Monkey Games
By Vince Coyner

Presented by
Authorama
Public Domain Books

Prologue

René “Le Pistol” Pistolero was the pride of Spain. At only 21 he dominated the European Formula One circuit like no one his age had ever done. From Dusseldorf to Madrid and seemingly every city in between, in his very short life he had gone up against the best drivers on the continent and come away the winner. He woke on the morning of April 15th to the caress of a young woman whose name he was not sure he remembered, but he thought it was Christina.

They had met the night before at the club Les Bains, where the rich and famous went to drink, dance and indulge while in Paris. Against his better judgment he asked her to come with him back to his suite at the Hotel Scribe. He knew he had to get up early in the morning but he was sure this girl was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on and he couldn’t let her get away. Her strawberry blonde curls and perfect English belied the fact that she was as Spanish as he was, having been raised in the United States by a father who moved from Barcelona to Detroit when she was 3 years old. The pair left Les Bains together. When she climbed out of his Testarossa and turned to him and smiled, he knew he was in trouble. He had to get up in only a few hours, but he also knew that he would not be getting to sleep any time soon. As the doors to the penthouse elevator came together, so too did they. They stumbled out as the elevator doors opened to his 6,000 square foot suite. It was an hour before they even made it into the bedroom, having shed both their clothes and their inhibitions on the black and pink checked carpet in the foyer before heading to the giant whirlpool on the terrace.

The sweat of their bodies mingled as they lay intertwined on top of the king-sized bed. They were exhausted, and although René knew he wanted nothing more than to find out everything he could about this goddess who had just walked into his life, the 3 AM on his watch told him that tonight was not the night. Tired and exhausted he knew he had to get some sleep. The angel in his arms was already there. He looked at her as the moonlight danced across her face. He knew today was his lucky day.

A few hours later, after climbing out of the shower and getting dressed, René leaned over to Christina. They kissed passionately for what seemed like an hour. He ran his right hand over her beautifully tanned leg and up to her right breast. As he reluctantly began to stand, she pulled him closer and held his hand on her breast. The bell summoning parishioners to Sunday’s first mass let him know that he too had some place to be. As he slowly pulled away from her they both smiled and he promised that tomorrow morning they could stay in bed as long as they wanted.

For René tomorrow morning would never come...On the fourth turn of the 120th lap of the Tour de Paris, René was attempting to take the lead with only ten laps to go. He hit the corner going too fast and could not hold the turn. His car flipped and tumbled end over end, breaking apart as it went. Rene’s cockpit slammed into the wall with such force that he never had a chance. As his car careened against the wall, the left rear axle broke off and went flying into the stands.

Much in the way that the death of Archduke Ferdinand began a tumbling of dominos that stretched far beyond the length of that bridge in Sarajevo, Renés’ death set in motion a sequence of events that would reach back to the Third Reich, crisscross the globe and resurrect the memories of Machiavelli, Darwin and Ponce de Leon.

Chapter 1. Alexander

Alexander Cooke was the youngest of William & Catherine Cooke’s four sons. Catherine was the heiress to New York’s Marks department store fortune. William was once the American Ambassador to the Court of St. James. His tenure in London was a rather short one however. Just months after reporting for duty he felt the need to resign for “health reasons.” Coincidentally, this resignation occurred immediately after he was made aware of the existence of photographs capturing his intimate familiarity with the anatomy of two seventeen-year-old English schoolgirls.

Alexander, being the youngest of the litter, always felt like he was living in the shadows of the rest of the family. His oldest brother Jack was always first at everything. First at being born, a scratch golfer, a 3.9 GPA at Exeter and most of all, he was their mother’s favorite. After graduating from Harvard Law, Jack became a Vice President at Marks with his eyes on the CEO’s seat.

Paul, the next in line was the consummate little rich boy. He spent his entire academic career doing not even enough to get by, but never having to pay the piper. His teachers were more than happy to pass him along year after year rather than spend another semester with him disrupting their classes with his chicanery. College was not much different, and he was as surprised as his parents were when he was allowed to actually graduate from NYU with his degree in Philosophy. He never studied much but always seemed to figure out how to avoid outright failure. The choice of philosophy had little to do with his like or dislike of the subject matter, rather he choose it because he knew it was the major that would induce the greatest amount of displeasure in his father. Having never taken a philosophy class in his life, Paul had no idea he would actually love the subject. Although his grades were as bad they were in high school, everyone from his classmates to professors knew it was due to a lack of effort on his part rather than a lack of intellectual capital. Indeed, Paul became the captain of the forensic team in his sophomore year and led his team to the finals in the Nationals three years in a row.

Josh was the closest in age to Alexander, a mere 18 months older. Their closeness could not be exaggerated. While the older boys tolerated Alexander, Josh felt like his protector. From horse riding to baseball to skiing, they were inseparable. Josh was even indirectly responsible for Alexander losing his virginity. Both boys were chasing Victoria, the only sophomore on the Exeter girls varsity squash team. Tiring of the pair’s snickering and stunted approaches, Victoria confronted the brothers. As the boys nervously smiled like two peacocks in a preening competition, she laid down the terms. “I will go out on a date with one of you.” She stopped and looked at them. The two brothers looked at one another and then at her. “But which one?” Josh said, fully expecting Victoria to say his name. “You decide” she said, “and whoever it is, the other one has to go out with my older sister Veronica.” Both brothers having seen but never spoken with Victoria’s bookish and rather frumpy sister Veronica exclaimed almost in unison “What?” Josh followed with “What does that mean?” while Alexander asked “What the hell is that?” Staring at one and then the other, Victoria proceeded explain to the pair that the only way she would go out with one of them was if the other one went out with her older sister, and the four of them went out on a double date. The boys turned to confer with one another. Both assuming they would be the one to win Victoria, they agreed to her terms. Later that afternoon they tried to figure out a mutually acceptable way of deciding who would go out with Victoria. Josh started by saying that since he was older he should go out with her. Alexander countered that no, since Josh was the older of the two, he should go out with Veronica, who was also the oldest. Finally, after finding no mutually acceptable form of competition to decide who would go out with Victoria, the two decided on paper-rock-scissors. Much to Alexander’s dismay, Josh won, paper over rock.

As will occur in life, things do not always turn out as they are expected to. Josh and Victoria had only that one date and it did not go particularly well, due largely to the fact that Josh was sure Victoria was more interested in the waiter than she was in him. After days of analyzing the situation and fact that Victoria had not cared at all who she went out with between he and Alexander, Josh decided that he had been played and that Victoria had simply been using he and his brother to get a date for Veronica.

Alexander and Veronica on the other hand had many more dates. For them the date was a stunning success. Veronica was a diamond in the rough, in more ways than one. Not only was she surprisingly beautiful, but she had a personality that kept Alexander in stitches all night. Alexander could not help but smile at this beautiful kinetic butterfly he had never really seen. Months later to two of them got a laugh out of the fact that Veronica had agreed to go on the date only because Victoria had told her that Josh refused to go out with her unless she found someone to go out with Alexander. Veronica remembered thinking to herself that that was kind of strange because Alexander always seemed so confident and didn’t seem to have much difficulty with girls, but to make her sister happy Veronica agreed. Alexander and Veronica went on to date for a two years and the romance ended only when Veronica’s father was transferred to Los Angeles. She was the one shining light that shone through the darkest moment in his life and Alexander was always glad he lost to Josh that day.

The friendship between Josh and Alexander ended far too early. The two were diving with their older brother Paul off the coast of Truk Island in the South Pacific when Alex was 16. The island is a graveyard of ships and material from WWII and offers one of the most spectacular diving adventures on the planet. Josh, Alexander and Paul were wreck diving on the last day of a week-long summer trip. All were great divers with significant wreck diving experience. Josh was by far the greatest risk taker and decided that he was going to look inside one of the zeros that littered the ocean floor. Unaware of the precarious perch the fuselage had held since it first settled on that coral ledge on the 17th of February in 1944, Josh attempted to lift the canopy. The resulting weight displacement caused the nose of the Mitsubishi to arch upward as its fragile, decades long balancing act was disrupted. As he attempted to swim away from the moving wreckage his mesh bag became caught on the exhaust manifold. Before he could pull out his knife and cut the line to the bag, he was pulled over the edge of the coral head into the crevice below. Alexander was 10 yards away when the plane started to shift. The fifteen seconds it took him to reach his brother seemed like the longest of his life. By the time he arrived, life had abandoned Josh’s body just as surely as the air that billowed from his ripped regulator hose. It would not have mattered if it had taken Alexander only three seconds to get there. It was not the 20-ft drop that killed Josh, but rather, his brother was crushed between the wing of the plane and a head of staghorn coral. Both lungs were punctured instantly from the back. He never had a chance. He was seventeen years old.

Alexander spent most of the next year in an emotional cocoon. Veronica helped, but there was more going on than she could see or Alex would talk about. While he missed his brother and best friend tremendously, it was tangential to the darkness that had overcome him. He would never share with anyone the thoughts that crossed his mind as he swam to the surface with his brother’s body. As life was ripped from his brother’s body, it was not sorrow or anguish that first entered his mind. Instead it was mortality. He was struck by the finality of life. As he hovered in the water staring at his brother’s lifeless body only five feet in front of him, the only thing Alexander could think of was where did his brother’s life go? It was like watching light disappear as the switch is turned off in an empty room. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. Where had it gone? By the time Alexander turned 18, the darkness had lifted, but thoughts about the swiftness of death would never be far from his mind. Like the simple frame of Van Gogh’s Starry Night that goes unnoticed as it outlines the visual cacophony on the canvas, the knowledge of the precariousness with which life rests on its perch would remain a paradigm through which Alexander would see the world for the rest of his.

Alexander went to Princeton after graduation. He and Veronica talked about going to school together but she had decided to attend Stanford and after that they slowly drifted apart. Arriving with no idea what he wanted to learn, was no closer to knowing when he left with an English degree four years later. He knew he had to major in something and since he already spoke what his London-born grandfather called “passable” English, he thought he had a head start. Like his brother Paul, Alex was smart enough to get by without a great deal of effort. Later he would look back fondly at his college career as mostly a blurry parade of women, beer and Shakespeare. At 21 he had no clue what he wanted to do with his life so he decided not to decide. His father wanted him to come to work for the family. He declined the invitation and decided to wander around until he found something that caught his attention. His first adventure took him to Whakapapa, New Zealand’s largest ski area. He spent two seasons as a ski instructor there. During the summer months of December through March he spent much of his time surfing in Crescent Head and Port Macquarie on Australia’s East Coast. At 23 he was still utterly clueless as to what he wanted to do. He next went to what was then West Germany, where he taught English at an International School located just outside of Dusseldorf. At 25, after an off-handed suggestion of a German girlfriend who worked in a bank, Alexander started dabbling in the rather volatile and potentially hazardous (or profitable) world of currency trading. Although he had little real experience with financial instruments, he had a mind like a steel trap when it came to numbers and he was a quick study. Within two years he was well on his on his way to turning the trust left to him by his grandfather into one of the world’s biggest fortunes. Alexander had started on the road to his future. By 32, he had everything a man could ever want, yet he still felt an emptiness he could not with explain. Slowly, as he approached his thirty-third year he began to recognize what was bothering him. It was the darkness he had felt following Josh’s death. They were back. It was not that he was missing his brother any more than he used to, but rather, it was the thoughts that had run through his mind as he floated there staring at his brother’s lifeless body. The idea of inevitable death was once again creeping into his consciousness. The difference was that now he felt like he could do something about it. At thirty-three, with his fortune firmly in hand, he knew he had found his life’s motivation...

Chapter 2. Jonathan

Jonathan had lived on the island of Aislado practically his entire life. He and his Chinese teacher Sebring were it’s only residents. When he was 2 years old he was brought to the island from a place he couldn’t remember. Sebring supervised all aspects of his development, corporal and otherwise. Jonathan’s existence was a simple one. After waking he would begin the day with a swim from the island’s northernmost point to the far edge of its biggest sandy cove and back. The “circuit” covered a total distance of about 3 miles. He first began attempting the swim when he was eight years old. It took him a year before he was able to make it without washing ashore half drowned. Because the island sat on a sandy plateau and the water was only about 3-ft. deep for the first ½ mile from shore, there was really very little chance of him actually drowning, despite his protestations to the contrary. Nonetheless, he had made the swim practically every day of his life since he was ten. After his swim, he would train with Sebring in Martial Arts for three hours. He studied Hapkido, Judo, Shotokan, Bushundo and Karate. In the afternoon he would run around the 5-mile island twice, once in each direction. After a climb to the top of the “mountain” at the center of the island, his martial day would end with calisthenics and weights in a small gymnasium near the “cottage.” Finally, after dinner the day would draw to a close with two hours of meditation on the patio overlooking the western side of the island as the sun escaped once again. After meditation he would then read for approximately three hours before heading to bed. The reading portion of his day was his greatest entertainment as he had probably the best stocked library in the South Pacific. There was Plato, Shakespeare, Hobbs, Goethe, Galileo, and many others. Although there were a few contemporary books, the majority of the collection reflected the standards that would have been appropriate for a library furnished in the 1930’s. Jonathan could quote Beowulf, he knew the story of Ezekial by heart and he loved the Merchants of Venice. In addition to everything else, Sebring taught him four different languages; English, Chinese, Portuguese and French.

Jonathan appeared to be a perfect specimen of a man. He had it all. He was strikingly handsome. His physical conditioning would have allowed him to easily win any Olympic Decathlon he might have entered. And on top of everything, he was brilliant and could debate Sebring on almost any point after studying the subject for just a brief time. Occasionally he even won. In the wider world Jonathan’s gifts would have been extraordinary. On Aislado however, they were simply what was expected of him.

Jonathan’s meals consisted mainly of rice and fish, although occasionally he would feast on one of the island’s seasonal birds. He had never once left the island since he had arrived. He couldn’t. It was simply not possible. When he was two years old, he was diagnosed with a potentially fatal disorder. Although it would not kill him on its own, his contact with others had to be severely limited. The condition, while rare, involved an immune system deficiency that would not allow him to be in contact with most other people for extended periods of time. Unlike most healthy immune systems that become stronger over time as they are exposed to and to adapt to the world’s various pathologies, Jonathan’s worked in just the opposite manner. It started out like a brick wall then melted away as if it were made of sand.

The only regular visitor to the island was Jack, the pilot who came every couple of months to deliver food, sundries and anything else Jonathan and Sebring might need. He always left the day after he arrived. Besides Jack, the only others who had ever come to the island were doctors, who would come twice a year to give Jonathan a physical. No one ever stayed more than 24 hours. They could not. Jonathan’s immune system could withstand new bacteria or viral elements brought onto the island for approximately 72 hours. His imperfect immune system, when combined with the island’s natural salted air was enough to allow others to visit for a short period of time when necessary. Because of the lack of people acting as carriers on the island, from which bacteria or viruses might jump from one to another and mutate, most newly introduced pathologies died within 24 hours of when their hosts left the island. The 24-hour restriction was necessary to ensure that Jonathan’s immune system would not begin to deteriorate. Jonathan never really understood the disease, particularly since he felt so strong. Nonetheless, he was told that by the time he was 25 he would either be dead or the catalyst that caused the condition would have grown sufficiently weak for his immune system to grow strong enough that he could leave the island. On their twice-yearly visits the team of doctors invariably pronounced him in excellent health, aside from one year his having a sprained ankle and of course the ever-present immunity condition. By the age of 15, Jonathan’s life was very much a blur. One day seemed to blend into another. The days had not changed at all for as long as he could remember. Much like looking into one of those mirrors that has an infinite number of reflections of itself, each of Jonathan’s days was like every other one. It never changed in any material way. When he turned 16 it changed dramatically. On Jack’s first trip after Jonathan’s 16th birthday, he brought with him a girl named Maria. Jonathan had never met a girl and although he knew what they looked like from pictures and knew about biology, he had never imagined one could be so beautiful. Sebring had told him that she would be coming and much about what to expect. Once Jack arrived with Maria, he and Sebring left and would not return until the next day.

Maria was 19 years old and had a great deal more experience than Jonathan. She had responded to a rather unusual ad in a Lima newspaper. The ad was run by a European pharmaceutical company doing immune system research with the University of Lima. The ad promised respondents a complete physical, a generous payment and free healthcare for two years. The only requirements stated in the ad were that respondents must be between the ages of 18 and 21 and be in good health. Maria responded and the selection process consisted of a man in a white coat looking over the 200 respondents who fit into the reception room. Twice that number actually responded, but those who did not fit into the room were turned away. Of the 200, thirty were selected and given a contract to examine. The contract detailed what they would be paid and what would be expected in return. Three things were expected of those selected, and they had to agree to all three before signing. The first was to submit to a comprehensive week long physical. The second involved being taken by plane to meet a young man and having sexual relations with him. The third was to submit to a harvesting of any fertilized eggs within one week of their return to Lima. The supposed goal of the study had something to do with an immune deficiency he suffered from which the University was seeking to treat. The University suggested that if his genetic material could be harvested from a naturally fertilized egg, they could develop a cure for his condition. In return participants would receive a lump sum payment equal to approximately half the annual salary of the average Peruvian and free healthcare at the University of Lima for two years.

Upon reading the contract, 12 of the 30 women left. The remaining 18 agreed to its terms. Each study participant was given a complete physical the following week and assigned a date sometime over the next two years when they should return to the University. For those whose dates were more than six months away, they would have a second exam before proceeding. After reporting to the clinic on their assigned dates and being given a clean bill of health from the study’s doctors, each participant would then be taken to the airport. After each of the participants showed proof of their age and signed the contracts, the research coordinator called out the 18 names and handed out the date assignments. Maria opened hers and realized that she was first on the list. She would leave Lima immediately following the results of her physical. She reported to the University the next day and exactly one-week later was on her way to Aislado.

Maria was very pleasantly surprised when she met Jonathan. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but he was not it. He was strikingly handsome and charming as well. He led her into the house where they enjoyed a wonderful dinner of lobster and rice. At the clinic they had explained that Jonathan was a shy young man who would likely be very nervous. He probably wouldn’t know what to do or how to go about doing it so she would probably have to lead the way. After dinner she did so with abandon. She took his hand and told him to take her into the bedroom. She gently sat him on the bed and he sat there trembling, very unsure of what was happening to him. His head was beginning to spin and his stomach seemed to be nothing but knots. As he watched her stand in front of him and slowly peel her clothes off he was certain she was more beautiful than anything or anyone he had ever seen in his life. Finally, after a moment of standing there naked in front of him, she walked over to him and began to remove his clothes.

Jonathan literally thought he was going to die. Sebring had clinically explained what to expect, but there were not enough words in the dictionary to describe what Jonathan had just experienced. Not only was it the most amazing thing in the world, he actually thought for a second that he had died and gone to heaven. Continuing until the early morning and moving from his bedroom to the surf to the deck of the pool, he felt this young woman was nothing short of an angel sent from heaven. The feeling was utterly amazing and impossible to communicate. He simply did not know such pleasure was possible in the world. As the morning sun began to rise she was laying in his arms as they were intertwined in the sheets. He woke her with a gentle kiss on her lips and then proceeded to wake every inch of her body. Jack and Sebring returned around noon and Jack left with Maria soon thereafter. Jonathan had a longing in his heart, not wanting her to leave, wanting to keep her there, holding her in his arms. He knew it was impossible because of his condition. Sebring tried to explain to a deeply saddened Jonathan that it was impossible to see her again but that the longing he felt would go away. As for Maria never returning, try as he might, Jonathan was never able to get Sebring to discuss the specifics of why things had to be that way. For the first time in his life Jonathan felt a longing for something beyond the island. Nonetheless, time marched on and as Sebring said it would, the ache faded, assisted by the fact that every other trip Jack would bring a different girl and the process would be repeated.

Chapter 3. Laura

Her name was Laura Stenton. She was 42 years old. Fifteen years before she had been the youngest agent ever kicked out of the Mossad for insubordination. She was railroaded by a colonel who was himself later ushered out due to “failures of judgment” and “failure to supervise”. Although upon review a tribunal decided that her refusal to turn over the requested names of informants was in fact allowable, the fact that she refused so vehemently and with such vituperative insolence made her a persona-non-grata in the tightly knit organization. Surprised more than she was angry about getting the boot, she contemplated what was next as she sat on the balcony of her Tel Aviv apartment. She knew she could return to New York, where she grew up and attended NYU, but there didn’t seem to be much left there for her. She never seriously considered staying in Israel, having moved there and served in the Mossad simply because she felt that was the organization where she would have the greatest opportunities as a woman in the world of security, something that had fascinated her since she was a child.

Her father had been a precinct captain in the NYPD and her uncle was an FBI agent working out of the New York office. To her the two were the dynamic duo. They were like superheros. Her father cut his teeth hunting down high-end burglars. He knew everything there was to know about security systems and safes. He always said that the only way one could defeat your opponents was to know more about their craft than they did. And he did. Their house was filled with antique safe doors, modern high tech locking mechanisms and a variety of tools of the trade, from old-fashioned stethoscopes to mirror assisted cameras for looking at tumblers through holes drilled into doors.

