ADAPTATIONS

36 - A Little on Edge

Forty minutes passed, Derek becoming further uneasy. So help him, if that piece of sh- Wait. There he was.

Jacobs was almost running out of the building, looking sickly pale. Derek wasn't sure which was whiter: the man's face or his knuckles shining against a hand tightly clutching his briefcase's handle. The scientist scurried over to the Jeep and tried the passenger door handle only to find it locked. His glossy eyes set in a lightly sweating face looked dreadfully to the vehicle driver.

"What the... Let me in, damn it!" Jacobs banged on the glass. Brown, unblinking eyes never left the scientist as their owner reached over to unlock the door. "What was that for?"

"I said be back in fifteen minutes. You insisted on thirty. Fine." Derek rolled his left wrist ever so slightly to gaze down at the time ticking by on the face of his wrist watch. "That was damn near forty minutes ago." He slimmed his dark eyes down back on the trembling scientist.

"I had a bit of a difficult time breaking away from Mr. Masrani and Dr. Wu." Jacobs re-wrapped his arms around his brief case.

"And?"

"I was able to get three syringes, but unfortunately I wasn't able to sneak out anything else. It would've been too big to conceal and I was afraid of looking even more suspicious than I already did. Do you know how hard it was to convince that man not to send out security to come get you? Huh? I do not like lying to my boss, especially someone as powerful as Mr. Masrani..." Jacobs hastily buckled himself up. "I should've just let them take you away."

Derek was mixed on how to take what the other was telling him. "Why didn't you? Why lie for me?"

"Because as much as I greatly dislike you and wish to see you hauled off to jail for kidnapping and harassment, I feel an obligation to help Pet the most that I can." Jacobs sighed. "Seeing how it's because of me, she's in this situation...If that man hasn't been able to find her yet, then I know I sure wouldn't be able to. You're the best chance I have of getting to her and possibly helping her before it's too late. She's already on borrowed time, enough as is."

Just as Derek cranked up the Jeep, he just so happened to look up at the building's double glass doors to see Masrani step out. "Get down," the younger man stated as he shoved the scientist's head into the dashboard.

In the suited down CEO's waiting for the Mercedes to pull around and pick him up, he glanced upwards to see the red Jeep. This was the exact same vehicle that dropped off Dr. Jacobs. Why would a neighbor bringing in another to work still be lingering around in the parking lot? Once again, both billionaire and Derek met gazes.

For Derek, he squared his eyes down on the adversary and scowled. He then tossed the vehicle in reverse and left. Luckily for Jacobs, he wasn't spotted thanks to the driver's careful angling of steering.

Slowly, since adhering to the posted speed limit signs, the Jeep crept through the parking lot and down the long drive leading both into and out of the company property. Jacobs kept trying to look up, but Derek would shove his head back down. "Stay down. He's right behind us." The driver rolled his focus off the road in front of him and to the black Mercedes in the rear-view mirror.

For several minutes, both Jeep occupants were convinced the Mercedes was following them as they both turned down the same roads and onto the interstate. Some miles later and after passing multiple exits, the Mercedes was lost amongst the growing congestion of vehicles and commercial trucks. Come to find out, it was merely coincidence. The Jeep occupants only feared they were being followed given the level of paranoia both men harbored. From here, it was onwards to the bunker.


"There needs to be a TV in here," Pet exclaimed. Her bored stare was aimed at the turned off surveillance screens seated on the fold out table. "There's nothing to do."

Terrence shrugged and looked up from his reading a book. "Sure, there is. You can read, write, draw...or sleep most of the day away like Robert."

"Pfft. That's because he drank himself there." Pet grabbed Terrence's left arm to look at this digital sports watch. "It's almost six in the evening. When's dip shit supposed to get back?"

"Hell, if I know," Terrence answered and returned to his reading.

The hybrid looked to the satellite phone laying on the round, fold out kitchen table. "I think I'll give him a call." She reached over to pick it up and began dialing Derek's cell phone. She drummed a dulled down, clawed finger on the table top until an answer. "There you are. How far out are you?" Terrence looked up from his book and studied the young woman. "Less than an hour out? Are you at least close enough to a fast food place to pick up something for dinner? I've had about as much hot dogs and mac and cheese as I'm can tolerate." Pet lounged back and propped her bare feet on the table. "You know what I usually get from there. And get something for everybody else, too. Mhm..." She nodded. "Thanks, dear," she snorted out and hung up. "Oh yeah. Double stacker with extra bacon is on its way."

Terrence grimaced. "Cold fast food just doesn't taste right."

"Fine. I'll eat yours, then."

Muldoon lazily trudged into the kitchen and gawked at the hybrid with a deadpan expression. "What have I told you about putting your feet on the table?" Pet wiggled her toes and smiled. "Off the table, now."

The hybrid sighed. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." She watched her best friend and guardian rummage around in one of the cabinets above the sink for a bottle of aspirin. "As I recall, last time we were here, your drinking was an issue."

The man grumbled something under his breath and went to the fridge for a bottle water. Like hell he was going to drink the well water from tap. He joined the others at the table and popped open the aspirin bottle for three pills. "Anyone heard from the little shit?"

Pet nodded. "I just got off the phone with him, actually. He's roughly less than hour out and bringing dinner with him."

Muldoon tossed the pills into this mouth and chased them down with a hefty swig of water. "I take it Jacobs is with him?"

The hybrid shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't ask. I'm guessing so, seeing how he's heading back."

The scarred man sat his water bottle on the table, got up and disappeared around the corner and down the hallway. A lingering smell of alcohol that had followed him inside the room followed him outside of it.

Forty-five minutes and a shower later, Muldoon was back at the round table with his favored 30-6 at his side. Terrence's eyes peered over the top of his book to look at the gun as a look of dread passed over his features. "And here I was thinking the typical shit end treatment was getting shot in the ass with a tranquilizer."

Pet snickered, Muldoon responding. "Just trying to show I mean business should he try anything stupid."


Headlights of the Jeep pierced the darkness of the setting of night as Derek pulled up to the bunker. He honked the horn and put the vehicle in park, turning it off. He shifted his attention to the Jacobs, sitting straight up with his brief case still at this chest and a black sack over his head. In his lap was a cardboard drink holder full of large sized sodas. In the floorboard were several yellow and white paper bags emanating the delicious smells of burgers and fries.

Jacobs questioned from beneath the cover. "I guess we're here, now?" He reached up to take the head cover off, but the younger man stopped him. "Guess not."

Terrence was seen first, coming out of the bunker. He almost busted out in laughter at the scene of the scientist appearing as a hostage for a negotiation. The man, however, composed himself and went to the Jeep, opening the passenger door. "Hell yeah," he began, grabbing the drinks.

Jacobs flinched in response to the door opening and again to the drinks being lifted off his lap. Derek grabbed the food bags and slid out of the driver's seat. For several minutes, Jacobs was by himself in the Jeep. He was about to lift up the head cover to see where he was, but was stopped by someone smacking his hand down.

Out of the Jeep he was basically drug and guided blindly into a well-lit area full of people conversing. Everything went silent, however, at Jacobs' arrival. The scientist's knees could be seen shaking through his smoky grey slacks. Even his hands were shaking.

Pet's blue-green eyes shifted to a raptor's when staring the man down. He reeked of fear and she could hear his heart fervently beating within his chest. Memories of bad experiences with this man from her adolescent years resurfaced and with it, a bad taste in her mouth. She hissed a snort like bark.

Jacobs yelped and leapt back a few inches in reaction to. Derek guided the scientist to the table and pushed him down to sit. Brief case met table in a loud thud, causing Terrence's drink to almost fall over had he not caught it in time. The black head cover was ripped off the man to reveal the people seated around the table.

All gazes appeared the same; concrete and silent in warning. The first person he locked gazes with was Pet, her animalistic stare blood freezing and unnerving. He didn't recall her looking that way the last time he'd seen her. But then again, she was also in her mid-teens and so much was different then. Jacobs then looked directly to his left to see the acidic grey eyed gaze of Muldoon. The scars that ran down his face gave the man a more than intimidating appearance and Jacobs recoiled a bit.

He then shifted his eyes over to yet another face at the table, Terrence. "I remember you," Jacobs stated. "I never would've thought you'd agree to something like this. All this time I thought you hated her." He motioned to the unblinking hybrid seated across the table from him.

