This chapter contains some adult content.
Chapter 3
Ed sat in the lab as he worked on some more tests when his phone rang. "Never fails, always when I'm in the middle of something important," he got up and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone, "Dr. Tate."
"Bonjour," Arnaud said.
Ed leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk, "I thought you were Swiss German? I haven't heard from you in the last couple of days, I really missed hearing your voice. I started to think that you fell off the face of the earth, too bad you didn't."
"Very comedic, but lets withhold the pleasantries shall we?"
"Sounds good to me," Ed snapped back.
"Have you thought about our last conversation?"
"Yes, I did and the answer is still no. I ran some tests on your cure, very clever. So, how'd you do it?" Ed asked as he sipped on some coffee.
Arnaud laughed, "Come now, you really think I would divulge all my secrets? How would I hold any leverage on my enemies?"
"I figured such." Ed thought for a moment and then asked, "Alright then, I guess I have no choice. Where do you want to meet?"
"I see you are curious, very well, I'll be in touch with you again. Oh and tell the good doctor I said 'Hi'. I'm glad you two are hitting it off so well."
Ed heard Arnaud hang up and he lightly tapped his forehead with the phone before placing it on the receiver. Ed stared off into space, 'How did he know about me and Claire?' He was brought back to reality when the double doors opened.
Ray rushed in, "We couldn't trace the call, seems like he was using some transmitter that bounced his signal all over the world."
"I'm not surprised. I guess the only thing I can do is to meet with him since I can't seem to get anything out of him on the phone."
Hobbes walked in, "Ah, negative, bad idea."
"You have any other ideas?" Ed asked.
Darien walked in, "It's the only way we're going to know what he's up to."
Ed looked at the door waiting for the next person to stroll in, "Do you all practice this? Cause you come in the conversation at the right moment."
Tom walked in, "Considering that he wants you to work with him, I doubt he will hurt you."
Ed looked at the door, "I bet Sloan walks through next."
"Are you crazy, he's a killer!?!" The female voice exclaimed.
Ed rolled his eyes, "Okay, I lost. Hi, Claire." Ed waved to her.
"We don't have the funds for man power of this magnitude to keep surveillance on Dr. Tate during his meeting with Arnaud de Fehrn." Eberts said as he walked in to join the others.
"I thought it was de Fohn? How many names does this guy have?" Ed asked. He smiled at Eberts, "Hey, Eberts, nice to see you," he leaned back again in his chair and put his hands on the back of his head to watch.
"What man power? I'm all the man power you need," Darien declared to Eberts.
"You better make sure you know what you're doing?" Sloan said as she came in.
Ed slapped his leg, "Where were you thirty seconds ago? I would've won the bet."
"Hobbes, show Dr. Tate how he's going to be wired for his meeting." The Official said looking at Hobbes as he walked in.
Ed just looked back and forth. A few minutes ago, all was quiet and now, the lab was full of agency personnel all discussing Ed's meeting with Arnaud without him participating. He watched with fascination as everyone gave their opinions.
Hobbes and the Official were engaged in their own conversation while, Tom, Sloan, Claire, and Ray had their own group meeting. Darien and Eberts were talking about man power and who would be best for the surveillance on Ed.
"This is absolutely amazing," Ed said softly to himself, "This would make an interesting thesis on human and dominant behavior in a group setting for co-existence." Ed got up and poured himself another cup of coffee, went back to his desk and sat down. "The only person missing is Walter." Ed saw the doors open slightly and a bearded, spectacled face peered inside.
Ed laughed as he shook his head, "Hey, Walter, join the party."
"Ed," Walter looked at everyone as he walked towards Ed, "What is going here?"
"Something extraordinary," Ed chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.
Walter listened for a moment and got the gist of the conversations, "I take it Arnaud called you again?"
"You got it." Ed smiled.
"Hmm...wonder how long they'll keep it up?" Walter asked.
"I don't know," Ed said as he leaned back in his chair again.
"Actually, I stopped by to tell you something."
Ed leaned forward and turned his chair around to face Walter who was now sitting on the corner of Ed's desk, "What is it?"
"I'm sending you away for about three months," Walter handed Ed a plane ticket and the information on who he will be working with.
"Three months!?! What did I do?" Ed said as he looked at the plane ticket. "Atlanta!"
Walter smiled, "No, Ed, nothing you did wrong. You'll be working along side some of the top scientists in the field of, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Molecular Evolution, Neurophysiology and Neurobiology."
"In three months I'm supposed to study all this? Walter, I've got so much do to here, can it wait?" Ed pleaded.
"No, this could help in your research," Walter looked at him through the top of his glasses and sat up from the desk, "You leave in two days."
Ed stood up, "Two days!?! Isn't that a little soon?"
Claire stopped and turned to face Walter and Ed. She heard Ed raise his voice.
"I had to pull strings, but I got you in. Sorry, Ed," Walter looked at Claire and then back at Ed, "Please be on that plane."
Claire came up to Ed with a quizzical look on her face, "What was that all about?"
Everyone in the room stopped talking and listened to Ed. Ed looked around, "All's quiet at the Agency." He turned his gaze back to Claire, "Walter is sending me to Atlanta for three months. He said it'll help in my research," Ed studied the sullen look on Claire's face. He cupped her face in his hands, "As much as I hate to go, it really would help."
"But three months?" Claire exclaimed.
Darien and the others took their cue and left the office. Hobbes wanted to stick around, but Darien pushed him out of the room.
"I know, it'll be hard on me too," Ed rolled his eyes, "Reeeeaaalll hard."
Claire smiled, "Where are you going?"
"Emory University in Atlanta," Ed said. "There's a research facility there," Ed handed her the information.
"There are some highly trained scientists at that University, Ed. Probably considered the best in their fields. How did Walter pull this off so soon?"
"He's a government bureaucrat, we know how they work," Ed said sarcastically.
"That's true," Claire looked at Ed sadly, "But do you have to leave in two days?"
Ed brushed the hair back from Claire's neck, "Sorry, hon. Walter is still my boss. I don't like it either." Ed pulled Claire in close. He touched her bottom lip softly with his thumb, "Let's stay in the next three nights."
Claire smiled seductively, "And do what?"
Ed moved his head from side to side like he was thinking real hard, "Oh I don't know, maybe some fun activities. I mean, I am going to be gone for three months."
"But two nights isn't going to help you for the months ahead," Claire said as she dropped her hand to his groin.
Ed smiled at her tender groping, "You know, you're right, I'll have to think of something...you think Walter will pay for an escort service?"
Claire squeezed Ed and he squealed, "OWW, Claire! Easy there woman."
"Woman?" Claire still had a hold on him.
Ed slapped her hand as he tried to get away, "Okay, sorry, ma'am." He pulled her in close again and kissed her forehead.
~*~
"Mr. de Fohn, Dr. Tate leaves on Thursday for Emory University in Atlanta."
"Very good, do you have his flight information?"
"Of course, I set it up, his flight leaves at 8:55am and the airline is Delta flight number 228."
"Splendid, this makes it much easier," Arnaud hung up his phone and looked at the man standing across from him, "Get things ready, we're going to have company."
The man nodded and left the office. Arnaud folded his hands in front of him, "The Agency won't even know Dr. Tate is missing until it's too late."
~*~
Later in the evening, Ed and Claire lay in his bed. Claire, with her back towards Ed was snuggled up against his body with his arm over her. His other arm snaked under her head and his finger was gently rubbing up and down her arm.
"What you thinking about?" Ed asked as he placed soft kisses on the top of her head, "Is it about the trip and how long I'll be gone?"
"Well, if you must know, I'm rather worried about this meeting with Arnaud." Claire said. "I've dealt with him one too many times. I don't want to see you get hurt again."
"Me too, but if we really want to know how his cure affected the gland, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I know the information I got from Stark's computer was false. Maybe, if I can..." Ed stopped when Claire rolled over to face him. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes.
"Ed, you're a scientist not a secret agent. You don't know what Arnaud is capable of."
"I do, Claire. He killed a scientist practically in front of me. Since the dominant situation began, I've felt like a secret agent. I know it's dangerous," Ed brushed Claire's cheek with his hand, "I think Arnaud's been watching us."
Claire's head slightly lifted off the bed and her eyes grew wide with concern, "What?"
"He said something to me today on the phone, about us. But aside from that, Claire, if I'm going to know how Arnaud's gene therapy worked, I need to see his notes and not just the ones on the laptop Darien took from him. I need to see if there is anything recent. At least to see how far he is with the new gland. If I can see it, study it, I might understand Darien's gland better."
Claire pursed her lips together and then spoke, "He's smart, he'll know what you're up to."