If one can trace their life’s fascination to a singular event, for Laura it was a morning when she was 15. It was one of those ubiquitous Bring Your Daughter to Work days in the 1970’s. She didn’t really have any idea of what her dad did, but she had some notion that it would involve a desk and a lot of paperwork. Much to her surprise, they never even made it to the precinct. Instead, her father met her uncle at a branch of Second National New York Bank. The façade, which looked like it would have fit perfectly in ancient Greece or Rome, was the only thing ancient about the bank. As a clearinghouse for cash transfers for a wide variety of transatlantic companies, its main vault was easily one of the most secure in the world at the time. While the bank had all of the latest security features available such as cameras, timed locks and movement sensors, the crux of its security was a rather simple notion, that bank robbers, in order to succeed, had to escape. Essentially, there were a number of mechanisms that the bank had installed which were not intended to keep robbers out, but rather keep them in until the police arrived. All three were simultaneously triggered by any one of a number of events such as the concussion that might be felt from a blast intended to blow open a door, the opening of a safety deposit box during the bank’s scheduled closing hours or 1 lb. of pressure on a false floor that was in place during those same hours. Between the false floor and the steel floor was a pocket of air. When more than 1 lb. of pressure was applied to the false floor the pocket would expand, triggering sensors located along the base of the vaults. Any of the three events would trigger the mechanisms intended to keep robbers from escaping. The first mechanism was an odorless sleeping gas, which would flood into the bank and the vault from 50 valves located throughout the bank. In less than 15 seconds the entire 84,000 cubic ft. of space would be filled with the clear, ordorless gas. Sleep was almost instantaneous, and the person would be asleep for no less than 30 minutes. The second mechanism that would fall into place would in reality rise into place. Spaced at five inch intervals in a square pattern ten feet beyond the walls of the vault were 24-ft tall stainless steel beams which would rise at a rate of 9 inches per second until they reached the ceiling, where they would set into harnesses which would keep them in place. The beams were three inches in diameter and forged of tempered steel. Even a heavy-duty blowtorch would take fifteen minutes to cut through them. The final mechanism for keeping the crooks from escaping was easily the most low-tech of the three, marbles. When any of the alarms was triggered, 400,000 ½- inch diameter ball bearings would flood out and cover the marble floor, both in the vault and without. That number was carefully calculated to cover approximately 95% of the floorspace within the vault and the surrounding floor. Just enough coverage so that it would be simultaneously too unstable to stand on and too ubiquitous to step over.

When Laura and her father arrived at the bank he told her to stick close as there were lots of people around. There had been an attempted bank robbery earlier that morning. When she walked in, Laura thought this looked pretty strange for a bank. There was a big cage on the far end of the room with four men dressed in black sitting against the wall. The four had not yet been handcuffed or taken into custody. Everyone else in the bank was standing around looking at the quartet and looking up at the ceiling. This had been the first time these security measures had been implemented, having been installed only recently. The architect and designer of the measures had been considered a little “eccentric” but his track record was unmatched. He designed a unique combination of low and high tech mechanisms for each location that took advantage of the specific characteristics of the facility. Typically no one but the bank president and vice president were told about all of the devices installed in order to minimize the amount of security information that might end up in the hands of potential thieves.

The men had done their research however. The four lowered themselves into the bank from above with a rope ladder, which they in turn expected to utilize for their escape, obviating the need to get through the bars they knew would encircle the safe. In addition, they carried gas masks to keep from being affected by the sleeping gas. Fatefully however, they were unaware of the last and least sophisticated security measure. After cracking the vault door by setting the tumblers via a hole bored into its face, they stepped inside knowing the pressure on the floor would cause the gas to fill the air and the bars to set into place. Knowing they had 10 minutes until the police arrived, everyone started their stopwatches. The lone guard on shift was of no concern as he was on their payroll. He had been with the private security agency for a year and had provided the thieves with a great deal of the bank’s security data. What he did not know about was the 50,000 ball bearing marbles that would come cascading into the safe 30 seconds after they stepped on the floor. There was literally a wave of steel flowing towards them. It took every one of them off their feet and slammed them into the wall or out the door. Once on the ground they were pummeled by the bearings for almost a full minute. Frantically trying to stand, the four looked more like Keystone Kops than bank robbers. Not only were they unable to get to their feet, they had a difficult time moving on their hands and knees as well. This was a disaster and all four of them knew it from the second the steel marbles started pelting them. As close as they were to success, they all knew the robbery game was up and the new game was called escape. Their biggest concern now was getting back to the rope ladder and getting out of there. The problem was that every one of them felt like they had been taken out back and beaten with a pillowcase full of oranges, i.e. they wouldn’t kill you, but they certainly make you feel like you were dead. Unfortunately for the four would-be robbers, it took them six minutes to make it back to the ladder, and they could only achieve that by basically crawling on their hands and knees. When they finally made it over to the hole it became clear that the four minutes they had left before the police arrived would not come in very handy.

Above the bank was an accountant’s office, which they had broken into soon after closing time the night before. It had taken them almost 4 hours to cut their way through its floor and the steel reinforced bank ceiling. The plan called for the five to escape via the parking garage located below an adjoining building. The fifth thief, Jimmy, was supposed to be above in the accountant’s office, keeping the rope ladder secure so those below could climb out. The problem was that once the bearings started flying and his partners seemed unable to get back to the rope, Jimmy took off at the sound of approaching sirens, which had nothing to do with the bank but rather someone who had run a red light. When the four finally made it over to where the ladder had been hanging, it no longer was. Using one another for support, they finally were able to get to their collective feet. For a moment the four stood staring up at the hole in the ceiling and then looking down at the rope ladder which was crumpled in a pile at their feet. They could see freedom perched a mere twenty feet above them and there was no way they could reach it. Unfortunately for his partners below, when Jimmy leaned into the hole to yell “I’m sorry guys” before he made his successful escape, he accidentally knocked loose the anchor that held the rope ladder in place. After watching the ladder fall to the floor below, he looked around like a child turning to see if his mother saw him break a piece of her favorite china. Rather timidly this time, he yelled “Ah... I’m REALLY sorry guys. Good luck!” and he left via the planned route in the garage next door and took off in the 1974 Dodge Dart they had stolen the day before. After a stream of obscenities aimed at Jimmy and his mother as they stared up at that hole above them, the four resigned themselves to the fact that they weren’t going anywhere and leaned against the vault to wait for the police. They were still leaning there when the police finally arrived, late, ten minutes later.

As her father explained the situation to Laura as the day progressed, she found herself amazed that in the high-tech world around her it was something as simple as marbles that had tripped these guys up, smiling to herself at the pun. She began to follow the news about bank robberies and constantly pepper her father about them, almost to the point where he wasn’t sure if she wanted to become a cop or a robber. Crime and law enforcement always made an odd pair. She was fascinated by the push and pull or tit for tat that banks and the robbers would go through. It was almost like a well-choreographed dance where the banks would introduce a new security tool and the robbers would eventually learn how to neutralize it or bypass it altogether. It was an arms race of money where everything one side does the other learns from and figures out how to take the competition to a higher level. Laura found it particularly fascinating when she would talk with her uncle, who handled interstate bank robberies all along the Northeast corridor. When her father and uncle were together she would have so many questions that they would actually give her money to go to the movies or shopping just so they could have some peace. Although at first they accused her of learning too well and becoming an extortionist herself, they soon discovered that her interest was genuine and would share with her many of the fascinating stories they would encounter.

Add her love of martial arts to her fascination with the choreography of security and she knew early on that at some point she would probably be following in her father or uncle’s footsteps, even though she was quick to pick up on the fact that there were not a lot of women working with them in the field.

Twelve years later, after leaving Tel-Aviv she found herself in London visiting a friend as she tried to figure out what was next. While there, she decided that she would apply for a Masters in Criminal Justice Policy at the London School of Economics. She loved the city and felt like the degree would give her the flexibility to work practically anywhere she might want. In addition, a degree from the LSE would give her entrée into circles that would no doubt be of assistance if she ever decided to start her own security consulting business. She couldn’t actually afford the tuition, but her 3.91 GPA in Finance and Ethics from NYU made the point moot, as she was able to attract enough scholarship money to cover all of her expenses, and then some. After graduation she moved back to New York and joined the FBI as an Assistant Director at the Securities Enforcement Desk in the same building her uncle had worked years before.

Five years later she had become the Director of the New York office. One day she received a phone call from one of her LSE instructors, Professor Lay. He was wondering if she would sit on a panel of experts during a symposium on white-collar crime that the LSE was running jointly with the Columbia Law School. She agreed and flew back to London the next month. It had been the first time she had been back to London since graduation. She found the sessions quite exhilarating and frankly far more exciting than what she had been doing for most of the last couple of years, which largely consisted of reviewing proposed policy changes and assisting on various federal and state prosecutions. After the symposium had wrapped up she was approached by a gentleman named Albert Pierson.

Albert worked for a company named Alexander Resources, which was one of the largest pharmaceutical and medical research companies in the world, with facilities on six continents. He attended the symposium at the suggestion of Professor Lay. He and Albert had served together in the Royal Marines many years before. Alexander Resources was looking for a security chief who was both supremely competent and able. Professor Lay suggested Albert attend the symposium as many of the smartest people in the field would be attending. “There is one person in particular you should meet” the professor told Albert. “She’s an American and was one of my best students.” He then went on to explain that her name was Laura Stenton and she would be on the panel.

Following the final panel discussion, Albert approached Laura, “Hello Ms. Stenton. I enjoyed your presentation tremendously.” “Thank you. Laura please.” She said, shaking his extended hand. “Hello, my name is Albert Pierson. Professor Lay suggested that I attend the symposium.” “Really? He was one of my favorite professors.” She replied. “Well, so what did you think” “I enjoyed it tremendously. Thank you.” He continued “Actually, I came here specifically to meet you.” “Really?” she said. “Yes, I work for a company called Alexander Resources, have you ever heard of it?” “Ah... no, I’ve been living under a rock for the last decade and I’ve not heard any news of the world.” She said sarcastically. “I’m sorry” he responded, “I didn’t want to be presumptuous.” “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a smile and a dismissive wave of her hand, “I’m just kidding. Yes, I’ve heard of Alexander Resources. If I’m not mistaken they are headquartered someplace near Fontainebleau.” “Yes, you are correct.” “What a lovely area. I visited both the chateau and the town a couple of times while I was studying in London.” They looked at one another for a moment and then she asked, “I’m sorry, why did you want to meet me?” “Actually, I think I’d like to offer you a job.” “Really?” She replied, slightly taken aback. While she was by no means wedded to the Bureau, this was out of left field. “Well, please go on.”

Albert proceeded to explain to Laura that Alexander Resources was in need of a Security Chief to ensure the physical integrity of its facilities and the data that traveled around the world on a private network. The network had been hacked into three times in the last six months and vulnerabilities existed. He explained that her responsibilities would include visiting their 17 research and manufacturing facilities around the world and developing security plans for each. Each facility had to be secure from without so thieves could not steal either the product or proprietary information. In addition to security from without, it was also imperative that secure data not leave in the hands of employees either. The key to any medical / pharmaceutical company’s success is its control over its intellectual property and Alexander Resources needed a new Head of Security to rectify some recent problems.

They met the two days later for a long lunch where Albert answered the barrage of questions from Laura. She had weighed her options and decided that if their conversation went the way she wanted, she would take the job. After Albert finally answered all of her questions satisfactorily she agreed to take the job. She had to admit it had a great deal to offer. The first and perhaps most important issue was chain of command. She would report directly to Albert and Alexander Cooke, who owned the company. After spending five years in the Bureau and having been drummed out of the Mossad for what she was convinced were political reasons, she had had her fill of the posturing and putting political considerations before logic. Albert assured her that logic would rule the day and that she would have at her disposal all the resources and support she required. Second, her office would be in the Fontainebleau headquarters, although she would spend a great deal of time traveling. She liked the idea of being so close to Paris as it was a much easier jumping off point than New York for skiing in Switzerland, something she had fallen in love with when she lived in London. The salary would be very good as well. In a reverse on the notion of a golden parachute which many executives negotiate for when the join a company, she negotiated essentially the equivalent of a professional athlete’s signing bonus. Upon joining the company she would receive $500,000, equal to four times her current salary. Her new salary would be $750,000 per year with a severance package of 30% of salary for each year worked that would kick in after three years. Laura had not proffered financial terms and let Albert lay them out. She knew that in negotiations the upper hand is always with the one who lets their opponent put forth a proffer. Invariably one of two things will occur. They will put forth an offer that is so low that both parties recognize it as a negotiating tactic or they will put forth an offer that they believe is considerably more than what is appropriate in order to seal the arrangement without drawn out negotiations. It was a given that Albert knew exactly what Laura was earning at the Bureau so it would seem that this offer was the latter. Nonetheless, Laura also knew that she was one of the most qualified people in the world doing what she did and she could easily double or triple her salary by simply moving to the private sector in New York or Washington. “Well, Albert, “ she said after he made his offer. “ You and I both know that the offer you have just made is certainly fair, but not overwhelming. I could get those terms by simply picking up and moving shop across the street at home. Nonetheless, everything is not about money and from what I know of Alexander Resources you have an outstanding reputation for both treating your people well and for producing cutting edge research. While I’ve never had a tremendous interest in biological and medical research, I certainly can appreciate that it helps millions of people.” Laura stopped to give Albert the opportunity to say something. He didn’t. He just sat there, with a slight smile, just listening. “Well then, given the terms you’ve just laid out, and a caveat that we reconsider the terms in two years, you have a new employee.” Albert tilted his head slightly and looked up in a mock gesture as if he was evaluating Laura’s offer. Smiling, he said “Excellent. Then we have a deal” and shook her hand. Albert knew that everything Laura had said was true and that they were indeed lucky to get her.

Three days later Laura was in Washington telling her boss, Assistant Attorney General Jason Cartwright, that she was leaving. She hadn’t wanted to come down to tell him, but she knew she could not tell him over the phone. They had been dating until about a year ago. Their relationship began during a three-day Bureau training session at Abdereen Proving Ground a year after she joined the Bureau. The two had hit it off and soon she was driving down to Washington for the weekend or Jason was coming up to New York. After they had been together for about a year Jason was made Assistant Attorney General, making him her boss. Although Jason was sure that their breakup was somehow inexorably tied to his promotion, the truth was that three years into the relationship Laura realized that she no longer looked forward to their weekends. When she told Jason he suggested that she move to DC. She knew that was never going to happen. She wasn’t sure when she knew it for certain, but at some point she simply awoke to realize that it was over with Jason. She felt like she was in high school when she told him “It’s me, not you” but that was the truth and she knew there was nothing either of them could do about it.

On this Monday as they sat across from one another at the Old Ebbit Grill, on 15th street in Washington, directly across from the Treasury Department, she could not help but look out the windows almost continuously. Jason was not taking her news well. She knew that he had never fully gotten over their breakup, but she had hoped that by telling him face to face she could finally make him understand that he had done nothing wrong and that it was time to move on. Now he would really have to move on. Since their breakup he had made a couple of quick trips to New York to surprise her and they invariably ended up in bed. Both times she knew that she should have sent him to a hotel or better yet back to Washington, but when he was standing there in her doorway she lied to herself that he knew it was over and that this was OK because neither of them was involved with anyone else. Now, as the heretofore perpetual smile slowly disappeared from his face she could see that he was slowly getting the message that this was truly it. Paris was not New York and he could not just drive up to see her on an impulse. This was the last nail in their coffin. Staring out at the bright marble façade of the Treasury building she finally realized that there was probably not anything she could say that would make him feel better and that the thing that would actually allow him to move on was her doing exactly what she was telling him she was going to do, move four thousand miles away. The revelation buoyed her spirit and she turned to Jason and smiled. “Listen,” she said as she clasped his hands as they cupped his third Dewars and water of the night “I’m not leaving the planet, I’m just leaving the Bureau and New York. You know that if you need something I’m there for you. Just call. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true. It’s important to know that you are going to be all right.” Jason looked up at her and smiled. “You know” he started, “I’ve been pretty broken up for most of the last year. Being without you has been tough. I can’t say that throwing myself into my work has helped much, because we talk so frequently, but this will probably change that. I hate to admit it, but this is probably exactly what I needed.” “Besides” he added, “now I’ll have a place to stay on my next visit to Paris” That was just something to say to segue into saying goodbye and they both knew it. Jason hated Europe in general and Paris in particular. He had been drug around the continent many times as a teenager by his parents and on the one trip he made on his own he was mugged while walking through Paris’s sometimes seedy Les Halles. He had vowed many times to Laura that he would never again cross the Atlantic and sometimes joked about giving up French fries. As he finished his drink the two of them knew the time had come. Although she would stay in New York for a month to allow her successor to have a smooth transition, they both knew that this would be her last trip to Washington for a long time.

Exactly one month after she told Jason she was leaving, she boarded a British Air flight at JFK headed for Heathrow. She spent a couple of days visiting friends in London before flying on to Paris. Within a week she had found an Apartment in the 8th Arrondissement, directly across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, which made for something of a commute to Fontainebleau. She didn’t mind the hour each way on the train because it was always the most relaxing part of her day. Watching the countryside whisk by gave her a feeling of calmness that she found in few other places. Besides, Albert had told her that she would spend far more time traveling than she would in the office. He was right of course, but she liked that as well because traveling was something she had loved since she was a teenager and her parents took her on a trip across the country. The trip was bittersweet, but she never lost the excitement for exploration it engendered.

Chapter 4. The Games Begin...

The Alexander Resources headquarters was in a nondescript converted Renault transmission factory not far from the Fontainebleau train station. The town was one of the most charming towns on the continent. The headquarters building’s rustic appearance belied the extraordinary research going on within its walls and walls of other Alexander Resources facilities around the world. The pharmaceutical and biotech industries were two of the most competitive industries in the world, particularly in the area of human genetic research. Although Europeans were generally opposed to genetic research when it came to genetically engineered crops, in the area of healthcare research, they were somewhat more permissive. Not that geography really mattered at the dawn of the 21st century, as biotech companies had operations that circled the globe. Alexander Research concentrated on stem cell research for the reproduction of human cells in an effort to solve the problem of organ replacement and rejection. The company had graduated from working on non-decaying blood replenishment products to skin that re-generated itself in a controlled environment. Most of the company’s research was broken down into pieces and parceled out at facilities throughout the world and exactly how the pieces fit together was known only to Albert and Alexander and a handful of doctors. The remainder of the 1,400 personnel on the company’s payroll knew a great deal about their facility’s individual pieces of the puzzle, but none knew what the big picture looked like. Alexander resources did not sell any of its drugs or patents directly. Instead it focused on research and development and struck marketing partnerships with many of the worlds largest drug marketers. The billions of dollars these partnership agreements generated provided the lubrication that kept the research machine working.

Ostensibly as a natural extension of its tissue and organ replacement programs, Alexander Resources began cloning research soon after it was established, although no one but Albert and Alex knew enough about the firm’s disparate operations to recognize that this was a primary focus of the company. When they finally became experts in the area, it was only a handful of doctors who knew what was really being done. Alexander resources had already succeeded in cloning mice and rabbits long before anyone had ever heard of Dolly the sheep. The critical difference was that Alexander Resources had no desire to publicize its activities. Alexander Cooke ruled his empire with an iron fist and the billionaire industrialist had no desire for anyone to know about his company’s cloning research.

Alex was dying. Not in the immediate sense, but in the mortal sense. Like everyone else on the planet, Alex was dying. The difference was that Alex had the resources to do something about it. He decided on his course of action as he approached his 33rd birthday, a little over 30 years ago.

By the age of 32 Alexander had become richer than any single man should be in ten lifetimes. He finally had the resources to deal with the thing that had haunted him for the last sixteen years of his life... death. Every day since the day his brother died so quickly, right in front of him, he found himself grappling with the notion of just how fragile life is. While the picture of death was not always right in front of him, its penumbra was always there. After parlaying almost a decade of currency trading into a fortune more valuable than some national treasuries, he decided to do something about his own mortality rather than just accepting it as had the billions of people who had come before him.

Alexander saw two ways of accomplishing his task of cheating death. The first entailed curing every disease on the planet and overcoming the natural laws of physiology, which make our bodies finite, despite our best efforts. This was, for all intents and purposes impossible. The second, while seemingly implausible, was not beyond the realm of possibilities. It was, in one word, cloning.

A discovery in the jungles of Bolivia allowed Alexander to leapfrog over decades of research to succeed in cloning a mammal just five years after research had begun. In 1972 a team of anthropologists funded by Alexander Resources stumbled across the remains of a long uninhabited camp while they were traveling through the Amazon River basin in northeastern Bolivia. They had spent six months looking for the camp. After literally stumbling across the foundation of the camp, the explorers decided that they likely had found exactly what they had been looking for. Buried under sometimes thick vegetation were broken pieces of microscope mirrors, glass panes and test tubes. The next day one of Alexander’s researchers discovered the only thing of value that was left. It was a steel box in which they found notes describing years of experiments by the scientists who had established the camp. The experiments were not typical rain forest observations and the scientists who conducted them were not a random collection of biologists. Rather, the experiments were conducted beyond the watchful eye of the world around them, both because of their nature and because of who was doing them. The experiments dealt with cloning and the scientists were escaped Nazis. The six of them had escaped from Liepzig in late 1944 when it became apparent that Thousand Year Reich would be lucky to survive another hundred days. While their research during the war had been solely confined to the molecular analysis of cells, each knew that they would be painted with the same brush that so accurately portrayed their colleagues as monsters. Although none of the six had ever done experiments on people or even analyzed the data from such experiments, they knew they could not escape the coming wrath. Together they traveled to Austria and then to San Paulo. From there they migrated to the appropriately named Magdalena, a village named after Mary Magdalen, the patron saint of redemption. In Magdalena there was little interest in their work. While occasionally one or two of the scientists would travel into town for food and basic supplies, they never caused any trouble and it was not long before they were simply ignored, which was exactly what they were hoping for.

None of them would ever return to Germany. Stories of Nazi’s escaping a disintegrating war machine and heading to South America were everywhere one might care to have looked. With a panoply of cities built with a European flair, the Germans often felt very comfortable there. Over time, with the capture of Eichmann in Buenos Aires in1961 and sightings of Mengele, the Angel of Death, throughout the sixties and seventies in Argentina and Paraguay, it became clear that the stories were more fact than fiction. Rumors of such a camp’s existence had circulated for a decade but no one had ever seen it. For years the scientists researched molecular biology, hoping that someday they would be able to emerge from the shadows with a gift that would cause the world to look beyond the darkness they had been part of. They knew that none of them had done the kinds of experiments that the world found so heinous, but none of them wanted to risk the chance of not being believed. They felt that if they could emerge with some landmark breakthrough they would have a better chance of putting up a credible defense. Reproduction of organs for transplant was where they wanted to go. Although the first successful kidney transplant was almost a decade away and the first heart transplant more than twenty years away, their previous work told them that rejection would always be a concern. They were certain that if there was a way to manufacture organs using the genetic material of person in need, the slow journey towards successful transplants could be transformed by a bounding leap. With that leap in hand they expected to be able to rejoin the world and deflect any possible backlash that might be headed their way.

