Chapter Four
The Meeting
After several hectic hours of traveling back to Tokyo, Abe, Jackson, and I are shown into a conference room. When we step inside there is a young red headed woman pacing beside the table, dressed in boots, jeans, and a leather jacket. I can't help but notice we share a similar style, except I wear a loose over shirt, rather than leather. There is also an middle aged man sitting close to the end of the table, his legs crossed, holding a drink, while looking through a file. The man is dressed similarly to the young woman, except instead of boots he has dress shoes and instead of a leather jacket, he has a blazer.
Once we enter the room Gaspard, the man who rescued us from the island begins to introduce us to the others, with a very heavy French accent.
"Jackson Oz, Abraham Kenyatta, Katherine Smith, Dr. Mitch Morgan, and Jamie Campbell."
The young lady Gaspard introduced as Jamie comes up and shakes our hands. While the man he identified as Mitch just gives us a small wave from his chair.
As we begin to find our seats Gaspard begins, speaking.
"I know you all have many questions, but if you'll please take a seat."
We all sit and wait for what seems to be a very long time. Mitch clears his throat.
"Okay, this is weird."
Jackson nods.
"Yeah, what exactly are we waiting for?"
Gaspard takes a deep breath.
"Monsieur Delavane."
At that moment a man enters the room, in a nice suit, much like Gaspard's, and addresses us.
"Greetings, I apologize for all the cloak and dagger. The five of you are all here because your suspicions over the last few weeks are correct. You are all aware of the lion killings in Botswana and Los Angeles. But there have also been series of dog attacks in Slovenia."
Jackson nods and sighs.
"And in Japan, hundreds of bats swarmed a plane and brought it down into the ocean."
Gaspard nods and motions to a tv that is set up in the room, as Gaspard speaks videos of terrible, horrific attacks play on the screen.
"In Jakarta three sumatran rhinoceros turned over an SUV belonging to a family of Norwegian tourists. The rhinos waited for the family, a father, mother, and two children, to exit the vehicle then trampled them. In Wuppertal, Germany, six brown bears came out of the Kothen Forest, making their way to a playground in mid-afternoon. The massacre that followed left seven children dead and another 14 injured."
Most of us in the room can't even look at the screen anymore, as I look down, feeling a lump in my throat, Jackson reaches over and takes my hand, as Delavane begins to speak again.
"Taken individually, each of these incidents can just be seen as a horrific, tragic event. However, I believe they are evidence of something else."
Jackson straightens up.
"And what is that, exactly?"
"The global pandemic your father believed as about to emerge, it appears... it has arrived."
Mitch looks between Jackson and Delavane, before pointing at Jackson.
"Sorry, his father?"
Delavane nods
"Professor Robert Oz."
"We're all here because you believe that the scientific theories of a notorious crackpot are now coming to pass?"
Abe looks over at Mitch, being seated across from him.
"What yourself scrawny."
Delavane rolls his eyes.
"Mitch Morgan, as Advertised."
"This is all very interesting and definitely disturbing, but none of this proves anything. Certainly not the coming of the animal apocalypse."
"That is why I had Monsieur Alves bring the six of you together."
Jamie looks at Delavane confused.
"Six? I count five."
At this moment a young, very beautiful blonde woman enters the room. As she does Jackson looks as though he has become uneasy, as Gaspard introduces the woman.
"This is Chloe Tousignant. She will also be working with you."
Chloe stands between the two men at the front of the room.
"Hello."
Delavane continues.
"Miss Tousignant will function as my proxy."
Chloe looks over the room, but her eyes seem to be drawn back to Jackson.
"As my eyes and my ears. Every decision that is made will go through her. Miss Tousignant is in charge. Something is most assuredly going on out there. All we want is for you to figure out what it is. Before it's too late."