by Kylie Parker
“I know who he is,” Tim interjected, as Laura brushed past her. “What’s the matter, doc? I don’t recall wearing an invisibility cloak.”
“Well said,” Laura commented. “I’m sorry about earlier. It’s just that Ms. Taylor wanted to fill me in on the progress of her research. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand for a handshake.
“Pleasure,” Tim smiled, shaking her hand.
“I’ve done a little research of my own, Mr. Shaw,” she grinned. “Twenty three people work here. They’re all well-educated, with a Bachelor’s degree, a PhD or even a MD. You kind of…”
“Stand out?” He finished her sentence.
“Well, yes,” she nodded. “The rest of the security guards have been through college.”
“Is that why you wanted to see me?” Tim raised his tone. “You wanted to complain about my education?”
“On the contrary,” Laura disagreed, assuming a businesslike tone. “You’re the most qualified person in here to answer a very simple question. Dr. Taylor?” she said, looking at Josephine over her right shoulder. “This man doesn’t have a clue about what it is that you’re doing here, does he?”
“We’re trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s,” Josephine’s response was sharp. “Chimpanzees have large brains and there is a 98% similarity between the human DNA and the chimpanzee. You see, unlike every other cell in the human body, neurons cannot regenerate. Once a neuron becomes inactive, it’s gone. That’s what happens to Alzheimer’s patients. Brain cells progressively degenerate, until the patient dies. We harvest protein that will reactivate human brain cells and restore the patient’s brain.”
“Sounds ambitious,” Tim commented.
“No,” Laura disagreed. “Actually, it sounds crazy. My father and I don’t think it’s possible, at least not without genetic tampering.”
“Genetic engineering to increase brain mass violates the Harvard Genetics Compact.” Josephine said. “I would lose my license.”
“I’m still waiting for that question.” Tim groaned.
“Ms. Taylor says she can do it. She just needs a couple of weeks. What would you do, Mr. Shaw? My father’s patience is running out. Frankly: so is mine,” Laura confessed.
“I’m not following you, blondie.” Tim said with a sarcastic smile on his face. “Why’s my opinion so important to you?”
“Seven different foster homes: notorious job hopper; on parole…” Laura returned the smile. “You’re ‘street’; nothing like the people in here.”
Her words flattered him; by the time she had finished her sentence, Laura stood barely three feet away from him and was looking deep into his blue eyes. Her own, hazel eyes penetrated right through him. Tim had to come up with a reply, not only because she had asked him to, but also because his job depended on what he had to say to her.
“What do you have to lose?” He wondered.
“Thirty thousand dollars and two weeks of my time,” Laura’s cynical tone outraged him. Tim clenched his fists, trying really hard to keep his cool.
“Twenty three people will lose their jobs if you decide to pull the plug on this. Families… children… do you ever think about them? Or is your time a little too precious to spend it on…” he faltered, finishing with, “trivial matters like that?”
“I can fire you,” she added, as a smug smile spread across her face. Tim had heard enough. He reached forward and grabbed her by the wrist, opened the door with his left hand and dragged her out of the lab. Stunned and terrified, Laura could not force another word out of her throat. Finding himself out in the corridor outside the lab, he pulled her aside, but Tim was so angry that he pushed her against the wall.
“You want to fire me, lady?” he cried, his breathing heavy, his deep voice bouncing off the walls of the wide corridor. “Go ahead. Do it!”
“Let me go! Please!” she begged, her voice trembling, her eyes filled with terror. But Tim would not loosen his grip. Instead, he continued to look right into her eyes, leaning over her, as if he was trying to intimidate the 5’5” woman with his sheer size.
“I don’t give a fuck about this, you hear?” Tim spoke through gritted teeth. He removed his right hand from her shoulder and ripped his nametag off. Then, he took his left hand off her as well. “I quit.” Tossing the nametag on the marble floor, he turned around. But, just when he was about to walk away from her, he heard her voice.
