The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (44 page)

The gathering room wasn’t Jake’s choice of the place to sit. But it was where he had to be. Rickie, Carlos and Cal wanted to get out of the bedrooms. Cal shocked him by wanting to be with them. Jake guessed shooting those ten wolves earlier wasn’t as much excitement for her as Carlos playing his guitar. Jake sat in a chair close to them, rifle across his lap.

Carlos threw his head back and stopped playing so he could laugh. His guitar was propped on his leg and his foot rested on Cal’s chair. It was the same foot that Jake kept knocking off because of its placement too near to Cal’s body. But Carlos kept putting it back. And Jake eventually gave up, figuring that Carlos was just trying to irk him. And he had to admit, he was doing just that.

Carlos laughed harder, shaking his head. “Damn.” He ran his pick down his strings roughly. “I cannot believe I’ve been here five months and have not written one decent song.”

“Sure you have,” Cal said as she indulged in a chocolate pudding cup. “What’s that one that Rickie sings? He does a really good job with it. Oh, I know, it’s about the girl next door.”

Carlos nodded. “That’s not bad. It’s about you.”

“Me?” Cal asked.

“Cal?” Jake sprang forward. “Why are you writing songs about Cal?”

“She inspires me.” Carlos smiled widely and leaned closer to Cal. “You have pudding . . . right there.” He reached his index finger up and wiped the pudding from the corner of her mouth.

Jake’s eyebrow twitched. “What the hell was that?”

Carlos smirked. “Lighten up, Jake.”

“Carlos!” Jake calmed himself down. “Don’t. I don’t joke around.”

“Never?”

“Nope.”

“OK.” Carlos started playing again and looked to Cal. “You’re not actually considering staying with this guy after this experiment, are you?”

“Well.” Cal started to answer, noticing that Jake was waiting to hear what she was going to say.

“Fun, Cal. Fun,” Carlos continued. “He doesn’t joke around. When will you have fun?”

“I didn’t think of that.” Cal joked looking at Jake through the corner of her eye.

“I am not finding any of this amusing,” Jake stated. “None of it.” He stood up. “And Cal, you know you won’t eat. This is what, your fourth pudding?”

“Second.” Cal stuck a spoon in her mouth.

“Still.” Jake took it from her. “You need real food.”

“Hey!” Cal reached for the pudding but Jake had walked away with it.

Carlos motioned his head to Jake. “See, Cal. Forget the Ho-Ho’s if you end up living with this guy. You’re going to have to come to New York to see my band. Hopefully I’ll still be with them.”

“Sarge,” Rickie called, grabbing an irritated Jake’s attention. “Did Carlos tell you? I’m joining his band. I’m going be the new front guy. I’ll be cool. The babes will love me.”

Jake shook his head. “No you’re not, Rickie.”

“I’m not?”

“Nope, you’re going into the service.”

“OK.” Rickie shrugged. “And whose turn is it to start the food? I’m feeling third world here.”

Carlos lifted his guitar over his head. “It’s mine. And I’m hungry, too.” He handed the guitar to Cal. “Practice those chords.” He stepped away. “I’ll be back.”

Jake saw Cal set the guitar on her lap. He knew what that meant. “Cal, no.” He reached down for it. “Spare . . .” He sniffed dramatically and then cringed. “What is that smell?”

Rickie held his hands up. “Don’t look at me. Smelt it, dealt it, dude.”

Irked at Rickie’s remark, Jake moved his head in the direction the scent seemed to be coming from. He saw Carlos walk into the hall leading to the dining area. Jake’s mouth dropped open and he raised his rifle yelling, “Carlos! Watch out!’

The Stasis gave its warning cry. Two heavy charging thumps of his feet and he swiped an unsuspecting Carlos up from where he stood. Using Carlos as his shield, gripping him by his head and chest, the Stasis carried him to the door. Shaking his head with a snarl, saliva dripping from his jaws, he glared at Jake who aimed at him. He reached for the front door and pulled it open, two by fours and all.

“Jake!” Cal cried out, watching the creature carry a screaming Carlos with him. “Do something.”

Jake, with one eye closed, followed the beast with his rifle high. “I can’t get a good shot.”

“Fuck that.” Quickly, and without thought Cal grabbed the revolver from the back of Jake’s belt and charged out into the snow after the beast.

Carlos, feeling the pressure of the beast’s hand to his forehead, saw Cal. “No, Cal. No!”

She ran closer to the moving beast, extending her arms, fighting the snow that blocked her. She fired, once, twice, three times. All three shots slammed the Stasis in the forehead. All three shots failed to do anything but anger him.

With a furious bellow he twisted Carlos, snapping his neck loudly and dropped him. Stepping toward her, he knocked the gun from Cal’s hand, grabbed her and hurled her fifteen feet through the air. She landed hard to the ground.

Jake screamed and opened fire at the creature as he tried to make it past him to reach a motionless Cal. The shooting of the beast stirred more than emotions. It stirred the sleeping wolves and they charged forth.

At the same time that Jake began to fire, Rickie didn’t think. Racing outward straight to the beast, he did his best baseball slide, gliding his small body through the open legs of the Stasis and landing an arm’s reach from Cal. He scooped her up and stood facing the wall of wolves headed his way. Perhaps it was his size that allowed Rickie to carry Cal easily by the beast whose groping arms missed him by mere inches. He ran past a shooting Jake straight into the building.

