The Perfect Clone

by M. L. Stephens

  “No, it’s so important that I’d marry you and break with tradition, Laura. Our families have never married each other. They’ve always worked alongside each other. If you find it necessary for us to get married in order to continue working together, then yes. I’d marry you.”

  Laura was too shocked to be insulted. “It’s really that important?”

  “It really is.” Richard’s voice was solid.

  Based on his sincerity, it didn’t take Laura long to decide. “Then I’ll work for you at your other company, without becoming Mrs. Avery.”

  Richard’s smile spread from ear to ear.

  “I’ve known you my entire life Richard. My parents were the best people I’ve ever known, well, besides you of course. If they believed in what you’re doing, then count me in.”

  “I’ll only ask you this one more time because I need you to understand the magnitude of what you’re agreeing to. Are you certain?”

  “One hundred percent—I trust you Richard. I trusted my parents. The three of you can’t be wrong.”

  Leaning over, Richard held her face in both hands as he kissed her.

  “What else can I agree to in order to get more of that?” Laura shifted her weight. The mischievous look in his eyes stirred her desire.

  Leaning away from her, he repositioned himself on the ottoman. There was still work to be done. “I need to make a call. Excuse me for just a minute.”

  Richard ran upstairs.

  She mused over the location of his phone, guessing it had landed on the floor somewhere among the discarded clothes. The memory brought a smile to her face. Laura walked into the kitchen, poured two glasses of ice water, and then carried them to the living room while she waited.

  A list of things she’d need to attend to tomorrow, ran through her mind. She’d need to visit her father’s attorney in the morning to handle his estate. Then she’d need to contact the funeral home to make the necessary arrangements. She’d also need to contact the nursing agency to settle any remaining fees. She tried to remember if there was anything else. Oh, she was supposed to start a new job tomorrow. The list suddenly seemed overwhelming. There was so much to do.

  Richard walked back into the living room. “It’s taken care of. Your new work area is being set up as we speak. I know you have several things to take care of before I introduce you to your new lab, but it will be ready and waiting for you when the time comes.

  Laura smiled at the thoughtfulness. “Have I told you today how wonderful you are?”

  Placing a kiss on the top of her head, Richard sat down beside her as she curled up against him. “Yes, but tell me again.”

  “You’re more than wonderful and I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Me too; if I’d have lost this chance to steal you away from Roger, I’d be beside myself with envy.”

  Snorting in reply Laura playfully slapped him on the chest. “You’re insufferable!”

  “I’ve been called a lot worse.”

  “I can’t imagine why.” The two laughed and then enjoyed the quietness that fell between.

  “Laura?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you remember Saturday when I took you to my office?” Richard’s voice was restrained.

  “Yes.”

  “The box I showed you, what did you think of it?”

  Shifting her head to look at him, Laura vividly recalled the fine details handcrafted into the gold. “It was absolutely beautiful. Why do you ask?”

  He lowered his gaze to meet hers. “What did you think about the contents?”

  “Honestly?”

  “Honestly.”

  Laura thought about it for a minute before answering. “I can’t begin to imagine how you acquired such a thing.”

  “The Avery’s have gone through a lot of trouble over the centuries to obtain it. It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve finally gained possession of it. It’s a priceless relic.”

  “What are you going to do with it now that you have it?”

  “Not me, Laura… we—as in the two of us together.”

  Intrigued at the thought of together, she snuggled her head back against his chest. “Ok then. What are we, going to do with it, open up a museum?”

  Richard chuckled at her humor. “That’d be too easy. We’re going to clone it Laura.”

  “Ok, and then what?” Laura played along with Richard’s bizarre notion.

  “We’re going to clone it using the egg of a virgin. Then we’re going to surgically place the embryo back into that virgin to be born into the world. We’re going to give new life to the Christian Messiah.”

  Now he had her full attention. Sitting up to look at him, she immediately deduced from his intense expression that he was dead serious.

  With a nervous smile she asked, “Let’s assume that we can successfully clone it. Where in the world are you going to find a female virgin willing to have a child?”

  “She’s currently at a local hotel and is scheduled to see our fertility doctor tomorrow.”

  “What?”

  “We’ve been interviewing and eliminating candidates for quite some time, without much luck I might add, until today. Once her eggs are tested by the doctor and found to be fertile, it’ll be up to you and the doctor to do the rest, Laura.”

  The amount of air she sucked in caused her to choke on her next words. “If the sample is good I can clone it. Is this what my father was helping you with?”

  “In his own way, yes, he was helping. As did his father before him and his father before him. It’s what the Avery’s and the Greggario’s have worked toward since the first century. It’s the solution to all of the world’s current problems. Think about it Laura, our families will be the creators of peace.”

  Laura was beyond interested in helping and her scientific mind was working at full speed. This was the project to end all projects. “Do you think we can pull it off?”