“Tim, wait!” Laura shouted. The smooth touch of her hand engulfing his fingers sent shivers down his spine, forcing him to stop. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Just give her those two weeks,” he sighed.
“I will,” she gasped, moving around him, “on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you please have a drink with me tonight? I’ll send my limo.” All of a sudden, her expression was not stiff at all. Laura was smiling up at him, baffling him even more. “Is nine o’clock ok?”
“Alright,” he said with a nod. “Nine o’clock is fine.”
Chapter 4
Laura’s limo picked Tim up. It was his luck that it was raining. He was still thinking about this afternoon with Laura. Her reaction had added to his confusion. Tim never believed that treating a woman like that could get her attention, but that seemed to be the case with Laura. He needed to find an explanation for her behavior. Still, the sheer beauty of the scenery did not allow him to do so. As the long vehicle climbed one uphill road after another, he couldn’t help but look around him, at the snow-covered trees and the sparse lights from other homes in the distance. Indeed, for a moment, Tim believed that he was on one gigantic birthday cake and that the lights around him served as birthday candles.
A black, steel, power gate opened inward as they arrived. Getting out of the car, he rolled his gaze up and saw Laura standing at her living room window, waving at him with a broad smile on her face and a glass in her hand.
“Sir, please follow me.” Her elderly driver politely requested. The two men climbed the small staircase in a hurry, getting drenched by the pouring rain. A young maid answered the door and showed him in. Rain drops were dripping down his face, as he joined Laura in her extravagant living room. A massive fireplace in the upper right corner caught his eye immediately.
“Hey!” She sang. “God, you’re soaked!”
“I’ll live. That’s a great view you got from up here,” He ssaid, looking out the window. “So, why extend the invitation, Laura? Don’t tell me you liked my manners.”
“You get straight to the point. I like that,” she remarked, as her eyes glinted with amusement. “What can I get you?”
“A Scotch: neat.” he answered, as the rain became stronger. Tim had caught himself watching the rain many times in the past, but never in such a lavish house, accompanied by a beautiful woman. It felt different. Better. The prospect of spending some time with her was enough to intrigue him, but also trouble him. He had no idea of her motives.
“It’s more than just an invitation,” She corrected him, handing him over a glass of whiskey. “It’s a business meeting. Cheers.”
“Care to elaborate on that?” He inquired, as their glasses clanked.
“I want you to be my eyes and ears in that facility.” Upon hearing Laura’s request, Tim coughed and whiskey came out of his nose.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” he protested, wiping the whiskey from his mouth.
“Oh, by the way, I do like your manners,” she teased him. “I’m a businesswoman, Tim. I want to protect my investment.”
“I’m not a rat,” he stated. “You’ll have to find someone else to do your dirty work.”
“Let me finish.” Once again, Laura assumed her businesslike tone. “I’m going to pay you twenty thousand dollars at the end of the two-week period.” Finishing her sentence, Laura pulled a small, folded piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to him. It was a check for $10,000.
“You’ll get the rest in a c
ouple of weeks. You’ll monitor everything she does, write down everything that seems out of the ordinary and report back to me at the end of your shift. You’ll only be working mornings from now on.” She added.
“Why do you want to get rid of her so badly?” He squinted at her.
“That woman is crazy, Tim,” Laura said with a sigh. “It’s either that or she’s a dreamer. Either way, I’m not going to fund her research anymore. Jitter’s death brought bad publicity. The stock price of ‘Maddox Pharmaceuticals’ plummeted today.”
“What if she does what she says? What if she does find a cure for Alzheimer’s?” His question put her in a difficult position. She dropped her eyes from his intense stare.
“She doesn’t have much time,” Laura’s sigh was even deeper and heavier than the previous one. “But I don’t think she could pull this off, even if I gave her another two years.”
“She’s been running that research for two years?” Tim’s voice became high-pitched and tense.
“More or less,” she stated lowly, giving him a sad nod. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to help me out or not?”
