Leap - 02

by Michael C. Grumley

  Alison smiled. “Maybe to make things better then.”

  What better.

  “Better is making things more good.”

  Sally was quiet again. She remained floating in the water, looking at Alison and barely moving. World more good before.

  She stood still, staring at Sally. Alison was overcome by a frightening thought. They were making the world better, weren’t they? To change the world; that was the point of the whole project. It was what she told herself year after year, working eighteen-hour days and having to overcome obstacle after obstacle. They wanted to change the world. But had they?

  The initial breakthrough they made with IMIS shocked the world. There was no doubt. But through it all, what surprised her the most wasn’t the overwhelming press, the interviews, and torrent of visitors. It was the critics. She would never have imagined how strong the backlash from them would be. Skeptics in the scientific community were to be expected, but the nastiness from people in so many other fields was surprising.

  The number of articles attacking the validity of their data was tremendous. Many of them were written by people who knew far less about dolphins or marine biology. She and her team initially thought it was just the conservatives, but a significant number turned out to be liberals too. Some claimed it was a hoax for more attention, or more funding. One talk show host insinuated that it was a simple “trick” using sophisticated software, never meant to do anything but fool the public. For what? What on earth did she stand to gain by fooling the world? It was then she realized that being under the scrutiny of public opinion had a very dark side. Yet fortunately, for every doubter, there were many more believers. But had they really changed anything?

  Alison remained motionless, staring at her own reflection in the thick glass. It was true. They had gotten an awful lot of people excited, but was the world fundamentally any different or better? She thought about what Sally had said. Was the world better, or could it really be worse?

  The United States was arguably the epicenter of recent technological advancements, on virtually every level. The computer changed everything, and then the internet came along and accelerated it all again. Everyone now had phones that were more powerful than the first space shuttles. Televisions were almost the size of an entire wall, and video games made real life look downright boring to most kids. And to top it off, diseases like heart disease and obesity were at record highs.

  What exactly was she working for? In many ways, the world was getting worse. She dropped her head, struck by a wave of shame, but immediately pulled herself out of it. She knew the answer. Now she was working to prove the critics wrong. To prove the communication was genuine. That it was real. That was the whole reason for the vest; to be able to travel out into the wild, where she could show and immerse herself in the real world of dolphins, and to do so out from under the shadow of a man-made tank and any supposed tricks.

  Nevertheless, Sally’s remark had caused Alison to step back abruptly and consider whether what they were doing now was truly for the science…or for her.

  Go sleep Alison. Rest, Sally said softly.

  Alison shook herself out of her trance and managed to grin.

  Sally studied Alison through the thick glass, standing in the darkness. Tomorrow we show you. Sally continued. Tomorrow we show you world is beautiful.

  She sighed, with just a little of the smile still remaining, and gently reached out for the tank, pushing her palm against the clear glass.

  Slowly, Sally floated forward and touched her bottlenose to Alison’s palm, separated only by the thick pane of glass.

  Alison sat behind her desk. She stared out the window and watched the sun rise into the morning sky over the bright green hills of Puerto Rico. The scattered, white clouds crawled across the endless expanse of blue. Behind her, the sun’s warm rays slowly crept across the wall of her office.

  Her laptop sat on the desk in front of her, displaying a detailed budget sheet. She hated running everything. All right, hate was a strong word. Resentment, perhaps. Deep down she resented having to do it, but the old director was gone, and no one else knew as much about the project details as she did. She had been the lead since the very beginning. The driving force.

  Now it was all on her: the vision, execution, details, budgeting, everything. The truth was that it was too much. The difference between being the lead researcher and actually running the place was huge. She was constantly bogged down in administrative minutia, and it was keeping her from doing the one thing she wanted most: to be free. Alison yearned to be back on the front line doing nothing but pure research. Instead, she was stuck in her office much of the day, making sure that everything else was done. She’d thought about stepping down, but she was deathly afraid of what bureaucrat would replace her.

  She tilted her head, listening to the loud murmur of children downstairs. It was the last class visit before the big trip tomorrow. Alison smiled at the thought of the small, excited faces pressed up against the glass.

  A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Her administrative assistant, Bruna, opened it and poked her head in.

  “Alison?”

  “Good morning, Bruna.”

  The assistant smiled. “There’s someone here to see you. He said he doesn’t have an appointment.”

  Alison rolled her eyes. “I’m not in the mood for solicitations. Whatever it is, just tell him I’m not interested.”

  Bruna blinked. “Um…actually, he said he’s here to ask for your help. In fact, he asked to see DeeAnn too.”

  “Help with what?”

  “I don’t know. But he sure doesn’t look like a solicitor.”

  Alison raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, he’s old. And he’s dressed in the nicest suit I’ve ever seen.”

  DeeAnn had just joined Alison in her office when Bruna escorted the old man in. He entered with the help of a cane and a young female assistant attentively at his side. His hair was completely white, combed straight back and neat. His face bore a deep tan highlighted by his crème-colored dress shirt, which he wore beneath a dark blue, and very expensive, Kiton suit. His cane looked to be made of ivory.

