The stereo blared out crappy rock and roll, but most of it was drowned out to the sound of the road. The man let the wind whip his hair as he made a turn down the winding street. Map propped up against the dashboard, cold fries on the passenger seat. He shook his head as he checked the mirror again to make sure that no one was about to pass him.
Shawn Baxter ran his hair through his head, as he bit down on his cigarette. He didn't know where he was going, and frankly he didn't care. However, it would've been nice to be given proper directions for once. The odometer had been punched before he'd left, and it was already racking up forty miles.
All damn day, Baxter had been running across town. Just because one man couldn't even get the street address right, funny how the smallest error seemed to add up. At first he thought he'd got the right address, but didn't recognize the sign on the building. 'Biosyn Headquarters' or some shit, he already forgot.
Anyways Baxter had immediately called the phone number Dr. Guitierrez had given him in such a case as this. No answer, why he'd nearly thrown the damn thing out the window when it tried to send him to the answering machine.
He looked again in the mirror, shaking his head at what he saw reflected back. Twenty-five years old, barely out of college and ready to get his first internship. Helped on the grad school applications too, but those doctorate programs were tough as hell to get into.
Baxter bit his cigarette harder, causing the stub to crack off in his fingers. Casually he threw it in the back and grabbed some cold fries. God they sure were
awful when they were cold, almost like the big fast food restaurants designed them that way. Would've ordered a hamburger but he'd been a dollar short at the window. Ah hell, that was the way life was, and you had to roll with the punches.
Dr Guitierrez had told him this would be an easy errand, mainly because he was too busy these days. Man was all worked up about this trip he was going to take, but no one else on the faculty seemed to know about it. Like it was some kind of top-secret shit or something.
Baxter shook his head and sighed as he reached the stoplight. Why hadn't he just gotten an easier internship? He'd thought about working part-time but it seemed no one even wanted to hire a patty flipper anymore unless they had industry experience and a degree. Then what the hell use was…?
He took his cell phone from his pocket intending to call them again. No one was going to waste his time in this city, term was almost over and there was about a million other things he'd rather be doing at the moment. End-of Term Projects, job interviews… the list ran on and on. Well he would get to these things as soon as he was through with this bullshit.
Baxter started to dial the number, but froze. In his anger and impotent frustration he'd forgotten to take the phone off of silent! He saw at least 11 missed calls on the list at least from what he could see… and the most recent call was still going…
"Hello?" He nodded as he received the instructions at the other end of the line. "Yeah, yeah." He started the car again looking at his map. "Sure I can make it."
He slapped the phone down and threw it on the passenger seat.
An hour later he pulled in to the parking lot of Marie Callenders. It seemed Dr. Gutierrez's backers had a change of plans at the last minute. Gave him bad instructions or something. Baxter would fix that sure enough; give them hell for what they were worth.
"I already have a party I'm waiting for", he said to the waitress just as she was about to try to seat him at a table. He followed her as she led him to the other side of the restaurant, where a table was set up against the wall.
The man sitting there didn't look like much of anything to Baxter. Skinny, scrawny and wearing a cheap suit. Didn't offer to shake hands either. Baxter sat down as the waitress asked him what they wanted.
The other man spoke up. "Just a coffee for thanks," He gestured to Baxter, "So what do you think you'll have?"
Baxter shook his head, and watched the girl leave. Then turning to the other man he cleared his throat. He didn't really want to waste his time, just get this over with so he could leave. This place was a dump really, never would have stepped foot in it on his own time.
He put his elbows on the table, tilting his head to the side. "Dr. Guitierrez told me that you guys had some last minute things that you needed to discuss. Unfortunately he couldn't make it so he sent me to pick things up."
The other man chuckled at Baxter's introduction. "Good kid. The name is Ed James. I actually asked him to meet here because the permits for the research expedition are finally cleared. I have them here in my suitcase as well as the specific instructions on how he should fulfill the fine print of the grant."
Baxter shook his head. Of course there was going to be fine print… did Dr. Guitierrez really think that these institutions sponsored free trips to Costa Rica? "Yeah, can we make this quick?" He said trying to speed things up a bit. "I got a date tonight and if you don't mind maybe I can just grab the permits and get out of here…?"
He was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress bringing the coffee. The other man thanked her and took a sip as she walked away. "Ah, this coffee has been awful for the last five years." He said, almost as if he was reminiscing. "Sure you can take them and leave them kid, I just got a question."
Baxter had almost been about to shake the man's hand and ask for the permits, but something stopped him. "What?" He asked, finally. It couldn't be that big of a deal really it was probably some casual comment on what his major was or…
"You're that kid right?" Ed James said as he took another sip of coffee. "I heard Marty invited a grad student to fill in the free assistant slot the fund provided."
"So what if I am?" Baxter felt himself taking his hand and setting it on the table. "If it'll look good on my postdoctoral application, then of course I'm going to take it."
James nodded, and set his coffee aside. "It's hard out there being a student isn't it?" He shook his head sadly. "Student loans, graduate school applications and financial aid of course."
Baxter felt the guy starting to get on his nerves. Just give me the suitcase, he thought. What was this guy some kind of damn psychiatrist?
"So Shawn" James grinned, finally bringing the suitcase out from under the table. "Here's what you wanted right?'
Baxter grabbed for it, but he felt resistance as James suddenly leaned on it. He looked at the other man's eyes but was met with only one reply.
"Open it, its not locked." Baxter was beginning to think Dr. Guitierrez needed to do a good job of screening those people. He stared at the lock and with some initial reluctance opened the latch.
The contents were rather mundane, just a bunch of what seemed like rather mundane papers and the permits right in the corner. He did notice what seemed like a latch on the bottom. He stared at it, swallowing a bit.
"Is everything in order?" James said, rather nonchalantly. "Actually, that's your suitcase I have right there." He lifted another suitcase up from below the table and opening it right next to the first.
Same contents as the first one, except there was a cell phone inside. Baxter picked it up and frowned. It was the exact kind of phone Dr. Guitierrez always used when he was talking with the grant agency over some detail of the expedition.
"Grad school sure is expensive as I'll say again Mr. Baxter." James said, keeping his voice as level as he could. "Open the compartment on your case, see what I mean."
Holding both ends of the suitcase Baxter took the latch and lifted it. The base of the suitcase shifted a bit, and he could see that there was another level inside. Removing the first base, he set it to the side and swallowed again as he looked inside.
He'd never seen that much money in his entire life. He picked up one of the bills and flexed it in his hands, almost as if testing it to see if it was real. It was a full five minutes before he found his voice again.
"The hell is this?" Shawn said, shaking his head. "This much cash, you want something from me." He crossed his arms, determined to have an explanation.
"Well if Dr. Guitierrez had showed up by himself, I'd have just given him the first case." James said, "However, since you came alone, I have a business proposition for you."
Baxter perked up, though he couldn't deny his thoughts were flooded with the money. "You want me to report something on the expedition for you right?" He chuckled. "Should've known, more then just a foundation right? You need an expedition there for some reason you're not telling him."
James lifted his arms and shrugged. "You have it half right kid, half right. See this phone in Marty's case? I need you to switch it with his real one. We managed to clone all the numbers and information off of his old one, not an easy task let me tell you. Re-routes certain sensitive numbers to our lines. We'd appreciate it if you don't say anything about that to him."
Baxter picked up the phone and turned it over. It certainly didn't look any different, though he saw no reason at all why it should. However, it was a tempting offer but something was still gnawing at his sides.
"Nobody offers this amount of money just for a phone exchange." He knew that questioning the offer might be bad but he still had to be completely sure. Nothing came for free in this world, and he knew it. If he had to throw a free tuition away just to clear his mind then he could do that as well. "What's the catch," Baxter said, leaning across the table.
James finally let a real smile cross his face for the first time since Baxter had sat down. "Though you'd say that," he said. He leaned over again and took a small canister out of his own suitcase.
It had the small biohazard label, but Baxter could see trace marks of refrigeration on this. He watched James carefully open it and slide the specimen out on the table.
"Careful boy, it's fragile". James handed it to Baxter and allowed him to inspect it at his leisure.
Baxter turned it around and around, examining it. His master's thesis was going to be on herpetology so he recognized the texture of the skin right away. How mottle it was…how grainy. "Some kind of lizard," he said finally. "But if I didn't know any better I'd say it was a bird."
James looked around even though the Marie Callender's was deserted. He leaned low to the table and whispered in a low voice. "What if I said it was neither a reptile or a bird?" His smirk was maddeningly enigmatic.
Shawn Baxter sighed and handed the specimen back. "Don't play mind games with me, just tell me why this is so damn connected with the trip."
James looked like he wanted to hold back for a second but just decided to say it. "There's been some… reports in the region of anomalous animal activity. Strange carcasses on shore, mysterious animals appearing in mountains…." He shook his head. "However, it's sporadic really, no one ever seems to come up with conclusive proof. When questioned the natives proclaim it to be the work of the Chupacabra or the hupia."
Baxter shook his head again. "So your grant sent Dr. Guitierrez and me halfway across the world to capture Bigfoot?" He had heard of some crazy things in his life but this was starting to become unbelievable. Still the money was the only thing that kept him seated at the moment.
"Thought you might say that," James said. "But on one condition, the money is delivered electronically upon your return to the United States. We also need evidence that Dr. Guitierrez was completely unaware of the specific details of your meeting with me the entire time."
"This is a load of horseshit," Baxter said, standing up from the table. "Thanks but no thanks Mr. James."
"Wait," Ed James had stood up as well. "Say we double your money, same conditions."
Baxter turned around slowly, his heart beating fast. "I might have to reconsider my options then." He sat back down. "So what is it that you really want me to do?"
James sat back down as well. He smiled, that Charming Smile.
"But first it helps if you know the basics. Ever heard of a company called Ingen?"