”

  “In English, Doctor. I have no idea what you’re saying.”

  He checked his watch again, then moved backwards a few steps. It was obvious he had to leave.

  “Okay,” the doctor said. “When your body began to fight the allergen, you had a shortness of breath, wheezing, sneezing and coughing. Your heart rate accelerated and you experienced low blood pressure, in addition to the itchy skin, hives and swelling. Next would’ve been nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, but the attending paramedics got you away from the horses fast enough to avoid further symptoms.” The doctor moved steadily toward the door. “We’ll be checking you out of the hospital within the hour and sending you home with Zyrtec to help you handle the rest of the symptoms. You’ll be fine as long as you stay away from horses.”

  Then the doctor disappeared out the door. Jake turned to Cindy.

  “Who knew I’d be allergic to horses?” he asked. “That’s insane.”

  “I know, baby. But now we know what it was. No horses for you.”

  Jake turned his gaze toward the hospital’s ceiling. “It’s funny. I can’t remember a single time in my thirty-five years where I’ve been that close to horses.”

  “Makes sense. You would’ve
had this reaction then and learned of your allergy years before.”

  Images of the crime scene came back to him. The Blood Eagle Killer. Detective Joslin.

  He scanned the room. “Where’s Kirk?”

  Cindy looked at the door. “He’s right—”

  “Here,” Kirk said as he stepped inside the room. “And the zombie wakes.” He held two coffees and two muffins. “Had to run to the cafeteria.” Kirk handed Cindy a coffee and a muffin.

  “What happened with Joslin at the crime scene?” Jake asked.

  “Wait,” Cindy interrupted. “I’ll step out while you two talk shop.”

  “Okay, honey. Don’t go far. I want out of here.”

  Cindy took her coffee and muffin and headed for the door. When she was gone, Kirk closed the door and approached Jake’s bed.

  “Nothing happened with Joslin.” Kirk shrugged and bit into his muffin. It looked like oatmeal. Jake was suddenly hungry. “Joslin walked away,” Kirk added, his mouth full. “I got you in the ambulance and rode with you here, calling Cindy on the way. I know nothing else and don’t want to know anything else. It’s her case.”

  There was a moment of silence as Kirk finished his muffin.

  “Ever see anything like that before?” Jake asked, images of the Marcello family bodies floating through his head.

  Kirk studied his face for a moment, then walked over to the window. “Never. And hope I don’t again.”

  “Me too.”

  Jake closed his eyes and scratched at an irritation on his arm. “Today we saw what madness can produce. It’s contagious, like getting a cold. Witness the results of insanity enough and a sane mind could slip to the other side.”

  “Agreed,” Kirk added, peeked at him over his shoulder, then continued looking out the window. “Reminds me of that murder in Toronto. The Bowling Alley case that we got assigned to.”

  “I remember,” Jake said. “We never caught the guy.”

  “We didn’t catch him, but he got caught through a DNA match while in prison.”

  “That’s right. It’s coming back to me.” Jake tapped his chin. “This case does remind me of that. Brutal murders. Killer walks away and would’ve stayed gone if he didn’t have an argument with his girlfriend and try to beat her to a pulp.” Jake eyed his partner. “We have to treat this case like that one and not give up.”

  Kirk walked back to Jake. “Easy there, big guy. We’re not treating this case any which way. This isn’t our case.”

  “Joslin can’t handle it alone. She’s been lead on it since—what did she say, 2006?”

  “Something like that.”

  “And the Blood Eagle Killer is still at large. The reason she said she would stake her career on finding him is because she is out of a job if he strikes again after this. No way she stays on as lead if she doesn’t solve it now.”

  “So?” Kirk watched him suspiciously. “What are you saying? You want the case?”

  “Why not? Talk to our old bosses in Toronto. Let them know we’re interested. We have the experience and the knowledge of the terrain up here to handle this kind of case. Or at least to help in some capacity.”

  Kirk stepped away, switching his coffee from one hand to the other. “I don’t know, bro. Too intense. It’s not for me.”

  “What is then? A Maytag killer?”

  Kirk spun around. He drank from his coffee, the slurping sound rather loud for the private room.

  “Sorry,” Jake said. “That was uncalled for.”

  “Yeah, it was. You’re a dick. Always been a dick. But it’s okay with me. I’ll protect you from the world. If they knew how much of a dick you were, you wouldn’t be able to survive out there with your dickness.” Kirk laughed at his own humor.

  “Hey, thanks. Happy to hear you’ve got my dickness covered.”

  “That’s what partners are for?”

  The door popped open and Cindy slipped into the room. “What are partners for?” she asked.

  “Sickness,” Jake said quickly. Probably too quickly. “You know? In case I get sick. I’ve got you and I’ve got Kirk when it’s about the job.”

  Cindy turned to Kirk, who smiled wide and shrugged. The door opened behind Cindy.

  Luke Mercer stepped inside. He nodded at Kirk, then stopped to hug Cindy.

  “Luke,” Jake said. “You’re here? At this hospital?” He hadn’t seen Luke in weeks. When he had taken the new job at Fortech Industries months ago, Luke had disappeared, no doubt staying quite busy.