"That's a chance I'll have to take too. He wants me to fix the gland so he'll be able to turn it off and on like Darien can and so it won't rely on his adrenaline. I'll be able to get real close to it..." Ed stopped. He saw the look in Claire's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"And when you do fix it, he'll kill you. Don't you understand? Once you've fixed the gland and it's in his head working fine, he'll kill you without hesitation." Claire thought for a moment, "Just like Kevin."
Ed rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, he let out a big sigh, "Claire, I don't like it either, but it's something I have to do."
"It doesn't mean I have to like it."
Ed turned on his side again and propped his head up on his elbow, "I know. But think of what I could learn. I may even be able to figure out a way to remove it safely."
"Ed," it was Claire's turn to let out a sigh, "I almost lost you, twice. I can't...I don't know..."
Ed put his finger to Claire's lips, "Shhh...don't say it. I don't plan on going anywhere."
"That's not your plan to make." Claire felt a tear fall down her cheek.
Ed held her close to him, "Lets not talk about this now." He wiped the tear away, he slowly rolled her onto her back and he lay on top of her. His lips lightly touched hers.
Claire ran her hands through his hair and she smiled, "Dr. Edward Tate, what do you think you're doing?"
Ed bent down and kissed the space between her breasts, "Taking your mind off of things for awhile."
"Is this a man's answer to everything, sex?"
Ed stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment, "Uhmm...actually, yes. It's the cure for everything, well, almost everything."
"Yeah, I thought so." Claire reached around Ed and pulled the covers over their bodies.
"What are you doing?" Ed said smiling mischievously.
"You did say Arnaud had been watching us. Don't want to give him a show do we?"
"Ah...no."
Claire let out a sigh, "Three months?"
"I'm sorry, Claire, but this is something I've got to do. Let's not talk about this either," Ed said as he turned his attention back to exploring Claire's body.
~*~
Ed woke up to the sounds of Claire taking a shower. He frowned; normally she would wake him up before she got ready for work. "This Arnaud business is really getting to her," he sighed then rolled over and pulled his boxers on.
He went down stairs and started a pot of coffee. Pavlov scampered up to him wagging his tail and started to lick at his ankles. Ed smiled and looked down at the ball of fur, "Guess you have business to take of, huh?"
Pavlov barked in response.
Ed grabbed the leash and bent down, "Okay, dude, I read ya loud and clear." Ed took him outside and walked him around a bit. Every now and then Ed would let go of the leash and let the tiny dog run around in the sand.
Claire came down stairs and saw the back door opened. She stepped out onto the back porch and watched a grown man in boxers chase down a tiny dog. Claire giggled at the sight before her eyes.
Pavlov suddenly stopped and spotted the familiar figure on the porch and took off running. Ed stared at Claire for a moment and started a slow gate of his own back up to the house.
"I see that my boys got their morning exercise," Claire said holding Pavlov in her arms as Ed hopped on the porch.
Ed came up to her and took her into his arms. Even with Pavlov between them, they managed a kiss. Ed held her close to his body and they swayed back and forth in a slow motion. They broke the kiss and stared at each other for a moment. Ed broke the silence, "Good morning, babe."
"Good morning, hon." Claire answered back. "Coffee smells good this morning."
"That's not the only thing that smells good," Ed took in her scent.
"Hmmm...you like?" Claire asked as she put Pavlov down. The little dog ran back inside the house.
"Oh yeah," Ed could hold her closer to his body and sniffed her neck, "I can even smell your scent on your pillows. This is a new one isn't it?"
"I got it yesterday; it's called 'Sweet Pea'. It's a passion scent."
"Well, you can tell 'Bed, Bath and Body Works' that it works." Ed pressed his body up against hers. Her eyes went wide when she felt something semi hard pressing up against her.
"Ed Tate, you're insatiable!" She exclaimed.
He looked around in thought, "Yeah, you might say that. What can I say, you drive me crazy." Ed bent down and kissed her again, this time a little more passionately. Ed broke away and ran his hand through her wet hair, "I wish we could play hooky today."
"Why?" Claire asked in a suspicious tone.
"I want to make to love you all day long."
"All day?"
"Well, with breaks in between of course." Ed smiled and with Claire still in his arms, they danced their way back into the house. They stopped when they reached the kitchen.
Claire looked up into Ed's eyes, "I love you, Ed Tate."
Ed hugged her tight, "I love you too, Claire Keeply." He released her and frowned, "As much as I would love to play hooky and be naked with you all day, I have a meeting to go to and it's not with Arnaud. I'll be offsite this morning."
"That's right, you have that meeting with Walter at the CDC," Claire frowned, "And here I was going to take you up on that naked offer."
Ed laughed, "Then we'll just have to do that later." Ed grabbed a cup of coffee and headed upstairs for a much needed shower. Visions of him and Claire naked all day long had aroused him even more. It wouldn't be good to go to a meeting with his superiors and have a slight problem with tightness in his pants. Normally it wouldn't have mattered with his usually loose fitting pants. But for today, Walter had asked him to wear something a little more formal, which meant a tie, jacket and tighter fitting slacks.
While Ed got ready for work, Claire had prepared breakfast. She heard him trampling down the stairs and looked up. The sound was different and she knew that he was wearing his dress black shoes and not the hiking shoes he normally wears.
"Must be one heck of a meeting if Walter is making you wear a suit," Claire commented when she saw him as he struggled with his blue and gold striped tie. His pants were navy blue with matching jacket that was hung over his arm and he wore a white long sleeved shirt, which accented his tanned skin.
"Yeah," Ed struggled with the material as he talked, "It's some meeting with the CDC for a grant he wants real bad," he grunted and tried again, "I still don't understand why I have to be there. I did all the numbers and tests for him," Ed let out an exasperated sigh at another failed attempt at his tie, "and I don't understand why I have to wear this stupid thing!" Ed was completely frustrated now.
Claire came to the rescue, "Here let me try," she took the material in her hands and lined it up, "Well, you are a geneticist and Walter does think very highly of you. Maybe he values your opinion and needs you for backup." Claire looked at her handy work, "There see, all done."
Ed looked down and frowned, "You know, this is sad, I hold an M.D. a Ph.D. and I still can't make a decent tie."
"It's not like you wear one everyday," Claire stepped back and whistled.
Ed smiled and started to strike poses that you would see in a fashion catalog, "You like?"
"Oh definitely, you look wonderful." Claire smiled back.
"Yeah, well take a picture cause the last time I wore a tie was for my graduation when I received my doctorate. I didn't even wear a tie for Kelly's funeral, it stayed nice and snug in my pocket." Ed smiled.
Claire chuckled, "You and Darien are more alike than I could ever imagine. It's like you two should have been twins."
Ed grinned as he looked down at the floor, "We do have a lot in common don't we?"
"Yes, you do."
They hugged and then sat down to eat breakfast.
~*~
Walter and Ed walked out of the CDC building later on that afternoon. Walter patted Ed on the back, "Nice work in there, Ed. I don't think I would've been able to do that on my own."
"Thanks, Walter." Ed smiled modestly.
"How about if go get some lunch?" Walter asked.
"I'd like to, Walter, but I really need to get back to the lab. I've got some work to catch up on since I was helping you with the grant application. Plus I want to get some stuff done before I leave for Atlanta. But I'll take a rain check on that lunch when I get back." Ed said as he got in the car.
"You got it." Walter got in the car and they headed back to agency.
A black Mercedes pulled out behind them and followed.
~*~
Ed sauntered into the Keep and looked around for Claire, "Claire? You in here?"
"Over here, Darien."
Ed smiled, "Ahh...nope, wrong person."
Claire turned round quickly and saw Ed standing with his hands in his pockets. He had changed his clothes. She blushed as she looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, uhmm...you sound like Darien too."
Ed let out a sigh, "Weird isn't it? There's just no scientific explanation for this rare phenomena." Ed strolled towards her.
Claire met him and he wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him, "Maybe the planets were in a strange alignment and there was some temporal vortex that spliced through the space time continuum at the time that your mothers conceived the both of you creating a rare occurrence in nature."
"Well, normally I would say I'm impressed with your Star Trek lingo and would seriously consider your theory, but I'm two years older," Ed swayed back and forth with Claire in his arms.
"Oh, I forgot about that," Claire chuckled. "So, how did it go?"
Ed looked up at the ceiling, "Well, we...got the grant."
"That's great! See, I knew Walter needed you."
"Well, I dazzled them with charm and my good looks," Ed held her close.
"I'm sure you did." Claire checked her watch, "You hungry?"
"I grabbed a burger on the way back. I'm heading back up to the lab and I just thought I'd drop in and let you know I'm back. I've got tons of stuff to do for Walter...again." Ed bent down and kissed her on her lips.
They broke the kiss and Claire looked up at him, "Okay, have fun."
