by Terra Wolf
“Oh, yes, it appears that you’re just to arrive. That's odd. I don't remember Frank saying anything about needing more security. But there's a lot of turnover here, so I can never be sure who they're looking at next.” She passed the paper back to me after inspecting it further. “I'll just phone Frank to let him know you've arrived. Please have a seat.”
I took the paper back and stuffed it in my pocket. I sat down on one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room. I tried to look as casual as possible, just slightly nervous because I needed the job. It was believable.
I heard a buzz near one of the white doors, the entire place just looked so sterile. A man just a few inches shorter than me and about my age exited the door and spoke to the secretary before looking at me. He had on long black pants and a black short sleeve T-shirt. On his belt was some type of tag I assumed was his identification. I would need to get one from him in order to gain access to all the parts in the lab.
I stretched my neck slightly as my earpiece was in my ear. I hated feedback. Finally, the man approached me and offered his hand. “I'm Frank. I'm sorry, but I think there's been some type of mistake. I wasn’t aware that there were any jobs we needed to fill.” I shook his hand and squeezed it tightly, showing my force. I wanted to make sure he knew what he was turning down.
He looked down at my hand, obviously noting my strength. “Maybe we could take a walk, though. There’re a few janitorial positions I think.”
I was surprised at his willingness to let me take a walk around with him. “Sure, I could really use the job, man. I'm sure you know how hard the security sectors been lately. It's tough to find work anywhere.”
Frank nodded. “I was lucky to get this job. Come on, let me show you around. Maybe if you meet the big boss, he’ll make an exception for you. You gotta admit, you're huge.”
So my tough handshake had worked. He swiped his badge and let us through the white doors into another hallway. This one had no windows, but on either side of us were glass panels that looked into the labs. Everyone was wearing goggles and white lab coats. The place was pristine.
“So what do they make here, anyway?”
Frank shook his head, “Hell if I know. I'm just supposed to make sure that nobody gets in, and nobody gets out with any product. No medical supplies, medicine, any of the chemical compounds that they're creating. I don't know what any of this is for, but it's expensive. Most of the stuff could pay for a house, or more.”
I couldn't tell if he was telling the truth. Did he really not know what they were doing here? That they were torturing people? Maybe he just didn't want to think about it.
I know I wouldn't want to.
“How long have you been here?”
Frank licked his lips before turning a corner and walking down another hallway that looked similar to the last. “About six weeks? We've only been open three months. Before me there was another security guy, but I guess he didn't work out. I've got six guys under me. It's enough to keep the place running. I'm always telling them we need more. I just wasn't aware that they approved any spots. They’re really stingy about money, which is strange, considering how much money is in this place. Video cameras in every corner, audio in every lab. They want to make sure they know what the scientists are doing. Make sure that they’re working at all times. They don't like to pay anybody to not be working here. And everything is classified, high security clearances.”
“Well, at least the working conditions are okay. I’ve certainly worked in worse.”
He laughed, nodding. “I did concert security for a while. The chicks were great. But the rest of the job benefits? Zero. Standing in the blazing hot sun for hours while the band warmed up and then headed into an air conditioned trailer. It was terrible! And the money? Equally horrible. This is cushy compared to what I'm used to.”
This guy was beginning to trust me. Seemed nice, too. It made me feel kinda bad. “Oh yeah, I've worked gigs like that. I was a bouncer at a club. Private security is definitely where it’s at. I can definitely see myself here.”
“Well, we passed most of the labs, and now we’re entering the office part of the compound. The boss's office is at the very end. He's not here today, but a second in command is. The boss himself, he's never here. I haven't met him once.”
“Not even when you were hired? Security seems like a pretty important job.”
“Nope. I interviewed with the head of human resources. I didn't even meet the second in command until I was on the job for three days. His name is Calvin. He's a real douchebag, but he knows his stuff. That, and he can tell a good worker when he sees one. You impress them, and you’ll have a job here.”
He opened the door in front of us. It was another metallic door, but this one was actually metal; the other ones had been some type of plastic material. When we walked through that door, there was a completely different look on the other side. Everything was still white, but now there were cubicles and comfortable chairs about. There was a water cooler and a kitchen, healthy snacks sitting in a bowl. Even though it was so sterile feeling, it was much more comfortable than any of the labs had been. There was another door at the end of the room with a huge desk sitting in front of it. Behind it was a man with his feet up on his desk talking on a cell phone. He looked casual enough, with a smile on his face, and when he saw us, he hung up quickly.
“Frank, what are you doing in here?”
“I brought a new recruit, sir. One to join the security staff, said he got an email about the job?”
“Fine, fine. Bring him over here, let me see him. Stacy, come meet this guy,” I heard him say to one of his peers. So he was already suspicious. Or maybe he always was.
“What's your name?”
“George, George Green. Like Frank said, I received information about the job in an email. I was told to show up. Sorry if that puts you out.”