  The man smiled sincerely at Alison and then DeeAnn. With a brief nod, he staggered eagerly across the room toward them.

  “Ah, Ms. Shaw and Ms. Draper, it is an honor to make your acquaintance.” His accent was noticeable but subtle. “I very much appreciate you meeting me without an appointment. I’m afraid there is a certain urgency to my trip.”

  He reached them and held out his hand. “My name is Mateus Alves.”

  Alison shook his hand politely. His aged skin was soft and cool. Standing next to her, DeeAnn did the same. “What can we do for you, Mr. Alves?”

  “Please,” Alves waved his hand humorously, “call me Mateus. Being called by my first name may be the only thing left that helps me feel young.” He motioned to his aide next to him. “This is Carolina, my assistant. Please excuse her silence. She knows very little English.”

  Both ladies smiled politely at Carolina.

  Alison motioned to one of the chairs in front of her desk. “May I offer you a chair?”

  “Wonderful, thank you,” Alves replied. He turned around and fell gently into the seat with a welcomed sigh. “Please excuse our abruptness. I hope I haven’t intruded too much.”

  “Not at all.” Alison relaxed and watched the man curiously. “We were just doing some planning for a trip.”

  Alves raised his cane and nonchalantly propped it up in front of him, resting on it. “I’ll be as brief as I can. I know you are very busy. I’ve come to see you both, as I am a follower of your work. And a big fan, I might add. I’m a businessman in Rio de Janeiro. I own a number of hotels and, as you might guess, have done rather well.” He made a humble gesture at his clothing. “As you can also see, I am an old man. And as such, I have spent a number of my later years trying to give something back.”

  Alison and DeeAn
n glanced at each other. “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Alves.” Alison caught herself. “I mean, Mateus. But we’re not actually in need of additional funding at this time. We have a number of-”

  “Forgive me, Ms. Shaw,” he interrupted. “That’s not what I meant. My visit is of a different nature entirely.”

  A flash of embarrassment passed between the women. Alison motioned for him to continue.

  “You are correct. I am somewhat of a philanthropist, but my efforts reside more around my home country than outside. In fact, it is one of those endeavors that brought me to you.” He glanced up at Carolina as he went on. “I have spent a number of years building a wildlife preserve for the indigenous animals of South America. I’m sad to say many are now threatened. I’ve spent all my life in South America, and wanted to build something that would help preserve the beauty of our continent well into the future, both flora and fauna.”

  Alves stopped briefly and caught his breath. “And I wanted to make it big. Our preserve,” he announced, with a hint of pride, “is approximately the size of eighty thousand of your acres.” He watched their expressions change with some amusement. “It’s the least I could do for a country that has given me so much.”

  Alison watched Alves lean back in his chair. “And you need some help with your preserve?”

  He grinned. “Of a sort, yes. But probably not what you are guessing. You see, I have hired a great number of people, not just to build this ecological oasis, but to run and maintain it. Many people, including botanists, agriculturalists, and even animal behaviorists like yourself.”

  DeeAnn, still standing next to Alison, tilted her head questioningly. “Where did you say your reserve was located?”

  Alves turned. “Ah, I didn’t, Ms. Draper. My reserve is called ‘O Nosso Mundo’ and is located a few hundred miles north of São Luis. It was an ideal location for several reasons of which I won’t bore you with. But we have since acquired a great many indigenous animals, including snakes, macaws, jaguars, as well as a number of primates. All now part of our growing preserve.”

  Alison was watching Alves with a slight look of confusion, still waiting to understand the significance of his visit. Although what she didn’t notice was the color slowly draining from DeeAnn’s face.

  Nor did she notice the subtle shift of Alves’ attention toward DeeAnn as he continued. “In fact, our lead researcher is a strong follower of your research here. He is fascinated with the dolphins and especially your young gorilla.”

  Alison finally nodded. “Oh, I see. He must be doing similar research, I presume.”

  Alves glanced back to Alison. “Yes, very much so. He’s been working with Capuchin Monkeys, which are native to South America. And as you probably know, are the most intelligent of the New World primates.”

  Alison turned to DeeAnn and opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped when she saw the expression on her face.

  Alves paused and took a deep breath. He was staring at DeeAnn again. “Unfortunately, something has happened to our researcher, and he’s now missing.”

  DeeAnn finally spoke, in a low whisper. “What’s his name?”

  Alves didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glanced up at Carolina, then back to the two women.

  “What’s his name?” DeeAnn repeated, louder.

  “Luke…Luke Greenwood.”

  Alison watched DeeAnn begin to waver in place then stumble back a step. Her face was now completely white. She reached out and grabbed her arm. “Dee?!”

  DeeAnn blinked and reached for Alison at the same time. A split second later, she fell back against the edge of the desk.

  Alarmed, Alison looked back and forth between the two. “What is it? What’s going on?”

  DeeAnn interrupted. “What…happened to him?

  Alves took another deep breath. This was the part he had been dreading. He thought a moment, trying to find the right words. “Please know that South America is a most beautiful place, but it’s also very…volatile. I am the first to admit this. And while I have become very wealthy as a businessman, it has not come without its share of controversy.” A look of guilt began to appear on Alves’ face. “I’m sorry to say I have developed many political enemies over the years, and I fear that Mr. Greenwood is now the victim of such.”

