The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (48 page)

Peter was a fulfilling boyfriend for Joyce, but he could be just a bit boring at times. Joyce really didn’t need or want another man in her life, at least not physically. But there was just something about ‘Herbie322' that made her day. His daily email messages of hope, smiles and erotica were just what she needed. In fact, Joyce raced home every day after work to get to her email.

Telling the boys pizza would be ordered as soon as she was off of line, Joyce hurried to her computer, already booted up courtesy of her youngest son.

The indicator told her she had seven new messages and Joyce squirmed with delight. She opened her ‘inbox’ and visually scanned the senders.

Aunt Alice, Marcia, Free porno site, some guy named John, and smiled as soon as she saw the message from Herbie322 Joyce’s smile was short lived. Her heart sunk when her eyes shifted up to the letter from John. She knew it wasn’t a response to her lonely heart ad when she saw written in the subject line, in all caps, the words: CAL NEEDS HELP.

Praying it was a joke, but somehow knowing it wasn’t, Joyce opened the email. Worse than ever before, her heart beat in desperate thumps as she printed the email, disconnected the line and picked up the phone. There was no doubt what she had to do, no hesitation, she had to call Peter to make arrangements to find this Captain
Burgett
at any cost.

His long index fingers met together to form a triangle and were pressed firmly just beneath his bottom lip. Jake leaned back in the chair, eyes focused to the monitor with The Stasis. Jake hadn’t moved, not in hours, except for an occasional blink or the slow moistening of his lips. His stare was full of hatred for the thing, full of determination. His mind was filled with thoughts that he could not share with Cal.

He thought a lot as he watched the monitor but his mind never drifted so far that he wouldn’t notice even the slightest twitch of the thing. He thought about the email thing that Cal did. Did Joyce actually get the message for help? Would she seek out Chuck?

Chuck would do all in his power to help, Jake was certain of that. He also knew that Colonel Roberts would do the same. Remembering his last conversation with the Colonel when he told Jake if he ran into trouble to do what he could to get word to him, gave him reassurance. Jake told
these
things to Cal. He also told her some of the things that he expected them to air drop off. Things the message ‘play me some Bach’ told Chuck he needed. What Jake failed to tell Cal was that since the letter was sent, and all the time that had passed since, Jake was hoping in his heart for something other than just supplies. Jake hoped that the helicopter that Chuck would have to use would not simply make a pass over, but might see Jake on the roof and lower down. Lower down so Jake could give them Cal.

Cal had to go. For as much as he wanted her by his side, he wanted her safe more. With four weeks left to go in the experiment, and the unknown circumstances that still lay ahead for them, Jake wanted to take no chances. If the money was important to Cal, he’d give her his. He would do anything it took to have her still be alive on March 4
^th
. It wasn’t that Cal was an anchor around his neck. Cal was his equal, someone he needed as much as she needed him. He wouldn’t have made it this far without her nor would she without him. But more important to Jake than having her there as the strong physical support she was, was Cal being far away and safe. If Jake was to fail in emerging from the experiment alive, then so be it. He would rather go down alone than go down leaving Cal to fend for herself or
 
even worse than that, to watch Cal die. Jake wouldn’t have that. And he knew he was going to do everything in his power to ensure that the woman he loved, the woman he’d die for, would be far away from the
Iso
-Stasis experiment as soon as possible.

In the quiet room, she spoke in a whisper and let her hand slip across his shoulder as a warning so as not to startle him. “Hey, Major.”

Not moving, Jake grabbed her hand bringing it to his mouth. “Did you get any sleep?”

“Some.” Cal rested her chin on his shoulder. “Go lie down now and I’ll take over the watch.”

“No. He’ll wake up soon. I want to be ready.”

“I think I can handle a simple task of hitting the homing device. I did it four times last month.”

“I’d rather not miss it.”

“Why?” Cal pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. “Jake, I need you to be strong for me. You can’t do that if you’re tired.”

He didn’t respond. He never took his eyes from the screen.

