The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments)

by Jacqueline Druga

  The moment Jake ran to the window to see, it started. A single bang turned to two, then three. Soon it sounded as if sledge hammers, many of them were being pounded against the metal walls of the building. The banging came from everywhere, loud and continuous.

  Jake gripped his gun and turned to Cal. “What’s this shit?”

  “I think we may need more ammo.”

  In a huff that said ‘you aren’t kidding,’ Jake flew out of the room with Cal right behind him.

  At the end of the hall, hysterical and holding her ears, Jennifer raced toward them. “They’re everywhere!” she screamed, “everywhere.”

  Carlos and John grabbed her under her arms and lifted her off her feet.

  Rickie came flying out of his room. “It sounds like night of the living wolves.”

  The noise level increased. How many were there, Jake wondered? To be attacking walls they could not penetrate so fiercely, there had to be a lot. “We’re going to the roof!” Jake shouted and then noticed Carlos leading Jennifer into her room. “Stop, don’t take her in there. Secure all the bedroom doors. Stay in this hall.” He trotted to the end of the hall and lifted the butt of his rifle to open the hatch. The loud crash and breaking glass halted him from jumping for the ladder. With a stern concentrating look, Jake zoomed in on the sound. It came from Fr. Dan’s room. He raced down to his door.

  Screams, Fr. Dan’s screams, painful cries for help, but they were drowned out by loud snarling and struggling.

  Jennifer grabbed Jake’s arm as he watched the door. “Get him out of there. Get him out.”

  Cal pulled Jennifer’s hand from Jake. “No, Jake. Don’t.”

  Carlos pleaded also. “Jake, it’s not a way to die.”

  “No!” Cal argued as she saw Jake reach for his keys. “Jake, no!”

  Jake turned to Rickie who stood frightened staring at the door. He held up the keys to him. “Rickie, it’s your call.”

  Rickie briefly glanced at the keys and with an angry look stepped back. “Let him die.”

  “Yes!” Jake gripped the keys and stuck them back in his pocket.

  The steady thumping against Fr. Dan’s door slowed down. The cries for mercy, for help, all the anguished cries stopped. Jennifer’s long shrill scream and pointed finger proved the end had come for Fr. Dan, as she stared at the pool of blood that slowly seeped under the door.

  With the pumping of the chamber, Jake moved to Rickie’s door. “He’s in here.” Jake listened, trying to hear the heavy animal breathing through the pounding that still occurred on the outside walls of their building. “Cal, back me up.”

  Slowly, feeling the tension, Cal moved behind him, holding her rifle high. Blocking out the sounds of the pounding desperate wolves, she concentrated on the door.

  Jake reached his hand slowly to it, feeling the locked door. In a whisper he spoke. “I’m stepping back.” With a heavy kick, he pounded the door open to expose the large wolf gnawing on what seemed to be Fr. Dan’s arm. The wolf spotted Jake in the same instant Jake had him in his aim. With a monstrous growl, the wolf leaped outward, and with the single shot, the huge furry body flew backwards across the room smashing into the wall. He left a bloody trail as he slid down. “Cal, get to the roof.” Jake ran from the room down the hall. Leaping up he brought down the ladder and he and Cal climbed up.

  Lifting himself to the roof he heard Cal firing. Shot, yelp. Shot, yelp. He ran to join her. “You had to get really ahead of me.”

  “Why not . . . why are they running?”

  Jake shot but they were out of his shot gun range. He lowered his weapon when not a wolf could be seen. “Did you see how many?”

  “A ton, I’m guessing forty, maybe fifty. What are we going to do? If we want, we can take them out.”

  “Yeah, I know, but the thing we have to worry about is . . . how many more are there?” Letting out a deep breath, Jake reached out and pulled Cal into him. He wanted to hold her. Resting his chin on her head, he peered out. Through the edge of the trees, courtesy of the shining sun, Jake saw them. Their eyes were reflecting in the sun, more eyes than he wanted to see, all peering back at him.

