by M. V. Kallai
“Maeve.” He lowered his gun.
She turned and lit the room with her smile. She got up and ran to him. He held his arms open and returned the smile. After a long embrace he asked.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, what else? I’ve been hearing things and thought I’d better check on you.”
“You…came to check on me? Boy, how the tables have turned. How are you? Are you well?”
“As well as I can be, I suppose.”
“Look at you! You’ve grown up so much. What has it been? Eight…ten years?”
“Something like that. You are looking spry yourself. I was worried you’d go fluffy with a desk job.”
“Hmph!” he said.
They both laughed and hugged again. Ganesh couldn’t believe she was standing here in his kitchen. Maeve Daire. Special Unit spy of the First Order. She was smart, efficient, beautiful, and as deadly as they come. But to Ganesh, she was more than just another one of his prodigies. When he handpicked her for the special unit seventeen years ago, he developed an unexpected bond with her; one of trust and love. She had no parents, and he had no children and over the years in the field and on missions, they became family. For Maeve, Ganesh was the only real relationship she had ever known. They sat down and caught up for a few minutes before Ganesh changed the subject.
“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you, but I’m afraid you have bad news for me.”
“Not bad, just a warning. I shouldn’t tell you this, but I was on assignment last month with a man called Naja Pinure.”
“Yeeesss. I read about his death a few weeks ago. Why was he a target? I thought he supported our government’s weapons program.”
“He did. But he was still a spy. He was caught in one too many suspicious situations where the Tyrinians were concerned. So I was hired to discover the truth. Which I did.”
“Of course you did.” Ganesh smiled at her like a proud papa.
“But here’s the thing; the Tyrinians are better equipped than we thought and it looks like they plan to attack in the next six months.”
“That’s six months earlier than our intelligence predicted.”
“I know. He wasn’t the only spy. Watch your back and trust no one.”
“I will, I will,” Ganesh said.
“But, between you and me, they have every right to attack us. My time with Naja were very educational.”
“I see. So they know about the mandatory work programs then?” Ganesh asked.
“Yes, and as I understand it, most would rather die than be forced into labor to further our society,” Maeve said.
“Well, between you and me, I get it.”
“I know you do, Ganesh, which brings me to the most important reason I’m here. After Naja’s death, I got my hands on some documents and your name is on two internal watch lists.”
“Well, isn’t that interesting.”
“I tried to let you know earlier. I assume you got my message.”
“The pulse bomb. That was you? I could’ve been killed.”
“Not a chance. Between you and the agent, alias Quinn, I wasn’t worried. Besides, how else could I let you know he was a spy?” Maeve asked.
“Maybe like this…”
“I couldn’t come until now, I had to lay low. I saw an opportunity to send you a message and I took it. It let you in on his identity, didn’t it?”
“It did. Will he try to kill me or is it just a watch mission?” Ganesh asked.
“That, I don’t know. I didn’t have long to search. Like I said, I saw your name on the watch lists and I followed up the best I could. Just stay sharp, ok.”
“Okay. I will, thank you, Dear.” Ganesh put his hand on hers and she smiled at him again.
“I have to go now, but if you need me…well, my services, you know how to reach me.”
“I hope it won’t come to that, but it’s good to know you’d take the call.”
“Always for you.” She kissed him on the cheek and was gone seconds later.
Ganesh checked the time. Damn. I’m late. He rushed out of his house thinking about how good it was to see Maeve again, and feeling betrayed by Quinn, which was ridiculous because he had known all along what he was. Maybe I am getting fluffy, he thought.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Slice
Lee sat across the table from Dana and munched on a piece of burnt toast. He scowled and his foot was tapping in an impatient rhythm, as if eating was an inconvenience to his workflow. He was normally an impatient eater, unless he was at the club with Camden, but Dana had noticed him grow more and more anxious over the past few days. Yesterday, over breakfast, she had asked him if everything was all right, but was met with a frown and a ‘nothing that concerns you’ reply. She was beginning to learn that the best way to get a straight and honest answer out of Lee was to catch him completely off guard. Then he would just respond before he had time to think about what he was saying. Dana had planned to ask him again later when he was in the middle of explaining his embryo life support system. She was excited to see something new. She had been dropping solution in tubes for over two weeks now and with no success at cell re-animation. So, anything to make her day more interesting was welcome. Even if it was a little creepy knowing that these tiny embryos had been frozen in their third week of life and stored on a shelf in one of Lee’s freezers. Lee got up as soon as his toast was gone.
“I have to make a call. Meet me in approximately six and a half minutes in Lab C.”
Dana nodded, her mouth too full of burnt bread to answer.
Lee picked up the phone in his office and dialed the club. Enira’s sweet voice answered.
“Hello, Lee,” she said, recognizing the incoming number.
“Yes. Hello. Did you set up lunch with the wife yet?”
“Oh, Lee, I have bad news about that. She is just not ready to be out with people yet. She’s grieving, with her children.”
“Well, that is just inconvenient. How long does that usually take?”