“Jake, what is it?”

Jake shook his head and took a deep breath. “How are you doing?”

“A little better and how are
you
doing?”

“I’m doing. And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

“About Rickie?”

“How can you not think of Rickie?” He ran his hand down his face. “No matter what crosses your mind, Rickie is there.”

Cal scooted her chair closer, laying her head against him. “I know his death affected you, Jake. You worry me. You haven’t said anything.”

Still keeping his eyes forward, Jake raised his hand placing it on her head. “I have no intentions of saying anything either. Cal, it really hurt me when I saw how badly it affected you. You needed me to be strong. The last thing you need is to be worrying about how I feel. I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, Jake.” Cal shook her head. “We both grew so fond of Rickie together. Talk to me, Jake.”

“I’d really rather not. Not yet.” Jake swallowed, trying hard to hide his emotions.

“I understand.” Cal folded her hands on the table. “I miss him. I really miss him.”

“I do, too.” He laid his hand on hers. “It’s so fucked up what happened to him. I won’t be satisfied until this thing is dead.”

“Me neither.” Cal noticed how tired he looked. “Jake, please try to get some sleep. Please. There is a cot in here.” She touched his chin. “I will call you if I see him scratch. Just lie down and rest for a while
 
. . . for me?”

“Promise you’ll call me?”

“I promise.”

“All right then.” Sliding his chair back, Jake stood up. “Give me a couple hours.” He kissed her firmly on the cheek. Before he stepped away from Cal, he took one more look at her. He knew rest would be impossible. His thoughts of her, his fears and concerns would do what they have been doing, especially the past few nights. They’d slip into his dreams, magnifying what he felt. Rest for Jake would never happen, as long as the Stasis was still alive.

A part of Joyce wished she had gotten an earlier start. The other part asked how far she thought she would have gotten if she arrived at Fort Bragg at the crack of dawn. It was a long drive, especially alone. She stopped several times to devour large coffees and more times to expel them. All of it added up to more time than she planned, time Joyce did not have to risk. She was grateful that the State Trooper in Virginia had let her go with a warning. Maybe he saw how upset she was, how worried. Either way, adding a speeding fine she could not afford to what was on her mind was really minuscule. Cal was foremost.

The clerk at the convenience store was wonderful. Joyce had stopped there, mere miles from Fort Bragg. The employee chatted with her while she got her wits back, devouring a glazed donut that the donut man had just dropped off. But what Joyce was eternally grateful for was that the clerk allowed her to use the private bathroom. Brushing her hair and teeth and adding a bit more make up after she changed her clothes seemed vain, but she knew it was important. How serious were they going to take someone if they looked far from presentable and totally out of it?

Joyce looked better when she left the Stop and Shop. She felt better, too. And Fort Bragg was not that far away.

“Yes, I need to speak to a Captain Charles
Burgett
, please.” Joyce told the soldier at the gate.

“And you’re name?” he asked.

“Joyce Swindle.”

He pulled out his clipboard checking the names. “Is he expecting you, Ma’am?”

“No, he isn’t. I need to speak with him.” Joyce’s hands began to grip the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry but you aren’t listed here. Please back the vehicle away from the fence.”

“No,” Joyce said sternly. “I will not. I’ve come all the way from Pittsburgh to speak with him and I will speak with him. Now do what you have to do soldier. Pick up the phone, yell across the goddamn compound for all I care, but get in touch with him. I have an urgent message for him.”

“I’m sorry. Please move your motor vehicle away from the gate.”

“No, I will not.” Joyce’s attitude remained adamant.

“I will not tell you again. Move . . .” he raised his voice, “the vehicle or I will have the authorities move you.”

“The authorities? Will that get me inside?” she asked.

“No, it won’t.”

“Fine, I’ll find him myself.” Throwing the car in reverse, Joyce knew what she had to do.

