The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (32 page)

“Oh, no, she’s not
fuckin
’ gone,” Jake said sarcastically with a slight roll to his eyes. Then, finally he smiled, and, as he intended, he was alone with Cal. He could enjoy his lunch.

“
Yo
, Davis!” The heavy set older gentleman stuck his head out the glass door. The wind whipped what little hair he had as he held up a black phone. “Davis! It’s for you!”

Davis trotted toward him. His black leather jacket fit loosely on his large muscular frame. It was his airfield, passed down from his father and used mostly for deliveries and parcels. Davis made his living from the
Iso
-Stasis Experiment, making the runs they requested using the expert flying experience he had. “Thanks, Grossman.” Davis sniffled and grabbed the phone. “Yes?” He carried it into the building, the noise from the engines running made it impossible for him to hear outside. “Yes, Dr. Jefferson. My plane is running and ready to go. It’s loaded.” He peered out the window. “Nah . . . wind is high but they aren’t calling for snow in that region, not yet.” He walked over to the clipboard that hung on the wall. “Yes, sir . . . That run is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I have three planes ordered, pilots and all. I don’t foresee any. We have the expert aboard just in case.” Davis wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Yes, sir . . . I’m leaving now. I want to be there at daybreak. Thank you.” He hung up the receiver and handed the entire phone to Grossman. “I don’t care how much money the man is paying me . . .” Davis zipped his jacket up all the way. “He’s a pain in my
fuckin
’ ass.” Shaking his head, knowing well that he knew his business better than anyone, Davis returned to his plane which sat waiting for him on the runway. The beginning of the
Iso
-Stasis experiment’s next phase was aboard in his cargo area.

Cal pulled at her boot laces. She looked at her hands and clenched them. “Jake . . . have you noticed it’s getting colder in this building?”

“Yeah,” Jake answered from the bathroom. “There are electric space heaters in the storage building. Remind me to get them.”

“Thanks for letting us sleep late.”

Jake poked his head out the bathroom and pulled the toothbrush from his mouth. “We were up pretty late. Hating to admit it, Rickie was pretty funny with all those damn stories he was . . .” he emerged from the bathroom, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He noticed Cal lifting her head. “You heard it, too?”

“Yeah, I did. A plane?”

“What the hell is it doing up here?”

“Want to check it out?” She finished her laces.

“Yeah.” Jake ran to the sink, spit, rinsed and wiped. In a single action he grabbed their jackets, passing Cal hers.

“Commercial plane?” Cal placed on her black jacket.

“No, that was a twin engine cargo plane.” Jake zipped his coat.

“Well, aren’t you the plane expert.”

“Well yes . . . I am. Let’s go.” He opened the door for her and they headed into the dark hallway.

^^^^

Jake peered up at the sky which just was starting to lighten. “I don’t see it.” He stopped walking halfway up the hill.

“Maybe it was just off course.”

“No, it hovered for a little. But it’s gone now.”

“OK so we were wrong; it wasn’t dropping something off. Can we head back now?” Cal pointed down the hill. “I’m freezing.”

“Yeah, it’s even too cold for me.” Jake began walking with her.

“Hey, it’s still early. You want to go back to bed?”

“Nah, I’m not tired. You go ahead though.”

“No, Jake. Do you want to go back to bed?”

“Cal . . .” Jake’s voice took on a pacifying tone. “You go ahead. I’m not tired.”

“Major Graison, I will ask you one more time and after that you’re out of luck. Do you want to go back to bed?”

Jake laughed a quick ‘ha’ and wrapped his arm around her neck tugging her to him. He kissed her on the cheek. “I knew what you meant.” He kissed her again before releasing her. “And, I would love
 
. . .”

“What’s wrong?” She noticed he had stopped.

“Do you smell that?” Jake turned his head to her. “It smells like a wet dog.”

“Yeah, I do. It’s strong.”