  ^^^^

  “OK, here’s the situation.” Jake stood in the gathering room before everyone. “I hate group efforts. But the way I see it is you have a choice. You can go along with me on this one or you can starve. There are forty or fifty wolves out there, they’re hungry and they want in. We’re their food. It’s not going to be long before they get into our storage building. If they get in there, they get our food. I’m going into storage and getting food. If you choose not to come, you won’t touch what I bring out. If you do come, then we can carry much more in, and all of us can be secure in the fact that at least we can eat. We have two rifles in storage and a few boxes of ammo. Not much. So they will be the least of our worries. Carlos . . . John . . . in or out?”

  Considering they really didn’t have much of a choice, they agreed. Then they listened to what Jake had to say.

  ^^^^

  Checking Cal’s weapon, Jake stood at the bottom of the ladder with her as she raised her foot upward. “You know what to do, right?”

  “Yes. Rickie will keep me loaded and I keep them off of you guys while you run for supplies.”

  “Don’t waste ammo. They don’t scare. Rickie . . .” Jake looked at him. “We have ropes secured up there and I am trusting that you will not let her suspend herself from the roof to shoot. She wants to do that and I won’t let her. Those bastards can jump.”

  “Cool.” Rickie gave a thumbs up to Cal. “No, Sarge, she’ll stay on the roof, unless she falls off.”

  “Don’t even joke about that.” Jake patted the knapsack that Rickie held over his shoulders. “We only had enough bottles for four Molotov’s. Cal, you know when, right?”

  “Jake.” Cal stepped off the ladder. “Rickie, you go on up.” Cal folded her arms and took the shotgun and the rifle from Jake. “I know what to do. Now what is up with you? Would you feel better if you were on the roof, because I sure as hell don’t mind sprinting for the supplies?”

  “No, Cal. You’re getting this all wrong. I’m just going over everything with you, that’s all. We may not run into any trouble, but I’m going to guess as soon as they see us, they are going to make their run for us.”

  “Then I’ll be ready.” She threw the armory over her shoulders and grabbed on the ladder. “Jake, you’re going to be out there. I’ll do my best.”

  “I know you will.” He reached up placing his hand over hers. “Don’t think I don’t trust you Cal. I trust my life with you and I wouldn’t say that to just anyone.”

  “Thank you.” Cal, leaning off the ladder kissed him. “Be careful.”

  Waiting until she was on the roof, Jake cleared his throat and headed to the gathering room where Carlos and John waited by the door. “All right,” he handed John the broken broom with a cloth wrapped on top. “This is doused so be careful when you light it. Carlos.” Jake handed him a jug. “You’re our oil man. Follow right behind me and spread it where I lay down the gasoline. I figure once we step out those doors we have about thirty seconds and they’re going to be all over us. You know what you have to do. Do you have any questions?”

  Jennifer raised her hand. “What am I supposed to do? You haven’t given me an assignment yet.”

  “Um . . .” Jake stuttered. “You stay back with the girls. Keep them calm.”

  “Got it.” Jennifer gave a thumbs up.

  Cringing, Jake moved to the door and readied the gasoline can. “Get ready. No wasting time. John, as soon as I step out, you light.” Jake opened the door. “Good luck.” He darted out.

  He ran straight out about three yards, keeping what he hoped would become a wall of fire, safely away from the building. Drawing a line, he poured the gas close to the ground ran to the supply building, dropping the empty can as he pulled out the keys. Through the corner of his eye he could see Carlos almost to the supply building. John still fiddl
ed with the torch. “John, light it.”

  John flicked the lighter. “It won’t work!”

  “Light it now!” Like a stampede, the rumble began. The heaviness of their paws hit against the hard ground and the wolves snarled loudly as they made their way toward them. “John, do it now!” Jake could smell them. He got the door open but the wolves rushed closer. They were so close, twenty yards, fifteen yards, ten . . .

  Cal held the Molotov cocktail in her hand ready to light it. “What’s the hold up? Come on.” she beckoned, seeing the wolves now no more than five yards . . . “Fuck it, Jake, sorry to waste your cocktail.” Cal lit it, sooner than she was supposed to, and readied to throw. “If I ever hit anything . . .” The homemade bomb sailed down seconds before the wolves reached Jake, Carlos, and John. With the crash of the glass, bang of the explosion and whoosh of the flames, the wall of fire roared. “Yes!” She smiled as she saw Jake at the storage holding up his thumb. “Rickie, give me the M-16.”