  “The history that’s been passed down to our families over the generations is recorded in a historical tome, a book that your ancestors started. According to the writings, we were chosen for this task immediately after the Christ was sentenced to death. Our families were given the responsibility of resurrecting him. Of course then, they didn’t have—and couldn’t have—conceived of having the ability to create life other than by birth. Because it was a direct command, our ancestors went on faith alone. It was written in our book, that when the world was ready, mankind would be gifted with the knowledge to resurrect the Christ. We have that knowledge now Laura. We are living in that time and it’s our duty to fulfill the legacy.”

  “What if our ancestors were wrong though? What if we bring back something else, then what?”

  “Then the natural order of things will make the creation impossible and we won’t succeed regardless of what we try. Mankind can only go as far as nature is prepared to allow us to go. We can’t force two positive ends of a magnet together any more than we can place a house in the depths of the abyss. Nature is not prepared to allow us certain things, but when it does, it seems to happen at the height of our need and ability to accept those things. Our world needs this. It’s ready.”

  “I want to see this book. Where is it?”

  “It’s tucked away in a safe place.”

  Removing the cobwebs from her throat Laura replied, “I was wrong about you Richard.”

  Afraid that he’d revealed too much too soon, there was a nervous edge to his voice as he asked, “How so?”

  “You’re not just wonderful, you’re absolutely brilliant!”

  Chapter 16

  Sarah decided it was time to explore. After her meeting with Julia, a driver had dropped her back at the hotel, informing her that she’d receive a phone call in the morning to let her know the outcome. That had left her with an entire afternoon and night to just sit. After watching a few movies on the hotel’s network, she grew restless and needed a change of scenery.

  Peeking through the drapes, Sarah watched as
the lights in the parking lot buzzed to life. The sun had accomplished another successful performance and was deliberate in its slow decent beyond the horizon, reluctantly handing the reins of duty to the night watchman—the moon.

  Changing into jeans and a gray tee, Sarah slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and threw on a light sweater. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail she covered the top of her head with Josh’s old ball cap, tucked the ponytail through the back, and headed out to find something to eat. Room service was nice, but she’d had just about all the wall papered view she could handle. She craved a change of scenery.

  Stepping out the door, the brisk wind whipped at the hair hanging down her back. Good thing she thought to wear the cap. There were some things she enjoyed about the north. The crispness of the air during the fall was at the top of that list.

  Sarah glimpsed around. There wasn’t a single person in the parking lot. The lack of activity made her a bit nervous so she kept her eyes trained on the glow of a familiar restaurant sign. Bending her head against the wind, Sarah beat a straight path in its direction.

  Coming to a concrete drainage ditch, she cursed under her breath. The divide hadn’t been visible from her hotel window. Damn. She should have taken the road instead of attempting a short cut. An angled decent into the ditch, followed by a jump across the small amount of water gathered in the bottom, and she’d be closer to her destination.

  A sufficient amount of light flooded out from the parking lot, so Sarah was sure she’d notice if there were any suspicious characters lounging nearby. Besides, the food chain was just on the other side so there shouldn’t be a problem. Looking around again to make sure there weren’t any strangers close by, Sarah decided to chance the crossing.

  She easily made her way down the steep embankment. Just as she positioned herself for a short hop over the standing water, a man sprang into the ditch. He landed close enough to her that she could smell his stench. Too startled to scream, Sarah froze. Her body was rigid with fear. The man circled her, much like a hyena would circle a fresh kill. Swinging a short bladed knife, the grotesque man snickered at her, exposing rotted and missing teeth.

  “Hey Joey, come see what I found. I got us a pretty one.” The man’s raunchy garb and horrendous chemical stench caused bile to burn in the back of her throat. Sarah’s acute fear combined with the awful smells, threatened to cut off her ability to breath.

  Another man similar in appearance, trotted down the embankment, stopping beside his friend. The second man displayed a silver object that produced a popping sound followed by a blade—a switchblade. As he moved to the opposite side, Sarah’s senses finally kicked in. Scrambling up the concrete surface in an attempt to escape, her heart hammered against her chest.

  Sarah looked back over her shoulder to determine how much time she had before meeting with an untimely death. Screaming for help, Sarah kicked against the fondling and grappling hands as they pulled her back to the bottom. The men declared their malicious intentions as she continued to struggle for her life. She was going to die here and no one would know.

  “Mind if I join?” The voice was emotionless as it bellowed through the air.

  Without releasing their hold on the girl, both attackers turned their focus to the newest member of the group. “Go find your own piece of ass. This one’s ours.”

  Sarah continued kicking and slapping at the hands touching her. This could not be happening.

  “She seems to disagree.” The third man’s voice was stern.

  Sarah’s reaction to the words was immediate. She recognized that voice. Flipping her body around to face the attackers, her blurry vision confirmed it. She was bowled over with relief. “Luke.” His name was little more than a whisper.

  Ignoring the terrified woman, Luke remained focused on the two men in front of him, easy enough he thought.

  The toothless attacker let go of Sarah and lunged at the intruder. His buddy cackled with excitement, “Get him Todd. Kick his ass!”