“I can try her again in a couple of weeks if you would like,” Enira said.
“Fine,” Lee said and hung up. He sat there for a moment scratching his head and planning how he should proceed in getting Ari’s wife’s tissue sample without Enira’s help. He couldn’t think of anything just then, so he went on to Lab C to wait for Dana.
“Lee, what was in Camden’s case that we took from Ari?” she asked in the middle of Lee’s rambling about artificial womb environments and the precise balance of nutrients needed to sustain the embryonic lives. “I know its stolen government material of some sort, but what is it?”
“What? Oh…the biomer from Myris. Yes. It has many uses. Excellent material, wonderful material.” Lee replied automatically.
“Will you show me sometime?” Dana asked, pleased that she got an answer to her first question. “I can be trusted, you know.”
“Oh, um, I suppose. When it serves the lab’s efficiency for you to work with it. But for now, we need to keep these fetuses alive. They usually all die at a specific point in development, so with small changes to their environment, we can surpass the last trial which had the longest survival time from the thaw…six weeks, four days, eight hours and thirty-two minutes…approximately.”
“So, this technology will allow more people to have a family, and without implantation.”
“Yes. But more importantly, when this system of development is proficient, and the mixture you have been testing shows positive results, the cloning stage can begin.” Lee explained.
“What will you clone?” Dana asked.
“You mean. ‘Who will we clone?’” Lee said in a way that made the hair on Dana’s arms stand up a little.
“That comes later. Today we need to keep these embryos alive,” he repeated.
Dana decided that was enough questioning for now. She looked at the little blobs of moving cells in their watery glass cases sitting atop the black polished sto
ne workbench. They had no definable features and were barely visible without a magnifier, but somehow they looked sad and cold to her.
“Lee?”
“What now?” He looked up from his work of dripping a nutrient mix into a large clear cylinder filled with reddish orange liquid. He had a monitoring device in his hand that he checked every few seconds for chemical ratios and reactions in the cylinder.
“Do you ever talk to them?” Dana asked.
“To who?” Lee wondered if this girl was losing her mind.
“The embryos. I was just thinking that a true womb environment would be constantly surrounded by the mother’s voice and squishing sounds,” Dana said.
“Squishing sounds?”
“Yes, stomach noises and…and…a heartbeat. If they hear those things, they might feel comforted and grow healthier and stronger.”
“Yes. Seems reasonable. You may squish them for as long as they are alive.”
Had Lee made a joke? Not possible. Dana thought.
Later that day, when Dana was busy monitoring nutrient levels on her own, Lee returned to his office to make another phone call; this time to Bearden Leitner.
“Hello. Sergeant Leitner here.”
“Yes. Um, hello, Sergeant.”
Bearden’s body tensed and his brow wrinkled with trepidation when he heard Lee’s discernible voice.
“This is Lee Tripple. I have a new assignment for you. Meet me at the club in an hour.”
“Club? What club? I have to be at the TRU lab for three more hours anyway,” Bearden replied.
“Fine,” Lee grumbled. “Meet me in three hours and fifteen minutes.”
“What club, sir? I can’t meet you if I don’t know where I’m going.”
“527 Fitzwater. I will be waiting on the street.” With that, Lee hung up and went to check on Dana.
Bearden took the lift to Ganesh’s floor, hoping to catch him in his office. He was rarely in there since his project with Camden began, but he’d check anyway. When he got off the lift he saw Sergeant Quinn gliding down the corridor without making a sound.
“Quinn! Hey, is the colonel in his office?”
“Hi Leitner. No, he isn’t, but wait five minutes, he’s just down the hall in the officer’s lounge for his afternoon stale coffee.”
“Great. Thanks man. How’s the space travel stuff coming along?”
“Between you and me…disaster. If Professor Riles could get his head on straight it might be different, but you know, he has his good days and his bad. The Colonel covers for him pretty well and he is making progress in his head I think, but I wouldn’t book your ticket off this rock just yet.”
“Got it,” Bearden laughed.
“Oh look, here comes the good and noble colonel, now,” Quinn said with a wide smile.
“Sergeant Leitner. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Ganesh asked.
Bearden glanced at Quinn, feeling a little guilty that he wanted him to leave so he could talk to Ganesh alone. Quinn didn’t take the hint.
“Sir. It’s a private matter,” Bearden said.
“Ah, I see. Quinn, give us a minute will you?” Ganesh saw suspicion flash in Quinn’s friendly eyes for a split second as he nodded to Bearden and left.
“Quick, Leitner. What’s up?” Ganesh’s tone changed instantly when they were alone.
“Just wanted to let you know, sir, that I am meeting Dr. Tripple at some club after work today. Wondered if there was anything you needed me to pass on,” Bearden whispered.
“Actually, there is, Sergeant.” He pulled a small folded note from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to Bearden.
“No envelope? Lee will think I’ve read it.”
“Put it in one if you want, just get it out of sight for now,” Ganesh said. “Have a good day, Sergeant.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Quinn!” Ganesh called. “You can come back now.”