Actual cloning with embryos that grew independently of their parents had been going on in organisms such as urchins and slugs for decades, and data on this research was covered in a variety of research publications. Building on this published experimental data as well as their previous research of splitting cells, the group began transplanting fertilized embryos from a donor to a caretaker in increasingly more complex organisms. What made their experiments unique was their ability to split cells. Given their lack of access to sophisticated manufacturing processes and lacking sufficient funds to purchase the expensive equipment required, they were forced to improvise. It was this forced improvisation that allowed them to stumble across something no one else had thought of, using small electrical jolts to split the cells rather than a utilizing a precisely manufactured microscopic instrument. While they had been unable to clone anything, they had an idea they were close.

They would never know how close they were. Because of a mathematical miscalculation, while they were very close to successfully cloning a complex organism, they would never actually get there. It was like getting on the wrong track at a train station. You might travel in the same direction as your intended train on a parallel track for some time, but at some point the trains diverge and you end up in the wrong place. It does not matter if most of the journey is in the direction you wanted to go, the fact is that getting on the wrong train at the start would determine where you would be when the train stopped.

In early 1958 leftist rebels seeking to overthrow the government set upon the camp. Incorrectly assuming the scientists were on the government payroll, the rebels executed all six men and burned the compound to the ground.

Fifteen years later, Alexander Cooke had the steel box containing the records from their experiments. After analyzing the data for two years, Alex’s labs concluded that the scientists had no idea how close they had come to the secret of life. Late in their work they had been pursuing a course of experimentation on splitting cells that dealt with problems of structural integrity of an amoebae’s cell walls. Because of a slight error in earlier calculations, they had pursued the wrong path of discovery and could not get to where they wanted to be without going back and starting from the beginning. Unfortunately, they never knew about the mistake. Nonetheless, the value of their work could not be overestimated. Had they not made that error and instead followed the correct path, they would have most certainly been able to clone complex organisms within a decade. As Alex’s scientists had this research and a great deal more technology at their disposal, they were able to successfully clone a mouse in 1978. From there they cloned cows and monkeys. They first cloned a human being in 1982. The child’s name was Michael and he was a clone of Estaban, a young Peruvian police officer who had accompanied his wife to one of the University of Peru fertility research clinics funded by Alexander Resources. (Estaban was neither asked nor informed about his cells being used for this purpose and he never knew about Michael, who was raised by an elderly couple in Ancon, a coastal town approximately 25 miles north of Lima) No one other than those directly involved in the experiment knew the child was a clone. The birth came and went without incident. In the three years that followed Michael’s birth, Alex’s scientists studied every physical attribute the boy had and compared his data against Estaban’s. (The premise with which Estaban was convinced to visit the clinic regularly was a fictional irregular heartbeat the clinic’s doctors claimed they had discovered. It was supposed to be very rare but also very dangerous so they wanted him to come in every six months. The fact that he was paid one month’s salary for each visit didn’t hurt.) As Michael grew older, it became very clear Alexander’s doctors had succeeded. He was absolutely perfect. He was an exact replica of his Estaban.

At its 17 research facilities Alexander Resources employed some of the world’s best scientists in various fields. In some cases the facilities were pursuing research that was unique to that facility while in other cases various facilities worked in concert on particular problems. The single, universal area to which every one of Alexander’s facilities made some kind contribution was organ transplant and rejection research. In pursuit of finding a biological Rosetta Stone that would give it the ability to decipher the verities of rejection, Alexander Resources’ doctors performed pro-bono transplants all around the world.

One of the key elements to Alexander Resources success was its experiments conducted on primates. Most cutting edge work was done on primates long before it was tried on humans. This was true with cloning as well. Once Alexander resources successfully cloned primates, they then began intense transplant research. Just as Alexander had postulated they would, organs transplanted from a clone and the “original” ape worked perfectly. Rejection ceased to be an issue. The primary issue of concern was literally one of size. If the “original” ape was a fully grown 12 year old, a transplant from its clone would not work if the clone was only 6 months old because most organs such as the lungs or the heart would simply not be large or strong enough to sustain the fully grown ape. As such, the utilization of clones for organ replacement demanded a great deal of foresight. Once they had a sufficient number of cloned apes available at its disparate facilities, Alexander Resources doctors proceeded to experiment with the transplantation of literally every organ in an ape’s body as well as various parts of the nervous system. Each facility would have a focus, either a section of the body such as the abdomen or spinal cord or a process, i.e. reconnecting nerve endings. The data from the experiments on the cloned simians was compared with data from human transplant patients whose organs came from traditional donors. In every equivalent case the simian transplants were far more successfully than the human transplant.

Alexander Resources collected all of the resulting data on servers located in its South Centre headquarters in Fontainebleau. Here all of the data could be pulled together to create a comprehensive encyclopedia of transplant data. By comparing the human and simian transplant data, Alexander Resources created a roadmap for human cloning transplants that Alexander was certain could somehow lead to immortality.

The data, however, was not for everyone’s consumption. Alexander was a master of furtiveness and maintained intellectual firewalls between his facilities. Although different facilities might be working on different parts of the same project, they shared data only to the extent that it was provided by South Centre.

There were a total of ten people on the planet who had unencumbered access to Alexander Resources data as well as a true understanding of the goal of its founder. Beyond Alexander and Albert the ten included six neurologists and two research analysts. Together these eight were referred by its members as the “Group of Eight” a tongue in cheek name that had dark suggestions of China’s contemporaneous “Gang of Four”. Alexander and Albert set the direction and goals of the research and the “Group of Eight” coordinated the various facilities work in order to achieve the desired results.

The group was founded just a few months after Alexander took possession of the records recovered from Bolivia. From the beginning Alexander Resources was a very secretive place and for those who would have direct interaction with him, Alex was a very serious man. One of the benefits of being about at the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Richest people is that you can buy a great deal of secrecy and loyalty. For the eight who would be focusing the research for his company, Alexander made it crystal clear what kind of a bargain he was interested in striking. It would involve a great deal of money and elements that they might find unpleasant. Alexander was generous with his riches, but he expected much in return, the most important element of which was loyalty.

Every person who signed on to the program knew what was on the table when they were recruited. They had to take or leave the deal and its consequences before they were even privy to the specifics of what was required. The consequences for breaking one’s word, although never explicitly stated, were understood to be very bad, and they were the glue that kept the program below the radar. There were however a number of carrots as well a stick. Upon agreement to participate, each man would be paid $3 million up front and $2 million a year for the rest of their lives. A mountain of cash, combined with a not exactly vague allusion of negative consequences for talking was enough to persuade 7 of the first 8 people Alex approached. One choose to walk away before any of the specifics were known. His name was Harold Thompson and although he was one of the United State’s premier neuroscientists, he came to that position from a very small town in upstate New York. When Alex was discussing the staggering offer with him, Harold could not help but remember the simple adages his uncle Ken used to repeat endlessly when he was growing up. “Nothing in this life is free”, Most things aren’t easy” and “The harder someone tries to get you to do something, the closer you had better look at what they are not saying.” While Harold knew that he would be set financially for life if he accepted Albert’s proposition, he knew that if the uspide was that good, the unspoken downside had to be equally bad. He simply told Alex thank you for considering him for their project but that he would have to pass. Harold walked out and never looked back. Harold was the only person who turned down the offer. The ninth person approached agreed instantly and in a period of one week Alex had assembled the greatest combination of neurosurgeons and researchers that had ever been assembled.

The six neurologists did not become full time employees of Alexander Resources. Alexander had wanted each of them to maintain their current status on staff at some of the greatest hospitals in the world. He felt that by doing so they would able to bring to Alexander Resources the collective advances achieved at those hospitals. Their efforts for Alexander Resources typically included two one-month stretches each year working at the world’s most sophisticated and secret genetic research facility. The facility was located on La Playa Arena, an island a few hundred miles off the coast of Peru that was owned by Alexander Cooke. Beyond those two one-month stretches, they often saw one another out at conventions or other events but never spoke of their involvement with Alexander Resources. The researchers did become full time employees. Each spent six months on La Playa Arena and the other six visiting various Alexander Resources facilities to follow up on different aspects of data they had provided South Centre.

Each October the ten would meet on La Playa Arena for a week to access the current status of each element of the program, discuss the critical needs and set the priorities for the next year.

At the very beginning Alexander made it very clear that no one was allowed to discuss the project’s existence or their involvement with anyone, including their families. Albert had argued with Alex that the idea of keeping such a secret amongst ten people seemed impossible. Alex retorted that as demonstrated by the lack credible conspiracy proof ten years since Kennedy was assassinated, money and fear make for a great deterrence.

Chapter 5. The best laid plans

Thirty years after the team was assembled it was preparing for its greatest test, which involved the ultimate, a cloned human transplant, between Estaban and Michael. Two weeks before the transplant was to occur, a strange set of accidents on opposite sides of the earth conspired to throw a wrench in the works for Alexander’s perfectly choreographed plan. Estaban was hiking with his wife on a trail at the foothills of Andes when a stone upon which he was standing gave way. He tumbled almost straight down the 78-degree incline to the rocky bottom 125 feet below. He was killed instantly. It took two days for the rescuers to recover his body. The experiment would have to be scrapped, at least as it related to Estaban and Michael. There was another cloned duo available, but the necessary pre-transplant physicals and measurements had not been done for them and therefore it would take an additional two months of preparation. A new date was set for exactly two months later.

That date too would prove worthless, but for entirely different reasons. Just days after Estaban’s untimely demise another accident occurred on the streets of Paris. Alex was in the French President’s box for the Formula One Tour de Paris. He had stepped into the next box to say hello to a young lady when he heard a screaming noise. As he turned, there was a flash of black. The pride of all Spain, René “Le Pistol” Pistolero had lost control of his car coming around the fourth turn. The car went flying end over end breaking apart as it did. One of the pieces of flying debris was the left rear axle, which went hurdling at 200 miles per hour into the luncheon box. Alex turned in time to see the still attached tire heading his way. He attempted to hit the ground. Although the tire missed his head, the universal joint at the end of the axle clipped his spinal cord at the bottom of his back as he was diving towards the floor. Six people, including the “Le Pistol” died in that accident, three of whom were in the box with Alex. Alexander was the only one in the box to survive, and frankly only time would tell if that would hold.

He was immediately taken to the Paris’ premiere, if troubled, health care facility, the Pompidou Hospital. It took doctors thirty six hours to stabilize his bloodflow and to arrest the leakage of spinal fluid that threatened to paralyze him from the neck down rather than from the waist down which was the best they could hope for. Two days later Albert, Alex’s assistant and confidante had him transferred to the Alexander Resources South Centre research facility, part of the company’s headquarters in Fontainebleau. While not a traditional hospital in the typical sense of the word, the facility had the best medical equipment and personnel money could buy. Spinal cord research and neurological studies were the center’s specialties and there was no doubt that that was where Alex was going to get the best evaluation possible.

This development literally rocketed forward the timetable for the project Alex had spent the last 30 years funding. Fate had stepped in and there was simply no more time to test. Albert immediately contacted the “Group of Eight” and had five of the eight on private planes headed for La Playa Arena within hours. Two were already on the island, one was just finishing up his month on at the facility and the other was just starting. The last member was David Smith, who happened to be visiting friends in London at the time of the accident. Upon hearing the news he immediately flew to Paris and was with Albert when Alex was transferred to South Centre. He would accompany Albert and Alex to La Playa Arena in a couple of days.

Just as Alex’s private ambulance was arriving at the Pompidou Centre, Albert called Laura who he knew had just returned from an inspection of one of the company’s facilities in the Ivory Coast and likely hadn’t heard about the accident. “Laura, it’s Albert” he said into the phone as he was walking out the front door of the hospital trying to be heard over the din in the lobby. “Listen, I know you are on your way to the mountains for a couple of days, but Alexander has been hurt and I need you to postpone the trip and do something for me.” “Sure, no problem. I know, I just landed about two hours ago. I just heard about the accident last night. How is he?” She asked. “Better. Stable” he said “We’re leaving the Pompidou Centre right now. We’re moving him to the South Centre for a couple of days. David Smith is here and he thinks that it may take a little while before we know the full extent of that damage, but that Alex should regain most of his movement above the waist. The Axle severed his spine. It was as clean a break as one could hope for in such a situation. It could easily have been fatal.” “Good... what do you need from me?”

“Alexander has a son who lives on Aislado, an island a couple of hundred miles from our facility on La Playa Arena. I need you to bring him to meet Alex”. “Uh...OK” Laura said, surprised that she had never heard that Alexander had a son. “Do you want me to bring him here?” “No, he can’t come here yet.” Responded Albert. “He has a disorder that limits his contact with people and where he can travel. It’s an immune system problem...” Albert started to explain the condition but then decided he didn’t have time. “Listen, Alex and I will be leaving for La Playa Arena on Saturday. We will arrive on Sunday.” “I want you to take Jonathan there so they can be together. You’ll find a complete report on the plane.”

“No problem.” She said “I’ll leave first thing in the morning.” “No, I need you to leave tonight. Now if you can.” She looked down at her watch and just as she thought, it was Thursday. Not certain what 12 hours difference would make since Alex wasn’t going to arrive until Sunday anyway, She considered asking why she had to leave immediately but she let it drop, “Uh... OK” she said. “Great! Thanks” “No problem” Laura said as she was hanging up the phone. “Oh, two more things” she thought she heard Albert say. She lifted the phone back to her ear “Yes, what is it?” she asked. “Jonathan doesn’t know anything about Alex, so please don’t mention him. He wants it to be something of a surprise. It is a long story; I’ll explain later. The other thing is that Alex doesn’t want news of his trip to get out so don’t mention any of this to anyone, particularly the press.” “No problem” she said, not at all surprised that even on what might be his deathbed Alex was as secretive as always. “I’ll see you there,” she added before hanging up the phone. The idea of flying Alex halfway across the world in his condition struck her as rather odd, but if that’s what Albert and David wanted, so be it. Although that was one of the few Alexander Resources facilities she had never been to, she knew that La Playa Arena was one of the best facilities on the planet and despite the stress induced by the flight, Alex would get the best care in the world there.

When Albert called Laura had just returned home but she was getting ready to leave again. She had just spent a week inspecting the security situation of Alexander Resources’ Ivory Coast facility. It was a small facility but it was easily one of the firm’s most prodigious. Ivory Coast, once the heart of a rainforest that covered 320,000 square miles in Western Africa, is now home to the Tai National Forest, which is practically all that remains of that erstwhile grand expanse of nature. The Alexander Resources facility abuts the forest and has easy access to its disparate types of fauna and wide array of organisms from moss to monkeys. The inspection was a follow up to some changes that were made after it became clear that the facility required unusual security measures to deal with potential threats from passing poachers, guerrillas and refugees. While there was little threat of a significant attack because of a military facility not far away, there were occasional breaches to its integrity that needed to be stopped. Laura inspected the fences and monitoring system that had been built to her standards. She was now confident the facility could withstand all but the most brutal of attacks, with government troops nearby if relief was necessary.

Although the temperature during the trip did not get above 93 degrees, the humidity was stifling and Laura returned to her apartment almost salivating at the prospect of spending a few days at her favorite place in the world, the Swiss ski resort of Champéry. She had been finishing her up packing when Albert called. She loved the resort and had had this trip planed for almost a year. As she hung up the phone she picked up a stuffed oversized pillow that sat on her 17th century ottoman. She threw it into the bedroom where it slammed into the bright glass panes of the French doors leading to the balcony. The thump caused the pigeon sitting on the rail of the balcony to take flight. As she watched him take off over a nearby roof, Laura wished she could just fly away too. Unfortunately she couldn’t. She felt a flash of despondency at the notion that rather than relaxing in front of a fire after a day on the slopes she now had to fly halfway around the world to bring Alex’s mysterious son to meet a father he’s never met. The gloom lasted for only a split second and again she focused on the task at hand and the fact that Alex was laying in a hospital bed. It seemed pretty easy, and if nothing else it would give her an opportunity to inspect one of the few facilities she had not visited. As the Gulfstream IV-SP took off in the direction of the setting sun, she cheered somewhat with notion that it might not be so bad getting a bit of a tan before going to the Alps. At least she’d stand out against the snow.

Chapter 6. Darkness

In the world of Formula One racing, spectators eventually grow accustomed to the 120-140 decibel level and can carry on civilized conversations without even noticing the cars roar by. Alex was watching the F1 Tour de Paris in the French President’s box with the President’s press secretary Philip Angshotz. Alex was only marginally interested in racing but he was very interested in a new piece of legislation that had to do with the tax status of offshore research facilities. The French government was considering taxing the revenue generated by facilities who leased the rights to their intellectual property to for-profit companies. As the supporting research was being used to generate profits for companies not based in France and therefore not subject to French taxes, the idea was that as some of the research was likely done in France, some portion of those profits should be taxed by France. Essentially the government was saying that because the data upon which some companies relied to generate revenues and profits was developed in France, that the government should have the right to tax their profits. That was essentially the same as saying that because the Wright Brothers were the first to fly, that the American government should have the right to tax profits on businesses worldwide that had anything to do with flight, regardless if there was any connection the United States at all. A Turkish airline. A German overnight air shipping company. A Chinese company manufacturing plane seats. It was a ludicrous idea and Alexander knew that such a tax would stifle the willingness of companies, including Alexander Resources, to license their research to for-profit companies and would instead have to set up dummy non-profits to act as middlemen. In addition, they would stop doing research in France all together. The increase in tax revenue to the state from these transactions would be inconsequential relative to the losses due to shifting of research and development jobs. Knowing this, Alex was meeting with Philip in hopes that he would speak with the president during their daily briefings. While it was well known that Alex had a very good relationship with the President and could easily pick up the phone and reach him, he decided on this matter he would rather work through Philip. Given the direct impact the law would have on Alexander Resources, Alex concluded he would have more success if he let the President appear above the specifics of the fray. Besides, Philip and Alex had been friends for years and they loved to bet on just about anything that moved. On this race they had a 10,000 Euro bet going, not on something as straightforward as who won the race, but rather something far more difficult, an over/under as to what the average speed of the winner would be. If the winning driver averaged over 225 KPH on the long and meandering track, Alexander won. If the winners’ average speed was below 225 KPH, Philip won.

Standing in the box next to Alexander and Philip was Marta Allera, a 35-year-old ex-supermodel from Sweden who had been staring at Alex since he arrived two hours before. Alex decided to excuse himself and walked over to speak with Marta. “Hello” she had said in perfect English and a smile that radiated. “Hello” said Alex, extending his hand. Just as he clasped her hand and pulled it toward him as he bent to kiss it, they both heard a high pitched gush of air coming from just beyond the box. It was being generated by the wheel and axle of from what used to be René “Le Pistol” Pistolero’s car. The wheel and axle were tumbling end over end as they headed over the wall. Out of the corner of his eye Alex could see something coming towards them. Instinctively he picked up his feet and let gravity do its work just as a batter might do if an inside curveball forgot to curve. Alex was able to get below the bulk of the mass flying at him. Marta, her hand still in Alex’s, was not so lucky and was dead before her body hit the floor. Alex was struck by the axle and everything turned black. For much of the next three days he drifted between conscienceness and unconscienceness and couldn’t really tell the difference between the two. Every day was a never-ending montage of abject darkness, brilliant, blinding light and distant childhood memories. Sounds were muffled but he could hear his own voice as clear as a bell, yet he somehow knew he had not said a word.

On the fourth day he awoke to discover that his spinal cord had been severed and that he had lost the use and sensation of everything below his chest. Luckily there was no major internal organ damage beyond the spine. The doctor, his doctor, was David Smith, an American and the de facto leader of the “Group of Eight.” He was perhaps the foremost neurologist in the world and his “day job” was as the head of Neurology at Johns Hopkins. Although David had known Alex for over 20 years, and had known him to be a man of few outward emotions, he still found himself startled by Alex’s lack of reaction when given the bad news. It was not that the situation didn’t trouble Alex, because it very much did. Rather, he was not surprised because somehow Alex seemed to know the diagnosis before David told him.

Alex wasn’t sure how he knew it himself. He didn’t know if it was because he overheard someone talking while he had been drifting into and out of conscienceness or if it was something more visceral. The only thing he knew for sure was that the moment he picked up his feet at that race everything turned black. Three days later, as he slowly contemplated opening his eyes, the only images he could remember having seen clearly involved his brother Josh. He saw himself and Josh playing at his parent’s house in Greenwich and his grandmother’s museum-like home on Cape Cod. Interspersed with those happy childhood memories was the vision of the life literally being crushed out of Josh’s lungs. However long he was unconscious it was too long because the one thing he had not been able to escape was the look on his brother’s face.

The most difficult thing of all however was the knowledge that everything he had worked for over the last three decades would be lost. He had made his singular goal in life the pursuit of immortality. Now, when he was at the final stage of that pursuit, it seemed that he might pull defeat out of the jaws of victory. He was so damn close after all of these years. He was so close he could smell success, and now this. The one element in his plan that could not be dealt with was a catastrophic accident like the one he had just experienced. As he laid there he knew that if he ceased to breathe everything he had worked for over the last 30 years would all be for naught. The money didn’t matter. The company didn’t matter. The power didn’t matter. They were all simply tools that gave him the power to pursue his goal. Life was the brass ring and it seemed as if he might have just lost his chance to hold onto it.