"Yeah, loads." Ed walked backwards and put one hand in his pocket. With the other hand he waved and left the Keep.
Ed no sooner walked in his office and poured himself a cup of coffee when his phone rang. "Geeshh...give a guy a break." He sat on his desk and picked up the phone, "Department of Genomics, Dr. Tate speaking," Ed said slightly annoyed as he answered his phone. Walter had told him and Sloan that he wanted them to sound more professional when they answered the phone. Ed hated it, but he did it anyway, just in case Walter checked up on them.
"Meet me at the outdoor café in two hours. Please be on time, I hate to be kept waiting."
Ed heard the click as Arnaud hung up. He looked at his phone and let out a sigh. "Here I go, scientist turned secret agent man."
~*~
Darien watched as Hobbes hooked up Ed for the meeting. He sensed the tension and he didn't even need dominant abilities either. Hobbes was obviously still upset over the sudden relationship between Claire and Ed.
Hobbes eyed Ed carefully. Ed took off his shirt and waited for Hobbes to attach the tiny microphone. Darien sat back and watched with amusement. Hobbes picked up the wire and the tape. He cut off a piece of the tape, "Okay, doc, I'm gonna put this wire on you. Now remember what ever you do don't scratch."
"Why? Will it come off if I do?" Ed asked as Hobbes attached the wire to his chest.
"No, but we'll get an ear full of a very loud sound like nails going across a chalk board." Hobbes looked at his handy work and decided that he didn't like it. Very quickly he gripped one end of the tape.
Ed looked down and before he could say anything.
*RIP*
Hobbes smiled as Ed doubled over gripping his chest. Not a single sound came out of Ed's mouth, just air that was forced out like when the wind gets knocked out.
Darien rushed to Ed and he glared at Hobbes, "What was that for? And what tape did you use?"
"The wire wasn't placed right. Hey, the Fat Man put me charge here and I'm going to do my job." Hobbes said in defense of himself. "Besides, bean pole here should eat more; I mean look at him, skinnier than you if that's possible."
Darien glared at Hobbes and then rolled his eyes, "What does that have to do with anything?"
Before Hobbes could open his mouth to answer, Darien stopped Hobbes with his hand.
"Hobbes, I won't even let you say that out loud."
Hobbes shrugged, "What?! It's true, ain't it?"
"Yeah, but that's not the point."
Ed looked from Hobbes to Darien in confusion, "What's true? What are you talking about?"
Hobbes continued to place the device on Ed, "Ask Ms. Cleo over there."
Darien shook his head, "Hey, you turned Dr. Phil on me before I turned into Ms. Cleo. Besides, what you said...."
Hobbes held up his finger, "....going to say..."
Darien nodded, "....going to say was embarrassing."
Hobbes stopped fiddling with the wire and looked at Darien, "Embarrassing? Why? Because it's true or because you thought about it too?"
Ed put his hand to his face in frustration, "WHAT ARE YOU BOTH TALKING ABOUT!"
Darien and Hobbes cringed.
"Geesh, no need to shatter our eardrums." Hobbes rubbed his ears.
"So?" Ed stood waiting for a reply.
"So?" Darien shrugged.
"So?" Hobbes chimed in.
Ed started to become angry, "So! What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything!" Hobbes tried to look innocent and failed miserably.
"THINK!! So what did you THINK!?!"
Hobbes shrugged, "I THINK I won't say what I was going to say since he said I shouldn't say it."
Ed looked at Darien for an answer. Darien shrugged, "Who am I to disclose a man's most inner thoughts...."
Ed rolled his eyes. Darien continued, "....to another man who is so skinny that he has corners on his ass."
"Shut up, Fawkes!"
"Is that what he said....ah...thought?" Ed unconsciously put his hand on his butt to check to see if it was true. Ed's face turned into a scowl.
"I don't know about you, Ed, but if another man was checkin' out my backside, I wouldn't want to know about it." Darien smirked.
"But that was it?"
"Actually, no..."
"SHUT UP, FAWKES!" Hobbes yelled without facing Fawkes.
"Darien, what did he...AAAAOOOOWWWWWW!!!!" Ed pulled away from Hobbes, "Hey!!! Watch it!!"
"Whoops, sorry kid. I didn't realize how low I positioned it. Had to try again."
Ed sneered at Hobbes.
Darien immediately nodded as if he were in agreement with Ed. "That's exactly what I thought."
Hobbes and Ed looked at Darien and replied in unison, "What?"
Darien looked up, "Oh...ah...I was just answering Ed."
Hobbes looked at Ed, "So what did you say?"
"...thought...."
"...thought....said with your mind...whatever...spill it!" Hobbes took a step closer to Ed.
"I'll tell you after you finish hooking me up. You might accidentally pull off another strand of tape or something." Ed rubbed his chest.
"No, he would shoot you if you told him." Darien smirked again.
"Yeah, right." Ed brushed Darien off.
Darien continued, "Hey, when it comes to Claire....."
Hobbes and Ed interrupted Darien before he could finish, "FAWKES!!"
"Will you knock it off." Hobbes pointed to Darien.
"What?" Darien looked around innocently.
Hobbes went back to placing the device on Ed. After a few silent, tense filled minutes, Ed was hooked up and ready to go.
"Now grab your stuff and meet us in the parking lot. I gotta pick up some supplies." Hobbes motioned to Ed and quickly turned on his heel and left Darien and Ed alone.
Ed walked over to Darien who was preoccupied with his hair, "So, do you think he would have shot me?"
Darien looked up at Ed, "What, if you told Hobbes what you were thinking?"
"Yeah..."
"About Claire?"
"Yeah..."
"And that horse-shoe shaped tattoo on her ass?"
"Yeah...."
"Oh, hell yeah. Why did you think of that anyway?"
"I wanted to make Hobbes jealous I guess. See how he felt being on the receiving end of envy."
"He's already jealous, bro. There are other ways at getting back at Hobbes, but that would have been suicide." Once Darien was done messing with his hair, he looked at Ed, "Come on, we better get going. Hobbes doesn't like to wait."
"Wait, you knew about the tattoo that Claire has? How?" Ed asked suspiciously.
Darien put his arm around Ed, "It's a long story. Do you know why she chose a horse-shoe tattoo?"
Ed smiled, "Yep, sure do."
The two men walked out of the office, sharing secrets as they made their way down the hall.
~*~
Ed noticed a shadow that appeared over the table at the outdoor café. He looked up, "Normally I would say 'nice to see you', but I'm not."
Arnaud sat down at the opposite end of the table and he smiled at Ed, "Glad you decided to meet with me."
Ed leaned forward placing his arms on the table, "This isn't a social visit, Arnaud. You know what I want."
"And you know what I want. Seems like we need to compromise," Arnaud leaned back and tapped the fingers of one hand on the table. He studied Ed for a moment then continued, "So, what does someone of your background do with the Department of Fish and Game?" Arnaud asked in a tone that showed distain for the agency.
Ed smiled, "Actually, we're split in two groups. Our sponsor is the CDC, more specifically, the 'Offices of Genomics and Disease Prevention'."
"How appropriate for you," Arnaud said in return.
Ed looked around nervously. Working in the 'field' was not his thing, sitting in the lab as he looked over DNA samples was what he felt more comfortable doing. He looked back at the man that sat across from him, "What makes you think I'll help you?"
"Because, you're a scientist and you can't resist solving puzzles. When you're close to finding the answer you can't stop, even if it means working all night. It's like a drug for you, an obsession." Arnaud tilted his head to one side and looked at Ed as if he could read his mind.
"Yeah, I'll go along with that," Ed picked up his drink and took a sip. "Let me ask you something." Ed watched as Arnaud shook his head in agreement. "Can I trust you?"
"Monsieur, you have to ask yourself. Do you have a choice? I need your help and you need mine." Arnaud smiled at Ed, "Can I trust you?"
"Okay," Ed let out a sigh, "I guess we'll just have to go for it."
Arnaud stood up, "Splendid, I'll be in touch with you again."
Ed looked up at Arnaud, "I'm going out of town in tomorrow. I'll be gone for three months."
"That's not a problem. I can wait."
Ed watched as Arnaud walked away. He shook his head, "What am I getting myself into?"
"Calvin to Dexter, Calvin to Dexter, come in Dexter."
Ed nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard the familiar voice over his hidden ear piece. He looked around and said in a low voice, "Warn me the next time you're going to do that."
"Sorry dude," Darien smiled as he looked down at the floor of the van. He needed to remember that Ed was not used to this sort of thing.
"Do you think he knew?" Ed asked as he got up and walked away.
"What, that you were wearing a wire, sure. That's why he didn't say much. Get on back to the van and you can follow us back to the Agency."