  “Cal, awesome aiming,” he said and handed her the rifle.

  Cal perched herself over the edge, rifle resting in her hands as she squatted, peering through the scope at the wolves on the other side of the fire.

  “They’re coming out with the first trip.” Rickie told her. “The fire’s dying.” He handed her another Cocktail. “It’s time.”

  Trading the rifle for the bomb, Cal quickly lit it, tossed it and restarted the raging fire. She took back her rifle. “Come on Jake, hurry.” Cal watched the last trip. John ran with a huge box in hand while Carlos, arms loaded followed. “Jake, get out of there.” Then she saw Jake emerge. “It’s over.” She began to lower her weapon. “They did . . .” Cal saw through the corner of her eye that Jake was headed back to storage. “What the fuck? Rickie, I need another.”

  Rickie lit it for her. “He’s locking the door.”

  Cal, still holding the rifle, tossed the Molotov. She re-aimed. “Let’s go, Jake.”

  Jake looked up to Cal and then began to head back. On his third running step, he heard the loud, long, angry growling bark and before he knew what happened, a wolf leaped bravely though the flames. He held up his arm in his defense, only to have it snatched and gripped in the beast’s jaws.

  “Oh, my God,” Cal yelled and clicked back the hammer on the rifle. The animal was so close to Jake. Trying to aim, her heart dropped when another beast lunged through the flames. Lifting her rifle slightly, she caught that wolf midair and then returned her aim to the one that had Jake. She knew what she had to do.

  With his free hand he struggled for the neck of the wolf, trying to grasp it, trying to break it, all while fighting not to be pummeled. The warm rotten breath of the wolf along with spraying saliva hit him in the face as he tried to move his head away. He felt the teeth sink into his skin and Jake’s jaws clenched in pain. It was a struggle he wasn’t prepared for. Then in one split second it was over. The jaws of the wolf released when, with a ringing through gunshot, the head of the beast exploded before his eyes, showering Jake with his blood.

  An instantaneous rush of excitement filled Jake, as his adrenaline pumped and he harshly ran his hand down his face swiping off the blood so he could open his eyes. “Cal! Yes!” he called out with enthusiasm, seeing her climb down the rope, drop to her knees, and then pick herself up and race right to him.

  “Oh my God, Jake, are you all right?” She jumped in his arms.

  Jake took a second to touch her face and smile at her. Cal’s feet nearly dragged as he carried her with him, running to the main building. “Unbelievable!” He slammed the door as they ran inside. “Did you guys see that?”

  “Jake.” Cal tried to see his arm. “We have to get this . . .”

  “I know, I know.” Jake turned to everyone who stood, out of breath, and stunned. “I’ll be back.” Clutching Cal’s arm, he ran with her to their room.

  “Jake.” Cal immediately followed him into the bathroom. He was turning on the water. “Let me see your arm.”

  “It’ll be fine.” He submerged it under the hot water and immediately began scrubbing fiercely with the bar of soap. “It will be just fine, thanks to you. God, Cal. Unbelievable marksmanship, I knew there was a reason I loved you.” He scrubbed his arm harder and then looked at his wound. “It looks good.” Shaking off the excess water, Jake grabbed a towel. “I’ll tell you what.” He reached behind her neck, pulled her to him and kissed her with a smack. “Excellent.”

  Cal smacked her lips, crinkling up her face. “Oh, Jake.” She wiped her hand across her mouth. “It’s wolf blood.”

  “Sorry.” Jake splashed his face with water. “I forgot. Do you mind if I jump in the shower?”

  “No.” Cal held up her hand as he stepped to her. “Not at all, please do.”

  “Thanks.” Jake reached in and turned on the water. “I have to do something first.” He ran into his room and came back out with a syringe in his mouth. He uncapped it with his teeth.

  “What is that?” Cal asked.

  “Rabies vaccine, I told you I came prepared.” He plunged the needle into his upper arm.