A couple of times he felt like he could see a light at the end of a tunnel beckoning him forth. It was Heaven. He could tell because his brother and parents were there. They were standing just outside of the bright doorway telling him to come with them. He remembers taking a few steps and then stopping. No, he could not go, he did not want to pass through that door. Funny, he had never believed in Heaven and here it was, beckoning him. Nonetheless, it might be a trap. He was not stepping through that door. He wasn’t going to take another step. He stopped in his tracks. He had almost achieved his life’s ambition and there was no way he was going to be pulled off of the track now. He turned to run. He felt like he was on a moving sidewalk. As he tried to run away from the light, the moving sidewalk kept moving towards it. It took every ounce of strength in his body to run against the force of that moving sidewalk. After what seemed like hours of running he could finally see the end of the sidewalk. At the end he could see, of all things, a welcome mat. One of those thick brown ones made of some kind of prickly straw. It was sitting at the beginning of the sidewalk that was moving so fast against him. As he was running in the wrong direction, trying to break free of what was no doubt a demon sidewalk, he approached the mat from above. He could read the words on the mat upside down. They said “Welcome Alex.” He had obviously somehow passed over it when he stepped onto this sidewalk that led inexorably to the light. He didn’t remember crossing it the first time but he knew he was going to get back over it now. Just when he was approaching the end of the sidewalk and almost stepped onto the mat that undoubtedly signaled escape from this journey he had no desire to take, the sidewalk quickened its pace and pulled him farther away as if it were taunting him. “No” he said to himself, this could not happen now! He could not let it happen now. He would not let it happen now. So he ran as fast as he could and leapt with all of his might towards the beginning of the moving sidewalk. He landed squarely on the welcome mat, which indeed proved to be made out of that prickly straw stuff. As his body crashed onto the mat he was filled with a rush of both exhaustion and the thrill of success. He knew he had just barely avoided the siren of death.

In the South Centre room in which Alex lay, David Smith and the phalanx of assembled doctors were at a loss to explain his rapid breathing and sweating, particularly as the room temperature had been set to 23 degrees C (70 F). Suddenly David could see Alex’s hands tighten into a grip. His arms moved in a slight backward and forward motion, pumping against the bed. Finally his hands clinched once more then unclinched and stretched out. A moment later Alex’s hands relaxed and he opened his eyes and smiled. He knew that he had won and he was out of immediate danger. He looked up at David and smiled “Did Philip say who won our bet?” David was taken aback, not having a clue what Alex was talking about. Shaking his head and realizing David knew nothing of the waggish bet he and the late Philip had made on the race, Alex said “Never mind.” Turning serious he then asked “What was that? What happened?” All he knew was that one minute he was standing talking to the beautiful Marta and the next minute he was hitting the ground. Then blackness. David explained everything about the accident and that he had been in and out of a coma for three days. David told him that he was very lucky to be alive. Not only because he had been the only person in the box to survive, but also because had the axle been two inches lower as it flew into the grandstands, he wouldn’t be alive today. “Where is Albert?” Alex asked. “I’ve just called him. He went down to get some coffee. He’s on his way back up.” Albert came bursting through the door. “Alex!” he yelled, smiling. “How are you feeling?” “Well, I’ve been better?” Alex replied with a slight smile, “but I’m not complaining.” “Well, I’m glad to see that you are alive. We just weren’t sure which way you’d go for a while.” As Albert walked over and began to reach out for Alex’s hand he looked up at David for approval, not wanting to inadvertently do any damage. David nodded and Albert took Alex’s hand in both of his and said, “Glad to have you back my friend.” “It’s good to be back of course. But I wish you had brought me something from the cafeteria. I’m starving!” “No problem. What do you want?” asked Albert. “Believe it or not I could go for a steak right now. I don’t know what it is about running a marathon, but it certainly makes me hungry. David, do they have steaks here?” Albert and David looked at one another, neither understanding the marathon reference. David spoke, “Yes, I’m certain they have some and in answer to the question you haven’t asked, the answer is no.” “Unfortunately for you, you suffered such severe trauma that you won’t be able to handle any solid foods for quite some time. I’m sorry Alex, but you are going to have to be satisfied with lots of liquids and Jell-O.” Alex closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them with a look of resignation, “All right then, have it your way, but the Jell-O had better be chocolate!”

Alex looked over at the female technician who was adjusting the frequency on the heart monitor that was producing a strong and steady signal now. He nodded towards the woman who had her back to the three men. Taking his cue, David said “Nurse Thomas, can you give us a few moments please?” “Yes doctor” she replied. All three men’s heads turned as they followed the hourglass shaped technician as she walked out the door. As soon as the door closed Alex looked up at David and said “Does this change the plan?” “No, other than moving up the timetable, it really shouldn’t. Although I must tell you, with the trauma your body has experienced, there is a high risk of cardiac arrest or embolism. We’ve looked, and we have you on a blood thinner, but with that kind of damage, the possibility that there is a blood clot that we can’t see is significant.” Understanding exactly what David was telling him, Alex knew that time is of the essence. “When can we move? How long will prep take?” David looked over at Albert and then answered Alex, “We can move you in two days and we can be ready to go on La Playa Arena in 96 hours.” “Good, then let’s start the wheels moving.” Alex said looking up at Albert.

Albert wasted no time. He went out and called Laura. After hanging up on her he called the other members of the “Group of Eight.” An hour later he returned to Alex’s room. “Done” he said as he closed the door behind him. “Laura’s leaving immediately and the rest of the team will leave for La Playa Arena tonight. We’re leaving for South Centre right now and we’ll fly out to La Playa Arena on Saturday.” Alex creased his forehead for a moment as if thinking and then he said, “I don’t even know, what is today?” realizing he was not exactly sure how long he had been in that bed. “Thursday” Albert and David said simultaneously, David having come through the door just before the question. He had pushed a wheelchair into the room and explained to Alex, “Although you’ll be laying down on the plane, we’ve modified this wheelchair so that you can sit up without putting pressure on your spine.” Looking at the chair Alex said “Thanks.” After a moment of silence he asked: “How long will it take?” knowing both would know exactly what he was talking about. “Well,” David responded and then hesitated, looking over at Albert for approval. Albert nodded then David continued “We’ll have to wait until we arrive on La Playa Arena to know for certain, but we should be able to get started in less than a week.” He added, “Don’t worry Alex, we’ll have you walking again very soon.”

Chapter 7. Aislado

The moment she arrived on the island she didn’t really care why she had been called upon to do this job. The ocean breeze blew across the door as she emerged from the plane. As she stepped down the stairs Jonathan and Sebring greeted her. The resemblance to Alex was startling. Alex was not a stunningly attractive man in the fashion model sense, but his face had crisp, sharp features and piercing eyes of an almost unnatural sky blue. He had a presence that one could spot from across the room, and although he did not speak a great deal, when he did people always listened. It was the self-assuredness and confidence that comes with being a self made man. Although Alex would be the first to tell you he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he knew that such a start was no guarantee of success. He had exponentially increased the value of the trust left to him by his grandfather to a point where it was now worth more than 100 times the combined value of the trusts left to everyone else in his family. While the self-assuredness was always there, Laura never saw it take the form of arrogance.

It was obvious that Jonathan had that same self-assuredness, albeit with a smile. He almost looked like a circa 1960 Alexander standing before her. Not that she had known Alex then, but she had seen pictures. During the flight she read the information Albert had provided her on Jonathan. He had lived on the island for the last 18 years since he was a baby. He was born with an infinitely rare birth defect that would not allow him exposure to germs of any sort for any extended period of time. Laura felt sad when she read of his condition and the fact that other than Sebring, he had lived alone with no one his own age for such a long time. He was truly a “Boy in the Plastic Bubble” except that his plastic bubble was an island paradise. It struck her as strange that someone with unlimited resources such as Alex would not prefer to have his son someplace much closer, or at least to visit him. When she thought about it however, it really didn’t surprise her that much. Alex never ever talked about his family. He never married. He never had any children, or so they had been led to believe, and he never had any pets. All of those things were distractions that Alex neither needed nor wanted. While there was a constant parade of beautiful women on his arm, he never allowed any of them to stay for very long. Once they were beginning to feel comfortable Alexander would decide that the relationship was over so that there would be no ties. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like Alex. Actually, Laura always thought the strangest thing about Alexander was not that he was so oblique, that he seemed to have no emotional connection to the world and people around him, but that such a man would give away hundreds of millions of dollars away annually for charities and research that would help so many people. Then she thought about it from a business perspective and it made perfect sense. By funding research across the planet, Alexander Resources bought itself a great deal of goodwill with recipient governments while at the same time putting itself in legal position to take first advantage of any discoveries made with its help. Laura considered herself a pretty good judge of character and now that she thought about it, after working for Alex for more than five years she could honestly say that she really had no idea of what drove him.

Whatever the history between Alex and Jonathan, or more accurately, the lack of one, it seemed as if this accident had caused Alexander to want to make things right. Jonathan was being taken to La Playa Arena not only to meet Alex, but also to receive a treatment that might cure his condition. The report said that the process was rather complicated, but the fundamental idea behind it was a transfusion that would use Alex’s blood to “jumpstart” Jonathan’s immune system. Alexander Resources had spent decades studying the phenomena of blood and organ rejection and a big part of that was analysis of the host body’s immune system reactions. Some months prior to the accident they discovered that a new gene manipulation technology, when combined with a “filtering” of blood held great promise for curing Jonathan’s immune disorder. The scientists had were certain it would be effective from the start, but Alex had not been able to make his way out to the La Playa Arena in order to undergo the transfusion. Unfortunately that delayed the procedure because both men had to be literally within feet of one another for the process to work. Essentially there would be two tubes attached between the men and a pump would cycle blood between them for a period of about three hours. At the end of that three-hour period all of Jonathan’s blood would have passed through Alex’s circulatory system. That process, supplemented by the genetically manipulated drug would give Jonathan a proper white / red blood cell balance. This would allow his immune system to begin with a clean slate, which should then develop into a normal, properly functioning immune system within a few months. Again it struck Laura as odd that Alexander had not been able to clear his schedule during the past six months in order to allow this procedure to take place. Nonetheless, although the current conditions were not perfect, it seemed to Laura that it was good that Jonathan was getting his chance for a cure now. Luckily the damage from the accident was limited and Alex’s circulatory and pulmonary system were working just fine. In what seemed to Laura to be a particularly gallant gesture, Albert said that Alex was adamant about this procedure taking place immediately. In case there was a problem with his recovery, Alex did not want Jonathan to miss this opportunity to live a normal life.

Laura arrived on Aislado on Friday. Her plane landed just as a ferocious storm was moving towards La Playa Arena. The main area of the storm was going to pass to the south, but the northernmost part of it was going to pass right over La Playa Arena. She and Jonathan were originally supposed to leave as soon as she arrived, but now they would likely leave Sunday. Time was not critical as Alexander and Albert weren’t going to leave Paris until Saturday and would not arrive on La Playa Arena until Sunday themselves. When she called Albert and explained the situation he was not happy but he knew that with 120-MPH winds it was much too dangerous to make the flight in such conditions. He told her to relax and he would see her on Sunday.

As she stepped from the plane to greet Jonathan and Sebring the first thought that went through her mind was oddness of the fact that someone so sick and fragile could fill out a shirt so well. It immediately seemed strange to her that someone with such a weak immune system could be in such obviously tremendous shape. And it was a tremendous shape. Six foot two, long brown hair and a body somewhere between Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger. From all appearances she was sure he could not have been in better shape if he had been sculpted by Michelangelo.

Standing right beside Jonathan was Sebring, who, as Albert had suggested, was not the most gregarious person in the world. Actually, subdued probably would have been a step up. He was however quite courteous and helpful. He too was obviously in great shape, although the shape of a fit 75-year-old man differed tremendously from that of a 20-year-old, she could nonetheless see he took care of himself.

“Ms. Stenton, nice to meet you” “Thank you. It’s Sebring isn’t it?” “It is, Ma’am”. “Please, call me Laura” she said, gently grasping his hand in both of hers. “And you must be Jonathan” she said. “Indeed I am.” Jonathan said with a smile. “It’s very nice to meet you.” “Please, let me take your bag” Sebring said. “Would you like to come this way please.” Beckoned Jonathan as he turned and gestured toward the road that would lead to the cottage a quarter mile away. “How was your trip?” he asked as the headed down the road. “Long, but otherwise quite pleasant actually” Laura replied. “I’m rather sure that King Tut would have been happy to have been buried in that plane” “Well, hopefully neither of us will meet him anytime soon to ask” Jonathan quipped. “You know, this will be the first time I’ve ever been in a plane, or at least since I was a baby” “Are you anxious?” Laura asked. “I am. Actually excited would probably be a little more accurate. I’m familiar with the physics behind flying, but I’m sure that actually doing it is going to be a lot more exciting.” “Well, I’m not at all familiar with the physics behind flying, but I can tell you, it can be pretty exciting sometimes. You’ll see. I never stop being amazed at looking down on clouds.”

Still standing at the foot of the ramp, Sebring greeted the pilot as he stepped from the plane; “How are you Jack?” “Not too bad, but I’m glad we’ve got to stick around a couple of days. I need to recover from three days in Barcelona.” “More like three nights if I know you” Sebring said, smiling. “You’re right, it took Albert two days to track me down. I wasn’t planning on making this trip.” “Well, we’re glad to have you my friend” Sebring said as the two turned to head towards the cottage.

“Here we are then,” Jonathan said to Laura, gesturing to the cottage. “Cottage” was a rather humble characterization. It was actually quite large, spreading out over 8,000 square feet. It had been built as a retreat by Ameil Houte, a 1930’s California oil baron and it very much looked the part. It was one of two he had built. The second was built some years later and was basically the fruit of an extortion from his second wife. She had so fallen in love with the “Cottage” on Aislado that it was at the top of the list of demands that must be met before she would agree to a divorce. Given that his fortune was forged from businesses that were in some corners (particularly government corners) considered as being “extra-legal,” he knew it was to his benefit to solve this problem without a great deal of publicity. He therefore agreed to give her the “Cottage” and decided to build an identical one for himself on an island about 175 miles away called El volcán. Laura looked at the cottage and thought to herself that it looked both out of place and a natural fit at the same time, with a red ceramic tiled roof that seemed more appropriate for a Tuscan villa and windows big enough that they almost blurred the line between inside and out.

Standing there looking at the cottage Laura was sure she would enjoy her brief stay in paradise. Unfortunately, in her haste she hadn’t remembered to re-repack her bag and so everything she had was more appropriate for slopes covered with white snow than beaches made of white sand. Fortunately however the room in which she was staying had a few clothes that were appropriate for the climate. She was a little surprised that there were a couple of drawers full of women’s clothes but she was happy they were there. She tried a couple of things on until she found something that fit. “Good” she said as she nodded to herself in the mirror.

Later that evening at dinner Laura explained to Jonathan and Sebring that they were going to La Playa Arena for a treatment it was hoped would repair Jonathan’s immune system. Both were overwhelmed when she told them that the doctors expected that within six months Jonathan’s immune system would be functioning normally and that he would be able to go anywhere. She found she had to consciously keep herself from mentioning Alexander’s name a couple of times because it seemed so integral to the reason she was there. But as Albert had said that Jonathan didn’t know anything about Alex, she didn’t want to end up in the middle of a discussion she knew nothing about. She still thought it was a little strange however. After dinner Laura was not sure who was more full of questions; her, being interested in the life of a young man who had never been off his small island, or him, as Laura was the first woman he had ever met who was not either sticking him with a needle or providing him with something far more pleasurable. Laura was dumbstruck when Jonathan casually mentioned Maria and the other young women who had visited him on the island. Frankly, after reading his biography on the plane she almost expected that he had never met anyone in his life but doctors. In an almost puzzling way she found it fascinating that someone brought up without the standard Western mores looked at sex in such a fundamentally biological way, without even a hint of judgment for either himself or the women who had been brought to visit him. Not that he didn’t express some kind of feelings for the young ladies, because he did, particularly Maria, but there was a lack of an understanding that sex occurs most often in the context of an emotional relationship. The fact that such relationships did not exist for him, and that he didn’t seem to understand that something might be missing made it clear to Laura that Jonathan did not grasp the truly unique nature of his situation. Nonetheless, as they talked and talked and talked she was amazed by his gentleness, his depth and his passion for ideas. It surprised her to admit to herself that she had somehow expected his growing up almost alone on this island would have caused him to be a beast. She was sure she couldn’t have been more wrong if she tried to argue that the earth was flay.

In addition to being a physical god, he was also as well read as anyone she had ever known. The house had a library that would have put many schools to shame. And Jonathan had read most of the books in it. While he was very well read, he did not have a particularly firm grasp on the wonders of the latter half of the 20th century. This paradise was an island in more ways than one. While he read voraciously, he had never seen a television set, never been in a car and had never used a computer. He was not ignorant that such things existed, they simply did not exist on his island. Frankly, having never experienced them he had no notion that he was missing things that seemed so important in the rest of the world. The more Laura discovered about Jonathan, the more she became confused about Alexander. Why did he buy this island with this lavish house for his son, and then never visit him? Never. Nor have a single bit of contact with him? Particularly since Alexander had sufficient resources even twenty years ago to provide him with an appropriately sterile environment anywhere he might have wanted to. And now, with Alex in such bad shape, why was it so important for him to meet Jonathan to meet him now? Was he really trying to make up for a lifetime of neglect or had he, a self-proclaimed atheist finally found God? Then there was the question of why didn’t Jonathan know about Alexander? Frankly, Laura was fairly sure there must have been more to this story than she was being told, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. There were too many questions and this was probably not the right time to play Sherlock Holmes.

The next morning after breakfast Jonathan promised to show Laura around the island. She was amazed by its beauty. The sunrise was beyond a doubt the most beautiful she had ever seen. With braided hues of purple and orange hiding behind and then bursting through the reeds of clouds, it was like a Jackson Pollock canvas come to life. Jonathan spent the morning showing her his world. The mountain at the center of the island was in reality a long dormant volcano, standing watch over that which it had spawned above the waterline. Wonderful fruits such as coconuts, mangos and pomegranates were ubiquitous and there seemed to be a million different kinds of plants and flowers, most of which she had never seen.

They returned to the cottage for a lunch of rice and crab just before noon. Laura decided she needed to lay down and rest as Paradise could be exhausting, particularly given that she had been flying for most of the last two days. After a couple of hours of sleep in the lazy warmth of the day, Sebring told Laura that she could find Jonathan in the open air gym that lay about 500 feet from the house. Although her approach was almost silent, it was not intentional. She subconsciously slowed her steps as she arrived, not able to make out the rustling sound that grew louder as she approached. When she arrived at the edge of the gym she stood for an unknown number of minutes, compelled with fascination watching the most beautiful male body she had ever seen. Jonathan, oblivious to her presence, was doing stretching and balancing exercises as if he had been drawn from the ranks of Cirque du Soleil. As he moved effortlessly across the mat in the middle of the room Laura could not help but notice the rippling muscles of his chest, back and arms. It very much reminded her of a time when she was a little girl and would visit one of her uncles at his ranch in Texas. She would watch her aunt’s thoroughbred walk around their corral. It was as if God had finally found the perfect combination of beauty, strength and grace and poured them all into that majestic animal. Although he was rarely in the winner’s circle at the racetrack, for Laura that horse was as most perfect example of the beauty of nature she had ever seen. Until now.

While it was immediately obvious that Jonathan was in good shape from the moment he met her at the airstrip, she had no idea how good until now. Wearing only a pair of knee length cotton pants, his upper body was exposed for all of its breathtaking beauty. As she stood admiring his demonstration, she couldn’t help but feel like she was 15 again. As her sandal slipped from her bent left leg, it hit the floor with a crash whose effect was far greater than the sound that it actually made. Immediately Jonathan stopped and looked at her. Flustered and startled by the sound of her own shoe, Laura felt like a girl caught staring at the boy across the room with a pencil in her mouth. Jonathan smiled and beckoned her to come into the room. Room of course being a relative concept; in this case the room was in reality a thatch roof over a 1000 sq. ft. floor. The construction was actually masterful, with four posts on each side supporting the roof without a weight-bearing pole in sight. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” “No, no, please come in, “ he said, waving again for her to come in. “You’re very good,” she said. “That is a style of Chinese Kenpo Kata is it not?” she asked. Much in the way a play can be interpreted differently by different directors, in martial arts most instructors introduce unique elements into their katas, which are structured sequences of movements intended to train specific actions or reactions and improve coordination and discipline. Elements can be added or subtracted depending on the training objective, but typically the fundamental building blocks remain the same. Many of the elements she had just watched Jonathan execute she had never seen in twenty years of studying, but she was certain it was Kenpo. “Actually it is” Jonathan said. Although I must admit I have mixed things from other disciplines. Sebring requires me to practice them separately, but when I’m alone I mix them.” “Well, they work well together.” “Do you study?” he asked, referring to the martial arts. “Yes, but I must admit I have not done much working out for the last couple of years.” “Well” he said with a wry smile, “you look like you’re in pretty good shape to me.” Realizing that she was almost blushing, Laura sputtered out “Thank you.” Wanting to quickly change the subject before she turned completely red, she said “You promised to take me to the lagoon this afternoon.” “Yes I did. Would you like to go now? “I’d love to” she said. He grabbed his shirt and they were off.

As they approached the lagoon Laura was mesmerized. Lying at the base of small waterfall that was the result of a unique freshwater spring, it shimmered like a pool with a mirror on its bottom. “Breathtaking” she said. “Wait till you get to the top” Jonathan said as he bounded up the side of the rocks until he was standing atop the ledge where the waterfall began. The ledge was not high, only about 15 feet above the surface but its view was spectacular.... Standing at the top like a master surveying his land, Jonathan reached out to give Laura a hand up. She looked at him with a feigned disgust as she climbed up next to him and smiled. “You were right, this is spectacular. How deep is the water down there?” she said as she pointed to the crystal clear water directly below them. The bottom of the lagoon was like the optical illusion one sees when flying above clouds, where they seem so close but you really have no idea how far away they really are. She could see the sandy ridges on the bottom, but from the ledge she couldn’t tell if the water was 10-ft or 50-ft deep. “I’m not sure.” Jonathan said “I’ll find out” He looked over at Laura and smiled and suddenly arched forward into a perfect dive, right into the glistening water below. Startled, Laura followed his path until he hit the water. She thought it could not have been more perfect had he been competing in Acapulco. She stared at the rippling water, unable to see exactly where he had gone. “I’d say about twenty feet” she heard him say. She looked up and he had surfaced in the middle of the lagoon beyond the spray of the waterfall. “I’m not certain though, you might want to check for yourself,” he said with a smile as he treaded water.