"Gladly, this crazy secret agent stuff isn't for me. Now, give me something to do an autopsy on and I'm happy." Ed said softly as he got up to leave.
"What was that?" Darien asked.
"Oh, nothing."
~*~
Claire waited impatiently for Ed to return, she paced back and forth in front of the Official. He looked up at her and let out a grunt. She turned to look at him with nervousness written all over her face.
"Doctor, isn't there something you should be doing in your lab?"
"Sorry, I'm too nervous to work," Claire said as she scratched the back of her neck.
"I'm sure he's fine, besides Fawkes and Hobbes are watching him," the Official stated.
Claire shot him a glaring look and went back to her pacing. The Official thought about what he said, "Okay, so maybe I can understand why you're nervous, I should have sent Tom along with them."
At that moment the door flew open and Darien, Hobbes and Ed stormed in hot on each other's heals. The three of them headed for the Official's desk. Claire let out a sigh of relief.
"Chief, tell the doc here that he can't go with Arnaud. He's not qualified," Hobbes asserted. He put his hands on the desk to support him as he leaned down.
"I'm not qualified? I'm the only that is, scientifically speaking anyway," Ed retorted as he glared down at Hobbes. "Arnaud wants me, he'll know the difference if Darien goes in place of me."
"Sir, we can't let Ed go with Arnaud by himself," Hobbes said.
"By himself!?! Are you crazy? That's ludicrous!" Claire yelled out to Ed.
"It's the only way; Darien doesn't know the terminology or the medical protocols. Arnaud isn't an idiot, he'll know, plain and simple. I have to do this!" Ed raised his voice.
Hobbes leaned up and stood toe to toe with Ed, "You're not trained for covert action."
"What's the problem, Hobbes? What is so covert about doing what I do best?" Ed asked as he put his hands on his hips.
"Oh, you think you're mister big shot now, working for the federal government, think you can do undercover work?" Hobbes put his finger to Ed's chest.
Ed sneered, "I can hold my own just fine. Who do you think can pull this off?"
Eberts and the Official both raised their brows. Eberts bent down, "Should I call in some agents, sir?"
"No, no, Eberts, let them fight it out," the Official leaned back in his chair to watch.
Claire stood with her mouth gaping open. Darien rolled his eyes, "Great, here we go again."
"You know I'm the only one that can do this." Ed said.
Hobbes glared at Ed, "You think years of working on this dominant thing makes you qualified for field work? I worked long and hard to get my experience, I fought in a war. What have you done besides your experiments?"
Eberts bent down towards the Official, "This is better than the soap opera, sir."
"And it's live," the Official commented.
"I was kidnapped, taken to Alaska, escaped, on the run for two months, lived in the outback, survived a night in the forest being chased by Lewis, survived countless other life and death situations before I even met you people. A war, you wanna talk about a war? I've lived a war for five years, Agent Hobbes and not an enemy that you can see so easily. My life has been marked ever since Sloan knocked on my door at three in the morning. I understand and know more than you think. I didn't ask for this, I could have quit the lab and gone somewhere else, but I didn't, I stayed because it's important enough for me to stay and fight. And no one is going to tell me what I can and can not do." Ed turned to the Official, "I'll be gone for three months, and Arnaud knows that. In the mean time, you can figure out a way to keep me safe with your little toys if that will help you sleep better." Ed turned on his heels and left in a huff.
Darien stared up at the ceiling. Claire followed Ed. Hobbes stood in the same spot and didn't move. Eberts stared out the window with his hands folded in front of him.
"Well, I guess it's settled, Dr. Tate will be going undercover when he gets back." The Official remarked.
Hobbes turned and glared and the Official, "It's a mistake, he's not trained."
"Hobbes, I don't like it either, in fact, I wish I was going in so I could kill Arnaud. But Ed's right. We need to trust him on this." Darien said.
Hobbes walked up to Darien, "Mark my words, my friend. This will end badly." He left the office.
Darien looked at the Official and Eberts. He gave them both a nod and walked out.
Claire chased Ed down the hall, "Ed!"
Ed stopped and waited for Claire to catch up, "I'm sorry, Claire. But I'm tired of being treated like some kid around here. I had enough of that back at the lab at the University. Arnaud will call me again and I will help him."
"I just don't know if this is the right thing to do." Claire stated. She was worried about Ed's safety. Now she understood why there was no fishing off the company pier. You get attached and it can cloud your judgment.
"I have no choice, Claire."
"You could have said 'no'."
"And then what? Not know what he did to the gland? I can't do that." Ed gripped her shoulders, "What would you do, Claire? What if you had a chance to get close to the gland, to see it before it goes in someone's head? I have that opportunity and I have to take it. If I'm going to help Darien, I've got to do this."
"You could get killed."
Ed looked down at the floor, "Then I guess I'll just have to take a leap of faith."
Claire looked at him oddly.
"And you will too."
"But my dream," Claire looked at him with concern. She was afraid for him.
Ed cupped both sides of her face in his hands, "Hon, it was only a dream."
"To you maybe, but not to me," Claire sighed.
He pulled her in close, "Come here," he held her against his body. Her head rested on his chest, while his chin rested on top of her head. "Is my butt bony to you?"
Claire looked up at Ed in surprise. That was not something she was expecting him to ask or say at the moment. "Ahh...no, in fact you have the cutest butt I've ever seen. So muscular and round," she reached around and kneaded his backside like she was making bread.
"Okay, just checking." Ed smiled.
"Hon, what brought that up?" Claire asked.
"Oh, nothing." Ed walked down the hall with his arm around Claire.
Darien chased Hobbes down the corridor. The scent of anger still in the air and Darien knew which way he was headed. He turned another corner and there was Hobbes angrily mumbling to himself.
"Hey, Hobbes! Man, wait up." Darien watched Hobbes turn around slowly and he threw his head back in exasperation.
"What do you want, Fawkes?"
"To talk."
"Nothin' to talk about, he loves her, she loves him, I'm out of the picture. End of story." Hobbes started to walk away.
"No, it's not the end. You're like a walking time bomb here. Besides, I thought you had a handle it?"
"I did too. Guess I don't. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got somewhere to go," Hobbes turned on his heels and started to walk away.
Darien side stepped and hopped in front of Hobbes. He put his hands out, "No, we're going to talk."
"I told you nothin' to talk about."
"And I'm telling you, we're going to talk." Darien shot Hobbes a glare that spoke volumes.
Hobbes knew that look, Darien wasn't about to let him out of his sight. Hobbes let out a sigh. "Okay, kid, let's go down a few."
~*~
In the boarding gate area the following day, Ed sat on the chair as he waited patiently for the announcement for passengers to board the plane. He rummaged through his assorted science and surfing magazines he had brought along for the nearly four hour flight to Atlanta. He settled on a surfing one.
On the cover of 'The Surfers Journal' was a picture of the young Vans Triple Crown winner. Ed shook his head, 'This grommet rips,' Ed thought to himself as he turned to read the cover article.
Ed was four paragraphs into his article when he heard the announcement for seating of the first class. Ed rolled up the magazine and tucked it under his arm and reached down to grab his carry on.
As he started for the gate a young couple started to argue. Ed stopped to look at the commotion. The argument had begun to get worse. He was about ready to start to walk again when he felt something in his side and then heard a voice whisper in his ear.
"Arnaud wants to see you," the man with the gun to Ed's side took his plane ticket and handed it to someone else.
Ed started to walk with the man dressed in a security uniform. He turned to see the other man walk up to the gate with his ticket, turn and smiled. The man went through the gate and boarded the plane without any trouble.
Ed was led outside to a waiting van. The door opened and Ed was pushed inside.
Some people were looking, but the fake security guard merely told them to move along that it was nothing serious; they just wanted to ask the man some questions. The guard got in the front of the van and it dove off.
The whole operation only took minutes. Ed was on his way to meet with Arnaud and an imposter was in his place going to Atlanta. All of Ed's belongings were taken from him including the cell phone Walter had given him.
There were no windows and there was a partition between Ed and the driver. There were two other people in the back with him and they kept silent, as did Ed.
A phone rang for one of the men. He only gave one word answers. This made Ed very nervous as the man kept glancing in Ed's direction every now and then. When the he got off the phone, he nodded to the second man. They both reached into their bags and pulled out something that looked like a scuba divers regulator.
"What's going on?" Ed asked in an uneasy tone.
The men didn't answer. One of them pulled out a can, popped the small cap and set it on the floor. Ed stood up as a gas escaped from the can, "What the!?!" He started to cough. Ed staggered to the back of the van and tried to open the doors, but they were specially locked.
Ed covered his face in an attempt to shield his mouth and nose from the fumes, but it was all in vain. Weakened, he fell to his knees. He coughed violently and then fell onto his side. His world turned black as he slipped into unconsciousness.
TBC...
