by E. E. Borton
“You okay, Boss?” asked Dallas, not sure what to say.
“I am. You?”
“Yeah. Listen, don’t go second-guessing yourself on this one. He had it coming. Nothing will convince me otherwise. I just wish you would’ve let someone else do it.”
“Did you find the three super geeks?” asked Ryan, quickly changing the subject.
“Yeah, they’re shitting themselves in the hallway.”
“We don’t have time to talk to them here. This place is going to be crawling with feds shortly, and we still have some work to do. Have them grab up every file and piece of paper relating to Didache. Let them know they’re in the middle of a shit storm, and if they hold anything back, I’ll pull their fingernails off.”
“Sure thing,” said Dallas with a smile.
“Steve,” said Ryan, getting his attention.
“Make it happen,” said Steve into his cell phone and then ending the call. “I take it we’re not sticking around?”
“No. Is anybody hurt?”
“Nope, my guys are good.”
“We have about five minutes to get what we need and get out of here. Are the planes ready?” asked Ryan.
“Yeah, just called the pilots. Both aircraft are fueled and waiting by the hangar. This may be an odd question, but where are we going?”
“I’m taking Dallas, Derek, and the scientists back to Atlanta. You and your men are going home. I don’t know how long I can keep my boss chasing his tail. Eventually, you may be getting a knock on your door, so go home and be with your family until then.”
“You did the right thing, Ryan,” said Steve, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Just so you know, if you hadn’t shot that animal, I would’ve.”
“If you’re worried about me losing sleep, don’t,” said Ryan. “But this isn’t over until I deal with the deputy director.”
“Whoa, partner, taking out the Colonel is one thing. You’re not thinking about –”
“No, Steve, I’m not going to kill him. What I am going to do is make sure everyone knows he’s a rat. Ruining him will be enough for me.”
Dallas and the three motivated scientists worked feverishly to collect as much data as possible. Ryan thanked Paul and the rest of Red Team for playing possum during the assault. He reminded Paul he needed to find another line of work. He agreed.
They left the Michael’s Lab shortly before a convoy of federal vehicles descended like locusts. The chaos of the scene would keep them busy long enough for Ryan to initiate the final phase of his plan. The phase unknown to everyone except Ryan.
With everyone safely on board the aircraft, Ryan and Steve parted with a handshake. He and his team were heading home to New Orleans. Ryan and his group were going back to Atlanta. He boarded the plane and sat quietly as the aircraft lifted and reached cruising altitude. He unbuckled and walked back to where the newest members of the team were sitting. When they saw Ryan approach, each sat up in his seat with wide eyes and increased heart rate. When Derek approached, Ryan noticed they all held their breath.
“My name is Ryan Pearson. I’m a special agent with FBI,” he said, producing his credentials.
“I take it you know who this is,” said Ryan, looking at Derek. “And you three are the microbiologists assigned to the Didache Project. I know the names Jeff, Stewart, and Randy from conversations with Dr. Kristina Anderson. Are the names correct?”
“Yes, sir,” said Jeff. “And we do know Derek. We know him very well.”
“He wants to kill us,” said Randy.
“He did,” said Ryan. “And I don’t blame him. But he’s not going to hurt you. Well, not unless you withhold any information from me. At that point, I won’t be able to guarantee your safety. Do you understand?”
“Absolutely,” said Jeff. “We’ll tell you anything you want to know. I just want this to be over with.”
“We have that in common, Jeff,” said Ryan. “And it will be for you as soon as you answer my questions.”
“I’m sorry, Agent Pearson,” said Stewart, “But we can’t openly talk about Didache or anything that took place in the lab. We could go to jail for the rest of our lives. We signed government documents that don’t expire for seventy years. Would you mind telling me where we’re going?”
“We’re going to Atlanta.”
“Why?”
“That’s classified, Stewart,” said Ryan, motioning Dallas to join them. “Dallas, would you take Stewart into the other cabin? He’s not feeling very cooperative.”
“My pleasure, Boss,” replied Dallas, separating Stewart from the other two.
“He seems a little overly defiant considering the circumstances,” said Ryan, returning his attention to Jeff and Randy. “Any idea why?”
“Yes,” said Randy, “Because all this is his fault.”
“All of this?”
“Why the Marines are the way they are,” said Jeff.
“That’s a good place to start, Jeff. Why were Derek and the others intentionally made into killers?”
“Jesus Christ, Agent Pearson,” said Randy. “Do you think we did that to them on purpose?”
“I know very little about why any of this happened,” said Ryan. “All I do know is that there are too many dead bodies lying in the wake of what you did. I need to know why, Randy.”
“Stewart did it to them alone,” said Randy, talking fast. “It was because he got dumped by his girlfriend. And really, she wasn’t even his girlfriend. They went out on a couple of dates, and Stewart acted like they were going to get married. He found out she was sleeping with another guy at the lab, and he went fucking ballistic.”
“Randy, I need you to slow down a bit,” said Ryan. “What does an ex-girlfriend have to do with Didache?”
