Tabitha nodded.
"What was that?" Chickowski asked in a threatening voice.
"Yes, I understand," Tabitha spat out the words like a drill sergeant.
"Good. Now just relax, but stay with me in this room."
Chickowski slowly pressed the plunger of the syringe, sending the amber fluid into Tabitha's body. The effects of the drug were almost immediate. Tabitha's wrinkled brow relaxed, and her body slumped as her tensed muscles loosened. Her eyes fluttered as though preparing to close, and then, suddenly flew open as the Tetrazol reached the brain. The hard cold stare of the small girl intensified into a fearful glare.
Tabitha tugged and kicked at her bonds, abrading her tender skin. She took no notice of the pain. When she found she could not free herself, she threw her head back and laughed maniacally.
"Oh, what fun. What a lark it will be," she screamed in a voice two octaves below her normal pitch. "You will. Flames, everywhere flames." She laughed again.
"She's already hallucinating," Fred said as he backed away from her.
"Not necessarily," Chickowski replied but without much conviction. "She may be trying to fool us. Tabitha, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth. Is that clear?"
Tabitha turned her head and stared at him, but did not answer. She appeared not to see him. Her head flew back again in another frightening fit of laughter that bordered on hysteria.
"What power! What power you gave us." Tabitha's eyes finally focused on Dr. Chickowski. "Hello Chickenman. You want some answers. Try this on for size."
Suddenly the tray of medical supplies beside Tabitha's chair rose in the air -- rose and started to spin in the air. As the tray picked up velocity the vials of medicine and syringes flew off of it. The three men watched in disbelief at the exhibition.
"Are you doing that Tabitha?" Dr. Chickowski asked.
She only laughed as the tray continued to spin faster and faster. Suddenly, it shot across the room straight for Chickowski's head. At the last second, he ducked, and the tray continued across the room smashing against the far wall with a loud crash.
Tabitha laughed again. "You would not listen. Now pay the price."
The room was suddenly flung into darkness as the overhead lights blinked out, then, into brilliance as they flashed back on, doubling in intensity. They continued to do so as all the furniture and unattached objects in the room started to spin as the tray had done. Tabitha's chair began bouncing on its legs, as though in an earthquake, then, rose a couple of feet into the air. Still tied to the chair, Tabitha began flying around the room, laughing uncontrollably.
Suddenly, there were three of her flying around the room, each laughing in unison. Two of them passed through the objects they came into contact with, while the third caromed off of them like a billiard ball.
Chickowski and his assistants cowered on the floor, each of them taking turns trying to make their way to the door and to safety. Whenever one of them got within five feet of the door, they were attacked by the flying trio, or by an assortment of medical and surgical supplies.
The lights continued to flash on and off, each time becoming brighter, until finally, the bulbs began to explode and were replaced with the emergency lighting in each corner of the room. These also took up the same rhythmic flashing.
Finally, after what seemed like an hour, but was less than five minutes, everything came to a sudden stop. As Chickowski peaked out from under the desk where he had taken refuge, he noticed Tabitha in the center of the room where she had begun, still strapped to her chair. Fred and Barry crawled out from under the lab table on the other side of the room.
"What in the hell was that?" Barry asked.
"I believe we just took part in one of Tabitha's hallucinations," Chickowski answered in a husky voice filled with awe and an edge of fear.
From the hallway, they heard someone running towards their lab. In a few seconds, the door burst open, and the duty nurse from the nursery rushed into the room.
"Dr. Chickowski, come quick. The children... " She stopped in mid-sentence. "Oh my God, it happened here too."
"What is it, Miss Bartlett?" Chickowski asked as he stood up and brushed his pants off.
The near hysterical nurse stared at Chickowski for a few seconds before replying. Finally, in a dull voice she said, "Uh, you're needed in the nursery, Doctor. Something... something very strange is going on."
"I'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks." Chickowski replied as calmly as possible. "Fred, release Tabitha and return her to her sisters." He turned back to the nurse.