  With renewed hope of breaking free, Sarah continued to fight against the one man who still held onto her. The punch that landed across her jaw stilled any further movements as unconsciousness swallowed her whole.

  Side stepping the clumsy maneuver of the lunging attacker, Luke caught the man’s extended arm. Using the guy’s own weight against its self, Luke easily twisted it behind the man’s back.

  While still in motion, Luke’s foot found the front of the attacker’s ankle, causing the man to land face down on the ground. Luke pressed his knee into the attacker’s back. In a continuous motion, Luke grabbed the man’s oily hair and lifted his head off the ground until it threatened to rupture the spine. In a quick delivery, Luke drove the man’s head down into the concrete, sending him straight to hell. Without pause, Luke stood up and turned to face the man standing next to Sarah’s motionless body.

  “It’s not polite to hit a woman.” Luke had been controlled before, now he was pissed.

  The other man howled with fury as he bolted toward Luke.

  Pain and terror supplied sufficient adrenaline as consciousness came flooding back to Sarah’s brain. The howl that ripped through the air reminded her of the desperate circumstances she was in. Aware that two people were fighting, but unable to see past the throbbing in her head, Sarah didn’t stick around to see the outcome. She wasn’t pinned down. This was her chance to flee. Willing herself the strength to move, she scrambled up the ditch and stumbled back to the room.

  Fumbling with the key card until she gained interior access, Sarah fell against the door and slammed it shut. Locking the bolt, her body collapsed to the floor. With legs bent, she propped her head on her knees and cried. The soreness in her jaw was a reminder of how careless she’d been. She cried for what seemed hours.

  An unexpected knock caused her to hold her breath. Maybe if she stayed still they wouldn’t hear her. Maybe they’d go away.

  “Sarah? It’s Luke.”

  Recognizing his voice, Sarah picked herself up from the floor but looked through the peep hole for further verification. Her body was stiff as the effects of the struggle started to settle in. Offering him access, she backed away from the entrance. Luke burst inside, closing the door behind him. He set a bucket of ice on the table.

  Before he could say anything, Sarah threw herself against the man who had saved her. Luke wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her while she cried. When the tears began to subside, he moved her to arm’s length. His tone was forceful and angry. “What in the…hell were you thinking?” Pointing his finger at her he didn’t wait for an answer as his voice grew louder. “Do you know how dangerous it is out there? You’re a woman, alone at night and off the beaten path? Have you lost your mind?”

  Sniffling, Sarah lowered her head in shame and sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry.”

  He’d never been so pissed. “Sorry? That’s all you’ve got? Do you know what could have happened if I hadn’t been there?” Raw emotion was tearing him apart and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t wired to deal with it. He was a hired assassin, a protector. There was no room for personal involvement.

  The terrified look on Sarah’s face as she’d struggled against her attackers had sent him to a place he’d never experienced before, a place of fear, of anger. He’d internalized his feelings and relied strictly on training in order to get through the first brawl. But when he turned and found her unconscious, he’d lost control. Emotions did not have a place among his kind. Emotions could get you injured, or worse, killed. He had no desire to experience that type of fury again. It made for messy work and lengthy clean up, both of which he’d already finished.

  No one had ever yelled at her like this. It scared her almost as much as the two men in the ditch had. Placing her hands on the bed beside her for added support Sarah nodded. “Yes, I know. It was stupid.”

  Luke pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Here,” he offered. He was not happy with her
right now, but that didn’t stop him from caring. Damn it. He was in no position to care about this girl.

  Too ashamed to look up, Sarah took the handkerchief and blew into it.

  Heading to the bathroom Luke retrieved a wash rag, walked over to the bucket of ice he’d brought in, and filled the rag up with ice. “Take this. Your jaw might appreciate it tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.” Sarah’s voice was frail as she placed the ice pack on her face.

  His reply was harshly coated even though the sound of the woman’s stifled tears was softening his anger. “You’re welcome.”

  Walking over to the one chair in the room, Luke sat down. He was trained to be certain of a situation before containing it. He’d handled this one according to what he’d been taught. The effort it had taken on his part, as he’d watched and waited for both men to make it down the embankment had been pure agony. He could have eliminated them individually before it’d gone that far and she’d never have been subjected to their cruel antics, but his training had been too deeply ingrained. If he had been mistaken about the two men’s association, innocent men would have suffered the consequences. He’d had to make sure before making his move.

  She was safe now, that’s all that mattered. Naturally he had reported the incident to Cara, who was having the hotel security feeds cleaned to erase any recordings that might have been captured. Technically he didn’t exist above ground, but they never left things to chance. He also knew that she’d send someone to dispose of the two bodies he’d hidden in the trunk of his car. After relaying all the viable information to her, he’d called the community physician and requested his presence at the hotel.

  Sarah’s voice was soft. Kneading the handkerchief in her hands she looked up at the man who’d helped her, surveying for damage. “Did they hurt you? Are you ok?”

  He couldn’t help but grin at her concern for him after what she’d just been through. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  Sarah cast her head back down. Silly question seeing that he was here and they weren’t. “I’m glad you were there.