He had his orders, Corporal Nelson did. He was nice to the moody woman when she showed up at the gate an hour earlier, but now he had to get serious. One more warning, just to be the nice guy he was, and that would be it. Throwing a fit at the gate was one thing but flagging down cars as they turned in the drive to the front gate of Fort Bragg was another. He cleared his throat and said to a frustrated Joyce who had failed to get the attention of another passing car, “Excuse me.”

Joyce turned her head, then focused back again on the road. “Go away. I’m not near the gate.”

“What are you doing? You can’t stand out here bothering every car asking them if they’re Captain
Burgett
. Now, I have my orders to move you.”

“And I have my best friend’s life at stake.” She faced him holding back the hair that fell from her clip. “I don’t know how things run down here, but know it is imperative that I speak to this Captain. I don’t know him from Adam. But I have a desperate letter from my best friend stating some Major Graison wants him found.”

“Who did you just say wanted him found?”

“Major Jacob Graison. . . .
Here.
” She walked over to the car and handed him the letter.

Corporal Nelson read. “Why didn’t you mention Major Graison before?”

“I did, you asshole.”

“No, you did not. It would have made a difference. Follow me to the gate.”

With a loud annoying sigh of relief, Joyce threw her head back. “Thank you.” She got into her car and drove to the front gate, arriving there before the Corporal.

Not wanting to take his eyes off the letter, Colonel Roberts indicated a chair for Joyce. “Please, Ms. Swindle, have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Joyce sat. “Thank you so much Colonel for seeing me.”

“You bringing this to my attention is of extreme importance,” Colonel Roberts said as he sat down.

“So who is this Major Graison?”

“He is one of our finest.” The Colonel shook his head as he read the letter yet another time. “We have to wait for Captain
Burgett
to arrive and clarify a . . .” A knock interrupted his sentence. “That’s him. Come in.”

Stepping in tall and straight Chuck snapped to attention and saluted. “You wanted to see me, sir.”

“At ease, Captain, and please shut the door.”

“Thank you, sir.” Chuck reached back and shut it. He saw Joyce in the chair and shifted his eyes to her and smiled.

“Captain
Burgett
, I would like for you to meet Joyce Swindle.”

“Ma’am.” Chuck shook her hand.

“Sit down, Captain. Miss Swindle received an urgent message for help.” He handed him the letter. “It’s from Jake.”

Pulling up a chair, Chuck nearly lost his breath as he read the letter. His eyes looked up to Colonel Roberts. “This is unbelievable.” He sat down.

“Tell me. Do you know what this, ‘play me some Bach’ means?” Colonel Roberts asked.

“I do, sir. If I may?” Chuck cleared his throat. “About six years ago, Major Graison and I were on special assignment for the CIA. I will spare the details due to civilian presence, sir. That was the code we came up with to let air control know we needed help. There were three codes. ‘Play me some Bach’ was one of them. That code specified what our needs were at the time and what supplies were wanted.”

“And how does it fare now? What does this tell you?”

“It tells me that Major Graison and this Cal person are surrounded by unforeseen forces. Forces they cannot control any longer and have to take out. They can’t pull out. Mission is not complete. Meaning the experiment is not done. They’re circled. It’s bad.”

Colonel Roberts watched Joyce’s expression drop. “Captain, can you recall what those supplies are?”

“Yes, sir, I can.” Chuck nodded.

“Good. Get the list together and bring it to me pronto. I’ll work on getting the clearance we need from the Canadian government to help them out. I’d like to have this mission in the air by zero five-hundred hours tomorrow, son. Feel like flying it?”

“Yes, sir, I do.” Chuck stood up. “I’ll start getting it together right now.” He stepped back and extended his hand to Joyce. “Thank you. Thank you very much for bringing that note here.”

Colonel Roberts interjected, “Miss Swindle is concerned, too. Seems Cal is her best friend as well. Miss Swindle, if it helps, I’d like you to know, your friend Cal couldn’t be in any better hands than Major Graison.”

Joyce smiled. “And begging your pardon, Colonel, I’d like to say the same thing about your Major Graison.”