After some feigned hesitancy Laura dove in herself. She knew it was probably not the best dive of her life but in this particular case function was more important than form. She swam down to the bottom and ran her fingers through the sand and let it fall through her fingers. She then looked towards the surface and could see Jonathan’s silhouette against the afternoon sky. The water was crystal clear. She swam along the bottom of the lagoon until it she was behind him. She surfaced about ten feet behind him and announced with no clue of what the truth was “Actually, I think it is closer to twenty one feet.” “Really?” he said as he slowly spun himself around to face her. “Yea, I think your gauge is a little off,” she said. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he said as he kicked his legs slightly so that he was moving slowly towards her. “I think maybe its your gauge that’s a little off” he continued. Laura began moving away from him, but she made sure that she was moving more slowly away than he was approaching. Soon enough the distance between them shrank until Jonathan was close enough to reach out and pull her close. Laura knew that this might not be the smartest thing she had ever done career-wise, but it felt more right than anything she had done in the last twenty years.

After an afternoon of passion at the bottom of the waterfall, Jonathan took Laura to watch the most brilliant sunset she was sure had ever existed. Suddenly, like a schoolgirl, she was imagining all of the possibilities that existed once Jonathan’s treatment was complete. Not that she would have minded for a second staying on the island with him forever, but she knew that there were so many things in the world to show him that she couldn’t wait to get started. She knew it was ridiculous to let her mind wander like that, after just a day, but she couldn’t bring herself to reign it in. What would Alexander think? She still thought it was very unusual that he had never seen his son, but the simple fact that he had spent as much money over such a period of two decades keeping him on this very well appointed island meant that he must have some expectations for him. She decided that Alexander must not know anything about this. As they began to leave the lagoon, Laura grabbed Jonathan’s hand. “Sweetheart” she heard herself say instinctively, which struck her as odd, both because it felt so appropriate and because she had not used the word in longer than she could remember. Turning towards her, Jonathan said “Yes?” knowing that she was using a term of endearment, although he had never heard the word before. “We can’t tell anyone about this” she said in a sweeping motion back towards the lagoon, suggestive of what had just happened between them.” “Why...” Jonathan started to say. Putting her finger to his lips, she shook her head and said “Not Sebring, not Jack, not anyone on La Playa Arena. Not for a while at least. Honestly, I don’t exactly know why myself but I just have a feeling that she shouldn’t mention anything.” She held both his hands now and asked “OK?” “OK” he said with a smile as he leaned down to give her another kiss. They stood there wrapped around one another for what seemed like forever, but in a good way. If that’s what she wants, then she would get no argument from him.

When they arrived back at the compound, arrangements were already being made for the next day’s trip. Jack would fly Laura and Jonathan out in the afternoon after the storm had safely passed La Playa Arena. They would leave at about two. Sebring would stay on Aislado until Tuesday when Jack returned to pick him up and bring him over. Sebring would have liked to travel with Jonathan and Laura but needed to stay because Albert was having some medical equipment brought to the island. Once he returned home, Jonathan would need a great deal of monitoring to evaluate the procedure’s progress. As Aislado did not have the appropriate machines, they were being delivered on Monday. Albert was having a full diagnostic laboratory sent in and set up. They were getting a blood analysis machine, a refractomerer, a molecular microscope, a centrifuge and a number of other machines. In addition to the equipment itself, Albert was having a satellite data transmitter installed so that the data could be sent back to La Playa Arena for real-time analysis. Albert needed Sebring there to instruct the installation crew as to where he wanted the equipment placed. A technician would be arriving with the installation team to ensure that everything was in working order before everyone left. Once Jonathan returned to Aislado, a doctor and a technician would come to the island every other week to run the tests and evaluate his progress. After two months they should be able to make a determination as to whether or not the procedure was going to be a success. If the data indicated Jonathan’s immune system was not making progress at that point there were a number of options that could be pursued, but Albert had said that everyone involved was confident it was going to be successful.

This was going to be the first time Jonathan had been off the island for as long as he could remember. He was not enthusiastic about leaving Sebring behind but knowing that he was to follow in a couple of days gave him some relief. Jonathan would be on La Playa Arena for about a week before he returned to Aislado. Although the treatment was expected to be complete at that point, he had been told that it would have to remain on the island for six months to ensure that if it was unsuccessful or took longer than expected for his immune system to get to full strength, he would be in no danger. Once his system was pronounced healthy, it would be safe for him to leave. Once he was cleared to leave, he could go anywhere he wanted and he planned on visiting all of those places he had read about. Although he didn’t mention it to her or anyone else at the table, more than anything he wanted Laura to share those experiences with him.

Later that night, after everyone had said goodnight and gone to bed, Jonathan went over to Laura’s room, which was almost it’s own separate bungalow on the other side of the pool, connected to the cottage by semi-open air hallway. Although she had expected him, she had nodded off to sleep. He stood there marveling at her as she lay there so still. The sheet traced the outline of her shape like sand on a body that had been rolling in the surf. Lying halfway on her side and halfway on her stomach, her silhouette was like dunes on the beach that flowed with subtle grace. He crawled onto the bed next to her and slowly pulled the sheet away. Inch by inch as he pulled the sheet down the length of her body a little bit more of her nearly perfect body came into his view. Laura had always kept herself in great shape and Jonathan could not take his eyes off her. Between martial arts and swimming she would have been hard pressed to be in better shape had she been a professional athlete, yet she remained unmistakably feminine. When the sheet was finally gone Jonathan couldn’t help himself. One hand started at her neck and the other at her feet and he lightly covered every contour and curve in between. Feeling a chill from both the light breeze and Jonathan’s touch Laura awoke and rolled onto her back to face him as he sat on the bed looking down at her. Smiling, she closed her eyes as Jonathan left no part of her body untouched.

While he had been with other women since Maria had first come to visit him, Jonathan had never known this powerful feeling which now overtook him. Although he had known Laura only for a day and a half, he felt like he had somehow been raised to be in her arms. Just laying there as he was, wrapped around her, he felt as if she knew everything his mind was thinking. Making love to her was so far beyond the pleasure of anything he had ever experienced, it almost made every other experience in his life seem like a mirage. He didn’t know how, but he knew that he wanted to be with her more than he had wanted anything in the world, and he was going to figure out a way for that to happen, regardless of how successful this treatment might be. At some point he drifted off to sleep with Laura’s hair covering his face like a wonderful sleeping mask.

Waking a little after midnight, Laura was sure she was crazy. Here she was, letting her mind wonder and wander down paths that had suddenly emerged from a chaotic situation driven by this Adonis in whose arms she was now lying. It was crazy on so many levels. At forty-two she was more than twice his age. Although he was as well read and as smart as anyone she had ever met, he was still like a babe in the woods. Everything he knew about the world had come from books or stories, and there was so much he would have to explore. Yes, she would love to show him the world but wouldn’t he want to explore it on his own? Adding to the confusion is the strange relationship or lack thereof, between he and his father. Jonathan obviously meant enough to Alexander to cause him to support him in a rather unusual and expensive way for twenty years, and now, despite their never meeting before, Alexander wanted to see him right now when he might be near death himself. It didn’t make a great deal of sense, but she knew that things didn’t always make sense, particularly with someone as enigmatic and reticent as Alex. She remembered the time his Goddaughter Linda came to Paris for vacation. He had assistants running around for three weeks planning the visit and making sure that everything would be perfect. Then, when she finally arrived, he barely spoke to her and spent less than half a day with her over the entire two-week period. She ended up seeing everything from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre and the chateau at Fontainebleau, which was right around the corner from South Centre, with various assistants and their families.

Laura knew she couldn’t figure all of this out right now, and besides all she wanted to do was to relax in the Jonathan’s arms. She was going to enjoy this moment and would think about tomorrow, tomorrow. She turned to face the sleeping Jonathan and she was sure that if there were indeed such things as angels, she was wrapped up in the arms of one right now. As she pulled him closer he awoke. He looked down at her auburn hair and was amazed at the way it seemed to almost glow in the light of the moon. He pulled her on top of him and kissed her breast as he ran his fingers through her hair. Soon sweat covered their bodies and it was hard to tell where one stopped and the other started. Finally Laura slumped down on his chest as they clung to one another as their hearts beat in an almost perfect unison. They fell asleep wrapped together as one, from their clasped hands to their intertwined legs and everything in between. They fit together like the final two pieces of a puzzle that only matched one another and in doing so the universe was made whole.

Chapter 8. The journey begins

When Laura woke just before dawn Jonathan was already gone. He left because she had been so adamant that Jack and Sebring not know about them. He didn’t understand her concerns but he respected them. (Although Jonathan knew that nothing escaped Sebring on the island.) Besides, he knew it was going to be a very exciting day and nothing allowed him to calm down and think like swimming. He went out and swam as hard as he could remember swimming. He could tell however that he was not moving nearly as fast as the burn in his arms would have suggested. He had exhausted a great deal of his energy over the last 24 hours and as a result, even though he felt like he was pushing harder than usual, in reality he was essentially moving at his normal pace. Nonetheless, it was a fatigue that he very much liked and he couldn’t wait for again. He wasn’t sure when or where or how, but he knew he wanted them to be together again. Soon. He thought to himself, despite Laura’s concern about anyone knowing, he knew it was a matter of when they would be together again, not if.

After a morning spent talking with Sebring and Jonathan about everything from where the lab was going to be set up to what were the tastiest fruits on the island, the storm had finally cleared over La Playa Arena and it was time to leave. As she was walking to the plane Laura looked up and Jonathan was standing on the plane’s bottom step. Jack was already onboard. He turned on the engine and a startled Jonathan jumped from where he had been standing, pretending to be a conquering hero standing on his prize. Suddenly he didn’t feel so much like a hero, conquering or otherwise. He knew he had been on a plane once before, when he was brought to the island as a baby, but that did not seem to provide a great deal of comfort eighteen years later when the only transportation he could remember was walking. Sebring hugged him and said that everything would be OK. “You’ll be just fine and I’ll see you on Tuesday.” Both men’s eyes were beginning to glisten, and neither would have dared to wipe away a tear so both were glad that no tears actually formed. Shaking Laura’s hand with a knowing smile, he said “Take care of him Laura.” “I will. I promise.” she said as she leaned over and kissed Sebring on the cheek. He blushed. She then turned and followed Jonathan into the plane and pulled the door closed behind her. Suddenly the cockpit door opened and Jack walked out. “Are we ready here?” he asked. “Just about, I think” Laura said as she pointed to the seat on the left near the window. “Jonathan, you sit there.” “I’ll sit right next to you.” “Jonathan, don’t worry, I’ll get you there safely” Jack said. “There is nothing to be afraid of, I’ve made this trip probably a hundred times since they brought you here” he added, smiling at Jonathan. Jonathan, who was more nervous than he thought he would be, gave a half smile in return. “I know you will Jack, thanks” he said as Jack went back into the cockpit and closed the door behind him. “We lift off in two minutes,” he said before he closed the door. Laura grasped Jonathan’s hand and told him that it was fine and led him to his seat. He leaned over and peered out the window at Sebring and waved. As he sat down, he picked up the pieces of the seat belt and had no idea what they were. “Here” she said, “that’s the seat belt and it goes together like this” as she snapped it into place, making sure it was loose enough so that it would not be too unsettling. She reminded him that flying was one of the safest forms of transportation in the world and told him that she had been on hundreds or perhaps even thousands of flights herself. She also reminded him that he had knew a great deal about the laws of aerodynamics and that the principles of the science were sound. He took a breath and smiled. He knew everything she said was true, and he had to admit it calmed him down somewhat. He didn’t particularly like the smallness of the plane, but he knew that it was the only way to his future and he needed to do this. He looked at her as she clasped his hand. Laura turned to make sure that the cockpit door was closed and she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He closed his eyes and was enveloped in her momentary sanctuary. It was all too fleeting as the plane started to move.

At first Jonathan felt as if he was going to be swallowed into the seat as the plane picked up speed and began to lift off from the airstrip. For a moment he felt immobilized, unable to move from his seat. As the plane ascended he found himself leaning forward, looking out the window to follow the shoreline of Aislado as it at first rushed by then simply began to vanish in the distance. He was amazed by the compound he lived in his whole life. He had spent his almost his entire life there and could walk the entire thing from one side to the other with his eyes closed. Nonetheless, he found it fascinating that he had never realized what its actual shape was. From above he could tell that it was a letter H. The H no doubt stood for Houte. Ameil Houte. The California oil baron who had built the compound some time in the 1930s. “Ameil Houte?” Jonathan said to himself. Why did he know that name? It had never been in any book he had read, and he was sure that he had never seen a picture of him. Then suddenly he remembered a conversation he had with Sebring when he was about 14 years old. Now that he looked back on it he remembers it was one of the most enlightening conversations of his life. He and Sebring had been walking on the beach one evening as they so often did. Jonathan would typically pepper Sebring with questions about places he’d been or people he’d known or things he had done. Jonathan was always rapt with attention. Sebring’s words could paint a picture more evocative than any book he’d ever read. His stories of women, wine and gambling in Hong Kong always brought a smile to Jonathan’s face. Sebring had grown up the youngest son of a Chinese family who built their fortune as trade brokers on the Portuguese island of Macau the early part of the 20th century. As a young man Sebring Loi was certain he had done and experienced just about everything one could experience in this world. By the time he was 23 his family’s fortune was gone, his father having backed the wrong horse in the battle for mainland China. After being taken from the highest economic rung in society to the lowest, Sebring was at a loss to find his way. Unfortunately it was a false bottom. Things would get worse. Three months after Mao Tse Sung succeeded in causing Chang Kai Shek’s forces to retreat to Taiwan, Sebring’s father and mother and his two brothers were captured by the Red Army in the harbor town of Gaungzaou where the family had owned an estate. Living as they were at the time on Macau, they had bribed an entrepreneurial sergeant from the Red Army to escort them to their estate so they could gather some belongings and then guide them back to the still Portuguese controlled island. After removing as many items as their wagon could hold they were ready to leave. As the family waited for their escort, a company of Red Army soldiers approached from an intersection ahead. They had been deployed to stop the looting of formally capitalist property that had now been rightfully returned to the state. As Sebring’s father looked around nervously for the sergeant he had bribed, he was nowhere to be found. He was actually back in the house, which in reality resembled a palace, gulping down what was left in a bottle of French brandy and stuffing his pockets with Cuban cigars. Just before he opened the door to rejoin the Loi family, he heard a commotion. He realized he was supposed to be outside but he stopped to peer out the window. As he approached the door and looked out its small diamond shaped windows, he knew he was too late. Sebring’s father kept telling the captain they were merely working for a sergeant who had orders to bring these goods to the home of the local party secretary, but the explanation was in vain. “Go ahead, look in the house” Sebring’s father told the young captain who could not have been more than 20 years old. “He’s in there right now making sure there is nothing else the secretary would like.” They had worked out a plan that if they were caught the sergeant would simply say that they were transporting goods to the home of the local party secretary. While the idea of property that formerly filled the homes of the capitalist exploiters being brought to the home of a Communist party leader might have sounded disingenuous and ludicrous, in reality, many party chief’s homes were filled with furniture, jewelry and art that had formerly adorned the homes of the hated capitalists. In what must have been the ultimate irony, the homes themselves were often taken over and became residences of those who spent their days spewing invective against the very people who built them.

The sergeant, realizing that his breath smelled of brandy and his pockets were filled with contraband cigars, became frightened. He was certain that the captain would not believe him and he knew that the penalty for helping any of the profiteers who had savaged the country under Chang Kai Shek was execution. Inconspicuously peering out the window he saw the soldiers coming toward the door. He looked at Sebring’s parents and could see the anxiousness on their face. For a brief moment he thought he might be able to convince the captain, but the thought was fleeting and gone in a split second. Knowing that he could not pull it off, he decided to run. He turned and ran through the formal dining room, which led out to a large patio in the back. Beyond the patio was a small sloping meadow that stretched out to a line of trees. Almost crashing through a glass door he didn’t see, the sergeant quickly opened the door and rushed out, quietly closing it behind him. Running with all the might he could muster he covered the 200 meters in what he was sure would have been a record in any Olympics. Reaching the treeline he quickly ducked behind one of the trees. Slowly he gathered up the courage to look. He peered around the tree and could see the two soldiers standing on the patio looking about. He had reached the treeline just before they entered the dining room and had they actually been looking out the window when they entered the doorway they would have seen him leaping for cover. As it was, they were too fascinated by the giant mirrors and the gold cornices to notice. When they finally did examine the treeline there was nothing to see. As they walked out on the patio the younger of the two stopped, thinking he might have seen something in the grass beyond. He approached the end of the patio and the flash of light seemed to disappear. He stared for a moment and then decided it was nothing. In reality the nothing he saw was the reflection of the setting sun off of the gold label on one of the cigars the sergeant had dropped as he was running. Because of the angle of the sun the frightened sergeant could clearly see that he had dropped at least half a dozen of the cigars, but most of them were hidden in the unkempt grass. Holding his breath as the soldier stared out towards the treeline, the sergeant finally exhaled as the soldier stopped and the pair of them walked back into the house. Sweating, with his heart beating faster than he had ever known, he leaned back against the tree and slid to the ground. As he sat there he began to sob uncontrollably, knowing that he had just sentenced the Loi family to death. Shortly after the soldiers reported finding no one in the house Sebring’s parents and brothers were ordered to stand with their hands behind their backs and face the gate at the front of the estate they had been preparing to move into for much of the last two years. As she was standing there Mrs. Loi could only think of her son Sebring who had not made the trip. He had been picked up the night before in a Hong Kong brothel and would be spending the next six months in jail, having been accused by the son of a prominent publisher of cheating at cards. Although it became apparent in less than a week that Sebring was innocent when his accuser was killed in the same brothel with five aces in his hand, his paperwork was somehow misplaced and it took him almost half a year to secure his own release when no help seemed to be forthcoming from outside. Upon returning home and finding no one there, Sebring could think nothing but the worst. He searched everywhere he could imagine in both Macau and Hong Kong and surreptitiously returned to his family’s estate in Gaungzaou six months later. The homes were now occupied by party officials and no one had seen anything, or if they had they were not saying. Knowing that the family had planned to return to Gaungzaou the day after he was arrested, he was certain he knew what had happened. If not the details, certainly the outcome. He left with no more answers than he had when he embarked on his dangerous journey.

It was not until two years later that Sebring would know for certain what happened. A woman who had been a maid at a house down the road from his family’s estate had escaped to Macau. She knocked on his door one Saturday afternoon. “Yes, can I help you” he said. “Are you Sebring Loi?” she asked. “I am” he responded as she stared into his eyes. As soon as he responded her eyes closed and her hands fell to her sides as her head dropped and she began to cry. Sebring stood there watching this woman he had never laid eyes on before then stepped towards her. “Ma’am” he started, unsure of what to do “Is everything OK?” As soon as he heard the words escape his lips he felt like an idiot, as it was obvious that things could not be OK. “Is there something I can do for you?” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She slowly reached out for his hand. “No, it is what I can do for you. I promised your mother I would give this to you” she said as she held out a small onyx locket his grandmother had handed down to his mother. Staggered, Sebring leaned against the doorway with one hand and grasped the woman’s hand with the other. “Where is she? Is she OK?” Now the woman began to sob even louder and shook her head as she looked down. “No, I’m afraid she is not.” Although he had long imagined something terrible had occurred, he had always hoped against hope that he was wrong. Now there was going to be no escaping the reality of it as he stared at his mother’s locket. As he steeled himself against the emotions that were rushing through him, Sebring asked the woman how she had come into possession of the locket. She told him that she had been cleaning the kitchen in a house down the street from his family’s house in Gaungzaou when she heard the shots. There were four in all. After they fired the weapons the soldiers had simply walked away, knowing that locals would bury the bodies so that packs of scavenging dogs would not rip them to shreds. After the soldiers left, the woman was the first to the gate where the four bodies lay. All four had been shot in the back of the head. As she pondered the scene before her, the old woman shook her head and cried. How could they be so brutal? The Red Army’s brutality was well understood, but it was one thing to imagine it on a battlefield or somewhere out of sight, and here looking at this it became sickening in a way she had never imagined. Although a clean shot to the back of the head almost universally meant instant death, as occurred with his father and two brothers, Sebring’s mother survived for some time. Standing beside the bodies the old woman noticed that the woman on the ground was staring up at her nervously, with tears streaming down her face, mingling with the blood from the wound from the back of her head. Her mouth was moving, as if she was trying to say something. The old woman knelt down beside Sebring’s mother. “Please...” she said as she stared up. “My... necklace... please take it.” The old woman looked down at the golden necklace that had been hidden under Sebring’s mother’s shirt but now was sitting above the collar. “Please take it to my son, Sebring Loi.” Her words were nothing over a whisper and the old woman could tell that there would not be many more. “Where?” asked the old woman. “Ma... Ma... Macau, Front Street” the dying woman said. “Please tell him what has happened...” As the life of Sebring’s mother faded away, her eyes stared straight at the old woman kneeling next to her. Crying, the old woman reached down and closed Mr.s Loi’s eyes and gently removed the necklace from around her neck. She placed the necklace and attached locket in her pocket. Later that afternoon a party from the neighborhood did exactly as the soldiers knew they would and buried the four behind the estate for which they had such grand dreams and in which they had spent so little time. The woman committed the name to memory, Sebring Loi. There were no doubt thousands of Lois in Macau, but probably not many with a European first name on Front Street. It took her almost two years before she was able to escape from the yoke of the Communist regime. Her son secured passage into Macau by bribing a merchant ship captain to allow them to hide in empty containers that had been used to ship fertilizer into China’s southern provinces from Portugal through Macau. They spent three days in the container as it sat on a dock in Macau before the captain sent someone by to release them. After reuniting with family who lived on the island, it took her only a week to find the Loi house where she now stood before Sebring.