  Cal winced. “Jake. How can you just stick yourself like that?”

  “And this is coming from a woman who did what you did?” Jake took off his shirt. “I’m proud of you.” He spoke upbeat and fast. “What you did took a lot of guts. A lot of guts.” He dropped his pants to the floor stepping out of them. “Do you realize how close that wolf was to me? You did realize that, didn’t you?”

  “Of course I did. What choice did I have?” She watched him stand totally naked in front of her and slide the shower door open. “The wolf had you. I figured, either way, if I missed the wolf, you were a goner. So I shot. . . .Why don’t I wait until you’re done?”

  “No, I’m talking to you. Stay in here.” Jake spoke loudly through the running water. “We got a lot of supplies out of there, Cal. With proper rationing we can make it the next three months, even with The Howling gang hanging out there. Though between you and I, we can take care of the problem, or start to at least. We can make it a game. Go up to the roof every morning. What do you think?”

  “Sure.” Cal had less the enthusiasm that Jake did. She leaned against the sink, arms folded.

  “How about this, to pull them from the hill, we can get Rickie to open the door and stand there until they charge.”

  “Jake, that’s terrible.”

  “It would work.” Jake scoured his head, letting the chucks of wolf remains fall through the drain. “Only one mistake you made. You came off the roof. For your safety, you should have stayed there.”

  Cal immediately slid the door open. “I came off the roof because I was worried about you. Christ, you scared me. What were you thinking? You were safe. You ran back out to lock the door? When in the world did wolves learn to turn door knobs? You scared the hell out of me Jake!”

  Jake rinsed the soap from his eyes. “Are you done?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, can you shut the door, please? You’re letting in cold air.”

  Cal did shut the door—with a slam.

  Jake, really not paying attention that she slammed the door for a reason, continued with his shower.

  “Cal.” Wearing a towel, Jake came out of the bathroom and looked at Cal who sat on the bed. “I was thinking about what you said.” He shut and locked the bathroom door. “If the wolves hit against the door enough, wouldn’t it have been better and safer if the door was secured? Also, I think we should secure these windows, too, after what . . .”

  “Jake!” Cal stood up. “I told you I was worried. You worried me. Didn’t you hear that part?”

  “Yes, I did. Cal, that just goes with the territory. In fact, now you know how I felt when you died on me. But that’s beside the point . . . don’t lessen what you did by being mad at me. OK?”

  “I’m just concerned, Jake. I’m sorry I bitched at you.”

  Jake walked over and sat next to her on the bed. “I guess that’s just part of being a
couple. We are a couple, right?”

  “Jake, we broke up for two weeks. We had to start all over again.”

  “No, we did not.” Jake rested his hand over hers. “Thank you for what you did. In the words of someone I think very highly of . . . I put my faith in you and you didn’t let me down.” He brought his lips closer to hers. “Of course when you do shit like that, you excite me like you don’t believe.” He kissed her.

  “Jake . . .” she said as she felt herself being pulled down. “Not now . . . Jake . . . this isn’t a good time . . . Jake.” She was flat on her back as he buried his lips in her neck. “There are wolves outside.” She heard him growl softly in her ear. Knowing she was defeated, Cal gave in and stopped fighting. “Tell me Jake, is Rambo your equivalent to a porno film?”

  Jake didn’t answer, he just removed his towel.

  Caldwell Research Institute, Atlanta, GA

  November 22 - 11:45 P.M.

  Stan zipped his jacket up as he emerged from the research center wanting nothing more than to just go home. Not much had bothered Stan through the whole experiment. Not much at all. But he knew, as he headed to his tiny blue compact car, that when he returned for his shift the next evening, things would be a lot different.

  Of all the participants, Stan knew who he expected to be the surviving victim of the wolf bite. In his mind it wasn’t Jake.

  Jake had his size and strength in his favor for the obstacle he was about to go up against. Stan knew that, but sadly Stan also knew that Jake planned ahead. And what he was about to face Jake could not have been planned for nor ever expected. All the observers had favorites and Jake was Stan’s. He went home that evening truly bothered by the thought of what he would see when he came back the next day.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT