Frank was sitting at the professor's desk when a man in his early twenties entered the room. Frank looked up from the report he was reading to check him out. "Hey," Frank said. "Are you one of the new interns?"
"Clarence Flyg," the young man responded, nodding his head in the affirmative. "And you are?" he inquired, his brown eyes inquisitive.
"Frank Henderson," Frank introduced himself, smothering a smile at the man's unruly blond hair. It reminded him of Joe's when he first crawled out of bed. "It's a bit difficult picking up in the middle of a project," Frank continued.
"Usually," Clarence agreed. "But Professor Aliem was very helpful. He met with Todd and myself and went over the project and let us go over the information he has gathered since the project's genesis."
"Are you a student here?" Frank inquired.
"Yes," Clarence admitted. "Professor Aliem arranged with the dean for this internship to count for six credit hours."
"Not bad, considering the semester is already a fourth over," Frank commented.
"Yeah," Clarence agreed, grinning as the door opened and Professor Aliem entered with another young man.
"Ah, good. You're here," Aliem said to Frank. "Allow me to present Todd Remington. Todd, this is one of my other interns, Frank Henderson."
Frank shook the hand of the young man, observing with interest the way his brown eyes kept glancing warily around the room. Frank got the distinct impression the boy was a bit paranoid. Or afraid.
Todd released Frank's hand and nervously ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "Nice to meet you," he said, giving Frank a small smile. He turned to the professor. "I thought you said there would be two more interns besides Clarence and myself."
"Joe went to see Elie about some of the photographs she had taken," Frank explained.
"He will be joining us later?" Aliem inquired, lifting an eyebrow at Frank.
"I'm sure of it," Frank replied.
"Very good," Aliem said. "Now, let's get to work, shall we?"
***
Elie dropped Joe off near the science building almost an hour after they had finished eating. She had not only increased Joe's curiosity about Craig's disappearance but she had managed to bring him up to par on the project.
Joe made his way to Aliem's lab where he found Frank going over something with the other two interns. Professor Aliem was nowhere to be seen. "Hi," Joe said, entering the lab.
"Hi," Frank returned, smiling at his younger brother. "Joe, this is Clarence Flyg and Todd Remington. Guys, this is my brother, Joe," Frank made the introductions.
Joe shook Clarence's hand then shook Todd's. Todd gasped softly when his eyes made contact with Joe's. There was something oddly familiar about Joe that disturbed Todd. As for Joe, he could sense Todd's scrutiny even though he hid it well.
"You know, we can cover more ground if we split up," Clarence interrupted a little later as the four of them were debating over one of the observations made by Aliem in one of the reports. "Todd, you and Joe seem to be on the same side of this. Why don't you two go with your theory and Frank and I will work on ours."
Todd shot Joe a nervous glance but remained where he was as Frank and Clarence moved away. "How do you want to do this?" Joe asked, touching Todd's hand lightly to capture his attention.
Todd jerked his hand away and looked at Joe with wide eyes. Joe's blue ones narrowed speculatively. "Easy, man," Joe said with a small laugh. "I'm not going to pounce."
Todd laughed nervously. "You're afraid of me," Joe observed. "Why?"
"No, I'm not," Todd denied, not looking at Joe.
"Don't lie to me," Joe cautioned, his tone more intimidating than he knew. "Why are you afraid of me?"
"I...I.." Todd paused and licked his lips. "I am or...was...a friend of Craig's," he admitted. "Before...before he disappeared.....he changed."
"Changed? How?" Joe demanded, finally making eye contact with Todd.
"He was different. I mean, he was still friendly and he still looked like himself, but he..."Todd broke off. "I don't know. He just seemed sharper. More predatory."
"Predatory?" Joe inquired, not understanding.
"Like with Elie," Todd said. "Craig was shy. He never would have asked her out before he started working with Aliem. And, well, I saw him with her the night he disappeared. He was acting like he owned her. I was going to go over and say hello, but he looked at me and I...I was scared."
"What does that have to do with me?" Joe demanded. The information he had just gotten might be useful but he still saw no connection.
"You had that same gleam in your eyes when you came in and saw us with Frank," Todd told him. "Did...did something happen to you here?" he asked.
"You aren't really here for the credits, are you?" parried Joe.
"No," Todd admitted. "Craig is my friend and his disappearance has something to do with what changed him. I intend to find out what it was." He gave a sigh and looked into Joe's eyes once more. "If whatever happened to Craig did happen to you, then you might disappear too."
