by M. V. Kallai
“Thank you, Dr. Tripple,” she said sweetly. “Camden has not arrived yet, or called. That is why your table was not set, but it will only take a moment.”
“Okay,” he replied in a low voice, caught off guard by this second rift in his routine. He stood there fidgeting, not sure what to do with himself. He never had to wait before and realized for the first time that Camden must always call ahead.
That’s interesting, he thought. Enira walked back toward him from the coatroom and took his arm to lead him to the table. This was her usual way and Lee didn’t flinch too much from the actual physical contact. Today, with all the unexpected inconveniences piling up, he even found it pleasant.
He sat down at his table and straight away and a gentleman brought his favorite tea, freshly brewed. Lee breathed in the hot stark steam and began mulling over the events of the morning again in his head.
Chapter Ten
“Where am I?”
Camden’s phone rang in his coat pocket and he and Aldretti both jumped at the break in the silence. They stared at each other waiting for the other to respond. Finally after four rings, Camden reached in to his inner jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked at the display and saw ‘Lee Tripple’. He rejected the call just as Aldretti snatched the phone from his hand.
“No phone calls today, Professor.” Aldretti said as he tried to gain access to Camden’s phone. Camden chuckled as he watched Aldretti fumble with his code-protected technology. After several more attempts, he gave up and placed the phone in a black satchel that was obviously intended to hold any confiscated items from this mission. Camden supposed that his phone would somehow fall short of Mace Magner’s expectations of this satchel. They rode for the next twenty minutes in silence. Camden turned his head to look out of the window as they approached the government building discreetly placed on the outskirts of the posh side of the city of Ambern. There was a large perimeter fence hidden behind a wall of lush landscape. From the air, he could see the front of the building clearly marked with a logo stretched across the painted iron double door entrance. This logo was a large, blue, six petaled flower with a rose colored model of electrons zooming around an atom at the center. It was designed to create a sense of peace to onlookers who were afraid of or intimidated by the TRU Building. On the roof in giant red letters, it read, ‘UNAUTHORIZED LANDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. VIOLATORS WILL BE HANDLED SEVERLY.’ On each corner of the roof was an armed guard standing in a small tower. They were there to give authorization to landing government transports…and to handle the violators. Camden had been here many times over the years and smiled in spite of himself as he had many pleasant memories of his projects here. Aldretti took notice of his pleasant expression, folded his arms, and grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.
When the transport landed, Aldretti exited the vehicle first and motioned for Camden to get out. He grabbed him by the elbow and led him forward to the rooftop elevator. He leaned in and whispered to Camden.
“Don’t try anything or I will be forced to take you down.”
Camden realized that his recognizable face and public standing were the only things keeping him out of handcuffs and away from humiliation. He could run, probably evade his inept captor and walk out of the front door with a smile and a wave. He could hide in a nearby place of business and call Lee. It wouldn’t be hard, unrestrained. His curiosity of the situation though, kept him at Aldretti’s side. He wanted to see what was going on in this building, he wanted to meet this despicable Mace Magner, and, he wanted to talk with Ganesh.
Chapter Eleven
The Interviews
Part I
Lee finished his lunch in silence. His brow was scrunched up with worry and agitation. He was mad at Camden for not showing up, mostly because he was going to assist with the interviews he would be conducting in just under an hour. And by assist, he implied, handle completely. Enira, who had been watching Lee, noticed that he was getting up from the table and went to fetch his coat and hat. Again, she took his arm and escorted him to the elevator as was customary for her at least three times a week. She looked up at Lee for a moment and hesitated,
“I hope Camden is all right, Dr. Tripple. When he didn’t call today,” she paused with her wide eyes staring straight into his, “I became concerned.”
Lee, caught off guard by such a personal statement, momentarily was caught in her stare. He turned his head sharply to look straight ahead again and stumbled over his words.
“Yes, um, agreeably, this is not a typical pattern for Professor Riles.” He scratched his head with one hand and Enira could see that he wasn’t sure how to react to this personal exchange. Being a compassionate woman who cared for all of her guests, one maybe a little too much, went on, “You know, it would be no bother for me to call him for you and make sure he is okay…only if you think that would be appropriate, of course. I know how terribly busy you are with your work.” She was genuinely concerned. Lee wondered why.
“Yes,” he answered, “I suppose that is a practical and acceptable offer.” He paused, thinking of how Camden might handle this uncomfortable situation with this aesthetically pleasing woman offering her help. “I would be…um…much obliged.”
She smiled warmly and leaned and gave Lee a little squeeze. Lee’s body automatically tensed up and contracted away from her. Enira released his arm and dropped her head a little as if embarrassed she had offended him.
“I will call your lab the second I find out anything.” Enira reassured him.
Lee nodded, took his hat from her and put it on his head as he stepped into the elevator backward, all the while looking awkwardly at Enira. She lifted her hand waist high in a small wave. Lee took notice of the deep concern in her eyes once again as the elevator doors closed.
