The Shox Gene Variant

by Bob Cooper

  “And then what?”

  “We wait and see if the tumor goes away.”

  Aidan took a sip of coffee. “You heard from Mom?”

  “Have you?” Annie replied.

  Aidan took a deep breath. “Annie, I …”

  “Dad. I talked to Mom yesterday. She said you screamed at her and hung up.”

  “That’s only half the story. She thinks I’m having an affair. Did you tell her I wasn’t?”

  “I did. But it’s up to you two to figure this out. I shouldn’t be involved. If you don’t resolve this, you’ll end up in divorce. Is that what you want?”

  Aidan hung his head. “No, not really.”

  “Then do something about it. She’ll be back home in a few days. Work it out.”

  “I’ll try, Annie. I promise.”

  The nurse notified them that they could see Foster. He was in the outpatient section resting. Annie went to him and kissed him. “How do you feel?”

  “A little weak, but I’m fine.”

  He looked around Annie and saw Aidan. “Dad, this is Foster Evans. Foster, this is Aidan Carter.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Foster said, trying to sit up.

  “Please relax. The honor is mine. Annie says good things about you.”

  “Well, she’s prejudiced,” he said, holding her hand. “I hear stories from the older Guard members about you.”

  Aidan thought back to those times. He was young and deeply in love with Acey. So much so, he put his career on the line by helping Acey and Dirk prove Dirk’s innocence in the murder of his best friend at the Academy. Aidan lost his commission at Citizen Guard because of it.

  “Well, don’t believe everything you hear,” Aidan said with a chuckle. “I’ll leave you two alone. Take care and get better.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  “Foster, I’m not in the Guard. You can call me Aidan.”

  “Yes, sir, I mean Aidan. Have a good day.”

  ***

  After work, Aidan stopped for a beer at the Pub near his office. The usual crowd was there, and Aidan was well known. The house felt cold and empty when Acey was out of town. At least here he could find some comradery to make the time pass. But tonight, he sat alone at the bar, sipping a cold draft.

  “Tough day at the office?” Amanda the bartender asked.

  “Yeah, we’ve been busy.”

  “Another beer?”

  “Please.”

  She brought the beer and took the empty glass away. “You want something to eat?”

  “How about a plain burger with mustard.”

  “You got it.”

  Someone brushed against Aidan’s back. He turned to see Gretchen standing there.

  “Hi. Can I sit here? I want to talk to you.”

  Aidan studied her as she sat on the stool next to him. Her short skirt hiked way above her knees. She smiled at him.

  “What will you have?” Amanda asked.

  “A beer. Same as Aidan.”

  “What do you want to talk to me about?”

  Amanda brought the beer, and Gretchen waited for her to leave. “I’m concerned about you.”

  “Really. What are you concerned about?”

  “I’m concerned about the dream Carina had.”

  “She told you?”

  “Yes. She told Annie and me.”

  “Well, there’s nothing to worry about. I can take care of anything that comes up.”

  “I want you to know that you can count on me. If you need anything, please let me know,” she said, taking his hand.

  Amanda brought the burger and set it down as Aidan swiftly pulled his hand away.

  “Thanks, but I don’t need your help.” He bit into the burger. It was gone in three chews. Wiping his mouth, he turned to her. “Is there anything else?”

  “I left my car at the office. Can you walk me back there?”

  Aidan sat straight up. “Gretchen, what do you want with me? I’m married, and I love my wife, not to mention you’re my employee.”

  “I know. You made that perfectly clear to me the other day in my apartment. Can you walk back to the office with me? It’s dark, and I don’t feel comfortable.”

  Aidan paid the check and shot Amanda a glance as she watched them leave.

  No sooner had they left, when Annie walked in with three girlfriends.

  “Hi, Annie. Haven’t seen you for a while.”

  “I’ve been busy at work.”

  “That’s what your father said.”

  “Oh. Is he here?”

  “No. He left with some blonde woman.”

  15

  There wasn’t much said on the short walk back to the office. A stiff breeze chilled the air considerably. When they arrived at the parking lot, Aidan turned to leave.

  “Take care. See you tomorrow.”

  Gretchen grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. “Aidan, wait. Don’t go yet. I need to talk to you.”

  “Gretchen …”

  She kissed him long and hard. Aidan didn’t resist. He felt her heat, and he kissed her back. They pulled apart still holding on to each other.

  “Let’s go to my place,” she said.

  Before Aidan could answer, his com link buzzed. It was Annie.

  “Hey. Where are you?”

  “I’m in the office parking lot. Why?”

  “Stay there. I need to talk to you about the Nelson case. It’s important.”

  He looked up at Gretchen. “I, uh, can’t go with you.

  “Aidan, please,” she pleaded.

  “Go, Gretchen. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Aidan waited in his office for Annie to arrive. It was hard for him to concentrate, the excitement from kissing Gretchen still lingered. He checked his messages to see if Acey called. She hadn’t. Emotions surged thinking about the fight with Acey. It was late, and he eased back into his chair and closed his eyes. Annie came in and saw him.