"Clarence Flyg," the young man responded, nodding his head in the affirmative. "And you are?" he inquired, his brown eyes inquisitive.
"Frank Henderson," Frank introduced himself, smothering a smile at the man's unruly blond hair. It reminded him of Joe's when he first crawled out of bed. "It's a bit difficult picking up in the middle of a project," Frank continued.
"Usually," Clarence agreed. "But Professor Aliem was very helpful. He met with Todd and myself and went over the project and let us go over the information he has gathered since the project's genesis."
"Are you a student here?" Frank inquired.
"Yes," Clarence admitted. "Professor Aliem arranged with the dean for this internship to count for six credit hours."
"Not bad, considering the semester is already a fourth over," Frank commented.
"Yeah," Clarence agreed, grinning as the door opened and Professor Aliem entered with another young man.
"Ah, good. You're here," Aliem said to Frank. "Allow me to present Todd Remington. Todd, this is one of my other interns, Frank Henderson."
Frank shook the hand of the young man, observing with interest the way his brown eyes kept glancing warily around the room. Frank got the distinct impression the boy was a bit paranoid. Or afraid.
Todd released Frank's hand and nervously ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "Nice to meet you," he said, giving Frank a small smile. He turned to the professor. "I thought you said there would be two more interns besides Clarence and myself."
"Joe went to see Elie about some of the photographs she had taken," Frank explained.
"He will be joining us later?" Aliem inquired, lifting an eyebrow at Frank.
"I'm sure of it," Frank replied.
"Very good," Aliem said. "Now, let's get to work, shall we?"
***
Elie dropped Joe off near the science building almost an hour after they had finished eating. She had not only increased Joe's curiosity about Craig's disappearance but she had managed to bring him up to par on the project.
Joe made his way to Aliem's lab where he found Frank going over something with the other two interns. Professor Aliem was nowhere to be seen. "Hi," Joe said, entering the lab.
"Hi," Frank returned, smiling at his younger brother. "Joe, this is Clarence Flyg and Todd Remington. Guys, this is my brother, Joe," Frank made the introductions.
Joe shook Clarence's hand then shook Todd's. Todd gasped softly when his eyes made contact with Joe's. There was something oddly familiar about Joe that disturbed Todd. As for Joe, he could sense Todd's scrutiny even though he hid it well.
"You know, we can cover more ground if we split up," Clarence interrupted a little later as the four of them were debating over one of the observations made by Aliem in one of the reports. "Todd, you and Joe seem to be on the same side of this. Why don't you two go with your theory and Frank and I will work on ours."
Todd shot Joe a nervous glance but remained where he was as Frank and Clarence moved away. "How do you want to do this?" Joe asked, touching Todd's hand lightly to capture his attention.
Todd jerked his hand away and looked at Joe with wide eyes. Joe's blue ones narrowed speculatively. "Easy, man," Joe said with a small laugh. "I'm not going to pounce."
Todd laughed nervously. "You're afraid of me," Joe observed. "Why?"
"No, I'm not," Todd denied, not looking at Joe.
"Don't lie to me," Joe cautioned, his tone more intimidating than he knew. "Why are you afraid of me?"
"I...I.." Todd paused and licked his lips. "I am or...was...a friend of Craig's," he admitted. "Before...before he disappeared.....he changed."
"Changed? How?" Joe demanded, finally making eye contact with Todd.
"He was different. I mean, he was still friendly and he still looked like himself, but he..."Todd broke off. "I don't know. He just seemed sharper. More predatory."
"Predatory?" Joe inquired, not understanding.
"Like with Elie," Todd said. "Craig was shy. He never would have asked her out before he started working with Aliem. And, well, I saw him with her the night he disappeared. He was acting like he owned her. I was going to go over and say hello, but he looked at me and I...I was scared."
"What does that have to do with me?" Joe demanded. The information he had just gotten might be useful but he still saw no connection.
"You had that same gleam in your eyes when you came in and saw us with Frank," Todd told him. "Did...did something happen to you here?" he asked.
"You aren't really here for the credits, are you?" parried Joe.
"No," Todd admitted. "Craig is my friend and his disappearance has something to do with what changed him. I intend to find out what it was." He gave a sigh and looked into Joe's eyes once more. "If whatever happened to Craig did happen to you, then you might disappear too."