When Lee walked into the lobby of the building that held his lab, there were several young people who immediately broke into whispers at his arrival. Lee kept his eyes straight and hurriedly walked to his private entrance. He heard one of the louder whispered conversations as he fumbled for his key card.
“See, I told you, he doesn’t even look human, much less act it. You would think he might pay us a glance at the very least.” There were some soft giggles that followed, then another voice.
“It doesn’t matter, he is the most amazing man on the planet and I can’t believe that I am about to meet him!”
Lee knew that he was somewhat of a celebrity in scientific circles, but still, this comment surprised him. He always avoided contact, as much as he could, with his so-called fans.
Lee walked through his newly cleaned lab straight to his office and sat at his desk. He stared blankly out of the window that faced the main work area and tried to mentally prepare himself for the interviewing process with Camden’s finesse. He wanted someone young, smart, and healthy for certain, but he also wanted that someone to share his ethical and moral opinions as well as willingly donate their own DNA to his experiments. He imagined himself asking the interview questions.
“Where did you study? Can you pass a government level physical? Are you willing to use your own DNA to create embryonic clones of yourself that will likely die on a bi-monthly basis?” He put his head in his hands, shook it from side to side and mumbled to himself.
“I should probably rephrase that last question.” He sighed a defeated sigh and decided to use a more scientific approach to narrow the selection. Then he would rely on his intuition.
Lee picked up the phone and dialed the lady at the front desk. She answered sweetly, secretly encouraged by this day when the cold Lee Tripple would expand his work circle and willingly interact with new people.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Tripple, I trust you had an enjoyable lunch. Are you ready for your first candidate?”
“Um, no, not hardly. I am sending you a list of physical and genetic standards. Pass the list on to the lab technicians. The candidates that meet these qualifications will be interviewed. The rest are excused.”
/> The lady’s jaw dropped, as she could not believe her ears. She softly cleared her throat and timidly replied.
“Okay, Dr. Tripple. I will pass the list along to the technicians and have an exam room prepared for the physicals.” She looked across the lobby at the eager young candidates and her heart sank a little. Lee hung up the phone feeling satisfied that he had bought himself some more time before any face-to-face contact.
Chapter Twelve
Camden’s Introduction
Camden sat at an oval shaped silver desk with his hands folded. He seemed surprisingly calm to Aldretti. He even had a pleasant smile on his face. Aldretti stood in the corner of the small interrogation room with his arms crossed. He was pleased with himself for successfully bringing his man in. Major Magner would arrive within the hour and Aldretti looked forward to the praise he would receive for capturing Professor Riles so quickly. He hoped that between his phone and the small notebook found in his jacket there would be some incriminating evidence against him. If not, Major Magner would crack him.
Details. He thought, smirking back at Camden, letting his mind continue to fantasize about the rest of the afternoon. Whatever the Major is looking for will surely turn up in the property search that should be taking place at Camden’s loft any time now. If it’s not in this room. Even though Aldretti had no idea what they were looking for, he loved a good chase and hoped to be present when the Major made his arrest on the snide and arrogant Professor Riles.
Major Magner will wipe that disgusting smirk off his face! He grinned and Camden rolled his eyes.
Camden was unconventionally eager to meet Mace Magner. He wondered how long he would have to wait here and how long it would take before Ganesh knew he was in government custody. Camden had done so much work here that he felt completely at ease in this dull institutional environment. He clearly wasn’t taking the situation seriously as most men in his position would. The look on Aldretti’s face told him that, but Camden was only amused at Aldretti’s serious posture and his attempt at evil, intimidating smiles.
Ten minutes passed and Camden glanced back and forth around the room at the blank walls that were confining him. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. What if I should take this with more seriousness? I could really be in over my head here. Ganesh could be implicated, if he hasn’t been already. He definitely isn’t here releasing me.
Aldretti seemed to sense Camden’s negative thoughts and adjusted his feet to stand taller and smiled more broadly. Camden sighed and rolled his eyes again.
“You know,” he said to Aldretti, “I could really use a glass of water…with crushed ice.”
Aldretti’s smile dropped.
“I’m not your damned servant.”
Camden raised one eyebrow at his response.
“You’ll get nothing,” he added. “Be glad for that chair. I could make you sit on the floor!”
Camden doubted that and smiled back at him.
“And here I thought we were both gentlemen,” his tone was sarcastic and cool. “It’s odd that you have so much ill will when you really have no idea what I’ve done, if anything at all.”
“Oh, it’s something,” Aldretti said. “The Major don’t personally visit with the common criminals, so I know it’s gotta be something big.”
“Perhaps,” Camden mused. “Or one big mistake.”
“Hah! The Major don’t make mistakes with people. You can bet that he knows something.”