"Ms. Bartlett, you've been a faithful employee here for several years. Is that right?"
"Yes, Dr. Chickowski."
"And if you wish to stay employed here, you will forget everything that you heard or saw here tonight, and that goes for the nursery as well. Is that clear?"
The nurse nodded her head. "No one would believe me anyway." She turned and walked out of the lab, scattering debris with her white shoes.
"Fred, get this damned mess cleaned up. I don't want a trace of evidence of what happened here tonight. Barry, after you get this little monster back with her pack, get back here and help Fred."
Chickowski started toward the door but stopped and glared at the two men. "And of course, if any news of this episode leaks out, I'll personally hold both of you responsible. What happened here will look like a picnic in the park compared to the nightmare I'll rain down on you. Is that clear?"
The two men nodded. Chickowski started to leave but was stopped once more by Fred. "You may be able to cover this one up, Dr. Chickowski, but what about the others?"
Chickowski stared as his assistant. "What others?"
"The residual hallucinations that have been reported. The report I read indicated that Tetrazol produces hallucinations for up to five years after initial use. How are you going to cover those up?
"If Tabitha is a monster, Doctor, she's one that you created."
Chickowski continued to stare at Fred; his jaw muscles clenched in anger. He fought to control himself. "Just clean up the damned mess, Fred. Do your job. I'll handle the rest. Okay?"
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked out of the room, but Fred's words echoed in his mind as he strolled down the hall.
The twins spent most of the day on the slopes. It had only taken an hour in the morning to raise the funds for the ski rentals and lift tickets. Although neither had ever skied before, they both caught on quickly. The day had turned unseasonably mild, making additional ski wear unnecessary. Even so, Alp was uncomfortable as she watched the other girls in their color-coordinated outfits.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have all the money you needed so you could ski anytime you wanted and with a different outfit for every day instead of a pair of dumb blue jeans?"
Mel looked at her, confused by the question. "Why would you want such gaudy clothes? Lavender ski pants just aren't your style."
"How do you know what my style is? Maybe not lavender, but a rich burgundy color or something similar to that sky blue outfit over there. I just think it would be nice."
"Well, if you'll notice, that sky blue outfit can't ski for shit. This is your first day out here, and you're already skiing better than two-thirds of the girls in their fancy clothes. That could mean that those gawd awful colors actually make it harder to ski. Did you ever stop and consider that?"
Alp laughed. "You think the Snow God objects to such colors? In that case, I better stick to the basic jeans and ski jacket. I'd hate to fall as often as some of those ladies.
"Speaking of falling, we'd better head on back to the lodge. The slopes will be closing soon, and we want to be sure we're comfortable in our little accommodations."
"What do you mean?" Alp asked as she adjusted the buckle on her ski boot.
"Come on, let's race down. I'll go over my plan at the bottom." Mel started to push off down the slope, but Alp stopped him with a gloved hand on his arm.
/> "Mel, I just want to let you know how much I've enjoyed this day. Thanks for taking my mind off this morning and what we're going to do this evening. You're a great brother."
The comment embarrassed Mel. He reached out and pulled Alp's ski toboggan down over her eyes. "Come on, last one down is a spoiled little rich kid."
At the bottom, the lodge was already crowded with skiers -- several of them well into their evening meal of liquid refreshment. The twins mingled around for a while until they found a door marked: Lost and Found. Mel stood on the other side for a few moments with his eyes closed.
"No one's in there right now," he said as he opened his eyes. "Perfect. Let's go."
The two of them slipped into the room. Inside, they found a narrow counter and behind it, a wide selection of ski wear and gear, left over from the ski season. Mel wandered around behind the counter, while Alp stood watch at the door. In a few moments, he returned.
"Come on. I found the perfect accommodations for the night. We'll be warm and cozy and, most important of all, unnoticed." He led his sister behind the counter to a corner of the room. He pointed to two ski tote bags leaning against the wall.
