“Get any sleep?” he asked.
“Eventually. You?”
“Not really.”
“I can tell.” She reached up and smoothed down a section of his hair that was sticking up in the back. She hadn’t realized how close they were until her eyes met his. She inhaled a sharp intake of breath. He lifted his hand as if he was going to touch her cheek, but she stepped back just as the door opened.
Ethan stopped momentarily when he saw them, but then continued toward them. “I thought I’d be the first one here.”
“I think we’re all anxious to know what you found,” Logan said.
Ethan’s shoulders dropped, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t find anything real valuable, and I searched everything. The best I could come up with was a list of all the labs and the employees who work in them.”
Claire dropped sideways onto the cushioned bench, her mouth falling open. This was going to take a lot longer than she hoped.
Ethan squatted in front of her at eye level. “But don’t worry. There’s a basic description of what each lab does so we can focus on the labs we think might be doing questionable testing. In fact, I think I found it.”
Claire’s eyes lifted to his.
Ethan smiled kindly. “There was a lab that only had a one sentence description. It said something like ‘experimental animal testing involving the human genome’.”
“That sounds like a good place to start,” Logan said. “How many employees work in it?”
“Only three were listed, and one was a girl. You said it was a man and woman you overheard, correct?” Ethan asked Claire.
She nodded. Maybe this wasn’t going to take as long as she thought.
“This will be easy then,” Logan said. “Text me their names, and I’ll see if I can’t find out their schedules. We’ll try to cross paths with them in the parking lot when they get off. If they have their phones on them, we can get them paired.”
“We can make this even easier,” Ethan said, straightening back up. “Let’s show up at lunchtime at Bodian. Everyone mostly eats in their cafeteria.”
“And we don’t have to have security clearance to get in there,” Logan added, his voice getting excited. “We’ll say we’re visiting our dads.”
“But what if you really do run into them?” Claire asked.
Logan shrugged. “We’ll think of something.”
Ethan began talking again. It didn’t seem to bother him that he might run into his father.
“Anyone who comes in there will be wearing name badges, so all we have to do is find the names of the employees who work in the lab. We should be able to find at least one of them with their phone on them. Then whoever we miss, we can get after their shift.”
Just then the door opened with a bang, making them all jump.
“Sorry I’m late,” Kate said, bringing with her a cold gust of wind.
“You scared us!” Claire said, her heart racing and her skin cooling.
“What I miss?”
“Ethan and I are going to Bodian during lunch time,” Logan said.
“Since when did you guys hang out?” Kate asked.
Before anyone could answer, Ethan pulled Claire up from the bench seat and wrapped his arms around her waist, surprising her by the intimate action in front of Kate and Logan.
“I have a few things I need to get done before we leave,” he said. “Stay safe, and I’ll meet up with you again just as soon as I can.”
Ethan leaned in and gave her a long, hard kiss on the lips.
When he finally pulled away, Claire opened her eyes. Over Ethan’s shoulder, Logan was watching them.
Chapter 23
“WHAT’S TAKING THEM so long?” Kate asked, setting aside the notebook she wrote music. She picked up the remote and turned on the television.
Claire just shook her head and looked up at the clock in her living room. It was just after three. She really thought she would have heard something by now, at least that they had found one of the employees in the lunchroom, but she had yet to hear from either Logan or Ethan.
“Have you texted Ethan?” Kate asked.
“Not yet. I’m sure everything is fine.” She tried to sound confident, but she was worried about them. What if Bodian had somehow found out that they knew about the missing vials too? Would they actually hurt them to protect their secret? She bit the inside of her lip. Come on, Ethan, text me.
Claire glanced out the window. The sky was overcast; great clouds hung low in the sky, swollen with moisture. A patrol car was parked across the street. The officer inside was reading a book.
She was about to suggest they drive to Bodian when her phone buzzed.
“That’s got to be them,” Kate said.
Claire looked down at her phone. A message from Ethan read: I sent some documents to your email. Bring them up on your computer. We’ll be there in a few.”
She hurried and grabbed her laptop from her bedroom and carried it into the living room. By the time she had it turned on and her emails downloaded, Ethan and Logan had arrived. They didn’t bother knocking.
“What took so long?” Kate asked.
Ethan joined Claire on the couch and gave her leg a gentle squeeze. “Did you get my emails?”
“I think so. You’ll have to look through them all to make sure. There’s a lot.”
“The lunchroom was packed,” Logan said. “It took a while just trying to read everyone’s name tags.”
“By the look of all these files, you obviously found someone,” Claire said. She was individually opening the emails from Ethan and dragging the documents onto her desktop.
“Two, actually,” Logan said. “The woman Jessica and a guy named Ryan.”
"I just hope we find something we can use against Bodian. I want this to end."
Ethan rested his hand on hers. "I’m sure there’s something here.”
Claire stared at the new files on her computer, potential viruses that could change the world. She still wasn't sure what to do if she found proof of Bodian's strange science experiments. Should she go public? And how does one do that anyway? She pictured herself standing in front of a news camera with a stack of papers accusing Bodian of turning people into monsters. And then a sniper shoots her. Inwardly, she groaned. What was she doing?