Was it true? Camden had never been through an interrogation before and if they did know what was hidden in his transport, would there be any point in him enduring pain over it? He had no way of knowing for sure, without seeing Ganesh. He wished for just two minutes alone with his phone.
If Ari keeps his cool and doesn’t lead the surveillance team to the compartment in the transport, then they have no hard evidence. Camden worked out in his head. If Ganesh and I were being watched or followed during our breakfast meeting on that dreary rain soaked morning….no, no,…we were definitely not saying anything suspicious during breakfast. He tried very hard to recall if there were any noticeable transports flying near during their meeting in the sky. Of course, he could not remember. He had been too intrigued and captivated by the content of the meeting to notice anything else. His one-track mind was usually a helpful distraction to him, but in this case…
Well, how could I have known what Ganesh had done, Camden thought, suddenly frustrated with his friend. He would just have to hope for the best and endure whatever was coming to him. Camden did feel confident enough in his brainpower and his past work with the government to not fear for his life. He was too important to kill.
Just then, the door handle turned and clicked. Aldretti stood at attention and Camden let out a long sigh and dropped his eyes down to his hands on the table for a moment.
Major Mace Magner stepped into the room with a commanding presence. He stood at least six feet three inches, had a sharp muscular build and hawk eyes that were an icy pale blue. Two young sergeants, who appeared to be there for security purposes, accompanied him. Camden felt oddly flattered by their presence. Aldretti spoke.
“Sir…I mean Major…as you can see, the capture mission was a great success.” He looked nervous. The Major barely threw Aldretti a glance and walked past him. Camden saw Aldretti deflate at this lack of acknowledgement. Instead, Mace gave a hard look at Camden who was now sitting crossed legged with his hands folded on his knee. Once again, he looked entirely too relaxed for the situation he was in. Normally, Camden would stand and offer his hand for a proper introduction, but the way Mace was standing with his arms folded across his chest, he suspected that there would be no pleasantries exchanged here.
The Major spoke first.
“Well, well, well, the infamous Professor Camden Riles. How nice to meet you,” he said with as much hate in his voice that he could muster.
“Do you know who I am?” Mace continued.
Camden planted his feet firmly on the floor and stood up. A confused expression flashed across Mace’s face at this bold gesture. He was in no way afraid, but he was not going to let this criminal professor think for a moment that he had any authority here.
“Of course,” Camden replied and offered his hand in spite of himself. Damn! Camden thought to himself. This is not the way to approach this man. What am I doing? He realized that he was, in fact, a little scared. He pressed on with his friendly gesture though, so as not to look weak.
“You must be Major Mace Magner. I have heard so much about you.”
“Sit down!” Mace boomed.
Camden put his hands in his pockets and sat down slowly.
“Hands on the table!”
Camden obeyed.
Mace cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He had planned to control his temper during this meeting, even if he did deeply loath men like Camden Riles. Men who were happy to charge his respected government piles of money for their services, but who didn’t have the balls to join in the ranks. He put his hands on the table and with an intimidating stance, leaned toward Camden.
“This is not a game professor. You’ve stepped in a pile of deep shit and I can smell it all over you. So why don’t you make this easy on all of us and admit what you’ve done.”
Camden looked at him with steady eyes and did not say a word.
“Tell me what you know!” Mace yelled.
“That could take a while Major, I happen to know a lot of things,” Camden said.
Mace lost it. He picked up the metal chair opposite the one Camden was sitting in, hurled it against the wall and made a frustrated guttural sound. Camden backed up and ducked instinctively. Aldretti’s eyes widened with delight at the sight of Camden flinching away.
“Maybe it would be useful if you gave me a hint about the information you are looking for, Major, then I can tell you if I know something about it,” Camden suggested, trying to reel the situation back to where he felt more in control. Mace turned back to him, took two deep bre
aths, and tugged on the bottom of the front of his uniform jacket. After the vein in his forehead stopped throbbing, he spoke again.
“Perhaps you are right, professor, maybe if I jog your memory a bit you will be more agreeable. And if not, we can resort to pain.”
“Sounds fair,” Camden said feeling confident that his celebrity was the only reason pain wasn’t the first option for this vile man.
Mace motioned to one of the soldiers with him to bring the now dented chair back over to the table. He sat across from Camden and the two stared at each other for a moment, not making a sound. Perhaps Mace was deciding how best to get what he wanted from Camden without beating him senseless.
“There is a bit of a mystery here in the unit, Professor,” Mace said finally. “It seems that there is a traitor among us.”
“And you think I have something to do with that?” Camden asked.
“I didn’t at first. But I should have. People like you think you are entitled to whatever you want.”
“What is it that you think I want, Major?”
“The biomer of course. I’ve read the files. I know it was your research that paved the way for our team to harness the possibilities of the stuff. So when the lab was breeched and material stolen, I could see a clear motive for you to steal from us. The problem with that theory, though, was how you did it.”
He stood back up and put his hands behind his back and started pacing around the room as he spoke.