Sebring held the locket in his hand and stood looking at the old woman. As his hands were shaking she grasped them and said “I’m so sorry.” “Thank you” he replied. “Thank you so very much, I’m not sure how many people would have kept that promise.” Pulling himself together he asked the old woman “Is there anything I can give you for your trouble? I would be honored if you would allow me to give you something.” “No, no” she replied “It was my honor to carry out your mother’s request. Thank you nonetheless.” With that the old woman turned and left and Sebring never saw her again. Finally he knew for certain that which he felt he had known since he was sent to jail. Now, as the brutal reality of what had occurred to his family set upon him, Sebring found himself suffused with feelings of guilt. If he had only been there. While in his head he knew that the only difference between the events as they occurred and how they might have been had he been there was that there would have been five corpses instead of four, it didn’t assuage his feelings of guilt in having survived due in large part to his licentious behavior. Never having been much of a spiritual man, something seemed to come over him, which he could not explain. At that moment it became clear to him that he had been saved for a purpose. He had no idea what it was, but he knew there was something he was meant to do. Although he had nominally been a Buddhist his entire life, he now became a devout re-convert. After spending four years living on alms in a monastery on Macau’s northern coast he decided his calling was not to be found on the island. He traveled to the Shaolin Temple in the Mainland’s Honan Province; one of the wells from which both modern Buddhism and Chinese martial arts had sprung. Spending 25 years there he found both inner peace and physical discipline. On his fifty-fifth birthday he decided that the time had come for him to leave. There was something out there waiting for him and today was the day to go looking. He simply awoke one morning and left, saying nothing to anyone and leaving no notes. He traveled across China along the Silk Road, into India and Nepal where Buddha found enlightenment and on to the Mediterranean. Once there he traveled to Nazareth where some believe Christ returned after having traveled to India and met Buddha. After spending six months traveling throughout the Holy Lands, Sebring found himself in Beirut, which was at one time known as the Pearl of the Middle East, but now more closely resembled Eastern Europe in 1945. It was here that Sebring met the man who would change his life. That man’s name was Albert...

A bit of turbulence jarred Jonathan back to the present. He quickly grabbed Laura’s hand and looked over at her. She smiled and put her other hand on his. “Don’t worry, it’s just a bit of turbulence. It’ll only last a few seconds” she said. He smiled and looked back at the brilliant blue horizon spread out below them. His mind started to return to his conversation with Sebring but they began their descent and he once again found himself drawn back to the present.

Chapter 9. La Playa Arena

The flight was a little over an hour and surprisingly smooth given that they had to fly over the last remnants of the storm. It was early afternoon when they arrived. Robert Shipply, the chief of the security detachment was there with two stewards to meet the plane. “Hi Laura! Welcome to La Playa Arena” he said as Laura stepped off of the plane, followed by Jonathan. “Thanks Robert” she replied. She was his direct supervisor and the two knew each other well, having interacted with one another a number of times both at South Centre as well at other Alexander Resources locations. Robert took the two of them to the research compound in one of the facility’s Range Rovers. Laura silently thanked whoever put the compound so close to the airstrip because if it had been much farther away she felt she might be forced to strangle Robert who could be annoyingly talkative.

For Jonathan, he enjoyed the ride as it was the second new form of transportation he had experienced that day. He looked around in amazement. La Playa Arena was much different than Aislado. There were many more buildings, there was no volcano in the middle of it and there were, it seemed to Jonathan, a thousand people were milling about, (in reality less than a dozen) most wearing clothes he had never seen. Laura had been in just about every Alexander Resources facility in the world and other than South Centre, this one was the easily the most impressive. Set approximately a hundred yards from a rocky bluff that lead to the ocean below, it had a brilliant white façade and a red tile roof that matched a thousand summer homes she had seen in The Algarve in Portugal. A properly uniform home in the Algarve included white walls, a blue pool, a patio and a red tile roof and this facility would have fit right in. As the Algarve was a favorite summer retreat of the British, Laura wondered if Albert had been the force behind the design. The interior was even more spectacular, with a foyer that would have been just as appropriate in four star hotel as it was here in this research facility. The entrance lead to a faux two story foyer where the second story was in reality simply door shaped windows that allowed in nothing but brilliant light. From the Foyer were six hallways, three on each side. The hallways on one side led to the small bedroom suites and various offices while on the other side the hallways led to the larger bedroom suites as well as the labs and offices. The third hallway on each side of the foyer led to either side of the pool, which was located beyond the meeting rooms and study, which were directly across the foyer from the entrance. Jonathan stood at the center of the foyer and looked around in awe...

Alex, Albert and David had arrived on earlier that morning. Alexander’s progress had been amazing. In less than a week he had regained almost complete movement above his waist and could talk, albeit with a very gravely voice. Albert said that the doctors too were amazed by his progress and they were convinced that it was only because Alex kept himself in such tremendous shape. The biggest concern for doctors was his weak breathing which had persisted after the accident. It sounded strange, but he was lucky, in that the accident left him with a perfect spinal break and the cord itself was pinched just at the break, keeping the spinal fluid from leaking. That fortuitous fact is what allowed him to retain feeling and movement above the break, which was at the base of the spine. The important consequence of this “lucky” break was that his lungs and heart still functioned properly without outside assistance. He retained movement and feeling from the waist up, although sitting up caused him to grow tired quickly. Alex was taken to his bedroom to get some sleep and Albert immediately set about making arrangements for the planned events.

Robert showed Laura and Jonathan to their rooms down the hallway on the left where the smaller bedroom suites were located. Jonathan’s room was halfway down one the left while Laura’s was at the very end on the right . As soon as Robert said goodbye Laura left her room and went to Jonathan’s. Sitting on the bed he looked up at her through the open door. He smiled pensively, like a child sitting alone in the classroom on the first day of school. He shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands “What now?” “I’m not sure” she replied. “Let me go and find out and I’ll be right back.” Looking at him sitting there rather uncomfortably, she added “Try and relax,” knowing of course that he could do no such thing. She turned and went to look for Albert, whom she found in the study. He was standing behind a desk talking, but there was no one in the room. He saw her and waved her in, picking up the headset. He had been using the speakerphone but now he obviously didn’t want her to hear both ends of the conversation. “No, don’t you let those bastards see a single file until Laura and Franklin get there.” He said as he smiled at her. “Got it?” He boomed into the phone not really wanting or expecting an answer. He got one nonetheless and said “Good! Now get them the hell out of that office.” He hung up the phone. “Hi Laura” he said as he walked over and took her hand and kissed her on the cheek. “How is Jonathan?” he asked, “Pretty nervous?” he added, not waiting for a replay. “Well, he did fine on the plane and I think now he is just soaking in what’s around.” “How’s Alex” she added. “He’s fine, he’s just resting.”

Changing subjects she asked, “What was that all about?” referring to the conversation she had walked in on and in which her name had been mentioned. “Oh, that” he said, “that is unfortunately the reason I’m going to have to ask you to delay your vacation again.” She tilted her head ever so slightly in a questioning manner. “I need you to return to Paris tomorrow. The wolves are circling.” He explained that an emergency situation had arisen as it relates to the management of Alexander Resources. In light of Alex’s accident there were a number of outside directors who were trying to make an end run on management. A number of years ago Alex had a paragraph inserted into the company bylaws stating that if the Chairman and CEO were ever incapacitated for over 72 hours, the vice chairman of the board would take control of the company until he was able to demonstrate his fitness for management. Now, the Vice Chairman has exercised that clause and says that he is running the company. The board has become very unhappy with Alex over the last few years because he’s cut dividends at Acxisis.” Laura nodded at the mention of Acxisis, Alexander Resources’ publicly traded subsidiary that was, by law, majority owned by the foundations represented on the Alexander Resources board. Albert continued as Laura nodded her head in recognition of Acxisis. “As Alexander cut back dividends at Acxisis, the foundations felt the pinch to their bottom lines. Now, this is they want to take control and change the policy. If they succeed they could bleed billions of dollars from our research coffers within months.” Laura was familiar with the renegade members of the board and the fact that they had tried to take over various elements of Alexander Resources on numerous occasions. Typically they did so by utilizing some obscure element of securities law in one country or another. While Alexander always admitted that the way he structured Alexander Resources board was one of the few mistakes he had ever made in business, he never worried about it because he was always in control.

Despite Albert’s concerns for the boardroom chaos, Laura was taken aback by his request that she return so quickly and simply muttered “OK, no problem.” That was a lie. It really was a problem, but she’d figure out how to deal with that later. If nothing else she could go and handle the situation in Paris and then tell Albert that she wanted to return to La Playa Arena for a formal security review. Putting those thoughts behind her she wanted to focus on Jonathan and Alex, although Albert was not done. “The boat carrying jet fuel should arrive around 10:00 tomorrow morning and you and Jack can leave soon thereafter,” he said. “OK, no problem” she said again, hoping that Albert did not notice her trying to pacify him so that they could talk about what she wanted, Jonathan. “Now what’s going on with Jonathan and Alex?” she asked. “Well, we will all have dinner tonight” he replied and then continued “and then tomorrow morning David will start Jonathan’s physical.” Albert was of course referring to David Smith, who had accompanied Alex and he from Paris. Laura knew he was on the island but had not yet run into him. Albert continued, “After the physical is done tomorrow or Tuesday, both Jonathan and Alex will start on a liquid diet for about three days. They can’t have any solid foods for 72 hours before the transfusion begins. Sebring will arrive on Tuesday as well and the procedure should take place on Friday morning. While the transfusion will only take three hours, the drips will take another nine and the whole thing should be done in about twelve. Then both will have to rest for about three days and by next Tuesday both should be in good shape. Jonathan will stay here a couple more days and he should be back on Aislado by Friday or whenever the team feels he’s ready he’ll head back. Alex will probably return to Paris at about the same time.

She looked down at her watch, which said it was 6:00 PM and looked up to Albert. “What time is it here right now?” He looked at his watch and smiled, “You know, I don’t even know, I’m still on Paris time.” He picked up the phone and barked into the mouthpiece “What time is it.” 7:00 the voice on the other end of the phone replied. “Thank you.” he said before hanging the phone up. It’s 7:00. We’ll eat in fifteen minutes. I’ll get Alex and you bring Jonathan and we’ll meet next door in the dining room.

Laura went back to Jonathan’s room. The door was still open and he was still sitting exactly as she had left him. “Are you ready?” she asked. Somewhat startled, he bolted to his feet and said “Sure.” Realizing he wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be doing the asked, “For what?” “We’re going to have dinner with Alex and Albert,” she said. “Do you know who he is?” she asked about Alex, knowing that he knew a little about Albert. “No, but I assume he has something to do with my being here, but I’m not sure.” “Well, we’re going to meet them now.” She was flustered because she didn’t know what to say about him, or really Albert for that matter. She didn’t have enough time to go into details but she didn’t want to leave him hanging. “Look,” she said, “if everything isn’t cleared up by the end of the night, I’ll tell you everything.” “OK?” she asked waiting for a nod from Jonathan. He nodded and she said “Good, it’s time to go.”

As they walked to the foyer they passed David Smith. “Hello Dr. Smith” Jonathan said as he passed. “Why hello Jonathan,” he responded, “how are you feeling? It has been some time.” “I’m good thank you” Jonathan replied, shaking the doctor’s hand. “Yes, it has been a while. It’s good to see a familiar face.” Jonathan added. Although the last time he was there was approximately two years ago, David had come to the island probably a dozen times over the last twenty years as part of the teams that gave Jonathan his bi-annual checkups. Jonathan had always liked Dr. Smith, particularly as he had always brought him lollipops when he was a child. “You don’t have any lollipops do you?” Jonathan said with a smile. “No, not today,” David replied. Albert was coming down the hall, from behind Laura and Jonathan. He gave David a subtle nod, which David knew meant that he should leave. “Well, Jonathan, have a good dinner.” he said abruptly and turned to leave, adding “You too Laura.” Before Jonathan could ask him if he wanted to have dinner with them, David was around the corner and there was a booming “Hello, Jonathan” coming from behind him. “My name is Albert and it is nice to finally meet you. I’m an old friend of Sebring’s.” “Yes, he has mentioned you. It is nice to meet you as well.” Gesturing towards the dining room located at the rear of the foyer, Albert said “Shall we have dinner?” As the three began to move towards the dining room Laura asked “Is Alex going to be joining us?” “No, I’m afraid he won’t be. I just talked to him and he’s not feeling very well. He sends his apologies but he’s sure he will be feeling much better in the morning.” Albert opened the glass door to the dining room that looked like it doubled as a conference room. Rather staid, it had a brilliant view of the ocean although at this hour there was not much light left to be seen over the horizon. The three sat down at the end of the enormous table that had been set for only three. As soon as they sat down a waiter clad in white walked in from the adjacent kitchen with three plates. The dinner was grilled mahi and rice. Albert wanted to make sure that nothing too rich or exotic was served, as he didn’t want to upset Jonathan’s relatively inexperienced digestive system. Throughout dinner Albert wanted to make small talk about the flight, the food and even the weather, practically everything except what Jonathan really wanted to talk about, which was how he came to be on that island at that time. Not that Jonathan asked any questions, because he didn’t. He really didn’t have a clue as to where to start. Finally, after dinner was over Albert asked Laura and Jonathan if they would like some dessert. “Well, if neither of you mind, I’m going to have a cigar and a brandy.” Neither of course minded and the waiter brought out a bottle of Courvoisier VSOP and three snifters. “Shall we sit out on the terrace?” he asked as he gestured towards the doors leading outside. He opened the humidor next to the bar and reached in and pulled out a El Corojo, considered by some to be the best cigar in the world, from the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba. He sat down gesturing to the two chairs facing him as he lit his cigar. “Please, have a seat.” Both Laura and Jonathan sat in the comfortable bamboo chairs, but neither one of them was particularly comfortable. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Albert spoke up “Well, Jonathan, I know you probably have a million questions.” Jonathan nodded his head. “Well, I’m not going to answer all of them tonight. I can tell you a few things however. Tomorrow you, Alex and I will sit down with our team of doctors and explain exactly what the situation is and what you should expect. The thing I want you to know more than anything else is that on our team we have collected literally the world’s best doctors in their specific fields.” Jonathan looked over at Laura and she nodded her head. They were indeed the best doctors in the world. She knew they were amongst the world’s most sought after doctors and had been meeting annually for an Alexander Resources research symposium for over twenty years. Albert continued, “we will all sit down together and explain everything and answer any of your questions.” “The only thing I’ll tell you tonight is that you are indeed a lucky man. You have two of the best men I’ve ever met looking after you.” He continued, “One is Sebring and the other is Alexander Cooke.” “Did Sebring ever tell you how we met?” Nodding his head, Jonathan “It was in Beirut wasn’t it?” “Indeed, it was, a little over twenty years ago. We met at the Church of St. John the Baptist. Beirut was a difficult place then. It was a far cry from its glory, but at the time it still had remnants of order, but they were being torn away, fast. You know, that is actually where your name came from.” “Really?” Jonathan asked. He looked at Jonathan and nodded his head. “Really” Albert responded. “You were born about four months later. Alex, your father, didn’t have a clue what to name you, and Sebring suggested Jonathan, after that magnificent church.” “Like I said, I can’t tell you everything, nor can I answer all of your questions, particularly the whys. I wouldn’t feel comfortable answering those questions, but I’m certain that Alexander is prepared to answer all of them. But that is for tomorrow. Tonight I’ll tell you a couple of things. The first, and perhaps most important thing is that you were the product of a passionate union between Alex and your mother Brooke. The two met twenty-two years ago in Australia when Alex had gone there to establish our Sydney research facility. Your mother was a beautiful woman, smart and charming. She was one of the doctors we were considering hiring to run the facility. The two began a whirlwind romance and were married three months after they met. They lived in Sydney and your mother became pregnant with you.” Jonathan was riveted by all of this. He knew that his mother had died at childbirth, but he never knew much else. Sebring never wanted to talk about what ever became of Jonathan’s family. In reality, Sebring could never bring himself to tell Jonathan about his family because of he despised Alex. Not for anything he had ever done to him, on the contrary, Alex had been completely polite and graceful the few times they had met. No, Sebring despised Alex for the way he treated his own son, Jonathan. Although Sebring could not have loved Jonathan any more if he had been from his own blood, he found it appalling that simply because his son had a disease that he would banish him to an island somewhere and never have any contact with him. Ever. Albert had said that it was because Alex could not take seeing Jonathan because he blamed him for Brooke’s death. “I know” Albert would say “I know it’s crazy, but you have to understand, Alex has this strange obsession with death and he wants nothing to do with it.” “He’s not abandoning him” Albert would go on, “he’s giving him everything that he could need to eventually grow up safely, and he is spending millions of dollars to find a cure.” “Sebring” Albert would say so often “give the man a break, he simply can’t bring himself to look at Brooke’s death in the face, and that is what he saw when he looked at Jonathan.” Sebring never believed that, but he would always let the subject drop if it came up.

Albert continued speaking to Jonathan, “Sebring never told you any of this because he was afraid you would feel somehow responsible for your mother’s death, which you weren’t. She went into shock. There was nothing anyone could have done.” Jonathan sat with his head in his hands. He was not crying, but he felt a very strange feeling of exhaustion. “I’m sorry about all of this Jonathan. I realize this is probably not the best time in the world for you to hear something like this, but in all honesty, there would likely never have been a good time. Alexander will talk with you tomorrow and explain everything. I know this must be very strange for you, but you have to believe me, everything from Sebring to the bi-annual physicals to the women were done with only one thought in mind, what was best for you. It may seem very strange now, but I promise, in time it will all make much more sense.” Albert stood up and put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Jonathan, the world holds wonders you’ve never imagined were possible and everything it has to offer will be yours for the taking in six months. You will finally be able to visit all of those places that Sebring has told you about. There will be nothing you can’t do, there will be no place you can’t go once you are healthy. I hope you will find it in your heart to give Alex a chance to make up for the time he now realizes he’s missed.” Jonathan looked up at Albert and nodded his head without saying anything. Albert looked at his watch, which read 9:45 and said “I know this has been a very hectic day.” “I don’t know about the two of you but I’m on my way to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” He walked to the door and turned around, “Laura, the fuel is scheduled to arrive earlier than expected so Jack thinks you can take off around 9 AM. Have a good night.” He then turned back around and walked through he door, never noticing the startled look on Jonathan’s face at the news that Laura would be leaving in the morning. Jonathan looked over at Laura and she raised her finger near her mouth and shook her head, signaling that he should not say anything. Laura then suddenly got to her feet and rushed to the door. Pulling it open she said “Albert.” He turned. “I want to check a couple of things online before I go to bed. Is there a computer with Internet access I can use?” Albert thought for a moment and replied “Yes, I think the one in the secretary’s office is online. I’ll tell the guard, he’ll show you the way.” “Thank you” she said, closing the door. She turned and Jonathan was staring at her. “What does he mean you have a flight to catch in the morning?” “There’s a mutiny going on in the Alexander Resources boardroom and I have to go and sort things out. I’m leaving for Paris in the morning. As soon as I get that straightened out I will be back I promise. I hope that I can be back by Friday or Saturday, but I just don’t know.” She walked around behind him so that he was between her and the window. Looking out into the foyer to make sure that Albert was not coming back she put her hands on his shoulder and neck. “Sweetheart, you will be fine. Like Albert said, they have some great doctors here to take care of you. I know David, he is probably the best neurologist in the world,” she said as she massaged his neck. “Besides, Sebring will be here on Tuesday.” He reached up and held her hands tightly to his neck and closed his eyes. He didn’t want her to go. He didn’t want her to go tonight. He stood up and turned to look at her. He clasped her face in his hands. “Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly “I don’t know, I’m not sure it’s such a good idea with everyone walking around and the security guard sitting right off the hallway.” She still couldn’t figure out why, but she simply knew that it was a bad idea to let on that there was something between them. He looked at her and said, “I don’t care about any of that. I care about you.” “I know” she said, “I feel the same way but we have to be practical. Until we know when I’ll be getting back, I don’t want to upset the apple cart.” He looked at her quizzically at the reference. “There are a lot of things going on right now and I don’t want to mess anything up.” “All right then” he said, “but I want to see you first thing in the morning.” He added, “You know, I’m actually a little more tired than I thought I would be.” “Well, given the day you’ve had, that doesn’t surprise me,” said Laura. As they approached the door, Laura stopped Jonathan in front of that part of the wall that sat between the door and the panel window. Certain that no one could see them, she turned toward Jonathan and whispered, “I want you to know that there is no place in the world I would rather be tonight than right beside you.” He smiled as his heart jumped at the sentiments that mirrored his own. “I’ll try and get there, but don’t wait for me.” With that she opened the door. As they walked through the foyer, they were so close the backs of their hands kept brushing against one another, but neither one grasped the other. Laura was being very cautious; she didn’t want anyone to see them holding hands or exchanging any kind of affection. They stopped at the guard’s desk. Laura reached out squeezed one of Jonathan’s hands in a supportive rather than romantic way. “Well Jonathan” she said, “I know you’ve had a rather chaotic day so I’m sure you won’t have much difficulty getting to sleep.” “Thanks Laura, I appreciate all of the help” he replied, understanding the sudden formality was for the benefit of the guard on duty. He turned and went to his room.

Laura turned to the guard. “Hi, I’m Laura” she said, extending her hand but not really interested in making small talk “Albert mentioned there was a secretary’s office around here where I could get on the Internet. Can you tell me where it is please?” “Yes ma’am, it is down that hallway there,” he said, pointing to the hallway on the other side of the foyer from the one Jonathan had just walked down. “It is the second door on the right. Albert had me to open it for you so you can just walk right in.” “Thank you” she said as she started down the hallway.