“I wonder where . . .” Jake’s eyes grew wide as he caught a glimpse of it following them. “Shit.”

“What . . . shit,” Cal said as she turned around and also saw it.

“Don’t move.” Jake held his hand out. “Don’t run.”

It growled at them, snarling loudly as it watched them. It was a silver back wolf with its mouth open, excessive saliva dripping from its white fangs.

“Cal. No sudden movements.” Jake had her walking slowly backwards. “Don’t look him in the eyes.” Moving his hand slowly, Jake reached behind his back for his pistol. It wasn’t there. “Fuck. I left my gun in the room.”

“Well, Major Graison, care to tell me how we’re getting out of this mess?”

“Just move slow . . . God that is the biggest wolf I have ever seen.”

Cal noticed that for every step they took, the wolf took one. “He’s going to get us, isn’t he, Jake?”

“I don’t think. Just keep moving very . . .”

With a loud chesty growl the wolf opened his mouth and leaped forward straight at Cal.

Cal saw it charge her. She smelled its foul breath. Moments before its dripping jaws sank into her, at the split second he opened his mouth inches from her face, Jake’s instincts sent his hand outward, snatching the wolf by the throat and instantly snapping its neck.
 
After a high pitch yelp and a crack, he dropped the wolf to the ground.

“Holy shit!” Cal grabbed her chest. “Did you just do that?” She looked down at the dead wolf and then up at a concerned looking Jake. “You are incredible. You saved my life.”

“Let’s just head back.”

“Do you think there are more?”

“Cal, we need to move.” He took her arm and began to lead her.

“What a rush! Whoa.” She shook her head in amazement.

“Cal, listen to me closely.” Noticing they were twenty yards from the building, Jake leaned his head to her as they walked and said softly, “When I say run . . . you move those skinny legs as fast as you can.”

“Oh, no.”

“Run!”

Cal sped forward, her legs charging on the cold hard ground. Jake ran but not at his top speed, staying right behind Cal for safety’s sake.

“Get in the building!” he yelled.

Using all her weight, Cal flung open the main doors in her forward run. Barreling in right behind was Jake and they closed the door together. The slam of the door may have shut out the ensuing wolf, but it did not stop its pursuit. The wolf slammed hard against the door causing the hinges to shake.

Jake leaned against the door to hold it closed. The banging grew louder and he bounced with every strike the wolf made. He reached for the bolt. “Shit it’s frozen. Cal, go get me my shot gun and hurry.”

Running as fast she could to her room, Cal retrieved the weapon. She loaded it as she hurried back to the gathering room. As she slid to a stop inside, Jake was stepping from the door.

“I finally got it . . .” The wolf came crashing through the thin door, splinters of wood flying about as he noisily lunged for an unprepared Jake.

A click-click of the pump and Cal fired one shot sending the wolf right back through the huge hole it had just flung itself through. “Are there any more?” Cal stepped forward, holding the shot gun pointed outward as she peered through the hole. Another snarl, another growl, and another wolf’s head poked through the hole. Cal fired as soon as she saw it. “We are going to have to fix that hole.”

Eyes going from the hole in the door to Cal, Jake paused, and then stared in awe at her. He was so shocked at what had just transpired. So charged up from what she did for him, he did something out of the ordinary, he smiled brightly at her. “You weren’t kidding when you said what a rush. You saved
my
life.”

“It’s about time. I still have two more times to catch up to you.” Cal checked the shot gun, then Jake. “Gees, Jake you look weird.”

“I just . . .” Jake shuddered. “Wow. I never expected that. It felt excellent.”

“Isn’t that a really great feeling? You are moments from death and then snatched away from it unexpectedly? The shock leaves you breathless.”

“You aren’t kidding.” Jake stared into her eyes as he began to walk toward her. “And I am incredibly turned on.” He took hold of her face and kissed her intensely. “Let’s go.” He slid his hand down grabbing hers, leading her.

“Wait, what about the hole in the door?”