Chapter 3
Ed sat in the lab as he worked on some more tests when his phone rang. "Never fails, always when I'm in the middle of something important," he got up and sat down at his desk. He picked up the phone, "Dr. Tate."
"Bonjour," Arnaud said.
Ed leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk, "I thought you were Swiss German? I haven't heard from you in the last couple of days, I really missed hearing your voice. I started to think that you fell off the face of the earth, too bad you didn't."
"Very comedic, but lets withhold the pleasantries shall we?"
"Sounds good to me," Ed snapped back.
"Have you thought about our last conversation?"
"Yes, I did and the answer is still no. I ran some tests on your cure, very clever. So, how'd you do it?" Ed asked as he sipped on some coffee.
Arnaud laughed, "Come now, you really think I would divulge all my secrets? How would I hold any leverage on my enemies?"
"I figured such." Ed thought for a moment and then asked, "Alright then, I guess I have no choice. Where do you want to meet?"
"I see you are curious, very well, I'll be in touch with you again. Oh and tell the good doctor I said 'Hi'. I'm glad you two are hitting it off so well."
Ed heard Arnaud hang up and he lightly tapped his forehead with the phone before placing it on the receiver. Ed stared off into space, 'How did he know about me and Claire?' He was brought back to reality when the double doors opened.
Ray rushed in, "We couldn't trace the call, seems like he was using some transmitter that bounced his signal all over the world."
"I'm not surprised. I guess the only thing I can do is to meet with him since I can't seem to get anything out of him on the phone."
Hobbes walked in, "Ah, negative, bad idea."
"You have any other ideas?" Ed asked.
Darien walked in, "It's the only way we're going to know what he's up to."
Ed looked at the door waiting for the next person to stroll in, "Do you all practice this? Cause you come in the conversation at the right moment."
Tom walked in, "Considering that he wants you to work with him, I doubt he will hurt you."
Ed looked at the door, "I bet Sloan walks through next."
"Are you crazy, he's a killer!?!" The female voice exclaimed.
Ed rolled his eyes, "Okay, I lost. Hi, Claire." Ed waved to her.
"We don't have the funds for man power of this magnitude to keep surveillance on Dr. Tate during his meeting with Arnaud de Fehrn." Eberts said as he walked in to join the others.
"I thought it was de Fohn? How many names does this guy have?" Ed asked. He smiled at Eberts, "Hey, Eberts, nice to see you," he leaned back again in his chair and put his hands on the back of his head to watch.
"What man power? I'm all the man power you need," Darien declared to Eberts.
"You better make sure you know what you're doing?" Sloan said as she came in.
Ed slapped his leg, "Where were you thirty seconds ago? I would've won the bet."
"Hobbes, show Dr. Tate how he's going to be wired for his meeting." The Official said looking at Hobbes as he walked in.
Ed just looked back and forth. A few minutes ago, all was quiet and now, the lab was full of agency personnel all discussing Ed's meeting with Arnaud without him participating. He watched with fascination as everyone gave their opinions.
Hobbes and the Official were engaged in their own conversation while, Tom, Sloan, Claire, and Ray had their own group meeting. Darien and Eberts were talking about man power and who would be best for the surveillance on Ed.
"This is absolutely amazing," Ed said softly to himself, "This would make an interesting thesis on human and dominant behavior in a group setting for co-existence." Ed got up and poured himself another cup of coffee, went back to his desk and sat down. "The only person missing is Walter." Ed saw the doors open slightly and a bearded, spectacled face peered inside.
Ed laughed as he shook his head, "Hey, Walter, join the party."
"Ed," Walter looked at everyone as he walked towards Ed, "What is going here?"
"Something extraordinary," Ed chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.
Walter listened for a moment and got the gist of the conversations, "I take it Arnaud called you again?"
"You got it." Ed smiled.
"Hmm...wonder how long they'll keep it up?" Walter asked.
"I don't know," Ed said as he leaned back in his chair again.
"Actually, I stopped by to tell you something."
Ed leaned forward and turned his chair around to face Walter who was now sitting on the corner of Ed's desk, "What is it?"
"I'm sending you away for about three months," Walter handed Ed a plane ticket and the information on who he will be working with.
"Three months!?! What did I do?" Ed said as he looked at the plane ticket. "Atlanta!"
Walter smiled, "No, Ed, nothing you did wrong. You'll be working along side some of the top scientists in the field of, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Molecular Evolution, Neurophysiology and Neurobiology."
"In three months I'm supposed to study all this? Walter, I've got so much do to here, can it wait?" Ed pleaded.
"No, this could help in your research," Walter looked at him through the top of his glasses and sat up from the desk, "You leave in two days."
Ed stood up, "Two days!?! Isn't that a little soon?"
Claire stopped and turned to face Walter and Ed. She heard Ed raise his voice.
"I had to pull strings, but I got you in. Sorry, Ed," Walter looked at Claire and then back at Ed, "Please be on that plane."
Claire came up to Ed with a quizzical look on her face, "What was that all about?"
Everyone in the room stopped talking and listened to Ed. Ed looked around, "All's quiet at the Agency." He turned his gaze back to Claire, "Walter is sending me to Atlanta for three months. He said it'll help in my research," Ed studied the sullen look on Claire's face. He cupped her face in his hands, "As much as I hate to go, it really would help."
"But three months?" Claire exclaimed.
Darien and the others took their cue and left the office. Hobbes wanted to stick around, but Darien pushed him out of the room.
"I know, it'll be hard on me too," Ed rolled his eyes, "Reeeeaaalll hard."
Claire smiled, "Where are you going?"
"Emory University in Atlanta," Ed said. "There's a research facility there," Ed handed her the information.
"There are some highly trained scientists at that University, Ed. Probably considered the best in their fields. How did Walter pull this off so soon?"
"He's a government bureaucrat, we know how they work," Ed said sarcastically.
"That's true," Claire looked at Ed sadly, "But do you have to leave in two days?"
Ed brushed the hair back from Claire's neck, "Sorry, hon. Walter is still my boss. I don't like it either." Ed pulled Claire in close. He touched her bottom lip softly with his thumb, "Let's stay in the next three nights."
Claire smiled seductively, "And do what?"
Ed moved his head from side to side like he was thinking real hard, "Oh I don't know, maybe some fun activities. I mean, I am going to be gone for three months."
"But two nights isn't going to help you for the months ahead," Claire said as she dropped her hand to his groin.
Ed smiled at her tender groping, "You know, you're right, I'll have to think of something...you think Walter will pay for an escort service?"
Claire squeezed Ed and he squealed, "OWW, Claire! Easy there woman."
"Woman?" Claire still had a hold on him.
Ed slapped her hand as he tried to get away, "Okay, sorry, ma'am." He pulled her in close again and kissed her forehead.
~*~
"Mr. de Fohn, Dr. Tate leaves on Thursday for Emory University in Atlanta."
"Very good, do you have his flight information?"
"Of course, I set it up, his flight leaves at 8:55am and the airline is Delta flight number 228."
"Splendid, this makes it much easier," Arnaud hung up his phone and looked at the man standing across from him, "Get things ready, we're going to have company."
The man nodded and left the office. Arnaud folded his hands in front of him, "The Agency won't even know Dr. Tate is missing until it's too late."
~*~
Later in the evening, Ed and Claire lay in his bed. Claire, with her back towards Ed was snuggled up against his body with his arm over her. His other arm snaked under her head and his finger was gently rubbing up and down her arm.
"What you thinking about?" Ed asked as he placed soft kisses on the top of her head, "Is it about the trip and how long I'll be gone?"
"Well, if you must know, I'm rather worried about this meeting with Arnaud." Claire said. "I've dealt with him one too many times. I don't want to see you get hurt again."
"Me too, but if we really want to know how his cure affected the gland, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I know the information I got from Stark's computer was false. Maybe, if I can..." Ed stopped when Claire rolled over to face him. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes.
"Ed, you're a scientist not a secret agent. You don't know what Arnaud is capable of."
"I do, Claire. He killed a scientist practically in front of me. Since the dominant situation began, I've felt like a secret agent. I know it's dangerous," Ed brushed Claire's cheek with his hand, "I think Arnaud's been watching us."
Claire's head slightly lifted off the bed and her eyes grew wide with concern, "What?"
"He said something to me today on the phone, about us. But aside from that, Claire, if I'm going to know how Arnaud's gene therapy worked, I need to see his notes and not just the ones on the laptop Darien took from him. I need to see if there is anything recent. At least to see how far he is with the new gland. If I can see it, study it, I might understand Darien's gland better."
Claire pursed her lips together and then spoke, "He's smart, he'll know what you're up to."