He was in the office in a second, and had no doubt been listening outside the door.
“Thanks, Quinn,” Bearden said as he left, suspecting nothing.
After work, Bearden ran the thirty-two blocks to get to Fitzwater. He arrived sweaty, out of breath, and six minutes late. Lee was pacing back and forth in front of the building with a scowl on his face and staring at his watch.
“You’re late,” Lee said, “And you smell bad.”
“Sorry. Got here as fast as I could,” Bearden said, bent over with his hands on the tops of his thighs and talking between pant legs.
“Let’s go in.” Lee led the way to the lift, put in his access key and waited.
“What is this place, sir? Some sort of members only club?”
“Yes. Exactly. You are my guest today.”
“Don’t worry, sir, I won’t embarrass you.”
Lee hadn’t considered that. The doors opened and the host, seeing their most antisocial guest, stepped out to give him his usual privacy. He looked Bearden up and down and stopped him by standing between Bearden and the lift when he tried to follow Lee in. It didn’t occur to him that they were together.
“No. Wait, I’m with Dr. Tripple,” Bearden said.
The host looked as though someone shocked him with electricity. Then turned to Lee.
“Dr. Tripple??” he asked.
“The sergeant is my guest.”
“My apologies, sir.” He looked back to Bearden and averted his nose away from the sweaty soldier and gave him a disapproving look.
“Please, Sergeant,” he said with forced politeness. The host held out his arm welcoming him into the lift. “Will you require my escort today, Dr. Tripple?”
“No,” Lee replied and hit the button so the doors closed.
“Man, you don’t like that guy, huh?” Bearden asked.
Lee did not respond.
Enira was waiting by the lift when they arrived wearing a long pink silk dress and a flower in her black flowing hair. Bearden blushed at the sight of her and wished he hadn’t had to run thirty-two blocks. He felt repulsive.
“Lee, it’s so good to see you. I have your table ready and the chef is preparing something delicious today.” She took his arm, nodded hello to Bearden and they were seated. She leaned in and whispered something to Lee before she walked away. Bearden looked all around, taking in this amazing place. He had never been anywhere this nice. He put his hand on his head and tried to straighten out the matted wet hair lying on his forehead.
“So this is how the better half live, I guess,” Bearden said picking up a fork and looking at his reflection in it.
“I bet it’s not easy to get a membership here, huh?”
“I don’t know. I just got one. Camden set it up when they opened,” Lee said.
“Well that explains why you have the best table in the whole place,” Bearden replied.
This was something else that Lee had never considered.
Enira returned with a teapot and cup for Lee, then placed a glass of water in front of Bearden.
“You look like you need to cool off a little.” She smiled, and then set a dark brown beer next to his water. “You look like you might need this too, soldier.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Call me Enira.”
Bearden blushed again.
Lee sat in silence sipping his tea for about five minutes. He appeared to be deep in thought. Bearden was uncomfortable in this atmosphere, but the beer helped. Suddenly, Lee looked Bearden right in the eyes.
“I need you to get a tissue sample from the wife,” he said.
“How am I supposed to do that sir?”
“I know where she lives.”
“So you want me to break in and assault this woman?”
“No, not exactly. I want you to bump into her on her way in or out of her building.”
“And I suppose I should have a scalpel in my hand when I ‘bump’ into her.”
“Yes. That would be most useful. Since I am unaware of her schedule, I will give you until your
next shift in the lab to acquire it.” He pulled another specimen container, lined with preservatives, out of his pants pocket and gave it to Bearden. As he reached for the container, Dana’s face caught his eye. It was being displayed on a monitor behind the bar. Words underneath her picture scrolled by.
Wanted for the murder of government detective Jodis Armin. Any information regarding the whereabouts of Dana Hanks should be immediately reported to …
Bearden cut his eyes away from the monitor and back to Lee. He didn’t even waste his breath to ask him about it. It was obvious that Lee was behind Dana’s predicament. This man had no conscience and Bearden had no choice but to do his bidding. And Dana? A murderer? Well, she is certainly mean enough…. Bearden thought for a split second then changed his mind. But, no way. This explains her injuries, though.
Bearden shook his head in disbelief. He did not enjoy being a puppet for everyone. All of his heroes had crashed and burned in his mind. They had done nothing but turn him into a liar, a thief, and a traitor…and had done it quickly. And now his new coworker at his dream job was wanted for murder.
“Dr. Tripple, I have to go,” Bearden said. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
“There is a meal being prepared,” Lee said.
“Yeah, well, wrap mine up and bring it to Dana. I’m sure she hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks.”
One more thing that Lee had not considered.
“Okay. Goodbye then,” Lee said.
Bearden gulped the last of his beer and started to leave.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” He said and pulled the small folded note from his uniform jacket and handed it to Lee.
“Wait a moment, Sergeant,” Lee said and quickly scanned the note. He then opened a small wooden box that was on the table and pulled out a notepad and pencil. He scribbled something, folded it and handed it to Bearden for delivery.