“Oh.” Jake glanced around to see what he could grab for a quick fix. He spotted the bookshelf, ran to it and slid it over the door. He retook her hand and quickly began to escort her from the room. He wouldn’t even allow them to slow down when Jennifer, John, and Carlos came running to the hall claiming they heard shots. Jake merely told them ‘wolves’ as he hurried Cal past them into her room.

^^^^

Cal looked up at Jake as she sat on the bed retying her boots. She watched him through the tops of her eyes as he put his shirt back on and tucked it into his still unsnapped pants.
 
“So what do we do now, Jake?”

Jake snapped his pants. “I’ll have to fix that front door. Then I want to check, just in case another wolf or two is hanging around out there.”

“I hope.”

“Me, too, we finally got a little excitement.”

“Tell me about it.” Cal placed her foot on the floor and ran her fingers through her hair. “Jake, could you hand me my shirt? You threw it somewhere over there.”

Searching, Jake bent down, picked it up and handed it to her when he found it.
“I really do think we’ve found your switch,” Cal said as she put on her shirt. “Some people are turned on by leather. You, you’re turned on by being near death.”

“No, no.” Jake shook his head. “That is not it. I have been at death’s door before, but I think, no, I know, it has to do with the fact that it was you that was there with me. You, little lady impressed the hell out of me, and no one has ever done that. You act fast, think fast. And you aren’t afraid. That with the fact you used those qualities to stop something from happening to me, made me . . . made me . . .”

“Want to stop everything and have sex?”

Jake grinned.

“So, Major Graison, feel like wolf hunting?”

“I would love to go . . .”

“Dudes!” Rickie, with his normal timing, knocked continuously on the door.

Jake immediately glared at the door. “What does he have, radar?” Annoyed, he opened the door. “What?”

“Dude . . .” Rickie walked in. “Check this out. I was like going to get some nourishment and I was walking through the living room. There’s like Carlos, Jennifer, and John all leaning against this bookshelf. So, I’m like, ‘Guys, why you moving furniture?’ And then I heard this noise, right? I notice, because I’m the perceptive guy, the bookshelf is moving. Sarge, we have some serious mammal problems.”

“Shit.” Jake, grabbing his shot gun, ran to the hall. “Cal, grab the M-16.” He raced down the hall. As he stepped into the gathering room he could hear the growling of the beast outside the door. Jennifer, John, and Carlos were diligently trying to hold the bookshelf against the door.

Pumping the chamber on the shot gun, Jake raised it and aimed it, prepared to tell the three who held back the wolf to move. He heard the click of the M-16, Jake turned his head and smiled when he Cal standing side by side with him. “On my call, Cal,” he said.

“Whenever you’re ready, Major.”

Jake prepared to bark his order but hesitated. “Wait up.” He lowered his weapon.

John was breaking a sweat and yelled to Jake, “What are you doing? We can’t hold this back much longer.” Upset, he looked toward Rickie who was jumping up trying to see out the only window in the room. “Could you give us a hand?”

“Dude, I’m trying to see how many.” He jumped again, but couldn’t make it out.

Jake moved to the window and gently moved Rickie out of the way. “Go hold back the shelf.” Jake easily peered out the window. “OK we have wolves.”

 
John was visibly upset. “No shit, Jake. How many? It feels like two of them.”

“It’s definitely more than one.” Jake turned his eyes to Cal.

Cal knew by the look on his face, the twitch in his eye, that something was wrong. “Jake?”

“OK.” Jake grasping his shot gun, walked center room. “You four hold that shelf. I can’t take them out from here. I have to go up. Cal . . .” he looked at her and asked, “You game?”

“Lead the way.”

“Excellent.” He placed his hand on her back and led her from the room. Stopping before going down the hall, he faced the struggling four. “Give us a minute. I have to get rope from my room.” He turned, and then stopped. “And uh . . . good thing that shelf is metal, huh?” Jake marched out.