“Let’s see if we found anything,” Ethan said. “Open them up.”
Kate and Logan joined them on the couch.
“How did you know what files to send?” Kate asked.
“We didn’t find anything on the girl’s phone, but the guys had a whole folder called Bodian. We just copied everything inside.”
Claire’s finger hesitated over the touchpad, her hand shaking slightly. She took a deep breath and pressed down. The first file opened. Her eyes scanned the contents along with the others. Notes from a meeting discussing holiday schedules. Nothing helpful.
“Go to the next one,” Ethan said.
Claire moved to open another file, but again she hesitated, afraid of what she might find. Her heart was racing.
“Here,” Logan said. “Let me do it.”
She easily handed over the laptop and stood up to walk into the kitchen. She rested her hands on the counter and told herself to relax.
“Isn’t there a quicker way to do this?” Kate asked from the living room
“It’s not like painting your nails, Kate,” Logan said. “It’s going to take time.”
Ethan joined Claire while Logan and Kate continued to argue. "We can leave if you’d like.”
"No. I want to stay. Once we get the proof we need, all this will be over."
Ethan’s mouth twisted to a frown. "I don't think it's going to be that easy."
"Why?"
“I think I found something,” Logan said.
Claire and Ethan hurried over and sat down. On the screen was a PDF document titled H371. They all took several minutes to read through the four-page report. No one said a word, and Claire knew they must
be feeling the same way she was, terrified.
When they were finished, Kate was the only one to speak.
"We're screwed."
Chapter 24
ALBERT WAS ALONE. Whether that was good or bad, he didn't know yet. Claire and the others had parted ways over an hour ago. Like him, they were probably still trying to process what they'd read. The report hadn't given them all the details of the project Bodian Dynamics called H371, but just enough that he was still shaking inside.
H371 was a program Bodian started over five years ago at the request of a company or a person called Blackbird. Blackbird had paid millions to Bodian. Their whole purpose was to create a person with super-human abilities without a conscience. For what purpose, the report didn’t say, but it did mention unexpected results: something dark and evil had filled the space where a conscience should’ve been. It actually used the word “evil”, which confirmed what Albert thought about Gage.
While the others had discussed what to do next, he had read the report again, specifically looking for any mention of a way to reverse the effects of the compound. This was all that mattered to him now. Gage must be stopped, especially after what Albert had seen him do to Gary.
Albert had tried many times to gain control of Gage while he tortured Gary, but Gage wouldn't let him. Somehow he had managed to keep a mental grip on him, making him watch the massacre. Albert fought, clawing at the fabric of his mind, trying to drag Gage back, but it was useless. Gage was too strong.
There was a moment, when Gary had been covered in blood, when Albert had felt the full scope of Gage's evil. Gage had been in a perfect state of bliss, while Albert was in the worst kind of hell imaginable. And Albert thought he'd be trapped there forever. But then dawn had come and, as darkness retreated, so too had Gage.
The next day Albert had tried to take his own life. That was the only way he could think of to stop Gage from hurting anyone else. He’d picked up a loaded gun from inside his dad’s desk drawer, held it to his head, but no matter what he tried he couldn’t get his finger to pull the trigger. “You can’t destroy me,” was the thought that appeared in his mind. Gage was still with him, but Albert wasn’t sure how close. Could he hear his conversations with Claire? Could he see what Albert saw?
To find out, Albert had tried to communicate with him, had tried different things to elicit a reaction from Gage. But only two things caused his interference: when Albert tried to die or when he tried to tell someone about Gage, which is what he’d tried to do with Claire, or when he tried to go to the police station.
If Gage was that close, Albert wondered why he didn’t just take over. Maybe he needed time to recuperate. Whatever the reason, Albert had to do something to stop him. Who knew how long he had before Gage returned?
Albert turned away from the open window and paced his room. There had to be a way to fix him! He'd been a fool to believe a drug could bury his emotions. Instead, it had awoken a monster.
Albert collapsed on top of his bed and rolled to the side to view his reflection on the opposite wall. It made him sick to look at, and his stomach churned, creating a pain deep inside his gut. Instead of thinking of ways to get rid of the hurt, he thought of Claire. Saw her face. Heard her voice. A calm passed over him and settled his racing pulse. In just a few short minutes, Albert fell asleep.
Chapter 25
AFTER BAND PRACTICE the next morning, Claire and the others walked to the gas station on the corner for their usual drinks. A patrol car followed behind.
“I think we’re ready,” Steph said.
Kate shook her head. “We’re close, but Claire you’re coming in too early on a couple of songs, and Audrey, you’ve got to watch for Steph’s drag before you play.”
“On what song?” Audrey asked, slowing up so she could walk next to her.
While they talked, Claire fell in line next to Logan. “Thanks for coming today.”
“Don’t mention it. And Kate’s right. You’re coming in too early.”