  “Dad. Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?”

  “First, were you with Gretchen tonight?”

  “What are you talking about? I wasn’t with her,” he said, becoming agitated.

  “That’s funny. Amanda said you left with her,” she shot back.

  “Come on, Annie. She was afraid to walk back here alone, so I went with her. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is she’s not who she says she is.”

  “What!”

  “Foster looked her up at the University. The records say she was there all right and show she graduated with a criminal justice degree. I talked to professors I knew when I was there, and they never heard of her. Foster checked out her social profile and the people she mentioned don’t exist.”

  A deeply concerned look came over Aidan’s face. “Who the hell is she and what is she doing here?”

  ***

  Billy laid out snacks for Carina while she finished packing. Hillary stood by watching. Carina tried on the bulky down-filled winter jacket and looked in the mirror.

  “It’s ugly. I don’t need this.”

  “Believe me. You will. It’s frigid on the East Coast with all the snow and ice storms.”

  “Mom.”

  “Take it. If you don’t need it, then don’t wear it. At least you’ll have it.”

  “We’re going to be late. Let’s get going. Here, pack these for the trip,” he said, handing her two containers with assorted cheeses and crackers.

  Carina shoved them into her backpack, along with her tablet and com link. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  A sudden panic came over Hillary which she quickly subdued. She protected Carina. She was never left alone and certainly never traveled by herself. Hillary remembered when she was kidnapped while pregnant with Carina. They wanted Carina for her abilities. Star Children were all at risk from these nefarious groups who wanted to exploit them. She sat down to get rid of the thoughts.

  “Come here,” she said to Carina. “Promise me you
won’t go anyplace without Aunt Raina. And watch yourself all the time. You’re not used to the big city.”

  “Mom!” Relax. I’ll be okay.”

  Billy hugged Carina. “Listen to your mother. Please be careful.”

  Carina let out a sigh. “I promise. Now let’s get going.”

  ***

  Sue was frantic, shouting orders to Raina. “Did you put the flowers in the guest room? Why aren’t the new towels I bought in the bathroom? And why isn’t …”

  “Jesus, will you relax,” Raina said. “You’re driving me crazy.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I want everything to be perfect.”

  “Everything is perfect.”

  “Do you think she’ll like me?” Sue asked in a rare display of insecurity.

  “Of course, she will. Now let’s go. We don’t want to be late picking her up.”

  They waited at the arrival gate for Carina. The shuttle was in its final approach and hovered until it was cleared for landing. People filed out of the shuttle and through the arrival gate. Carina was one of the first coming through.

  “Carina, over here,” Raina said, waving her hands.

  A huge smile came across Carina’s face, and she ran to Raina. “Aunt Raina!”

  They hugged while Sue stood there feeling out of place. Carina broke away and looked at Sue before going to her. She then hugged her. “Hi, Sue. It’s nice to see you again.”

  Raina could tell Sue was much more relaxed because of the warm greeting from Carina.

  “I’m so glad you are visiting with us.”

  The snow had melted, but it was still freezing outside. “I hope you brought something warmer than the sweater you’re wearing,” Raina said.

  “Yeah, Mom got me this clunky coat.”

  “Well, you better put it on. It’s cold outside.”

  Carina dug through her luggage and put it on. “See, I told you it was ugly.”

  Sue stepped closer and buttoned the top button. “I think it looks quite nice on you. Your mother has good taste.”

  It wasn’t until they stepped outside to the cab station that Carina saw the value of the jacket. The slight breeze chilled her despite the coat. The cab ride didn’t take long. Carina was mesmerized by all the buildings and monuments.

  “Look over there,” Sue said, pointing to the White House. “Aunt Raina set us up with a personal tour. Maybe we’ll see the President.”

  “Wow. That would be so cool. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, Aunt Raina will be the President.”

  Raina snickered, but she liked the sound of it. “Well, here we are,” Raina said.

  Carina looked around. Tall buildings and office complexes surrounded the condo complex. “A little different than Arizona,” Sue said.

  “I’ll say.”

  “There are things here you won’t find in Arizona. After you get settled, we’ll get something to eat,” Raina said.

  Carina unpacked and sent a picture of the guest room to her Mom saying she arrived okay. “Have fun and be careful,” Hillary replied.

  They walked across a park until they came to the Mall.

  Carina stopped and stared. “Is that the National Mall?”

  “It is. You can see the Washington Monument over there and at the other end is the Capitol Building where your Aunt Raina works.”

  They waited while Carina took a thousand pictures and then headed down to The Capital Grille. Raina had reserved a table for them in a private section of the restaurant and Carina was enthralled by the formal elegance and the décor. “Not exactly like the Guadalajara Grill that Gramps takes me to,” she remarked.

  They all laughed. It was refreshing to see the setting through the wide eyes of a young person, Raina thought.

  “Tomorrow, we’ll see the White House, and I’ll take you to where I work,” Raina said.

  “That will be great. Where do you work, Sue?”

  “I work for a company called Stellar Labs. I’m a lab technician.”