“The answer’s still ‘no’, Laura.” Tim’s voice was bass-deep and firm. “Have you talked to anyone else?”
“Are you sure?” She inquired, her voice low and husky, as she took two steps closer to him. “I think we can find a way to…” she paused, “sweeten the deal.”
Tim remained silent. He let his empty glass slip from his hand onto the carpet and put his hands on her wrists. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms around her back. Laura tilted her head up to meet his lips. Their mouths joined in a long, fiery kiss. Her feminine scent filled his nostrils, as he explored her mouth with his tongue. Laura tossed her equally empty glass across the floor. She entwined her arms around his neck, pressing herself into him. Passionate sighs began to escape her, as he ran his hands up and down her back. Tim had exactly what he wanted, what he had been thinking about since her proposal that morning. He meant to flirt with her first, but he would not say “no” to an opportunity like that. No matter the circumstances, Tim would seduce her.
“I was wrong.” She whispered in his mouth. “It’s not sweet. It’s so hot!” He felt his manhood twitch, as she stroked the back of his neck. Sliding his hands down her back, he slipped them under her shirt. However, just when he was about to caress her, her low, sexy voice forced him to stop.
“My maid could walk in on us.” Another whisper left her lips.
“I don’t care.” He breathed.
“No, but I do.” She smiled, mischievously. Nevertheless, their moment was not meant to last; his cell phone rang.
“Damn it.” She complained.
“Yeah.” He agreed.
“Tim, it’s me, Dr. Taylor!” Her voice was shaking and riddled with panic. “One of our test chimpanzees has escaped! We need you here; now!”
Chapter 5
Tim had no time to waste. He told Laura about the chimpanzee and they hurriedly left her place in her black Navigator. As a security guard, he had to make sure that all the animals stayed in their cages. As much as he hated the idea of chasing down a chimpanzee in the middle of a cold, rainy night, he had to return to the compound and join his colleagues in the search. Deeply disappointed that his night with Laura was effectively ruined, he did not utter a word.
“How the hell did that damn chimp escape?” Laura spoke in frustrated tones, on their way down the mountain side. “I mean, don’t you lock those cages?”
“Yeah, we do.” Tim’s voice had completely lost its firmness. He would not look ahead; instead, he simply lay back in his seat and closed his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Shaw?” Laura said, her tone all of a sudden much sweeter, as she turned her head to the right to face him.
“Of all the damn days…” he grumbled.
“Yeah, I didn’t like that, either.” She reached towards him and patted him on the shoulder. “But, don’t worry. We just met. Besides, the whole thing felt a little rushed, if you ask me.”
“What, you didn’t like it?” Tim’s eyes snapped open.
“The kiss was amazing,” Laura confessed. “I loved it. I just wish we’d kissed on a real date.”
“Tonight wasn’t my idea, sweetheart,” He replied tauntingly. “It could have been anything you wanted, but you chose to talk about business.”
“I’ll tell you what, then,” she chirped. “Let’s go out for dinner tomorrow night. But here’s the thing. You’ll have to forget about the money and our conversation.”
“You’re a weird lady, you know that?” Tim spoke in a disapproving tone.
“I just don’t mix business with pleasure,” Laura declared. “If we… sealed the deal tonight, it would be a one-time thing. I’d never date a business associate.”
“You sound like an old man,” he laughed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I think I sound like my old man,” she sighed. “Those are his words, not mine. But, I agree with him. Dating someone that you work with can only distract you.”
“This doesn’t look good.” Tim remarked, as they entered the parking lot. His three colleagues had gathered outside, with tranquilizing guns in their hands and the police were also there. Josephine was yelling at her employees. Luckily for them, the rain had almost stopped. At least Tim wouldn’t have to battle that as well in his quest for the chimpanzee.
“Tim, we are so glad you could join us: catch!” Tina said sarcastically, tossing a tranquilizing gun to him.
“Can anybody tell me what happened?” Laura asked, following him.