  “I heard you were brought in,” Luke said, moving to the side of the bed. “Wanted to check the condition of my best friend.”

  “Horse allergy,” Kirk said. “Can you believe it?”

  Luke suppressed a grin. “There goes the best name you had in college.”

  “What was that?” Cindy asked, sounding eager for dirt on her man.

  Luke turned to her. “He was often called the horse’s ass.”

  Kirk chuckled under his breath. Cindy smiled and shared a glance with Jake.

  “When do you leave for South America?” Jake asked.

  “Now. As soon as I leave this room. I’m on my way to Toronto to fly out this evening. A short layover in Miami, then I land at the Manaus airport in Brazil after seventeen hours of traveling.”

  “Wow,” Cindy said, moving closer. She sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s in Brazil?”

  Luke glanced at her, then back to Jake. “Just work stuff.” He grabbed the clipboard and scanned a couple of pages. “Sure wish you could come, Jake. All expenses are paid.”

  Kirk moved closer. “You worried about something specific, Luke?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. Just need to do a one-day trip into the jungle, collect samples, then fly back. Just never been to the Amazon Rainforest and Jake always said we’d do it together.” He set the clipboard down and refocused his attention on Jake. “In truth, I don’t want to do it alone.”

  “I can understand that. I wouldn’t either.”

  “Then come.” Luke tilted his head sideways and wrapped an arm around Cindy. “She’ll let you get away. You’ll be back before the weekend. Not only will I pay for everything, I’ll throw in spending money. And if you don’t buy anything, bring it home. Spend it on this lovely woman.”

  Swallowing a ball of emotion that rose in his throat, he shook his head. “I really shouldn’t. We’ve got a new case, too.”

  Luke dropped his arm and checked his watch. “I understand. Look, I have to go if I want to make my flight.” He moved toward the door. “If you change your mind, I’ve already bought your ticket. It’s at the Air Canada desk. You fly out later today, or if you miss that one, tomorrow afternoon.” He thrust his hands in the air to ward off Jake’s protest. “Don’t worry. That doesn’t fall under coercion. I never tap into my expense account.” He opened the door. The sounds of the hospital broke through the tension Jake felt. “If you change your mind, text me. I’ll send you the hotel details. We’ll do a jungle adventure together and head home. Deal?”

  Jake nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

  Luke eased out of the room, the door closing on him with an audible click.

  Cindy turned back to Jake. “He really wants you to go.”

  Jake pushed himself up in bed.

  “He sounded worried to me,” Kirk added. “Maybe you should consider it.”

  Jake had thought about it already and had declined. He had no idea why Luke wanted him on the trip other than companionship, which was fine, but the timing wasn’t good. And the days off with the department weren’t feasible.

  Cindy checked her phone. “It’s time to leave this place. One last talk with the doctor, then we’ll head home.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Kirk said as he headed for the door. “I’ll go to the station and see if there’s anything Detective Joslin wants us to do since you offered full cooperation earlier.”

  “Do that, Kirk, and get back to me at home. Call me later. I want to talk more abo
ut this case.”

  Kirk opened the door and looked back over his shoulder. Cindy gathered Jake’s clothes for when he climbed out of the hospital gown.

  “No, you don’t want to talk more about the case,” Kirk muttered. “We don’t want to discuss this case other than to help the lead detective solve it. We are only going to assist.”

  “Kirk, we need this. I need this. After what we saw at that farmhouse”—Cindy stopped what she was doing. Jake felt her eyes on him— “I won’t rest until the perp’s caught.”

  “Think about what you just said. Think long and hard. Make sure you know what you’re asking for.” He paused. “Maybe you do need to go to Brazil for a couple of days. Clear your head. Shit, you could get the rest of the week off after your little episode with the horse allergy. Call it in. Then head to Toronto. Come back after the weekend. I don’t want your shit and I don’t want this case. Think about what you’re saying.”

  “Fuck you, Kirk.” Jake snapped his fingers. Cindy jumped at the volume of the snap. “There. Thought about it. Done. Kirk, how long have we been doing this? What we saw today was the worst for us. Even if Joslin runs with this to its conclusion, I want to see it through, too. Get in touch with her. Find out what she wants from us. Tell her we’ll be there every step of the way.”

  “You tell her when you get home. I’m going to the office.”

  “Are you with me?” Jake asked.

  Cindy stared at Jake. Jake watched Kirk. Kirk looked at the floor. Over five seconds passed before Kirk raised his head. He started to let the door slide shut but stopped it before he was completely out. Jake met his eyes while Cindy remained immobile beside the bed, his clothes draped over her arms.

  “You know I’m always with you. Don’t ask me shit like that. We’re partners. All the way. Until the end. You’re my brother. If that’s what you want, I’m in. But until you’re sure, I’ll fight it and pick holes in your idea. I’m only in if you’re a hundred percent.”

  “I’m sure. I’m a hundred percent.”

  The door closed.

  “Fuck you, bro,” Kirk’s muffled words came through the closed door.