"We'll empty the skis out of those two bags. Take the skis and one of the poles and put them over there with the others. Keep one of the poles in the bag so we can use it to keep the top of the bag rigid if anyone comes in." Alp followed his instructions then, returned to find Mel climbing out of one of the bags.
"Just checking it out. It should do fine. Let me zip you in first. They both have double zippers so we can zip from the top and bottom. That'll leave an air space and a small opening through which we can look. It's perfect."
Alp stepped into the bag as Mel held it open for her. "What if someone comes and claims these two bags?" she asked.
"Not likely. The tags say they were turned in December 26th. I doubt anyone will claim them this long after losing them."
After Alp was snugly zipped up, Mel stepped into his bag and repeated the procedure. "If you hear anyone coming, take your pole and stick it into the top of the bag so it'll look like the skis are in it. It's almost closing time. This part of the lodge will be empty by six or seven at the latest. Then it will be time to do a little shopping."
"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Alp said uncertainly.
"Have I ever not known what I'm doing? Nevermind, don't answer that. You'll just have to trust me on this one, sis. By this time tomorrow, we'll be basking in the love of our many sisters in sunny North Carolina."
Party Time
Denise and Bridgette were stepping into the limo when they both suddenly stopped and stared at each other. After a few seconds, Denise asked. "Do you feel it too?"
"I sure do, but what is it?"
"I don't know, but I don't think it was from the awful chipped beef on toast they served. Something is wrong..."
"...at the lab," Bridgette finished. She quickly punched the intercom button. "Henry. There's an extra fifty bucks if you get us back to Bio-Vita in an hour."
The chauffeur turned his head and looked at his two passengers in the rear-view mirror. He thought for a moment before replying. "You're on." The limo leaped forward.
"Is it time yet, Mel? I'm getting awfully tired pretending I'm a ski," Alp whispered through the tiny crack in the bag.
"Just a couple more minutes. I'll make a mind sweep to be sure the area is clear."
After a few minutes, Alp heard the sound of Mel's bag being opened. She reached for her zipper and welcomed the fresh air. Mel offered her one of his devilish smiles as she stepped out of the bag.
"It's party time," he said in a soft voice.
"Well, let's get the dirty work done and get out of here. This place gives me the heebie jeebies."
"Okay, just follow me. We'll simply step into the office where the safe is kept."
"Safe? You didn't tell me they had a safe."
"Well, where did you think they'd keep all that money, in a cigar box buried under their steps? It won't be a problem. Trust me."
"Mel, I get real nervous when you ask me to trust you. It always means trouble."
"Well, it doesn't this time. This will be a snap. Just relax." He opened the door to the Lost and Found and peered out. When he was sure the coast was clear, he took Alp's hand and led her down the hall. He stopped in front of the last door at the end of the hall and tried the doorknob. It opened easily, and he led Alp into the office.
"I've been learning a new trick," he explained as he noticed Alp's questioning look. "I planted a suggestion in the secretary's mind as she was preparing to leave. She simply forgot to lock the door. I wasn't sure whether it would work. Like I said, it's a new trick."
"You're getting stronger, aren't you?" Alp asked with a note of awe in her voice.
"Yeah, I think I am. You could too, if you really wanted to. I think you're just afraid of the power, and so it doesn't flow naturally through you like it does me. Just learn to accept it and be okay with it. It's a real blast."
Mel walked behind the desk to the old black safe in the corner. Alp followed. As she looked around, it became clear to her why they had never been able to catch her during her days of thievery. The office was terribly disorganized with papers scattered everywhere. Among the paper was enough skiwear and equipment to start a sporting goods store. It exemplified the shabby, ineffectual management of the slopes.
"Let's see. You read the secretary's mind while you were messing with it and found out the combination. Is that how you're going to open it?"