"That's a chance I'll have to take too. He wants me to fix the gland so he'll be able to turn it off and on like Darien can and so it won't rely on his adrenaline. I'll be able to get real close to it..." Ed stopped. He saw the look in Claire's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"And when you do fix it, he'll kill you. Don't you understand? Once you've fixed the gland and it's in his head working fine, he'll kill you without hesitation." Claire thought for a moment, "Just like Kevin."
Ed rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, he let out a big sigh, "Claire, I don't like it either, but it's something I have to do."
"It doesn't mean I have to like it."
Ed turned on his side again and propped his head up on his elbow, "I know. But think of what I could learn. I may even be able to figure out a way to remove it safely."
"Ed," it was Claire's turn to let out a sigh, "I almost lost you, twice. I can't...I don't know..."
Ed put his finger to Claire's lips, "Shhh...don't say it. I don't plan on going anywhere."
"That's not your plan to make." Claire felt a tear fall down her cheek.
Ed held her close to him, "Lets not talk about this now." He wiped the tear away, he slowly rolled her onto her back and he lay on top of her. His lips lightly touched hers.
Claire ran her hands through his hair and she smiled, "Dr. Edward Tate, what do you think you're doing?"
Ed bent down and kissed the space between her breasts, "Taking your mind off of things for awhile."
"Is this a man's answer to everything, sex?"
Ed stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment, "Uhmm...actually, yes. It's the cure for everything, well, almost everything."
"Yeah, I thought so." Claire reached around Ed and pulled the covers over their bodies.
"What are you doing?" Ed said smiling mischievously.
"You did say Arnaud had been watching us. Don't want to give him a show do we?"
"Ah...no."
Claire let out a sigh, "Three months?"
"I'm sorry, Claire, but this is something I've got to do. Let's not talk about this either," Ed said as he turned his attention back to exploring Claire's body.
~*~
Ed woke up to the sounds of Claire taking a shower. He frowned; normally she would wake him up before she got ready for work. "This Arnaud business is really getting to her," he sighed then rolled over and pulled his boxers on.
He went down stairs and started a pot of coffee. Pavlov scampered up to him wagging his tail and started to lick at his ankles. Ed smiled and looked down at the ball of fur, "Guess you have business to take of, huh?"
Pavlov barked in response.
Ed grabbed the leash and bent down, "Okay, dude, I read ya loud and clear." Ed took him outside and walked him around a bit. Every now and then Ed would let go of the leash and let the tiny dog run around in the sand.
Claire came down stairs and saw the back door opened. She stepped out onto the back porch and watched a grown man in boxers chase down a tiny dog. Claire giggled at the sight before her eyes.
Pavlov suddenly stopped and spotted the familiar figure on the porch and took off running. Ed stared at Claire for a moment and started a slow gate of his own back up to the house.
"I see that my boys got their morning exercise," Claire said holding Pavlov in her arms as Ed hopped on the porch.
Ed came up to her and took her into his arms. Even with Pavlov between them, they managed a kiss. Ed held her close to his body and they swayed back and forth in a slow motion. They broke the kiss and stared at each other for a moment. Ed broke the silence, "Good morning, babe."
"Good morning, hon." Claire answered back. "Coffee smells good this morning."
"That's not the only thing that smells good," Ed took in her scent.
"Hmmm...you like?" Claire asked as she put Pavlov down. The little dog ran back inside the house.
"Oh yeah," Ed could hold her closer to his body and sniffed her neck, "I can even smell your scent on your pillows. This is a new one isn't it?"
"I got it yesterday; it's called 'Sweet Pea'. It's a passion scent."
"Well, you can tell 'Bed, Bath and Body Works' that it works." Ed pressed his body up against hers. Her eyes went wide when she felt something semi hard pressing up against her.
"Ed Tate, you're insatiable!" She exclaimed.
He looked around in thought, "Yeah, you might say that. What can I say, you drive me crazy." Ed bent down and kissed her again, this time a little more passionately. Ed broke away and ran his hand through her wet hair, "I wish we could play hooky today."
"Why?" Claire asked in a suspicious tone.
"I want to make to love you all day long."
"All day?"
"Well, with breaks in between of course." Ed smiled and with Claire still in his arms, they danced their way back into the house. They stopped when they reached the kitchen.
Claire looked up into Ed's eyes, "I love you, Ed Tate."
Ed hugged her tight, "I love you too, Claire Keeply." He released her and frowned, "As much as I would love to play hooky and be naked with you all day, I have a meeting to go to and it's not with Arnaud. I'll be offsite this morning."
"That's right, you have that meeting with Walter at the CDC," Claire frowned, "And here I was going to take you up on that naked offer."
Ed laughed, "Then we'll just have to do that later." Ed grabbed a cup of coffee and headed upstairs for a much needed shower. Visions of him and Claire naked all day long had aroused him even more. It wouldn't be good to go to a meeting with his superiors and have a slight problem with tightness in his pants. Normally it wouldn't have mattered with his usually loose fitting pants. But for today, Walter had asked him to wear something a little more formal, which meant a tie, jacket and tighter fitting slacks.
While Ed got ready for work, Claire had prepared breakfast. She heard him trampling down the stairs and looked up. The sound was different and she knew that he was wearing his dress black shoes and not the hiking shoes he normally wears.
"Must be one heck of a meeting if Walter is making you wear a suit," Claire commented when she saw him as he struggled with his blue and gold striped tie. His pants were navy blue with matching jacket that was hung over his arm and he wore a white long sleeved shirt, which accented his tanned skin.
"Yeah," Ed struggled with the material as he talked, "It's some meeting with the CDC for a grant he wants real bad," he grunted and tried again, "I still don't understand why I have to be there. I did all the numbers and tests for him," Ed let out an exasperated sigh at another failed attempt at his tie, "and I don't understand why I have to wear this stupid thing!" Ed was completely frustrated now.
Claire came to the rescue, "Here let me try," she took the material in her hands and lined it up, "Well, you are a geneticist and Walter does think very highly of you. Maybe he values your opinion and needs you for backup." Claire looked at her handy work, "There see, all done."
Ed looked down and frowned, "You know, this is sad, I hold an M.D. a Ph.D. and I still can't make a decent tie."
"It's not like you wear one everyday," Claire stepped back and whistled.
Ed smiled and started to strike poses that you would see in a fashion catalog, "You like?"
"Oh definitely, you look wonderful." Claire smiled back.
"Yeah, well take a picture cause the last time I wore a tie was for my graduation when I received my doctorate. I didn't even wear a tie for Kelly's funeral, it stayed nice and snug in my pocket." Ed smiled.
Claire chuckled, "You and Darien are more alike than I could ever imagine. It's like you two should have been twins."
Ed grinned as he looked down at the floor, "We do have a lot in common don't we?"
"Yes, you do."
They hugged and then sat down to eat breakfast.
~*~
Walter and Ed walked out of the CDC building later on that afternoon. Walter patted Ed on the back, "Nice work in there, Ed. I don't think I would've been able to do that on my own."
"Thanks, Walter." Ed smiled modestly.
"How about if go get some lunch?" Walter asked.
"I'd like to, Walter, but I really need to get back to the lab. I've got some work to catch up on since I was helping you with the grant application. Plus I want to get some stuff done before I leave for Atlanta. But I'll take a rain check on that lunch when I get back." Ed said as he got in the car.
"You got it." Walter got in the car and they headed back to agency.
A black Mercedes pulled out behind them and followed.
~*~
Ed sauntered into the Keep and looked around for Claire, "Claire? You in here?"
"Over here, Darien."
Ed smiled, "Ahh...nope, wrong person."
Claire turned round quickly and saw Ed standing with his hands in his pockets. He had changed his clothes. She blushed as she looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, uhmm...you sound like Darien too."
Ed let out a sigh, "Weird isn't it? There's just no scientific explanation for this rare phenomena." Ed strolled towards her.
Claire met him and he wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him, "Maybe the planets were in a strange alignment and there was some temporal vortex that spliced through the space time continuum at the time that your mothers conceived the both of you creating a rare occurrence in nature."
"Well, normally I would say I'm impressed with your Star Trek lingo and would seriously consider your theory, but I'm two years older," Ed swayed back and forth with Claire in his arms.
"Oh, I forgot about that," Claire chuckled. "So, how did it go?"
Ed looked up at the ceiling, "Well, we...got the grant."
"That's great! See, I knew Walter needed you."
"Well, I dazzled them with charm and my good looks," Ed held her close.
"I'm sure you did." Claire checked her watch, "You hungry?"
"I grabbed a burger on the way back. I'm heading back up to the lab and I just thought I'd drop in and let you know I'm back. I've got tons of stuff to do for Walter...again." Ed bent down and kissed her on her lips.
They broke the kiss and Claire looked up at him, "Okay, have fun."