Terrence swallowed a bite of his burger and took a deep drink of his soda before answering. "I still do." He reached for a napkin and wiped off his face. "She never shuts up," Pet shook her head. "She always uses all the hot water when she takes a shower." Pet nodded her head. "And she has a bad habit of drinking almost all the milk and putting the carton back in the fridge when there's only less than a sip left." The hybrid shrugged. "That and she has a thing for shooting people in the ass with tranquilizers." Pet wickedly smiled. Jacobs's eyes quickly darted in their sockets to Muldoon, still sitting quietly; thinking. "Yeah, best not to piss him off. But I think you already know that."

Derek was last to take his seat, after getting his own food from the paper bag on the cabinet. He sat down and began shoving bite after bite of burger into his mouth. Cold or not, he was hungry after smelling the food since leaving town. He tossed a wrapped burger at the scientist. "Eat."

It took Jacobs a few minutes of calming his nerves before finally breaking down and giving in to his own growing hunger. Afterwards, he was shown where he was going to sleep. He looked at the dust layered bunks against the far wall of the living area and sighed. His allergies were going to hate him in the morning. It was because of his allergies that he quickly left Kenya shortly after Pet's transferring.

Jacobs cautiously approached the unused bunks and laid his briefcase down on the bottom one, joining it himself a moment later. He sat there, studying the room. One of the grey, metal wall lockers against the opposite wall had a dent in it, a tan hat sitting on top of it. Looks like someone got angry one day. In thought of, he casually tossed a glance to the all too well-known ex-game warden. Had he even blinked at all? Ever since arriving to the...wherever the hell he was...Jacobs didn't think he'd seen the far too serious man blink, once.

Jacobs forced his eyes off the piercing ones of Muldoon and over to the hybrid as she strode into the room. He was able to make out a few scars along her legs, arms and even a series of three scars on her left shoulder blade peeking out from under her tank top.

Jacobs bit his lips together and nervously spoke. "It's surprising to see you alive after everything I've heard."

Derek, who had been stretched out on his bunk above Muldoon's the whole time, spoke up. "It took getting her hands dirty in the process. And her feet." Chocolate brown eyes met Jacobs's. "If you don't figure out a way to cure her with that viral out method you talked about, I'm sure you'll figure out what I mean when she tears into your ass."

The scientist gulped. "As I explained, I believe I can, but I also stated needing a blood sample when the virus was active to test the method on." He examined the young woman. "When was the last attack?"

"A few days ago," Pet answered. "Technically I'm still sick seeing how there's lingering symptoms."

Jacobs frowned. "It might be enough for what I need, but I'd prefer a sample when the illness was at its peak in intensity."

Derek continued. "The timing of this shit isn't like clockwork, anymore, Doc. Used to be we'd know when it was about to flare up and could prepare for it. Now, it happens sporadically."

"How are we from San Jose, Palo Alto area?" There was no answer. "Can't be that far, really. When the sickness spikes up, again, I can come back and get the sample."

"Easier said than done." The younger of the present men sat up so his feet were now dangling over the side railing of the bunk bed. "It's still a three day drive from home to here."

"Home?" Jacobs glanced around at the many faces focused on him. "Where is home, exactly?"

Derek cracked a smile. "Home is where a man hangs his hat." He winked at Pet. "See what I did there?"

A smile upturned the woman's fluster reddened cheeks. Even Muldoon subtly smiled at the sparkle filling the woman's once empty gaze. Jacobs had seen it for a brief flicker in time before it disappeared beneath the scarred man's venomous gaze. Derek slid off the bunk and went over to the light switch.

"Alright, kids," he stated and flicked off the bunkroom light. "Bedtime. Get some sleep. That mostly goes for you, Doc. So, go to bed."

Pet sarcastically blurted, "Make me, ass wipe."

Derek snickered. "Y'know, I did remember to bring my chloroform with me for that just in case the Doc chose the hard way of coming along." Pet sighed. "If you don't like that way then I can always tuck you in to bed." A gun was heard cocking, everyone pretty sure it was Muldoon giving a wordless warning to his nephew to shut up.