  Alves dropped his gaze to the floor and gently shook his head. “Recently our preserve was attacked. A large portion of our new complex was destroyed and many of the animals slaughtered. Mr. Greenwood was the only one there that night. He has now been missing for two weeks, and I fear the worst.”

  DeeAnn closed her eyes and began to cry.

  Alison squeezed her hand. “Oh Dee, do you know him?”

  DeeAnn pulled her hands up and placed them over her face. Her cries quickly turned into sobs.

  Alves answered for her. “Ms. Shaw, the reason I’ve come to talk to you is because I believe Ms. Draper knows Mr. Greenwood very well.”

  16

  DeeAnn threw open the double doors to the lab and rushed in, letting them close loudly behind her. She immediately fell against the wall to the right and slid down to the floor, sobbing.

  At the far end, Lee poked his head out from a small room, wondering what the noise was. He stood up and spotted DeeAnn huddled on the floor. With a concerned look on his face, Lee started to approach her. He then saw Alison ease one of the doors open and look around. She waved him off and he nodded, quickly retreating and leaving through another door in the opposite corner.

  Alison let the door close, knelt down in front of DeeAnn, and put a hand on her shoulder. She said nothing. She just waited.

  After several minutes, DeeAnn’s crying finally slowed. She used the back of her hands to wipe the tears away and sniffed loudly. She let her head fall back against the wall and opened her blurry eyes at Alison, who moved her hands down to DeeAnn’s bent knees. “Are you okay?”

  DeeAnn sniffed again and rolled her head from side to side against the wall. “No.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.”

  “Okay.”

  After a long silence, DeeAnn angled her head and looked up at the ceiling, absently following the dozens of support beams connecting one wall to another. “I’ve been friends with Luke Greenwood for a long time. Almost twenty years. But I haven’t seen him in a while.” She exhaled slowly. “We were both working on our doctorates when we met at grad school. He was a few years older.” DeeAnn dropped her eyes back to Alison. “He was also further along than I was, but our interests couldn’t have been more aligned, and he became my mentor. In fact, we worked together for several years even after we got our PhDs. Until I went to work with Koko.” She stared off to the side as the memories came flooding back. “He’s really brilliant.”

  Alison adjusted her position and sat down cross-legged. She leaned forward, listening.

  After a moment, DeeAnn turned back to her. “Do you remember what I told you about how I came to have Dulce?”

  “You said you rescued her in Mexico.”

  “That’s right. It was a testing facility, used by the pharmaceuticals. It was outside of U.S. regulations and barely one step away from a slaughterhouse. What they were doing with those animals was horrific. It was torture in every sense of the word.”

  Alison nodded. “I remember that part.”

  “That was right after I left working with Koko and the Gorilla Foundation. I told you I left the Foundation because I wanted to make a bigger difference. A difference in the lives of these poor animals. Dulce being one of them. But I didn’t tell you what inspired a change at that point in my life.” She leveled her eyes at Alison. “It was Luke Greenwood who got me to leave.”

  Alison raised her eyebrows curiously.

  “I hadn’t seen him in years, but one day he showed up at the Foundation. He told me he was forming a group to track and save captive and abused animals. And he wanted me to join him.”

  DeeAnn closed her eyes for a long m
oment, before opening them again. “Luke always made it impossible to say no. He was so passionate. Seeing animals being tortured made him angrier than anything.”

  “So you went with him.”

  DeeAnn nodded. “By the time I left, I was as angry as he was. And you know what?” she asked.

  Alison shrugged.

  “We saved a lot.” She breathed in deeply. “From places all over the world. And then we learned about the facility in Mexico. All funded, built, and run by pharmaceutical money. And they didn’t care who knew about it. It’s like they were flaunting it. So with help from others, we found the place and watched, planning. And then late one night, we raided it.”

  Alison frowned. “That sounds dangerous.”

  “It was. They even had a few armed guards, but we caught them with their pants down and disarmed them.” A smile spread across DeeAnn’s face. “It was glorious!”

  “And that’s where you found Dulce?”

  “Yes. We saved hundreds of animals that night. Many were able to survive in the local ecosystem so we set them free. The rest we took out of there. By morning, we’d made it to the border where we had a team from San Diego waiting, along with some government officials who supported us. It was a major blow to those drug companies, both economically and politically. We’d also taken video of the factory. One of the companies got so much negative press and came under so much scrutiny that they abandoned their animal testing completely. We broke their back. And it was all thanks to Luke.”

  “So what happened to him?”

  “After we rescued the animals, I discovered that Dulce was far more intelligent than I expected. So I started working with her, trying to provide whatever possible therapy I could. I was hoping we could return her to the wild someday, but she never wanted to leave. At the same time, I was making progress communicating with her even faster than we had with Koko. I just fell in love with her. But Luke wasn’t done. He said he wouldn’t stop until he’d broken the back of every drug company. I didn’t think it was practical and tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen. We parted ways, and I’m afraid not under the best of terms. Something I’ve always regretted.”