At a minimum she needed a copy of the bylaws, but what she really wanted was to get some news about exactly what the hell was going on back there. She knew that anybody in Paris would be loath to talk on the phone about what was going because one never knew who was listening. But she figured they would be far more open to discussing the problems via Instant Message, which was silent. She logged into her IM account and tried to find a couple of people. No one was online. She looked at her watch, which read 10:00. She realized it was lunchtime in Paris and there would be no one to get hold of for at least an hour. The next thing she did was to remotely log into her personal server at the office and pull up a copy of the company by-laws. It took her a couple of minutes because the security system she had installed utilized the 1024-bit encryption, the most powerful encryption offering available. It was almost as secure as storing the company’s records on the moon, but a lot more accessible. She printed the bylaws and started to go over them. After three times losing her place she realized she could not concentrate on that oblique language right now. There was way too much going on and she was too tired. She decided to play a game of solitaire and waste some time while until someone showed up on her IM Buddy List. As she stared at the computer’s brilliant monitor she wondered how the hell they had gotten a 19-inch flat panel here at the end of the earth while she still had a box like 17-inch CRT monitor on her desk. She quickly realized that she spends so little time at her desk that she barely sees it anyway. She looked around for a solitaire icon but couldn’t find one. Lots of companies removed the icon so employees would not be tempted to waste hours a day playing the highly addictive game. She decided to search for the Games folder in the computer’s file listing. She typed in ’Games’ at the Search prompt and hit enter. The fast machine returned the results in a split second. “Damn” she said, there wasn’t a Games folder, which meant that the game had likely been removed. There was a folder with Games in the name, but it was called Monkey Games. She decided that she would simply search for a solitaire file. Often times the game folder was deleted but the individual games remained. She typed ’solitaire’ in the Search box and hit enter once more. Again, nothing. “Damn” she said as she looked at her watch. It was only 10:15, which meant that there was obviously still no one at the office with whom she could talk. Suddenly she remembered that she would have to cancel the new reservations she had made for the Hotel de la Paix on the way to the airport. As the taxi was taking her to Charles de Gaulle Airport, north of Paris, she had called the hotel and told them that she was not going to be arriving as scheduled. She had them push back the reservation for a week. Now she was obviously not going to make that either. As a frequent and very much appreciated guest of the Hotel de la Paix (particularly by the staff) Laura was allowed to make reservations or cancel them at anytime, even online at the hotel’s website. Typically she simply logged onto their site and left a message stating her arrival date and time and the concierge would arrange everything from airport transportation to lift tickets. She didn’t even have to tell them when she was leaving. She was welcome to stay as long as she liked. This time unfortunately she was canceling the reservation, which she knew would prompt a note and a flower to be sent to her office at South Centre by Hanns, the bell captain. He was a wonderful old man who always had a wonderful smile that lit up every day. He had been sending her thank you notes, birthday greetings and Christmas cards since she first made his acquaintance. She had always assumed that he did that with all of the five star hotel’s guests, but in reality while everyone did receive a thank you card and flower, everything else was just for her. He was smitten with her the moment she first walked in the door about four years ago. She was the spitting image of a girl he had known forty years before. He always liked to imagine that Laura was her daughter and she was a living greeting card from her mother. While he knew it was not true, the two hit it off from the start and both enjoyed maintaining the ruse. After canceling her reservation she still had another half an hour before anyone was back at their desks. She looked at the computer and tried to think of another game that might be there, as she was not particularly enthusiastic about surfing the web and needed a half an hour of mindless distraction. No poker. No chess. Nothing. When she couldn’t find any other games she remembered the Monkey Games folder. She looked on the desktop for a Monkey Games icon but there wasn’t one so she went back to the search prompt and pulled up the folder again. Clicking on the folder presented her with a number of files, none of which was a game. Instead, the files were Word documents. For the hell of it she clicked on the file named Monkey Games file just to see what it was. It was a document about 50 pages long. She began to read and discovered that while everything dealt with monkeys, these certainly weren’t games. The document chronicled organ transplant research. Given that the actual medical part of Alexander Resources never really fascinated her, she went to close the file. Accidentally clicking the full-screen tab rather than the close button, she suddenly found herself drawn into the document.

The data discussed studies on stem cell research and organ rejection experiments done on a number of pairs of primates. What she found particularly compelling was the fact that according to the data, the primates were clones. “Impossible” she said to herself. It had only been within the last decade that Dolly the Sheep had been cloned. There must have been something wrong here because these files discussed cloning of monkeys that went back over 20 years. She found herself inexplicably compelled to keep reading. The document talked about the cloning work starting more than thirty years before and that many of the first tests were done at South Centre. “Amazing” she thought. She had always known that one of the fundamental areas of study for Alexander Research was organ transplant rejection. Here this file talked specifically to that idea. The cloning almost seemed to be an aside. The goal was to fight organ rejection and cloning seemed to be the solution. The file discussed pairs of a variety of animals that had been cloned, but the primary focus apparently was the use of primates. The file discussed the progression over the years of organs and muscles and even bones being transplanted from one clone to another. Each transplant would be more complex than the last and the outcome was always the same. In every single case of a cloned organ being transplanted between clones, the transplanted organ took with no rejection. Laura knew this was of supreme importance because beyond finding a sufficient supply of donated organs, rejection remained the most difficult aspect of transplants.

All of this caused her to recall a quote she had heard some years ago not long after she arrived in Paris. There had been a great deal of public criticism of cloning research. One of the scientists who had spoken at a conference supporting cloning and stem cell research was quoted as saying, “The most efficient way to avoid organ rejection was to replace the organ with a copy of itself”. She remembers thinking that that made a lot of sense, given that Alexander Resources began life as a research facility looking for drugs that inhibited rejection in organ transplants. Research data on this subject matter was not unusual, but what was unusual was the extent to which they had obviously been successful.

As the success continued, the transplants became more and more complex, from multiple organ combinations to age differences between the clones to even clones of clones. She read on with fascination as through trial and error she read about the almost machinelike progress they made. At the end she found herself in awe. She had known that science could do a lot, but she had never really delved that deep into the actual medical workings of Alexander Resources to notice one way or another.

Upon closing the Word document she looked at her watch. It would be about 15 minutes before anyone would be back at their desks. She surveyed the Monkey Games folder and noticed a file called Popeye, with a tiny picture of the rather robust cartoon character smiling. She didn’t have a clue what it would be, but she decided to click on it anyway. What she found was utterly unexpected, but nothing but consuming. The icon opened an Excel spreadsheet that chronicled the results of the bi-annual physicals given to Jonathan over the last decade. The final entry detailed the results from his last exam, less than three months before. The file paid particular attention to his nerve structure. The further she read, the less this document seemed to make sense. According to it, Jonathan was in perfect health, literally. Beyond simply being in perfect health physiologically, he was an almost perfect anatomical specimen. From cardiovascular efficiency to physical strength to dexterity to reflex control he was almost a perfect specimen of a man. She thought to herself about the physical closeness she had shared with him over the last 48 hours. Sebring had certainly done a phenomenal job in turning him into a modern day Hercules. She wondered why there was no mention of his disease.

Suddenly she became very aware of her tiredness and she knew that it be no use trying to start an IM conversation with anyone at South Centre. She would simply talk to them Tuesday as she would arrive too late tomorrow night. She didn’t know if it was the last 48 hours catching up with her or just the jumble of emotions but either way she knew she had to get some sleep. She turned the computer off and walked out the door, locking it behind her. “Good night” she said as she passed the guard desk. Knowing that he would likely be looking at her the entire time, she decided there was no way she was going to go into Jonathan’s room. As she turned into her room she looked at the guard just to see if she was right. She was. She waved and went into the room and fell face forward on the bed. Half asleep, half not, her mind wandered. While she was not prone to falling in love after just 48 hours, she had certainly done it this time. She was sure it was not a good idea to mention their relationship to anyone right now, although for the life of her she was not entirely sure why. That damn file with his physical data only made matters worse. The whole damn situation was just a little strange. In the fog that comes on the cusp of sleep she didn’t know for sure if there was anything there or if it was just her naturally inquisitive mind that was finding shadows where none existed. She knew there was no way of getting out of leaving that morning, but she was determined to make sure she was back here in less than a week. She wanted to stay and wait on the results of Jonathan’s treatment but she could feel that somehow that was not going to happen. Besides, Sebring would be here in two days.

She had a gift, although sometimes she thought it was something of a curse. Regardless of what time she went to bed, her body always woke her six hours after she started sleeping. When she was not alone that could offer a pleasant way to start the day as she thought there were few things in life that could compete with making love in the morning in that semi-conscious state where nothing in the world has yet to come into focus and the only people in the world are you and the person in your arms. On the far more frequent days when she woke up alone it seemed more like a curse. Today she was definitely alone.

As she rolled out of bed she went to the bathroom and took a shower, starting with hot water then slowly turning it cold so that when she emerged from the steam filled room she was fully awake. After getting dressed into clothes she had taken from Aislado, she walked to the dining room. It was 7:00 and Jack was leaving through the dining room. He had been talking with Albert and Alexander who were out on the patio that connected the building and the pool. He smiled at Laura and said “The boat came in a little early so should be ready to leave at 10:00. Is that OK?” he asked, but they both knew it was rhetorical. She smiled and said “Sure.” “Great.” he said, “ I’ll see you then,” as he turned and left.

“How nice to see you Laura” Alexander said with his typical greeting as sat in his wheelchair half in the dining room half on the patio. “Thank you for all of your assistance. I do greatly appreciate it”.

She walked around the table to say hello. As she was walking around to greet him, Alexander raised his left hand to shake hers in a familial and friendly way. Without realizing it, she took note of contours of his arm. His arm was perfectly shaped and his veins were a Red Cross nurse’s dream. She also noticed a small birthmark on the inside of his forearm. It was not a large birthmark, but was conspicuous because of its shape. It was about the size of a quarter in diameter with a dark crescent bisected by a straight line. She found it quite interesting because Jonathan had the same birthmark. It looked more like a tattoo than a birthmark, but it was definitely the latter. As it was not her intention to discuss her rendezvous with Jonathan, she didn’t mention the similarity. Alex was gracious, as he had always been. Although the David wasn’t allowing him any solid foods, the kitchen would be happy to make her whatever she might want. “Thank you” she said. As Albert began to push him out to the far end of the pool where the sun was just beginning to come up, Alex said stopped him and looked up at Laura once again. “I just wanted to thank you again for putting off your well deserved rest to bring my son to the island. After you get back to Paris and solve this board problem, why don’t you take a couple of weeks off and go wherever you want? It doesn’t matter where. On me.” She looked at him with a face that conveyed nothing about her reaction to what was certainly a generous offer. “Before you can protest” Alex said, although he saw no sign of protest or anything else, “I insist and I will hear no arguments.” “Thank you very much Alex.” she responded, “That is very kind of you. It was no problem. Jonathan is a very nice young man.” “Yes, he is. Thank you.” She knew better than to ask him about how he knew what kind of a young man Jonathan was, having never met him. Alex did not speak about family and there was no getting around it. Last night was the first time she had ever heard the story of Brooke, and that had come from Albert. “Is he out here?” she asked, looking around? “No” said Albert, “He got up about two hours ago and David took him over to the lab to give him a sedative and begin the physical. Apparently he couldn’t sleep all night. “Well, that’s not surprising given the day he had yesterday and what he was expecting today” Laura said, trying as hard as she could to hide the disappointment she was sure was scrawled across her face. “Well, I know David will take good care of him” she said. After an awkward moment of silence where no one knew what to say, Laura broke the silence, saying she was sorry to hear about his accident and that he looked in good spirits and great health given the traumatic events of the last week. Albert once again began to wheel Alexander out to the end of the patio where the sun was just hitting the pool, which was interestingly filled with salt water. A salt water filled pool was something Alex had wanted for years since he first saw one in the Vanderbilt’s Breakers mansion in Newport RI many years before. Unlike the Vanderilts, the water temperature here was kept like at a temperature of 115 degrees. Short of the Roman baths heated by natural springs scattered across Europe, this pool was undoubtedly the most comfortable body of water in the world, particularly for a 65 year old man trying to recover from such a tremendous injury. Laura thought it a bit unusual that a doctor considered it appropriate that someone with an injury such as Alex’s to be in salt water. Nonetheless, as Albert and one of the security personnel lowered him into the water, it was obvious that Alex enjoyed it tremendously. The water was only two feet deep at the shallow end so he could relax and sit in the corner for hours, which was exactly what he had planned on doing.

Laura smiled and said “Well, if you’ll excuse me now, I want to walk down to the beach for a moment before I fly back to rainy Paris.” She wanted to clear her head and she thought a walk on the beach might help. While she would love to have gone swimming, she limited herself to walking in the gentle surf. The swimming for the day was being done in her head. She kept going over the events of the last four days. There were so many contradictions or things that seemed to be out of place, but she couldn’t quite figure out why. Something just didn’t seem right, but she realized that a big part of the confusion might be feelings for Jonathan getting in the way. Feeling like a schoolgirl was not something she had done much of while she was actually in school so she found its appearance now particularly annoying. Nonetheless, she couldn’t get the feeling of unease out of her mind.

Returning from her walk she passed Alexander as he relaxed in the pool. She commented that he looked very comfortable and that he must be feeling better. He said that the salt was nature’s best medicine and that he was indeed feeling good. In a voice whose ring Laura thought laid somewhere between rhapsodic and melancholy, Alexander reflected that he was “sitting in paradise with a clear head, a cold vodka and great book” (he held up his copy of Universe in a Nutshell; Stephen W. Hawking) “What more could he want?” he questioned.

Indeed, what more could he want? She wondered what this man who had been so vital and vigorous, both in mind and body would do now that half of his limp body was confined to a wheelchair. She imagined he must feel like Superman in the comic book, where he weeps as he watches his father lay dying in his bed “I’m the most powerful person in the world and I can’t do anything at all!” No doubt Alexander had always carried himself with the confidence of Superman. If there was ever someone who had the drive and the resources to find a way to repair the damage, it was Alex. After all, had he not spent the last thirty years funding the science of regeneration of the body?

Those thoughts were crossing her mind as she continued toward the doorway that opened into the foyer, just as she approached the door she smiled at Alexander, who had paused for a moment. He continued, “Besides, I have complete use of the most important organ in the human body.” As he spoke Alexander tapped his index finger against his temple, which she knew meant his brain. She never saw the smile that he was wearing. Against the sea of white that was his robe, his birthmark drew her focus like the white nose on a midnight-black cat. Suddenly everything started to move in slow motion. She felt like she had been hit by a train. It was like a blinding light had been switched on and illuminated the darkness of a pitch-black room. She was having a difficult time maintaining her own movement forward. In that fraction of a second everything became clear. It was like watching all of the cards fall into place in a game of solitaire after flipping over the nine of clubs that had kept everything from moving forward.

So many thoughts of the last 72 hours rushed into her head at once. Why had Alexander never contacted Jonathan? Why was it so important for Alexander to meet Jonathan now? Why had the results of the physical pronounced him literally perfectly fit? Why were there no comments in those results about his condition? How could a man with such a weak immune system maintain the regimen Jonathan had followed over the last twenty years? As all of the pieces seemed to fall into place, the quote that was jogged into her memory last night by the Monkey Games file posted itself in the center of her consciousness: “The most efficient way to avoid organ rejection was to replace the organ with a copy of itself.” Her mind immediately went back to the file itself. The doctors apparently considered a brain transplant as the Brass Ring. If that could be done that meant that every organ in the body could be transplanted. Through trial and error on a variety of animals from mice to rabbits to dogs, the surgeons discovered that using stem cells from a fetus of the corresponding species to coat the nerve endings of the brain just prior to removal extended the time allowable between harvest and transplant dramatically. This coating slowed the neuron flow allowing for a more precise extraction and implantation maneuvers. As the process of reconnecting the nerve endings required great accuracy, this extra time made the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful transplant. This was particularly true with the complex array of neurological circuitry involved with primates. When the process was perfected in less sophisticated animals it was time to apply what they had learned. The teams went through 14 sets of chimpanzees until they were successful with their first primate brain transplant. The “original” chimpanzee was named Jeffery. He was 10 years old when he was cloned. William was his clone. The transplant was done when William was three years old. Jeffery was picked because he was among the smartest apes in the compound, which Laura realized was the facility she had just visited in the Ivory Coast. Not only did Jeffery have a vocabulary of over 100 words; he was by far the most intelligent when it came to problem solving. William on the other hand never had any intellectual training at all. What he was trained at was gymnastics and a variety of tasks that required a great deal of manual dexterity such as balancing a spinning basketball on a finger or kicking a soccer ball on his knee.

The operation was a spectacular success. It took 2 days for William to regain consciousness. It took another 2 weeks for him to regain complete motor control, although he was able to speak after just a couple days. Through a variety of mobility and skills tests, it became clear that the transplant had been a resounding success. The primary goal of the experiment was to see if Jeffrey’s 13 year old brain could be transplanted into William’s 3-year-old body. Once that was a success it was critical to understand what characteristics the resulting chimp would carry. It soon became clear that the team had succeeded to a degree they had hoped for but not seriously considered. The chimp that now had Jeffrey’s brain in William’s body had both the intellectual capacity of Jeffrey and the physical traits William. On a series of exams his scores literally mirrored those of Jeffrey before the operation and exceeded by far the scores William had previously achieved. In addition it became clear that he also retained all of the physical abilities that William had, including both dexterity and reflexes. The joyous doctors realized that they could not have crafted a more desirable outcome if they had wanted to. Literally they had taken the best capabilities of two different chimps and created one who was superior to both.

Suddenly the thought that careened to the center of her mind was the one she had as Jonathan lay across her lap as she leaned against the headboard of the bed the first night they had made love. He was glistening with sweat as she ran her hands over the contours of his shoulders and kissed every ridge of his perfectly muscled back. As the moonlight danced with every breath he took, it occurred to her that he was so perfect it was as if he had been created rather than born. That was it... He was created... It was right there in Monkey Games: Jeffery and William; Alexander and Jonathan. Jonathan WAS Alexander.

Monkey Games... Jonathan was Alexander’s clone. Unimaginable... She didn’t know how or why, but it was obvious now... William and Jeffery were simply the trial runs... The accident had no doubt rushed up their timetable, but the conclusion was unmistakable... Just like they had done with the monkeys, they were going to transfer Alexander’s brain into his a new body... Jonathan’s. She was right, it was not just by chance that Jonathan was in perfect shape, it was by design, he was actually raised to have the perfect body... For Alexander to use.

Unbelievable... in her entire life she had never heard of such a coldly calculated plan. How many people were in on it? It had to have been more than twenty years in the making. How many people knew about it? Albert? Yes! David Smith? Yes! Jack? She didn’t know. Most importantly, Sebring? How much did he know? He had to know something. She had no idea what the answers to any of those questions. They kept running through her head. For what seemed like an eternity, images and voices of lies and deceits flashed through her head, followed by an array of roads to be taken. Although she felt like she had been standing there immobilized in front of Alex and Albert for an hour, in reality the elapsed time was only a matter of seconds and Alexander never saw the sign of recognition on her face. As she waved goodbye to he and Albert, she knew there was no way she was leaving that island alone.

Chapter 10. Escape

Laura knew she had to find the lab quickly. She walked into the foyer and over to the security guard’s desk. “Hi” she said to Patrick, one of the slower, but likable guards. Laura knew Patrick from Boston where she had spent a month reconfiguring their security plans a couple years before. He was a nice young man who joined Alexander Resources after graduating high school. They had eaten lunch together, along with others, every Thursday while she was there. He sat reading the two-month-old copy of Sports Illustrated he had brought with him from home. Security personnel on the island typically rotated from various Alexander Research facilities every three months. To the company’s approximately 250 security personnel, three months on an island paradise was one of the perks of the job. As there had never once been a security threat, it was more a vacation than a deployment, particularly as spouses were not allowed. “Hi Laura” Patrick responded with a smile. “I’d heard you were here.” “Well, actually, a corporate emergency has come up and I’m on my way to catch my plane but Dr. Smith wanted to see me for a moment before I leave. He said he’s in the lab but I haven’t been here long enough to figure out where it is. Can you help me?” she asked as her arms made a sweeping motion towards the three hallways she had not been down. “It’s that hallway there.” he said pointing towards the first hallway on the left. “The lab is near the end on the left, before you get to the metal doors.” “Thank you Patrick” She said, as she moved quickly in the direction of the hallway, but not so quickly as to attract attention.

