Episode 57

Chapter 244

Dr. Lacroy

12:22 pm, November 5th, 2006

5:22 am, November 6th, 2006 (local time)

I was working in my lab when the phone rang for the fifteenth time. "Will somebody please get that before I do something very unscientific to them?"

My patience had decided to go for a vacation quite a while ago. I had reviewed every bit of research I had. All futile. It was either all under development and too experimental to try, or already determined as not likely to work.

So be it. I did not get this far in my research career by being limited to conventional thought. If what was known was not going to do the job, then my job is to seek out that particular and yet unknown thing that would do the job.

Cure AIDS.

But where to go? And how to get there? That is the problem when striking out into the unknown.

You needed a clue.

There was a knock on my door.

What is my life, a bad movie? Next thing I know, whoever it is will have the clue I need.

"Enter."

The research facility's escort led two people into the room.

The first was a United States Army Captain. He was well built and always kept at least one hand free. It was obvious he was carrying a weapon. He seemed more interested in his surroundings than would be considered normal. The Captain exuded an aura of protection around the other person.

I got the idea that if I so much as sneezed suddenly at that person, I would be dead before somebody had the chance to say 'god bless you'.

The other person was dressed in the uniform of an Army Major. She had a folder that she had a death grip on. She had a look on her face that was a mix of concerned worry and interested happiness.

The escort spoke up. "Doctor LaCroy, this is Doctor Broc, United States Army Medical Services."

"Charmed."

"Likewise."

The escort did not bother introducing her Army companion.

Her Army companion did not care. He was not present to experience social niceties. He was here to do horrible things to anyone who threatened Doctor Broc.

I slowly worked my way around my lab checking settings. Finally I returned my gaze to my two guests. "Take a seat." I indicated an office area off to one side.

They both seated themselves.

The escort put himself between the door and his VIP.

Doctor Broc sat in the other chair. She let out a short gasp of envy at the view beyond my window.

I let myself be entranced by the same view for a few minutes.

My assistant came in. "Oh, sorry. I did not know you had a conference scheduled for today." She promptly got us some coffee and cookies. "Can I be of further service?"

This has got to be the best graduate student I ever had. Whatever school the facility contracted with, I must make a large donation to it. "No thanks. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

She grinned. "If you insist." She was out of the lab two minutes later.

"Now that we alone, we can get down to business." the Army Major announced.

"I was not aware I had any current business with the United States Army."

"That is about to change."

"That is presumptuous of you."

"Simply put, we know you are working on a project with the Density Force."

I stood up and frowned at that. "First, I'm not working with the Density Force, I'm working for them. And not all of them, just Tiffany French. What we are working on is confidential."

"That's what you think. Please hear us out. You'll understand."

I was sincerely tempted to throw them out. But my scientific curiosity won out. Besides, I could easily call security afterwards. I sat back down. "Go on."

"You are right. It is not commonly known that you are working with them. With or for, it does not matter. I'm betting even fewer know that the project involves a cure for AIDS."

I let the shocked look on my face answer for me.

"We only found out because we put some very loose clues together. Tiffany French has been revealed to be a member of the Density Force. Investigations have shown that Jacob let her borrow a density craft before the current war started. The AIDS research was announced as a 4 H project. The paperwork on that came to the investigator's attention. Your own research in that field was not hard to track down. I hate to break this to you, but those of us in uniform are not as dense as civilian scientists make us out to be. We now had enough clues to see exactly why the Density Force would be interested in you."

"No use trying to deny it. I'd still like to know why you are here though."

"First, you'll need a fuller introduction than what you received earlier. I am indeed Major Broc. I am stationed with the United States Army Medical Research and Development Project. To be precise, I am with the Infectious Diseases Section."

I gasped at that. If even half of what I have heard in academic gossip is true, that was one of more classified groups in medical science. Rumor has it that that place was such a black project that even the researcher's sneezes were classified top secret.

" I see you recognize the importance of what I just told you. You are no doubt wondering why I told you this."

Good guess. I am wondering about that.

"I am authorized to release certain information through you. General Hambright knows now about Jacob Stone's ex girlfriend. He knows that helping her with this project can only help him over all with the Density Force. Otherwise this information would never have seen the light of day."

I could not help myself. "Why the hell not? Such information belongs to the world? How many others of the world's sick and dieing can you cure?"

Major Broc did not even bat an eyelash. "I told you where I work. Do you honestly think the rest of the world is going to trust us?

That stopped me hard. "Of course they would not. They would no doubt think you researched it enough to see that it would or would not make a good weapon for you."

"While I cannot deny we do weapons research, we do more as well."

"Very well. Will you share that?"

"No. The processes and by products of some of that data is too dangerous."

"Then what good is it?"

"Do you really mean that?"

I came to my senses quick enough. "No. No, I don't. It is just that it is really frustrating to know that the information we need is out there and we cannot get at it."