“Everything,” said Jeff, speaking in a much slower tempo. “She had everything to do with this. Her name is, I mean was, Bethany. She was an intern –”
“I know who Bethany was,” interrupted Ryan. “She was the first victim. The Colonel had us believe she was random and killed near the campus of Syracuse University. But we know she was killed near the dorms.”
“They lied to everyone, Agent Pearson,” said Jeff. “We tried to speak up one time to the Colonel and he went through the roof. He said we’d never make it to jail because Derek and Joshua were coming back to kill us for what we did. He said he was the only person on the planet who could keep us safe. That’s when he basically locked us up in the lab. We’ve barely seen daylight since this thing started.”
“These past few months have been very confusing,” said Ryan, “You and I need to sort this out. Tell me about Bethany’s involvement.”
“She didn’t do anything,” continued Jeff, “It was Stewart. When he found out about the other guy, he swore he was going to pay her back for cheating on him. I mean, he was really out there.”
“Focus, Jeff, please.”
“I need to tell you a little bit about what we did at the lab first, okay?” said Jeff. “You’ll understand why very shortly.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I don’t know the extent of your knowledge, but –”
“Feel free to dumb it down for me, Jeff. I won’t be offended.”
“We created extremely detailed computer models of each of the Marines physiology. The software programs we use are more advanced than anything else in existence. They were constantly being fed by biomedical devices attached to each man. In essence, we created exact virtual replicas of them. It’s so detailed and sensitive, that whenever they ate a meal, we could track where each nutrient went by monitoring the virtual replicas. We could monitor which cells were being replenished and which ones died. Are you with me?”
“I am,” said Ryan. “You created a carbon copy of each Marine in the computer program.”
“Correct,” said Jeff. “What it allowed us to do was alter their physiology through genetic experimentation without affecting a single cell in the real Marines. We’d introduce a round of gene t
herapy in the virtual Marine and then monitor how it affected the virtual body. If the changes were within specific parameters and deemed safe, then we’d take the next step and introduce the mutated gene into the real Marines. And one hundred times out of one hundred times, the real Marines reacted in the exact same way as the computer models. The science and technology involved is light years ahead of any published research.”
“I’m still with you, Jeff,” said Ryan.
“We’re able to tinker with any area of the human body which includes the brain. Uploading genetic mutations to certain areas of the brain can alter behavior. That’s where things really become interesting. It’s also where Colonel Brown wanted us to focus most of our efforts. It became almost elementary to change the physical capabilities of the Marines, but the Colonel wanted to control their behavior. But behavioral modification is still in its infancy stages.
“There aren’t as many controls set up to monitor how it could adversely affect them. In fact, there are no controls in the virtual Marines at all. The only thing we could do was verify if there was any damage to the brain matter itself. We couldn’t tell him how they’d actually react in real life, but it didn’t sway his position. He pushed us every day to find a solution.
“We created another virtual model that we could attach to the existing version which gave us very basic tools to alter behavior genetically. That’s when Stewart created the Vampire model.”
“Okay, now you’re losing me,” said Ryan.
“He was fucking around and created a virtual model which would turn them into vampire like soldiers. He basically uploaded genetic mutations and made them hunt down and kill Bethany. It was his way of getting revenge on her for cheating on him.”
“You’re saying he programmed them to murder his girlfriend?”
“Only in the virtual models,” said Jeff. “It’s important you know that. He never intended it to actually be injected into them. It was an accident.”
“An accident,” said Derek with a growl. “Do you have any idea how many lives you’ve ruined because of your accident?” He stood up and moved closer to Jeff. Derek’s face began to turn pale. “Do you have any idea how many women have been murdered?”
“Women?” asked Jeff confused. “Bethany wasn’t the only one?”
“We believe as many as twenty,” said Ryan, putting his hand on Derek’s arm trying to calm him down. “They’ve been taking victims exactly six weeks apart to the day. They couldn’t stop themselves.”
“Stewart told us he dated her for six weeks before she cheated on him,” said Jeff making the connection. “He must have programmed a loop in computer models. I didn’t know. I swear to you, I didn’t know.”
Derek closed his eyes and lowered his head. The color began to return to his face and he took a seat next to Ryan. “I can’t believe we’ve been through this hell because of a relationship gone bad. He may not have known about the others, but I still want to tear him out of his skin.”
“Easy, Derek,” said Ryan. “We need him in his skin to answer a few more questions. Jeff, continue. So this was all an accident.”
“I think so,” said Jeff with a shaky voice, “When he found out the technicians mutated the genetic material and gave it to the Marines, he freaked out. He just walked in circles slapping his head and said how stupid they were for not verifying the order.”
“The order?”
“We create the recipe, we don’t cook it.”
“Okay, you may have dumbed it down too far,” said Ryan.
“Sorry,” said Jeff. “We build the schematic which a different department follows to create the real genetic material. We’re not hands on. When we complete an order based on what the military medical team requested, they take what we created on paper and alter the actual genetic material. They’re the ones that put the material into the Marines.