“No, not at all, I like a man who goes after a job. Shows they've got something. So tell me about your background. You’ve worked security for a long time, I assume?”
I sat down in the chair across from him. Just another small plastic chair—clearly he like to make his guests feel inadequate. “Yeah, about ten years. Started as soon as I got out of college. Realized the police force wasn't really for me. They just let any riffraff in there, you know?”
I knew the guys were listening, probably cursing me out for that one.
He leaned forward on his desk, his eyes staring into my own. He was about ten years older than me. His suit was crisp and clean, and he looked like he had put on a little bit more weight than he probably wanted. He seemed like the type of guy with a trophy wife at home just because he made a lot of money. “Yeah I do know about them. So what have you been doing for the past ten years?”
I had to tell my story. This was the part of going undercover that I really liked. Creating a whole new character. George Green was absolutely nothing like me except that we looked the same. His story was totally different than my upbringing. “Oh, you know, I worked as a bouncer for a couple years at a few clubs, then I moved into private security. I kind of have a thing for gamblers.” That piqued his interest. Just as we had suspected, he was probably a gambler himself. All the big wigs in town were. They made most of their business deals around the poker table.
“Anybody I know?”
“The Garbini family, you know, high rollers. I protected the boss and then his two sons. I was there for six years.”
He sat back, looking impressed. “So why leave? That's a nice paycheck.”
“Oh, you know, family drama. I was ready to do something a little bit less emotional, a little bit more detached. When I saw this opportunity, I just had to jump on it.”
He nodded at me. “I see that. Well, listen, I don't have an opening right now, however, I have to fire some idiot tomorrow. So why don’t you come back on Monday? We’ll get you a badge and properly train you. I’ll call your references and we’ll go from there.”
“Sounds great. T
hanks so much for meeting me like this. I’ll be back on Monday.”
“Fine, I'll see you then.”
I had done it. I had gotten in. Now I would just have to uncover the truth of what was really going on in this place.
11
Harrison
I arrived early on Monday morning. I took a long drive around the parking lot to make sure that I could see all the entrances and exits of the entire facility. There were more than I'd anticipated, at least thirty.
This place was huge. How they were managing with such a small security team I didn't understand. I knew about the video cameras and swipe cards, but they still needed higher level security than what they had. Unless they were hiding things here that they felt weren’t a big deal. After I parked my truck in employee parking, I walked around to the front of the building where I had come in for the interview just a couple days before. I knew I had to make a good impression right away. If I wanted to find out exactly what was going on here, I would need to make them trust me and fast.
I walked in to see the same secretary sitting behind the desk. She smiled at me sweetly. No one else was sitting in the waiting room. It was just us. It would be easier to persuade her to give up more information with it just being the two of us. I smiled at her warmly and waved.
“Morning! I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”
“Yes, Mr. Green. We’re very excited to have you on board. I'm Clara. I work directly for the corporation.”
“Right, Purest. Interesting name.”
She smiled again. “We just want our clients to understand that our chemicals are only available in the best form possible. No additives or cheap knockoffs here. Only the best.”
She sounded like an infomercial. “Of course. I'm not used to working in a lab like this. I just hope I look okay.”
Bashful made women melt. I had on a black T-shirt and black pants that Penny had pulled out for me. I had felt strange leaving my gun and badge at home. I couldn't risk them seeing anything or something showing up on a metal detector if I had to go through security. I needed my cover to hold. I didn't know how long I was going to have to be here. Might take days or even weeks to get all the information that I would need to take them down. And if I didn't get it in enough time, I already explained to Sarge that I would take matters into my own hands. I had to, since my family was at stake.
“You look fine! Perfect for a security officer’s wear. You won't be seeing much action around here, anyway. Most of them spend their days eating doughnuts and drinking coffee.” She laughed to herself.
“Really? Your competitors don't want your information?”
She lowered her voice. “We don't really have many competitors. Our quality product is high-level, and no one really wants to deal with all the paperwork and the amount of clinical trials that we do here. Too much work.”
“And what is it exactly that they make sure?”
She furrowed her brow. She was almost cute in a way, the bridge of her nose pinched together to show that she was thinking about it really hard. It took me only a moment to realize that she didn't know. I wondered how many other employees here didn't know what they had signed up for.
“I saw them bringing in a lot of artificial formula once. So I think it has something to do with small kids and babies? But to be totally honest, none of us are really sure. Everything is just so hush-hush. And I don't really see many other people, being up front here. Everyone else is in the back, behind that door.” She pointed.
“Which is exactly where you’ll be going. Human resources has all your information? You filled out the report that we sent you?”
“Yes, of course.” That had been harder than we anticipated. They really dug into your background here. We had to not only fake my identity but then tech had to create an entire past life. Sarge had to pull some strings with the feds to get me high level security clearance. But they had hauled ass and made it look like I had been applying for jobs all over the place. It made it more believable.