"Yeah, loads." Ed walked backwards and put one hand in his pocket. With the other hand he waved and left the Keep.
Ed no sooner walked in his office and poured himself a cup of coffee when his phone rang. "Geeshh...give a guy a break." He sat on his desk and picked up the phone, "Department of Genomics, Dr. Tate speaking," Ed said slightly annoyed as he answered his phone. Walter had told him and Sloan that he wanted them to sound more professional when they answered the phone. Ed hated it, but he did it anyway, just in case Walter checked up on them.
"Meet me at the outdoor café in two hours. Please be on time, I hate to be kept waiting."
Ed heard the click as Arnaud hung up. He looked at his phone and let out a sigh. "Here I go, scientist turned secret agent man."
~*~
Darien watched as Hobbes hooked up Ed for the meeting. He sensed the tension and he didn't even need dominant abilities either. Hobbes was obviously still upset over the sudden relationship between Claire and Ed.
Hobbes eyed Ed carefully. Ed took off his shirt and waited for Hobbes to attach the tiny microphone. Darien sat back and watched with amusement. Hobbes picked up the wire and the tape. He cut off a piece of the tape, "Okay, doc, I'm gonna put this wire on you. Now remember what ever you do don't scratch."
"Why? Will it come off if I do?" Ed asked as Hobbes attached the wire to his chest.
"No, but we'll get an ear full of a very loud sound like nails going across a chalk board." Hobbes looked at his handy work and decided that he didn't like it. Very quickly he gripped one end of the tape.
Ed looked down and before he could say anything.
*RIP*
Hobbes smiled as Ed doubled over gripping his chest. Not a single sound came out of Ed's mouth, just air that was forced out like when the wind gets knocked out.
Darien rushed to Ed and he glared at Hobbes, "What was that for? And what tape did you use?"
"The wire wasn't placed right. Hey, the Fat Man put me charge here and I'm going to do my job." Hobbes said in defense of himself. "Besides, bean pole here should eat more; I mean look at him, skinnier than you if that's possible."
Darien glared at Hobbes and then rolled his eyes, "What does that have to do with anything?"
Before Hobbes could open his mouth to answer, Darien stopped Hobbes with his hand.
"Hobbes, I won't even let you say that out loud."
Hobbes shrugged, "What?! It's true, ain't it?"
"Yeah, but that's not the point."
Ed looked from Hobbes to Darien in confusion, "What's true? What are you talking about?"
Hobbes continued to place the device on Ed, "Ask Ms. Cleo over there."
Darien shook his head, "Hey, you turned Dr. Phil on me before I turned into Ms. Cleo. Besides, what you said...."
Hobbes held up his finger, "....going to say..."
Darien nodded, "....going to say was embarrassing."
Hobbes stopped fiddling with the wire and looked at Darien, "Embarrassing? Why? Because it's true or because you thought about it too?"
Ed put his hand to his face in frustration, "WHAT ARE YOU BOTH TALKING ABOUT!"
Darien and Hobbes cringed.
"Geesh, no need to shatter our eardrums." Hobbes rubbed his ears.
"So?" Ed stood waiting for a reply.
"So?" Darien shrugged.
"So?" Hobbes chimed in.
Ed started to become angry, "So! What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything!" Hobbes tried to look innocent and failed miserably.
"THINK!! So what did you THINK!?!"
Hobbes shrugged, "I THINK I won't say what I was going to say since he said I shouldn't say it."
Ed looked at Darien for an answer. Darien shrugged, "Who am I to disclose a man's most inner thoughts...."
Ed rolled his eyes. Darien continued, "....to another man who is so skinny that he has corners on his ass."
"Shut up, Fawkes!"
"Is that what he said....ah...thought?" Ed unconsciously put his hand on his butt to check to see if it was true. Ed's face turned into a scowl.
"I don't know about you, Ed, but if another man was checkin' out my backside, I wouldn't want to know about it." Darien smirked.
"But that was it?"
"Actually, no..."
"SHUT UP, FAWKES!" Hobbes yelled without facing Fawkes.
"Darien, what did he...AAAAOOOOWWWWWW!!!!" Ed pulled away from Hobbes, "Hey!!! Watch it!!"
"Whoops, sorry kid. I didn't realize how low I positioned it. Had to try again."
Ed sneered at Hobbes.
Darien immediately nodded as if he were in agreement with Ed. "That's exactly what I thought."
Hobbes and Ed looked at Darien and replied in unison, "What?"
Darien looked up, "Oh...ah...I was just answering Ed."
Hobbes looked at Ed, "So what did you say?"
"...thought...."
"...thought....said with your mind...whatever...spill it!" Hobbes took a step closer to Ed.
"I'll tell you after you finish hooking me up. You might accidentally pull off another strand of tape or something." Ed rubbed his chest.
"No, he would shoot you if you told him." Darien smirked again.
"Yeah, right." Ed brushed Darien off.
Darien continued, "Hey, when it comes to Claire....."
Hobbes and Ed interrupted Darien before he could finish, "FAWKES!!"
"Will you knock it off." Hobbes pointed to Darien.
"What?" Darien looked around innocently.
Hobbes went back to placing the device on Ed. After a few silent, tense filled minutes, Ed was hooked up and ready to go.
"Now grab your stuff and meet us in the parking lot. I gotta pick up some supplies." Hobbes motioned to Ed and quickly turned on his heel and left Darien and Ed alone.
Ed walked over to Darien who was preoccupied with his hair, "So, do you think he would have shot me?"
Darien looked up at Ed, "What, if you told Hobbes what you were thinking?"
"Yeah..."
"About Claire?"
"Yeah..."
"And that horse-shoe shaped tattoo on her ass?"
"Yeah...."
"Oh, hell yeah. Why did you think of that anyway?"
"I wanted to make Hobbes jealous I guess. See how he felt being on the receiving end of envy."
"He's already jealous, bro. There are other ways at getting back at Hobbes, but that would have been suicide." Once Darien was done messing with his hair, he looked at Ed, "Come on, we better get going. Hobbes doesn't like to wait."
"Wait, you knew about the tattoo that Claire has? How?" Ed asked suspiciously.
Darien put his arm around Ed, "It's a long story. Do you know why she chose a horse-shoe tattoo?"
Ed smiled, "Yep, sure do."
The two men walked out of the office, sharing secrets as they made their way down the hall.
~*~
Ed noticed a shadow that appeared over the table at the outdoor café. He looked up, "Normally I would say 'nice to see you', but I'm not."
Arnaud sat down at the opposite end of the table and he smiled at Ed, "Glad you decided to meet with me."
Ed leaned forward placing his arms on the table, "This isn't a social visit, Arnaud. You know what I want."
"And you know what I want. Seems like we need to compromise," Arnaud leaned back and tapped the fingers of one hand on the table. He studied Ed for a moment then continued, "So, what does someone of your background do with the Department of Fish and Game?" Arnaud asked in a tone that showed distain for the agency.
Ed smiled, "Actually, we're split in two groups. Our sponsor is the CDC, more specifically, the 'Offices of Genomics and Disease Prevention'."
"How appropriate for you," Arnaud said in return.
Ed looked around nervously. Working in the 'field' was not his thing, sitting in the lab as he looked over DNA samples was what he felt more comfortable doing. He looked back at the man that sat across from him, "What makes you think I'll help you?"
"Because, you're a scientist and you can't resist solving puzzles. When you're close to finding the answer you can't stop, even if it means working all night. It's like a drug for you, an obsession." Arnaud tilted his head to one side and looked at Ed as if he could read his mind.
"Yeah, I'll go along with that," Ed picked up his drink and took a sip. "Let me ask you something." Ed watched as Arnaud shook his head in agreement. "Can I trust you?"
"Monsieur, you have to ask yourself. Do you have a choice? I need your help and you need mine." Arnaud smiled at Ed, "Can I trust you?"
"Okay," Ed let out a sigh, "I guess we'll just have to go for it."
Arnaud stood up, "Splendid, I'll be in touch with you again."
Ed looked up at Arnaud, "I'm going out of town in tomorrow. I'll be gone for three months."
"That's not a problem. I can wait."
Ed watched as Arnaud walked away. He shook his head, "What am I getting myself into?"
"Calvin to Dexter, Calvin to Dexter, come in Dexter."
Ed nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard the familiar voice over his hidden ear piece. He looked around and said in a low voice, "Warn me the next time you're going to do that."
"Sorry dude," Darien smiled as he looked down at the floor of the van. He needed to remember that Ed was not used to this sort of thing.
"Do you think he knew?" Ed asked as he got up and walked away.
"What, that you were wearing a wire, sure. That's why he didn't say much. Get on back to the van and you can follow us back to the Agency."