“Stewart never should’ve been fucking around in the program, but none of us thought it would work. When the computer model indicated that it had a chance to succeed, we put it on ice until we could do further testing. Not because we wanted them to kill Bethany, but because we discovered how to genetically modify behavior. Do you have any idea what a monumental breakthrough that is? For science geeks like us, it would be like finding life on Mars.”
“You didn’t find life on Mars, Jeff,” said Ryan. “You just managed to end a bunch of them here on earth. Nearly thirty people have died because your buddy was pissed at a girl.”
“I’m sorry,” said Jeff. “It was a stupid thing to say. I’m just a little nervous.”
“You should be,” said Derek. “It doesn’t matter how this happened. Just because we know why it happened isn’t going to change the end result. All I know is, day after tomorrow, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from killing again. I get to look forward to being a monster for the rest of my life.”
“Joshua didn’t tell you?” asked Jeff with a puzzled face.
“Tell me what?”
“The mutation is completely reversible.”
“Reversible?” asked Derek, needing clarification.
“Joshua was in the room when we told the Colonel,” continued Jeff talking faster, “He said he wanted to be the one to tell you guys the good news. The next thing I know, the Colonel tells us you went nuts and took off. He said you just snapped and threatened to kill everyone involved, starting with us.”
“No, he didn’t tell us,” said Derek. “Joshua did tell us you were planning on spiking our next round of therapy with potassium chloride. Of course we ran.”
“That’s very good news, Derek,” said Ryan. “How do we make it happen, Jeff?”
“Well, the easiest way would’ve been back at the lab, but you seemed to have removed that option.”
“Thank you for the observation, Jeff,” said Ryan. “What are our other options?”
“You said we’re going to Atlanta?”
“Correct.”
“That gives us a couple options,” said Jeff. “We have the material and the knowledge. The CDC or even Emory University has the equipment and staff. Do we have access to either?”
“Not at the moment,” said Ryan. “But we will. How long will it take?”
“Five to seven days before he feels any effects,” said Jeff. “He should be in the clear after a few weeks.”
“Looks like you’re still going to be taking that long nap, Derek,” said Ryan.
“Actually, that’s a good idea,” said Jeff. “If he’s unconscious and paralyzed during the peak, it should pass in a day or so.”
“That’s the day after tomorrow, Ryan,” said Derek. “Where and when do you plan on sedating me? And then after, how do you plan on getting us access to the CDC? In case you forgot, you’re pretty much a fugitive like me.”
“Don’t worry,” said Ryan with confidence. “I have a plan.”
“Are you going to share it with me?”
“Sure, as soon as we land. I have a couple phone calls to make.”
“Ah, as soon as we land. Again, this is the part when you tell me I’m just going to have to trust you?”
“That’s worked out pretty good so far, hasn’t it?” asked Ryan.
“So far,” said Derek with a weak smile.
The plane landed at an airstrip outside of Atlanta. Ryan was relieved when they walked off the aircraft without an army of federal agents waiting for their arrival. The welcoming party consisted only of Michelle and Tom.
“How was your trip?” asked Tom, greeting Ryan with a handshake.
“Productive,” responded Ryan. “Nice work with Joshua. You made a believer out of Derek.”
“I really can’t thank you enough,” said Derek joining the reunion. “I really don’t care what happens to me at this point. Jennifer being safe and not living in fear is all I wanted.”
“You’re welcome,” said Michelle. “She’s going to be staying put for a little while, but you’ll be seeing her soon. Tomorrow’s going to be a very inter
esting day.”
“He doesn’t know,” said Ryan.
“Oh, this is going to fun to watch,” she said.
“What does that mean?”
“She means telling you about my plan.”
“Well?” asked Derek, staring at Ryan.
“The only way we’re going to get access to the CDC and get you better is to bring you in.”
“This is what I get for trusting you?” asked Derek, perplexed at Ryan’s idea.
“Hey, it’s you and Jennifer who opened my eyes to the effectiveness of the simple plan.”
“Simple, not stupid,” said Derek. “And I have to tell you it sounds stupid. You’re going to hand me over to the deputy director? He’s one of them. I’m a dead man if I go into custody.”
“You’re not going into custody,” said Ryan. “I said I’m bringing you in. What I mean is we’re going to the Atlanta field office and meet with the agent in charge. I’ve known him for years and I trust him.
“Think about it, Derek. You’re still wanted for rape and murder, and they’re going to have a few questions for me about assaulting a military lab and killing a Marine Colonel. Those are fairly considerable weights hanging over our heads. If we run, those questions won’t get answered, and the deputy director will still be in control. Not to mention you won’t get the help you need.”
“We can figure out another way to reverse the effects,” said Derek. “We have the scientists; we just need to find a lab. It can’t be too hard after what we’ve been through.”
“What about after?” asked Tom. “What do we do after? Join forces and live our lives on the run? I agree with Ryan. We do what isn’t expected.”
“And if they don’t believe us?” asked Derek.
“We shoot our way out.”
“That’s the only thing about this plan that makes sense.”
“I’m joking, Derek. I’ve put a little more thought into it than that,” continued Ryan. “We’ll have an exit strategy, but we won’t need it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