  “That sounds interesting. Can we see where you work, too?”

  “Uh, I guess. But it’s not anywhere near as interesting as where Raina works.”

  “That’s okay. I still would like to see it.”

  “Sure. That’s not a problem,” she said, feeling more comfortable. Sue moved closer to Raina and reached for her hand but then withdrew it quickly not sure if Carina could handle the display of affection.

  Carina was confused at the action, and Sue started to panic.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …”

  “Oh, it’s okay. You can hold her hand. I know you two love each other.”

  ***

  Gretchen sat in her apartment frustrated. She was so close to seducing Aidan. At first, her only intention was to get close to him so she could monitor what the Guard knew about the Fourth Reich and maybe have a little fun with Aidan in the process. But genuine feelings for him had surfaced and she let them. Not like me at all allowing my emotions to overcome my good judgment, she thought. She had to get back on track. The end vision was always the primary concern. Her father had drilled this into her since she became aware of the cult. Being raised solely by him, she had little recollection of her mother. She died in an accident is what he told her. He refused to say anything more.

  He finally arrived with his two underlings.

  “Welcome,” she said, greeting them.

  “Thank you, my daughter. It is always good to see you,” he said.

  They sat at the table and drank coffee before getting down to business.

  “The Bayberry girl is in D.C. as we speak. She is returning in a week. Dirk Saunders will be picking her up,” Gretchen said.

  “That is good news. He should be easy to overcome,” one of the underlings said.

  “Yes, we will have a shuttle ready to transport her to our base on the moon. We can then continue with creating an embryo from the two Star Children,” her father said.

  “What do you expect from the new embryo?” Gretchen asked.

  “The genetics look promising. We are expecting not only an increase in telepathic abilities but an increase in endurance and strength. If this is the case, we could start the cloning process using the SHOX gene variant to speed their growth. We could awaken the entire army within a few weeks.”

  “Impressive, Father. I will keep you informed,”

  “Thank you, my daughter. It is a glorious day for the Fourth Reich,” he said.

  “It is a glorious day indeed,” she responded.

  ***

  The private White House tour was set up by Raina two weeks in advance. The tour guide was a seasoned and knowledgeable person hand-selected by Jimmy Caldwell, Senator Carrington’s page. After the screening process, Carina, Sue, and Raina met the Guide who took them on a five-hour tour. At the end, they went to the cafeteria in the Hall of Representatives for a late lunch.

  “So, what do you think?” Raina asked Carina.

  “Way cool! I can’t believe the history and the stories about some of our quirkier Presidents and their wives,” she answered.

  “And how about who built the White House? I had no idea African Americans, both enslaved and free, provided the bulk of the labor, not only for the White House but also the United States Capitol and other early government buildings,” Sue said.

  “I’m glad you both learned more about our great nation today,” Raina said. “I’m still amazed at what our forefathers envisioned for this country. The US Constitution remains the model which emerging democracies on Earth have adopted. Some alien civilizations have reviewed and incorporated its governing principles in their constitutions as well.”

  There was clapping in the background. They turned to see who it was. “Spoken like a Senator who will soon be running for President.”

  Raina stood up. “Mrs. Carrington, uh, Dorthea, I mean. I’m surprised to see you here,” Raina said.

  “Well we can’t always eat at the Capital Grille,” she replied, laughing.

  “
I’d like you to meet Carina Bayberry, a very dear friend of mine.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Carina. Where are you from?”

  “Arizona. This city is awesome. I’ve never seen buildings like this.”

  “Yes, it is a beautiful city.”

  “And this is …”

  Raina paused, looking for the right words. She promised Sue she wouldn’t lie about their relationship but was terrified about how Dorthea Carrington would see it. She took a deep breath.

  “And this is my fiancée, Susan Baker.”

  Sue was speechless at the introduction Raina made and gave her a big smile before turning to Dorthea. An awkward silence followed before Dorthea extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Are you from out of town?”

  “No, I’m a D.C. resident. It’s nice to meet you, too,” Sue said, shaking her hand.

  “Well, I’ll leave you alone. Raina, could you please call me sometime tomorrow?” Dorthea asked.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  They watched her leisurely walk out of the cafeteria.

  16

  Acey moved slowly to the exit where Annie was waiting for her. It was late in the evening, and all she wanted to do was sleep. The stress from the negotiations had taken its toll, as had the tension between her and Aidan. When Annie pulled up, she threw her bags in the back and stretched out in the front seat closing her eyes. Annie let her unwind before she spoke.

  “I’m sorry. I’m whipped. Thanks for picking me up,” she said. “How have you been?”

  “Fine.”

  A few minutes passed as Annie continued to drive. Acey spoke with her eyes closed. “How’s Foster?”

  “He’s doing well. He had the first treatment and all indications are that it’s working.”

  A smile came to Acey’s face. “That’s great.”

  “Did you talk to Dad?”

  “I left him a message saying I would be home tonight.”

  Annie pulled into the driveway and grabbed Acey’s luggage. The house was dark, and Annie wondered why her Dad wasn’t home.