“Excellent. Then I’ll buzz you through, and you go right back to the office where you met Mr. Sable the other day. Someone will be waiting for you there to give you the tour and assign you to your station. It's wonderful to have you here, George,” she added flirtatiously.
“You have no idea.”
I went back to meet with Mr. Sable, but he wasn't there. Apparently, nobody was running this place on a regular basis. Frank, the head of security, who introduced himself the other day, took me on an official tour of the labs. Last time, we had just walked around them, but this time, he took me right inside. There had to be ten to fifteen lab assistants and techs in each laboratory. And there were six of them in all. The whiteness and stillness of the environment overwhelmed me. My bear wanted to escape, as he could sense the danger. He also didn't like the feeling of being confined, and this place reminded me of a white prison.
“So that's the entire upper level. All the labs. Downstairs is mostly a warehouse, where they keep the shipment.”
“Shipments? You mean chemicals?”
“Something like that. But you have to have a higher security clearance to work down there anyway, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“You know I have a lot of experience. No need to worry about me taking your secrets.”
“I'm not worried about you, man. More about what's down there. I hardly go down there if I can avoid it. It's also where they keep the test subjects. Makes me uncomfortable.”
“Test subjects?” I tried to think back to what Clara had said. Formula and kids. I also thought of Camden. The rage boiled inside me, but I tried to keep it in the best I could. I was here for information, I couldn't make any further decisions without it.
“You mean the children? Do you have a daycare down there or something?”
“I wish that's what it was. No, it's nothing like a daycare. And how did you know about the kids?”
“Clara just mentioned something about it. She thought I was going to be working down there, I guess.”
“Oh, yeah. No, I’m the only one who has clearance down there. Like I said, I avoid it. There're no entrances and exits down there so we don't need heightened security. Everything that's important is up here.”
I didn’t push any further, I could tell he was getting suspicious.
“Okay so your post is next to lab B. You just stand here and let me know if any of these geeks looks strange.”
I nodded.
I needed to get downstairs, but that would take time.
12
Harrison
The next day I was watching a lab tech take notes. He looked younger than me and kept swishing blood around in a vial. It was making me nauseous. I knew that must belong to someone downstairs. I had to find out more.
Frank was walking by me, doing his third round for the day.
“Frank,” I said, stopping him with my arm. “Do you know what they make here? That kid has been playing with blood for over an hour. It’s weird. He looks fascinated.”
“All these science types are.”
I had to keep pushing. “They’re weird. But really, what are they looking for? I mean if you’ve got some crazy viruses in here, we should know about it. Working here and all, I don’t want to get sick.”
He sighed and shook his head. “You’re curious, do you know that? But I guess you’ve got a right to be. Come on, I’ll show you downstairs. But don’t you dare say anything to anyone, or losing your job will be the least of your worries.”
I pretended to look afraid, but instead I was on high alert. I didn’t expect it to be this simple. This was too easy. Frank knew more than he was letting on. I couldn’t tell if he was showing me because he was proud of what they were doing here, or if it was a set up.
He took me down a long hallway, which looked like just like all the others, but at the end, there was a door that said biohazard. We walked through it into an elevator with the same symbol on it. When we entered, there wer
e only two buttons, up and down. I balled my fists in preparation for an attack, what if he was taking me down here to test me? Had I blown my cover?
“Listen, you can't tell Sable that you saw any of this. But I get you wanting to know. You're going to be protecting these lab techs with your life, it's important to know what you're protecting.”
“What am I protecting?”
The elevator doors opened and I was horrified by the view in front of me.
He only said one word. “Secrets.”
For me, there were no secrets here. Just cages. What they contained was even worse. Down the right side of the long dark hallway were people, dressed in regular, everyday clothes for the most part. On left hand side? Animals, or people in hospital gowns looking gaunt and frail. I tried the best I could to hide my disgust. But it didn't go unnoticed.
“I guess you figured out by now?”
“Sure did,” was all that I said. I looked at him, examining his every move. This wasn’t a ploy to hurt me, but something still felt off.
“Fucking shifters. The subspecies. I hate being down here. Just smells bad. They don't live any better than animals do.”
He didn't know anything about us. All he knew was these people in cages, and the only reason they lived any less of a life than he did was because he was forcing them to. I could feel the bile coming up in my throat as I passed by the cage of a bear who looked just like me. As he prowled back and forth, he stopped directly in front of me and threw his nose into the air. He knew what I was. Part of me thought he knew what I was doing. He roared in anger, looking at me as a traitor to our own kind.
“I've never seen him do that before,” Frank said as he took out a baton and hit the side of the cage. So he didn’t know what I was, or he was just a really good actor.
“This place is insane.” It was the only thing that I could say that was both truthful yet playing along in my role. I had to keep my cover. I couldn’t compromise the mission just because of how I felt. And as I looked into the sad and almost empty eyes of that bear, I felt a kinship toward him. This just as easily could've been me. I mean, I would've been harder to take down, probably, but not hard enough.