"Gladly, this crazy secret agent stuff isn't for me. Now, give me something to do an autopsy on and I'm happy." Ed said softly as he got up to leave.
"What was that?" Darien asked.
"Oh, nothing."
~*~
Claire waited impatiently for Ed to return, she paced back and forth in front of the Official. He looked up at her and let out a grunt. She turned to look at him with nervousness written all over her face.
"Doctor, isn't there something you should be doing in your lab?"
"Sorry, I'm too nervous to work," Claire said as she scratched the back of her neck.
"I'm sure he's fine, besides Fawkes and Hobbes are watching him," the Official stated.
Claire shot him a glaring look and went back to her pacing. The Official thought about what he said, "Okay, so maybe I can understand why you're nervous, I should have sent Tom along with them."
At that moment the door flew open and Darien, Hobbes and Ed stormed in hot on each other's heals. The three of them headed for the Official's desk. Claire let out a sigh of relief.
"Chief, tell the doc here that he can't go with Arnaud. He's not qualified," Hobbes asserted. He put his hands on the desk to support him as he leaned down.
"I'm not qualified? I'm the only that is, scientifically speaking anyway," Ed retorted as he glared down at Hobbes. "Arnaud wants me, he'll know the difference if Darien goes in place of me."
"Sir, we can't let Ed go with Arnaud by himself," Hobbes said.
"By himself!?! Are you crazy? That's ludicrous!" Claire yelled out to Ed.
"It's the only way; Darien doesn't know the terminology or the medical protocols. Arnaud isn't an idiot, he'll know, plain and simple. I have to do this!" Ed raised his voice.
Hobbes leaned up and stood toe to toe with Ed, "You're not trained for covert action."
"What's the problem, Hobbes? What is so covert about doing what I do best?" Ed asked as he put his hands on his hips.
"Oh, you think you're mister big shot now, working for the federal government, think you can do undercover work?" Hobbes put his finger to Ed's chest.
Ed sneered, "I can hold my own just fine. Who do you think can pull this off?"
Eberts and the Official both raised their brows. Eberts bent down, "Should I call in some agents, sir?"
"No, no, Eberts, let them fight it out," the Official leaned back in his chair to watch.
Claire stood with her mouth gaping open. Darien rolled his eyes, "Great, here we go again."
"You know I'm the only one that can do this." Ed said.
Hobbes glared at Ed, "You think years of working on this dominant thing makes you qualified for field work? I worked long and hard to get my experience, I fought in a war. What have you done besides your experiments?"
Eberts bent down towards the Official, "This is better than the soap opera, sir."
"And it's live," the Official commented.
"I was kidnapped, taken to Alaska, escaped, on the run for two months, lived in the outback, survived a night in the forest being chased by Lewis, survived countless other life and death situations before I even met you people. A war, you wanna talk about a war? I've lived a war for five years, Agent Hobbes and not an enemy that you can see so easily. My life has been marked ever since Sloan knocked on my door at three in the morning. I understand and know more than you think. I didn't ask for this, I could have quit the lab and gone somewhere else, but I didn't, I stayed because it's important enough for me to stay and fight. And no one is going to tell me what I can and can not do." Ed turned to the Official, "I'll be gone for three months, and Arnaud knows that. In the mean time, you can figure out a way to keep me safe with your little toys if that will help you sleep better." Ed turned on his heels and left in a huff.
Darien stared up at the ceiling. Claire followed Ed. Hobbes stood in the same spot and didn't move. Eberts stared out the window with his hands folded in front of him.
"Well, I guess it's settled, Dr. Tate will be going undercover when he gets back." The Official remarked.
Hobbes turned and glared and the Official, "It's a mistake, he's not trained."
"Hobbes, I don't like it either, in fact, I wish I was going in so I could kill Arnaud. But Ed's right. We need to trust him on this." Darien said.
Hobbes walked up to Darien, "Mark my words, my friend. This will end badly." He left the office.
Darien looked at the Official and Eberts. He gave them both a nod and walked out.
Claire chased Ed down the hall, "Ed!"
Ed stopped and waited for Claire to catch up, "I'm sorry, Claire. But I'm tired of being treated like some kid around here. I had enough of that back at the lab at the University. Arnaud will call me again and I will help him."
"I just don't know if this is the right thing to do." Claire stated. She was worried about Ed's safety. Now she understood why there was no fishing off the company pier. You get attached and it can cloud your judgment.
"I have no choice, Claire."
"You could have said 'no'."
"And then what? Not know what he did to the gland? I can't do that." Ed gripped her shoulders, "What would you do, Claire? What if you had a chance to get close to the gland, to see it before it goes in someone's head? I have that opportunity and I have to take it. If I'm going to help Darien, I've got to do this."
"You could get killed."
Ed looked down at the floor, "Then I guess I'll just have to take a leap of faith."
Claire looked at him oddly.
"And you will too."
"But my dream," Claire looked at him with concern. She was afraid for him.
Ed cupped both sides of her face in his hands, "Hon, it was only a dream."
"To you maybe, but not to me," Claire sighed.
He pulled her in close, "Come here," he held her against his body. Her head rested on his chest, while his chin rested on top of her head. "Is my butt bony to you?"
Claire looked up at Ed in surprise. That was not something she was expecting him to ask or say at the moment. "Ahh...no, in fact you have the cutest butt I've ever seen. So muscular and round," she reached around and kneaded his backside like she was making bread.
"Okay, just checking." Ed smiled.
"Hon, what brought that up?" Claire asked.
"Oh, nothing." Ed walked down the hall with his arm around Claire.
Darien chased Hobbes down the corridor. The scent of anger still in the air and Darien knew which way he was headed. He turned another corner and there was Hobbes angrily mumbling to himself.
"Hey, Hobbes! Man, wait up." Darien watched Hobbes turn around slowly and he threw his head back in exasperation.
"What do you want, Fawkes?"
"To talk."
"Nothin' to talk about, he loves her, she loves him, I'm out of the picture. End of story." Hobbes started to walk away.
"No, it's not the end. You're like a walking time bomb here. Besides, I thought you had a handle it?"
"I did too. Guess I don't. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got somewhere to go," Hobbes turned on his heels and started to walk away.
Darien side stepped and hopped in front of Hobbes. He put his hands out, "No, we're going to talk."
"I told you nothin' to talk about."
"And I'm telling you, we're going to talk." Darien shot Hobbes a glare that spoke volumes.
Hobbes knew that look, Darien wasn't about to let him out of his sight. Hobbes let out a sigh. "Okay, kid, let's go down a few."
~*~
In the boarding gate area the following day, Ed sat on the chair as he waited patiently for the announcement for passengers to board the plane. He rummaged through his assorted science and surfing magazines he had brought along for the nearly four hour flight to Atlanta. He settled on a surfing one.
On the cover of 'The Surfers Journal' was a picture of the young Vans Triple Crown winner. Ed shook his head, 'This grommet rips,' Ed thought to himself as he turned to read the cover article.
Ed was four paragraphs into his article when he heard the announcement for seating of the first class. Ed rolled up the magazine and tucked it under his arm and reached down to grab his carry on.
As he started for the gate a young couple started to argue. Ed stopped to look at the commotion. The argument had begun to get worse. He was about ready to start to walk again when he felt something in his side and then heard a voice whisper in his ear.
"Arnaud wants to see you," the man with the gun to Ed's side took his plane ticket and handed it to someone else.
Ed started to walk with the man dressed in a security uniform. He turned to see the other man walk up to the gate with his ticket, turn and smiled. The man went through the gate and boarded the plane without any trouble.
Ed was led outside to a waiting van. The door opened and Ed was pushed inside.
Some people were looking, but the fake security guard merely told them to move along that it was nothing serious; they just wanted to ask the man some questions. The guard got in the front of the van and it dove off.
The whole operation only took minutes. Ed was on his way to meet with Arnaud and an imposter was in his place going to Atlanta. All of Ed's belongings were taken from him including the cell phone Walter had given him.
There were no windows and there was a partition between Ed and the driver. There were two other people in the back with him and they kept silent, as did Ed.
A phone rang for one of the men. He only gave one word answers. This made Ed very nervous as the man kept glancing in Ed's direction every now and then. When the he got off the phone, he nodded to the second man. They both reached into their bags and pulled out something that looked like a scuba divers regulator.
"What's going on?" Ed asked in an uneasy tone.
The men didn't answer. One of them pulled out a can, popped the small cap and set it on the floor. Ed stood up as a gas escaped from the can, "What the!?!" He started to cough. Ed staggered to the back of the van and tried to open the doors, but they were specially locked.
Ed covered his face in an attempt to shield his mouth and nose from the fumes, but it was all in vain. Weakened, he fell to his knees. He coughed violently and then fell onto his side. His world turned black as he slipped into unconsciousness.
TBC...