“I left the cage door open,” Wally Bartlett, the oldest of the four security guards, raised his hand like a timid schoolboy.
“Why?” Laura raised her tone.
“It can happen to anyone,” Josephine interjected. “It’s happened to me, too.”
“Where’s the chimp? Still here or is it taking a walk in the forest?” Laura’s ironic tone did not go down well with Josephine. She frowned at her and would not dignify her question with an answer.
“It can’t go to the forest,” Tina assured. “Security footage showed him getting out the back door. Dr. Marlon is monitoring the cameras. We’ve turned on the power to the electric fence. If he touches it, he’s dead. He’s probably hiding somewhere.”
“Well, don’t just stand there. Find him!” Laura commanded.
“Alright,” Bartlett spoke. “Shaw, Bradley, go right. Stilton, you’re with me.”
“I need a flashlight.” Tim requested.
“I don’t think so,” Tina disagreed. “I’ve turned on all the sidelights. We can’t miss him.”
His colleague’s words gave him some hope, but Tim’s heart sank as they turned around the corner. The 200-yard long strip of land was filled with huge boxes. Smaller crates were scattered in disarray. Simply touching one of those would make enough noise to alert the animal. More than that, the chimp could easily be hiding in one of those boxes, trying to shield itself from the cold.
“Hey…” he whispered, “where did those boxes come from?”
“Animal food,” Tina responded. “We’re supposed to collect those in the morning.”
“Stay close.” Tim urged.
Tim’s footsteps dragged, as the snow thickened. His legs gave way and he stumbled to his knees in the snow, soaking the light wool fabric of his dress pants. He gave a frustrated gasp, as he brushed past two black crates, stacked on top of each other. Walking in the snow took a lot of effort. Their footsteps were quite noticeable. If they had any chance of finding the missing primate, they had to spot him from a distance. It didn’t take them long to come across an incredible sight that shocked them both to their very core: there were three, large boxes; piled on top of one another; just inside the fence; roughly thirty yards away from where they stood. But that was not what surprised them the most. Just outside the fence was another pile of three more boxes. Before either of them could speak, the chimpanzee j
umped onto the top of the pile outside and over the 20ft-tall fence, with something squeaking in his mouth. He raised his left hand to his face and pulled it out. Tim couldn’t believe his eyes, but knew he had to overcome his shock. He pointed his gun down at the primate and shut his left eye. The dart struck the chimpanzee in his left arm. A split second afterwards, Tina shot the animal as well. Her dart hit him in the stomach. Whatever was in his mouth fell off and disappeared into the thick snow, just before he fell hard on his right hand side.
“We got him!” Tina spoke through her intercom, as they both rushed towards the unconscious primate.
“I thought chimps liked bananas!” Tim’s astonishment was showing in his voice.
“I did, too!” She confessed.
“Be careful with him!” Josephine’s voice echoed in the wilderness. “Let’s get him somewhere warm, fast!”
Chapter 6
The four security guards loaded the animal onto a stretcher and carefully carried him inside, as the number of questions in Tim’s mind grew larger by the second. On the other hand, Laura kept asking the same things, over and over, reprimanding the security guards and Josephine alike. She and Tim ignored her, for different reasons. Focusing on the chimpanzee, the young biologist would not even glance at Laura and caressed the animal’s head, while Tim was still thinking about the scene that he had earlier witnessed. It was then that he realized what his job would really include, other than strolling around the facility, looking for anything out of the ordinary. In his confusion though, he was glad that the animal which had escaped was a chimpanzee and not one of the two, massive constrictors in the adjacent lab, an anaconda and a Burmese python. Had one of them broken out of their cages, things would have been much, much worse, as they could hide anywhere and even attack one of them.
After putting the chimpanzee back in his cage, the three other security guards mumbled “goodnight” and left the lab. Tim was about to do the same, but Josephine was curious, whereas Laura was too upset to even stand. She took a seat in one of the rolling office chairs, running her hands through her hair.