"What we know really does not meet what you are looking to learn. That's all I can say on that."

"I understand. What are you allowed to tell me?"

"Everything that is in this envelope. I have to return to America quickly so I can't go into detail. Suffice it to say that the best way is to try examining some of the new life forms being discovered."

"The only new life forms that are being discovered these days are in the deepest regions of the oceans. Such as the deep oceanic trench in the Bermuda Triangle."

"Exactly. Some of the deeper stuff we've found to actually be rather old."

"That does not sound right."

"But it works." the Major handed me the manila envelope. "This will explain it."

I took the envelope. One look at its contacts was almost enough to make me forget my manners.

Still I managed to remember to thank her, promise to pass along the source of the data and escort them to the lobby of the research facility.

Then I put a sign up effectively saying not to disturb me without a note from God, and to triple check his signature before doing so.

Chapter 245

Security Guard

12:49 pm, November 5th, 2006

5:49, am November 6th, 2006 (local time)

They had me guarding a room that the wrong people got shot for merely knowing about.

It is times like this where despite the fact I'm a security guard, that I feel really insecure.

The room I am standing in is filled with militant extremists.

The scary thing was, they were considered average for this country.

When it came to what this country thought were radical extremists, even their own families were afraid of them.

I sure as hell was.

I listened as they began their meeting.

"In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful, let us begin." one said.

"Allah has indeed been kind." another agreed.

"Then all is in readiness?" a third asked.

"Readier then we could have hoped for."

"Watch it!" somebody else shouted. "In Allah all things can be. There is nothing beyond what we can hope for. Allah is on our side."

"True. Let me rephrase, then. By the grace of Allah, things are better then I in my weak human state expected possible. He made it easier than the mission plans expected."

"He forgives the human failings of the faithful."

"Besides which, he knows all. Suffice it to say that things will be quite shook up soon."

"And the crusaders will be crushed."

Chapter 246

Anna Cork

1:12 pm, November 5th, 2006

6:12 am, November 6th, 2006 (local time)

I ran to where the Density Force was based and banged on the hull of the first ship I reached.

Hopefully I had enough time to pull this off.

Finally the hatch opened. A teenager I never met before stuck his head out. "Who the fuck are you and why the hell are you banging on the ship at this early hour?"

"I'm Anna Cork."

"So what."

"I'm the friend of Jacob's mother. We serve together on the carrier."

"Then why aren't you waking her up?"

"Because I want to surprise her."

"Oh shit. This isn't going to be quick, is it?"

"Not likely."

"Come on aboard." he opened the hatch fully.

I climbed aboard.

"Wait here. I don't know what you are up to, but I bet Kevin will know what to do about it." he left.

Good. I remembered Kevin's name. He was one of those who led the attack that rescued Jacob. He will have no problem acting.

Time passed. In fact, enough time had passed that I was beginning to wonder if the kid forgot about me and went back to sleep.

"Morning?" Kevin yawned. "You're up early."

"Not for active duty people, I'm not. It's after six in the morning."

"But it's before ten thirty. No sane teenager gets up before that time without a hell of a good reason on a Saturday during the school year." Kevin yawned again.

"Trust me, I have the reason."

"Tell it to me already. I was in the middle of a good dream."

"I need you to do me a favor. I need a lift to the USS Franklin."

That nearly woke him up.

"Why? You're on leave. You and your daughter were both invited to the funeral. Weren't you?"

"Yes. However, there is something I'd like to do for the funeral."

Now Kevin glared at me through his sleepy eyes. "What? What are you adults thinking now? I'm telling you right now that the Stones will not like any surprises at the funeral."

"This is one they will like."

"Explain. And be damned good at it before we lock you in the storeroom until tonight. I will not have you make the day any harder for Jacob and his family then it is already."

I tried not to show my first reaction to a teen threatening to lock me up for the day. It would have been messy, and I did not want or need the Density Force as my enemy. The idea I had will not be any surprise to his parents. Or maybe it will be. I can hope they've been lucky enough to avoid their military friends dieing. "There is a formation called the missing man formation."

"Wait a minute. I think I've heard of it. Isn't that where a group of fighters fly over a funeral until they reach a certain point, and then one of them pulls off leaving them to finish the over flight with one 'man' missing."

"Exactly. How did you know?"

"Saw it in a few movies. That your entire plan?"

"That's it."

Kevin offered his hand. "We'll help. Now if you do not mind, I better start some tea and coffee. The rest of them are going to need it."

Chapter 247

Heather's mother

1:29 pm, November 5th, 2006

6:29 am, November 6th, 2006 (local time)

I surveyed our work in the kitchen.

The cake was sitting on the table. It was a plain cake with her name written on it in icing. It was slightly bigger then of her textbooks. The candles still needed to be lit.

Next to it, near the kitchen chair she usually sat at was a simple card envelope.

All in all, more than I thought she deserved.

Still she is my daughter. No matter how much she does not act like it.