"Unfortunately, no. I tried, but she must not have known the combination, or I wasn't able to get into her mind deep enough to find it. I'm afraid I'll have to rely on my nimble fingers and my astute hearing to find the numbers to make the tumbler fall. But it's an old safe, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Have a seat and be comfortable. Start planning what you'll say to our sisters. It won't be long now."
Mel knelt in front of the safe and spun the knob to get a feel for it. Then, with his eyes shut and his left ear against the cold metal, he began to turn the knob in earnest. Alp pulled the chair out from behind the desk and sat down. Everything had been so easy, just like Mel had said. Too easy, she thought, then tried to dispel the negative feeling. Why shouldn't it go well? They were due some good luck. Certainly, back at Sarrah's, they had had enough bad luck to last for years.
She leaned back in the chair to make herself more comfortable. She expected it would take Mel quite a while to learn the craft of safe-cracking. She was surprised when in a few minutes, she heard him exclaim: "Ah ha, the first number is twenty-four. Only two more numbers to go."
"How do you know that there's only three numbers?" she asked.
"Don't be a pessimist, Alp. I need your positive energy." Mel continued to concentrate on the sound of the tumbler. After a few more minutes, he whispered, "Thirteen; number two is lucky thirteen."
Alp sat up in her chair, a charge of electricity running through her body. Only one more number, and they'd have the money they needed. What if there wasn't any money in the safe? She immediately discharged the thought. There would be a ton of money in there. More than they could carry out. They'd be rich and have plenty to give to their sisters. She imagined handing each of her sisters an envelope filled with money. "Here, this is for you. Sorry, it took us so long to get it to you."
After a minute or two, Mel pushed himself away from the door. "And the last number in our lucky lottery is number four. Ah, I see the little lady in the first row is waving her ticket. You must be our next happy winner. Come on down!" He grasped the handle of the door and tried to twist it. It wouldn't move. He tried again, forcing it with all his might.
"Damn." He turned to Alp with a solemn look. "It won't open." Then, he broke out into a smile. "Just kidding." He grabbed the handle again and this time, twisted it easily. The door swung open.
Alp jumped from the chair and flung herself at her brother. "You little shit! You gave me a heart attack. We're rich, w
e're rich!" She hugged Mel's neck, and they both tumbled to the floor.
"Okay, okay. Let's not get carried away. It's only a safe-cracking, for God's sake. Let's see how much loot we have before we declare early retirement."
They were just picking themselves up off of the floor when the first wave of hysteria struck. Since Mel had a strong mental link established with Tabitha, the force of her hallucination coursed through the channel, assaulting his mental pathways far harder than Alp. Even Alp was not spared entirely, as the wave of psychic energy traced itself along latent pathways, opening them up for the first time.
The twins stared at each other in shocked silence. "What is it?" Alp asked.
Mel did not answer. He grasped his head in his hands as though to shut out the assault. His face contorted in pain and revulsion. "Tabi...sister…" Was all he could utter as he fell to the floor, this time forced there by a sister hundreds of miles away. Alp continued to stare at her brother as flashes of the same horror slapped at her mind, leaving her confused and disoriented.
The room shuddered with psychic waves, as Tabitha's hallucinations set off a series of new horrors in Mel's mind. The room became unbearably hot. Skiwear and equipment flew across the room, mingling with a storm of office paper. Alp knelt down beside her brother and tried to hold him. She found she was unable to touch him, an invisible barrier of energy encircled him, isolating him from her for the first time. She tried to call out to him, to get his attention, but was unable to utter a word. She tried to reach him telepathically but found that only made it worse, as her channels were further assaulted.
As the nightmare reached its climax, the safe began to jiggle on its legs. Alp watched in horror, unable to move, as the door to the safe slammed shut, the dial on the outside of it, spinning like a top. The safe shook with increasing violence, bouncing across the floor towards the recumbent Mel. With each spasm, the safe drew nearer to Mel, each leg denting the floor like a large jackhammer.
Kindle Series 3-Book Bundle: A Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Thriller Series Page 20