“I know. My head just isn’t in it right now. How can it with all this shit going on?”
Logan draped his arm around her shoulder. “What’s going on with Gage can’t last forever. You will have a life beyond Bandon that should include your music. Don’t lose your focus.”
“I’m trying not to,” Claire said.
The summer sun was directly above them hanging in a clear blue sky. It would’ve been a perfect day, but a cool breeze blowing over the ocean chilled her skin.
“Hey, isn’t that Corey’s bike?” Logan asked, taking back his arm. It left a cold spot on her shoulder.
“Sure looks like it.” Claire walked around the gas station only to find Ethan’s bike too. He sometimes met her here after practice.
“No fighting,” Kate whispered as she passed by to go inside the store.
“I second that,” Steph added.
Claire found Ethan by the soda fountain. “What are you doing here?”
He took her by the hand. “I thought I’d check on you before I left with Corey. We’re going to the beach. You want to meet us there later?”
“Maybe. I’ll have to check with Smith though.”
Corey was on the other side of the store reaching into a freezer. She should hurry.
“Tell him I won’t let you out of my sight,” Ethan said and squeezed her hand.
Claire lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I’ll text you.”
She grabbed a soda then quickly paid for it before joining Kate and Steph outside on the sidewalk. Before the door could close behind her, Corey slipped out.
"Want to go to lunch, Kate?" he asked.
"Can't. I've got more important things to do," Kate said, surprising Claire. Usually there was some wavering before she rejected him, and that’s if she rejected him.
He nodded his head in Claire’s direction. "Like hang out with Miss Anger Management?"
"Get lost," Claire said. She turned around to walk away, but he grabbed her shoulder.
"Did you just talk to me? Cuz you're going to want to stay out of this."
She jerked her shoulder away. "Stay out of what? Last time I checked, you and Kate were over months ago."
"You don't know how to stay out of other people’s business, do you?" he said, sidestepping close to her.
Two more steps and her back would be against the store’s brick wall. Claire was really getting sick of being cornered. "What are you talking about?"
"Ethan. He used to be normal but now all he wants to do is hang out with you, and I can't figure out why. Unless you're following in your mother’s footsteps."
Claire stared at him. To the average spectator she probably appeared calm, but only she was aware of the storm brewing inside her. The turmoil left her fist when she swiped it at Corey’s jaw. His head jerked back, but she wasn't strong enough to knock him out, which she regretted.
Kate gasped and then laughed. Corey looked at her and then Claire. The veins on his neck appeared larger than she remembered. She traced them down his muscular arm until they ended at his balled fist. When it began to move, she tried to duck, but it smashed against the side of her head.
Claire stumbled into the wall and slumped to the floor. Through blurry vision and a sudden massive headache, she saw Ethan tackle Corey to the pavement. Over a high-pitched ringing in her ears, she heard shouting and screaming. Ethan was sitting on top of Corey raining punches down on his face while Kate tried to pull him off.
Someone came to Claire's side. Her head lopped to the side to see whom. Steph was kneeling and saying something but Claire couldn't hear what. Her gaze lowered to the cracked concrete, to Steph's drumsticks lying near her knees.
Claire missed singing. She let her eyes close, and let the stage in her mind come alive. A single light turned on and shined on the stage. She took hold of the microphone and began to sing. All of her emotions poured into the music, leaving her empty.
"Claire?"
The ringing in
her ears was gone. Claire opened her eyes. Logan was by Steph. Both of them looked worried. She didn't like it.
"Is there something on my face?" she said, and forced a smile.
Beyond them, the police officer who had been following her earlier was yelling at Corey and Ethan. The store clerk had also come out and was holding onto Corey.
Claire quickly struggled to stand despite Kate and Logan’s protests. "I'm fine. It's no big deal."
She touched her head. Extremely tender, but no blood.
"Don't do this," Logan said. "Not now. You are not okay."
"Whatever." Claire pushed through them to get to the police saying, “Ethan did nothing wrong!”
“Get out of here, Claire,” Ethan said, more like growled. His chest was puffed out, and only the officer’s hand on his chest was keeping him from attacking Corey again. “Logan, take her home!”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
Logan took hold of her arm. "Let's go, Claire."
She tried to shake off his hand, but it wouldn't budge. "We're leaving. Now. This is what I want from you, and then we're even. You’ll never owe me anything ever again."
That got her attention. She glanced toward Ethan. Another cop had arrived and was walking him to his patrol car while the other officer spoke to Corey.
“There going to want to talk to you, too,” Steph said to her. “Maybe you shouldn’t leave.”
“They know where to find me. Let’s go, Logan.” Claire turned to Steph. "Tell Ethan to call me when he's done."
Logan guided her away from the gas station and toward his car parked just down the street.
As soon as she closed the passenger door, Logan, who was already in, said, "What was that back there?"
She tipped her head against the window. "Can you just take me home? I want to sleep."
"Headache?"
"Something like that."
"You got hit pretty hard." He started the car and drove in the opposite direction of the gas station.
"You saw it?"
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 158