Jake saw the wolves that were so close and the Stasis standing before him looking as if he didn’t know where to go. When Jake heard the frightening sound of an empty chamber, he raced backwards into the building, slammed the door and with everything he had held it closed.

He expected and prepared himself for the door to start to shake but it never happened. The wolves failed to throw themselves against the building. They had their prey outside. The Stasis screamed, his cries growing faint as if he were running away. The occasionally painful yelping of the wolves told Jake it would be back again.

“Rickie.” Jake breathed heavily as he saw him lay Cal on the couch. “How is she?”

“She’s fine. She’s coming to.”

Jake bolted the door. “Board this back up. The supplies are in the corner.” He walked quickly to the couch. “Thank you for what you did.”

Rickie didn’t know what to say, how to respond. He gave a half smile and walked past Jake to do what was requested of him.

“Cal.” Jake slid to his knees, dropping the rifle to the floor. “Hey.” He ran his hand down her wet face.

“Jake.” Cal tried to lift her head. “Is Carlos dead?”

“Yes.” Jake closed his eyes and tilted his head, the frustration over what happened hitting him. “What were you thinking?” He raised his voice. “Cal, you could have been killed. Don’t ever do something like that again. How can I protect you when you do stupid shit like that?”

“Don’t yell at me.” She closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Jake kissed her. “God, my whole body shook when I saw him throw you. Does anything feel broken?”

Cal, eyes still closed, shook her head, covering her face with her hand.

“Come on.” Jake saw she was upset. “Let me get you back to the room.” Gently he tucked his arms under her and lifted her as he stood. “You tried your best. I’m proud of you.”

Cal rolled her body inward to him, burying her face in his chest. “You’re mad at me.”

“That, too.” Jake walked with her. “But still proud.”

^^^^

“Jake, really, I’m fine.” Cal pushed him away as she leaned against the bathroom sink. She stood there wearing only a pair of sweat pants and a bra.

“Will you let me be the judge, please, if you’re fine or not.” His hand ran down her side, touching her with a firm gentleness.

“Why do you insist on playing doctor with me?”

“Call it a childhood fantasy.” He lifted her arm and focused his eyes on her when she moaned. “See.” He tried to rotate her shoulder, but she moaned again. “That was one hell of a fall you took.”

“I’m tough.”

“That you are.” He reached his hands up to her head letting his probing his fingers around her scalp.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking for lumps and I don’t feel any.” He kissed her. “You just scared the hell out of me today.”

“I thought you weren’t going to tell me when you were scared.”

“Telling you I’m scared over our circumstances is one thing. Telling you I’m scared about you is another. Plus it adds brownie points for when you wonder if I’m a sensitive guy.”

Cal grabbed his hand and kissed it. “Thank you so much for what you did for me today.”

“As much as I’d like to accept your gratitude, it would be wrong to do it on this one. I can’t take the credit.”

Just as Cal’s mouth circled to form the word ‘who,’ she got the answer before she even asked. Jake’s head turned as Rickie called before he entered the room next door.

“Sarge, all secure. Everything is boarded up,” he yelled from the other room.

“Rickie saved my life?” Cal was shocked. “How?”

“I was shooting. Rickie just went out there. He was able to get to you, pick you up and get you by the beast before the wolves hit. I was very . . .” He watched as Cal walk out. “I was going to say, impressed. Hey, where are you going? You’re half dressed.”

Cal smiled when she stepped into the room and looked at Rickie. “Rickie.”

Rickie turned when he heard her call. “Cal-babe . . .” He saw she was wearing only her bra and he quickly covered his eyes. “I’m not peeking, I’m not peeking. I’ll just get . . .” He felt her pull down his hand and wrap her arms around him tightly. “Whoa. Is this appropriate?”

“Thank you so much.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you for coming after me.”

“I had to. You’ve been awesome to me here.” He looked up when he heard the clearing of the throat. “Sarge, it’s not what you think.” Rickie stepped away from Cal. “I wasn’t man handling the Cal-babe. She came on to me first.”

Jake stepped between them, his back to Rickie, and handed Cal a shirt. “Rickie, close your eyes.” He helped a struggling Cal into her clothes. “OK.” He fixed the bottom of her tee shirt. “Now you can hug him.” Jake turned to Rickie placing a proud firm grip around the back of the young man’s neck as he patted him on the shoulder with the other hand. “You did great. I owe you.” Jake stepped away, making room for a very willing Rickie to receive his embrace from a very appreciative Cal.

^^^^

Jake stared into Cal’s overly red and glossy eyes as he brought his lips to hers. By the looks of her eyes, had he not known that she had been drinking, he would have sworn she had sustained a massive head injury. He sniffed her mouth before he kissed her. “God, Cal. How much did you drink?”

“I had a drink to ease the pain, at your orders, Major.” She moved her lips to his he backed away.

“A drink, Cal?” Jake stood up. “You’re loaded. Where’s that bottle?” He fumbled around and found it.
 
“Cal! Almost half this bottle is gone. I said one drink to help, not half a bottle to numb.”