Patrick was of course right and she found the lab at the end on the left. She could see through the glass window that the room was a reception or prep area, where a nurse might take one’s vitals before the doctor came in. At the center of the room was a cushioned chair similar to one in a dentist’s office where the patient could sit and feel comfortable while pulse and blood pressure were taken. The room was largely devoid of any intimidating medical equipment and looked rather warm and welcoming. That was no doubt by design. Seeing that the room was empty, Laura walked in. She closed and locked the door behind her and immediately closed the blinds so that anyone passing down the hall could not see inside. She crossed the room and stopped on the far side near another panel window, this one looking in on the lab itself with its phalanx of medical and diagnostic equipment. In the middle of the lab was a medical table. Jonathan was lying on it naked, except for a towel. His eyes were closed. Behind him, facing the far wall was David Smith and two other doctors who she didn’t know. They were examining some kind of sample, each taking turns looking through a microscope. She knew that with their backs turned now was the time to act. She removed the short barrel 9-mm Browning automatic from the holster under her shoulder. She slowly pushed the swinging door open, sure the door would squeak and give her away. To her surprise and thankfulness, the well-oiled door didn’t make a sound. She walked through and guided it back with her left and as she pointed the weapon at the men who were oblivious to her presence ten feet behind them. “No, you’re not seeing it” David said to the doctor who was looking through the microscope. “It’s in the upper half on the right” he said, referring to something Laura could care less about although she was thankful for the cover David’s voice provided as she stepped towards Jonathan. She touched his arm, but there was no movement. She squeezed it a second time, this time very hard but still no response. She looked over at the shelf near Jonathan’s head. Sitting on it was a syringe. Next to the syringe was one of those medicine bottles with the rubber top with the hole in it so that medicine can be drawn into the syringe by the needle. Laura picked up the bottle and looked at the label, which read “ACX”. She dropped the bottle and looked at the three doctors facing away from her. “You sons of bitches” she said in a low but unmistakably dark tone “Turn around now.” The startled trio turned around in unison. Their eyes grew as large as silver dollars as all three focused on the gun pointed at them. “Laura” David said, “what are you doing.” “Shut up David” she replied pointing the gun directly at him. She had read about ACX the night before in the Monkey Games file. It’s a tranquilizer used to slow the body’s bloodflow and metabolism to levels necessary for the body to survive the trauma induced by the transplant. Apparently it was a slow moving drug and it takes three days for it to fully take effect. She remembered in the file that it said that unless the subject was completely immobile it could not work. Moving about would cause the body’s heartbeat and bloodflow to move too quickly for the drug to take effect. She knew she had to get Jonathan up and moving. “Do you have an antidote to this stuff?” she asked nodding her head towards the bottle of ACX. All three simultaneously shook their heads. Knowing from the file that if she could wake him before it fully took effect he would be able to walk it out of his system. She had to elevate his bloodflow quickly to render it ineffectual; otherwise it would be too late. She leaned over and tapped David on the face. Nothing. She did it again a little harder. Still nothing. She looked up at the three of them and shook her head saying “Hippocratic Oath. I should kill all three of you right now.” Her eyes narrowed and she added as she looked down at Jonathan, “And if I can’t wake him I will.” She smacked him across the face, this time as hard as she could remember ever hitting someone. “Wake up damnit!” she said “Wake up!” Nothing. She looked around. Near the red biohazard receptacle for used syringes was a light blue cardboard box with a dispenser at the bottom. The box was labeled Ammonium Carbonate, (NH3)2CO3·H2O. Laura walked over and removed one of the thin Tootsie Roll shaped pieces from the bottom as the one above it dropped into place. Still holding the gun on the doctors she snapped the piece of what is more commonly known as smelling salts in half. She waved it under Jonathan’s nose. He began to move his head from side to side with a dazed look in his blurry eyes. He was groggy. She smacked him again. She pulled her hand back to smack him a third time when he grabbed her hand and stopped it. He had finally focused on her and was looking in her eyes. As he held her left hand he followed her right arm as it was extended out above him. In it he saw was holding a gun. He followed the trajectory and it was pointed at the three doctors who just 20 minutes before been checking his vitals had given him an injection. “What’s going on?” he asked her rather unsteadily. “There’s no time to explain,” she said in a soft but stern tone. She kept the gun on the three as she instructed him to get up. He obeyed, rather groggily. When he questioned her again she gave him a look that left no doubt that he should shut up. He did. She helped him to the floor and over to the chair in the corner where he had piled his clothes. He dressed himself although she had to help him with his shirt.

Most of Jonathan’s last three hours had been spent under the cameras of General Electric’s most powerful MRI machine in the lab in the next room. With over 100 pictures of his brain, the doctors had planned to create an active, three-dimensional map of his head that included the location, size and layout of every single nerve, artery and vein that serviced his brain. In addition they would have a precise indication of the rate of bloodflow to and from every section of the brain. After the MRI they brought him into the lab in which Laura found him and injected him with what was to be the first of a series of ACX injections. The tranquilizer was so effective and it slowed a body’s functions to such a degree that after a rapid examination a doctor might mistake the person for dead. It was a biologically induced state, not significantly different from when a body is suddenly submerged in freezing cold water. The body immediately understands that it must reduce its energy consumption so that it can survive the trauma. The only difference is that with ACX the metabolic slowing takes days rather than minutes. The benefit is that the body does not sustain physical damage or internal trauma that can be associated with exposure to freezing temperatures or loss of oxygen. Although their experiments had shown that patients could easily sustain such a state for a month without any negative consequences, they were certain the state could be extended almost indefinitely. ACX provided what was as close as science had come to the fictional “suspended animation” that had inhabited scenes from sci-fi movies and comic books for decades. If things went as planned, Jonathan would have been in that cationic state for the next three days. During that time they would have run a battery of tests that would build on that morning’s 100 digital brain scans. All of that data was to be used to build a perfect 3D model of his brain and its cradle. Alexander was scheduled to undergo the exact same process starting later that day and the transplant was to occur three full days later on Saturday. The physiology of humans and monkeys are sufficiently similar that the team was confident that this operation would be a complete success, but they were nonetheless somewhat unnerved by the unexpected jump in the calendar and the lack of a human trial. Unfortunately, Estaban’s death and Alex’s accident left them with no other choice. While it appeared that Alexander was as healthy as one could expect from the waste up, the reality was that the loss of blood pressure had put a strain on his heart and he could suffer a fatal stroke at any moment. Much like anyone who has suffered heart distress, it was possible he could live another 100 years or he could die tomorrow, there was just no saying. Alexander had come too far to take a chance with a few more months now. He was never a betting man and he had no intention of gambling when he held all of the cards right now. He had decided the operation would take place now and the team was ready to go.

As Jonathan leaned on Laura, the three doctors stood motionless. To a man they stood there, each one knowing they had made a pact with the devil when they signed on to this project twenty years before. Despite the obvious macabre nature of the entire project, each one had signed on knowing that this day would come. Not that they would be standing with their hands up in front of someone who was obviously more than prepared to kill them without a moment’s hesitation, but the day when they would be taking a human life. Regardless of the rationale each used, and each one came up with his own way of justifying the millions of dollars they had received over the years, the fact of the matter was that they had taken the first steps towards killing a human. Now someone was standing in front of them with the barrel of a gun pointed at them with the intention of stopping these 20 plus years of work. The thought of trying to use physical force against her never entered their minds. She had a gun and by reputation was known as a cold-blooded bitch if she needed to be. None of them wanted to find out first hand.

Laura maneuvered Jonathan near the door and leaned him so that he could look out the panel window into the reception room. She placed a wooden beside him so that he could steady himself. “Watch that door” she said pointing to the door that opened onto the hallway. She continued “and let me know if you see anyone.” She then turned to the doctors. “Turn around you two” she commanded the pair doctors whose names she did not know, waving the gun at each. “Down on your knees with your hands behind your backs” she continued. She switched the gun in to her left hand. She walked up to David and stopped six inches from him. She then lifted her knee into his groin. It landed with a thud and was followed by a whoosh of expelled air as he doubled over. She stepped back as he fell to the floor. The other two turned to look back at him. “What are you looking at?” She asked them. “Turn around” she commanded. She then knelt down next to David, “Now, David” she spoke quietly at ear level. “From what I read last night, once the ACX dissipates there will be no after effects. Is that accurate?” she asked as she put the nose of the barrel roughly against his cheek just below his eye. As he was staring up at her his eyes had become almost black as fear had dilated his pupils to almost double their normal size. He nervously shook his head as blood dripped from his mouth. She didn’t know if it was because he bit his tongue because of the knee to the groin, but she didn’t care either way. She rubbed the nose of the gun over his cheek and through the blood, stopping at his mouth. “How long will it take to dissipate from his system?” she asked, adding “Don’t lie to me David because I will kill you without a second’s hesitation.” As his eyes were furiously blinking, he nodded and said “One hour, I swear. He’ll be fine after an hour.” “Good!” she said, standing. “Now get up and turn around!” she commanded before looking over to check on Jonathan who was leaning against the door. Grabbing a one-inch roll of medical tape, she proceeded to tape the hands, feet and mouths of the three. Once each was taped she had each of them lay on their stomachs with their legs bent and their feet in the air. Quickly she pulled them together like three spokes in a bicycle wheel with their knees in the middle. She then taped their legs together. This would at least immobilize them long enough for them to escape. She grabbed Jonathan’s hand and they walked through the reception area. She lifted the blinds so that she could peer into the hallway. No one. She hadn’t really expected there to be anyone. She knew that the guards made their rounds but the island’s small security detachment was far more for protection from what the ocean might bring in the way of South American guerrilla boats than from anyone inside the compound. As such, rounds within the building occurred only a couple of times a day rather than a couple of times an hour at facilities that might have been under a greater degree of risk. Nonetheless she knew they had to be careful. They had to get off the island and they had to get to the plane before Alex or Albert discovered their escape. If Albert told Jack to leave, they would have no way off. She had really no idea of how long they might have but she figured if they could escape detection for fifteen minutes they would be OK. As she was opening the door to the hallway she suddenly remembered the panel window looking into the lab where the three doctors were now tied together. She leaned Jonathan against the door and told him to stay still for a second as she ran back inside the lab and closed the blinds. “Damn” she said to herself after she lowered the blinds and headed back out into the reception room, looking for a way to lock the swinging doors and finding none. Locking the door to the hallway would have to suffice. She looked one last time out the window and down the hall. Once they were out in the hall and the door was locked, there was no turning back. Satisfied there was no one out there she opened the door and helped Jonathan through. She locked the door and closed it behind her. “Can you walk by yourself, Sweetheart?” she asked the still wavering Jonathan. “Yes” he said with more hope than conviction. They had to get the airstrip but they had to get out of the building first. The compound was on the western side of the island, about two miles from the airstrip. Under normal circumstances both of them could easily cover the two miles on foot in less than ten minutes, but given Jonathan’s state there was no chance. She decided that the only way to get there quickly was to take one of the Range Rovers, which meant they had to get to the carport, on the other side of the compound. The first thing they had to do was to get through the foyer.

Walking more steadily now, Jonathan looked forward, although his pupils were still dilated and he looked like he had just woken up. As Laura and Jonathan moved towards the front door, Patrick asked if everything was all right. “Jonathan is having a negative reaction to one of Dr. Smith’s allergy medicines” she told him. “He spent the last two hours in the bathroom and David said he could probably use a walk” she continued. “I’m taking out to get some fresh air.” Wondering when his replacement would arrive and canvas the lab, she asked, “ Are you getting off soon? Jack’s delayed the flight a little while so we’re just going down to relax on the beach for a while. Would you like to come down?” “I’m here for another 45 minutes” he responded, “but maybe I’ll join you later on.” “Great” she said, waving as they exited the lobby.

Once outside the sliding doors she immediately looked for one of the four Range Rovers on the off chance they might have been left out front. Not that the facility really needed four, but much like the military frequently does, it’s easier to have one backup vehicle from which to cannibalize replacements than it is to have a warehouse full of replacements. “Damn!” none of them were out front. That meant they were probably parked under the giant carport north of the building. Keys would not be a problem as she was sure one set was always kept in the glove compartment, a common practice at most secure Alexander Resources facilities. The problem was that Alexander and Albert were on the patio and she and Jonathan would have to go by that part of the compound to reach the carport. The only way they could reach the carport without literally walking right by Alex and Albert was to go back and access it from inside. It would be dangerous, as the patio where Alex and Albert were sitting looked in on the hallway as well, but they didn’t have any choice, she knew they had to move quickly. They would have to chance it.

Patrick was surprised to see them return but any questions he might have were put to rest when Laura told him “I figured it would be better to keep him here close to David just in case. I think I’ll let him relax by that saltwater pool instead. Have you been in it yet?” “Not yet” Patrick replied. “Well, you should come by later and try it out. It’s rather refreshing.” Patrick, hoping against hope that she was coming on to him rather than just being polite, said he’d try to make it. As they made their way down the hallway that abutted the patio and led to the carport, Laura slowly looked through the glass-paneled door that opened onto the patio. It was one of those vintage 1960s doors that had a large glass pane in the top 2/3 of the door. She saw that Albert was standing behind the bar pouring he and Alex a drink. The doctors suggested Alex stick to red wine but he would have no part of it, at least not until he started the ACX. His preference was a Stoli screwdriver, and although he did not follow their recommendation on the wine, he did acquiesce when it came to limiting himself to two within any 24-hour period. Albert, drank his usual Glenfiddich, straight. Not the most sophisticated of whiskeys, but it was the drink his grandfather had introduced him to at 15 and it had been his favorite ever since. Although it may have been morning on La Playa Arena, it was still evening in Paris and they were going to drink as if they were still there. “Stay low” Laura commanded, as she and Jonathan crawled across the glossy hardwood floor, Laura looking back to make sure that no one saw them from the foyer. Once they were past the windowed walls of the patio they stood and opened the exit door at the end of the hall. They quickly crossed the 100 yards on the covered sidewalk to the carport. Just as she had expected, all four of the Rovers were there. They couldn’t take the Parts Shop, which Jack had explained was what they called the tan Rover in the first bay because it didn’t run due to parts being stripped from it to keep the other vehicles running. They could however take the blue one in the second bay. They jumped in and Laura grabbed the keys from the glove compartment and started the engine. She pulled out of the driveway slowly, now wanting to attract attention then turned left onto the gravel road. “Now can you tell me what is going on?” Jonathan asked. As he looked at her with his deep blue eyes, Laura knew that there was not enough time. “No, I can’t explain it right now, but you were not safe back there,” she said. “We have to get off of this island right now. I’ll explain everything when once we’re gone!”

Albert was standing on the patio drinking his Glenfiddich when he heard the Rover drive away. He would have not have given it a second thought except that rather than heading north towards the town, it took the gravel road East, and the only destination to which it could have been headed was the airstrip. There were no arrivals scheduled for today and Laura wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. It was probably just the pilot Jack, checking things out before they left. Albert didn’t think anything else of it until a couple of minutes later when he thought he saw Jack walking towards the carport with a bag in his hand. Albert walked off of the patio and went to the lobby where Patrick was still on duty. “Was that Jack who just left here with a bag in his hand?” Patrick nodded yes. “Did he just send someone out to the plane about five minutes ago?” he asked. “I have no idea” Patrick replied. “Then who left five minutes ago?” Albert pressed. Again Patrick had to plead ignorance. “The only people I’ve seen in the last half hour were Laura and Jonathan who came through here about five minutes ago.” “What?” screamed Albert, knowing that Jonathan was already supposed to be under sedation. “What do you mean Laura AND Jonathan?” he demanded. Albert wasn’t even listening when Patrick told him that Jonathan had had a bad reaction to some medicine and Laura was just taking him to the pool to relax. When Albert reached the lab he knew he didn’t want to open the door. Knowing what he would see, he reached for the doorknob and turned. Nothing. “Damn” he said to himself “It’s locked!” For a moment searched his pockets for a key then realized he didn’t have one. “Patrick” he hollered down the hall. Get over here and open this door. As soon as he said it he realized he didn’t have time to waste. He kicked open the door, breaking the glass in the process and rushed across the reception room. He slammed open the swinging doors. He stood there astonished with his arms holding the doors open as looked down on the three doctors taped together on the floor. All three had careened their necks and were staring up at him anxiously. Quickly turning he ran through the reception room and down the hall. “Patrick, get on the phone and call Anderson at the airfield and you tell him that that plane is NOT to leave this island!” “I don’t care if he has shoot Laura of drive a truck into the dam thing, that plane is not to get off of the ground!”

As she approached the airfield, she knew they were too late. Somehow Albert had alerted Anderson the island security chief and he was running with a field crewman towards the plane. Laura crashed the Range Rover through the gate and headed for the plane as well. It would be close but she thought she could reach it before they could. The rover bounced as it bounded over the grassy field. Although the airstrip itself was asphalt, the surrounding field was very much natural terrain. As the Rover approached the men, Anderson turned around and fired three shots. Running as he was, he was as close to hitting his partner Milton as he was hitting the Rover. Laura shifted the Rover into third gear and pulled alongside the pair. She wheeled the vehicle to the right, knocking both men to the ground. She immediately slammed on the brakes and told Jonathan to grab Anderson’s gun. Jonathan half-stumbled from the Rover and reached down for Anderson’s gun, which had flown from his hand when he hit the ground. Anderson reached for it as well. Jonathan grabbed it first and quickly picked it up. Although Anderson began to wrestle for the weapon, he was no match for Jonathan, even in his slightly handicapped state. Laura came around from the other side and held a gun on both men as they rose to their feet. “What the hell did you think you were doing?” she asked.

“Albert called...” Milton started to explain as he and Anderson climbed to their feet. “Nevermind... Shut up.” Laura commanded, adding “It doesn’t matter now anyway”. She calmly leveled her gun just below and to the right of Milton’s kneecap and fired, successfully glancing rather than shattering the bone. He screamed and fell to the ground wreathing in pain and grabbing his shin. She then aimed at Anderson’s leg and did the same. She did not want to kill them, but she didn’t have time to tie them up and she could not take a chance of them somehow stopping them from taking off. Those bastard doctors would take care of them.

Jonathan just stared at her. He had no idea what to make of what he had just seen. “What was that?” he asked? Not even stopping to answer, she said “Let’s go!” She was running to the plane when she noticed that Jonathan was still standing by the Rover looking at Anderson and Milton. “Jonathan” she screamed “We have to get out of here now!”

Still no movement. She ran back to him and grabbed his hand and took the gun from it. Still he stood. She walked in front of him, gently put her hands on his cheeks and said “Sweetheart, we have to go. They will be fine. It is only a leg wound and the doctors will take care of them.” She glanced back over her shoulder at the two men who were wreathing in pain on the ground behind her. “It was either us or them, I didn’t have any other choice. Please Jonathan lets go. I’ll explain everything on the plane, I promise.”

It had been fifteen years since Laura had flown a plane. Her uncle Stephen had taught her over the course of two summers she spent with him on his ranch just north of Dallas. While she had always thought flying a plane was the closest thing to true freedom one could achieve on this planet, she always had a difficult time with the plane on the ground. The simple matter of steering with her feet rather than her hands was one of those things that simply never came naturally to her. She had always been an incredibly coordinated child having been the captain of the ski team in high school, as well as the New York State Woman’s Racquetball Champion in college. She therefore found it inexplicable and rather irksome that given her rather deft mastery of her own motor skills in virtually every other aspect of her life, she was so uncoordinated in this one. Although she loved to fly and she became a skillful pilot, she never became completely comfortable with steering with her feet.

It was not her lack of coordination on the ground that that had kept her from flying for fifteen years however; it was simply a matter of time. Her schedule had been such that it was always much faster to have someone else fly. Even if she had to fly commercial, it was invariably less chaotic and faster than it would have been for her to get a plane and fly herself. Besides, she often read or worked on flights, something that is particularly difficult if you are the one actually flying the plane.

She took the pilots seat and ordered the still sluggish Jonathan to lay down on the sofa. She turned to him and said “make sure you put your seat belt on.” The plane was the same one that had brought her from Paris and them from Aislado, a brand new Gulfstream V-SP capable of flying almost 7,000 miles at mach .8. This was a far cry from the Gulfstream III her uncle owned but luckily much of the instrumentation was the same. The controls too were slightly different but within a couple of seconds she felt right at home. As she wheeled the plane toward the runway she could see the dust coming up from the road leading from the compound. She knew she would beat them, but it was going to be close. She turned onto the runway and shoved in the throttle and pulled on the yoke. The pair of Rovers approached the gate just as the plane was taking to the air. “Yes!” Laura said as they lifted off. Although she could not hear them she could see two men taking shots at them as they passed above. Luckily neither of them was a particularly good shot. Once they had reached 2,000 ft she leaned back and looked over to see Jonathan already sleeping on the couch. Not sure that all of the ACX had worked its way out of his system, she called to him “Jonathan, wake up Sweetheart!” No response. “Jonathan!” she called again, again with the same response. Finally she picked up the cockpit microphone and demanded “Jonathan! Wake up!”. He groggily lifted his head and slowly focused on Laura. “Sweetheart” She said, “Come up here and sit with me. I don’t think it is a good idea for you to sleep yet. Slowly he stood and steadied himself before he made his way to the cockpit. Even if he was not still groggy from the effects of the ACX, the sight of that cockpit would still have amazed him. He had never seen anything so complicated in his life. As he sat down Laura could not help but look at him with disbelief. Just six days ago she was completely contented going about her comfortable life, with her great job, and the ski trip she had been so looking forward to. Then out of the blue this stranger, part little boy, part man and part Adonis walks into her life and now she can think of nothing else. Stranger still was her Kafkaesque awareness that if she had simply followed the plan as it had been written, he would have been dead at the hands of her boss within a week. While the plane was jetting through the sky her mind was spinning thorough the clouds.

Jonathan asked “Where are we going?” but she did not respond. “Laura...” he said, and still no response. Suddenly she felt him touch her arm “Laura... are you all right?” Startled out of her thoughts, she looked over and said “I’m sorry Jonathan, what did you say?” “Where are we going?” he repeated. She looked at him. It dawned on her that she had no idea where they were going. “Honestly sweetheart, I haven’t figured that out yet.” she said. She knew she had to come up with something quickly. Alex and Albert would certainly have someone after them within an hour. While they were stuck on the island without a plane, they had the best communications equipment available and Alexander had friends around the globe. “Grab that map.” she commanded, pointing to the map book beside Jonathan’s chair. He picked up the book and immediately opened it to the chart that covered their part of the South Pacific. Although he had never been off of his island, he was nonetheless well-versed in geography and quickly found their location on the map. They were about a three hundred and fifty miles off the coast of Peru, not far below the equator. With a full tank of gas she knew they could reach just about any place between New York and Auckland. Unfortunately Alexander’s connections made most metropolitan areas off limits. She had to find a place where they could lay low for a couple of days so she could figure out what to do next. She decided on Martinique, a French island she knew well, having spent a summer there long before she joined Alexander Resources. While it was fairly popular island amongst French travelers, she knew Albert and Alexander did not have strong connections there and its underground economy would allow them to quickly assemble fake papers. She didn’t know what they were going to do from there, but she knew that it would take money and the few hundred thousand she had was in banks could easily traced. Luckily, whenever she traveled for Alexander, he wanted her to carry cash, and this trip was no different. She had $50,000 worth of Dollars, Yen and Euros in her bag.

Slowly she looked over at Jonathan. As surreal as all of this was to her, it must have been exponentially more so for him. While she found it hard to believe that this was happening, for him, this was going to be nothing short of baptism by fire into the dark side of humanity. Where would she begin? How could she begin? How could she tell him the truth?

“Jonathan” she said..."I don’t really know where to start.” He looked at her blankly, still not at all sure what had just occurred. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Laura spoke with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know where to start, so I’m just going to start at the beginning.” He looked at her with a blank stare. “Everything you’ve ever known or been told about yourself is a lie.” “I don’t know how much Sebring knew, but of the most important part, I cannot imagine he had any knowledge.”

“You’ve heard me talk about Alexander Cooke, the man for whom I work. He’s the man who had me bring you to La Playa Arena, the man who Albert said was your father and the man you were supposed to meet this morning.” Jonathan nodded his head. “Well” she started, not sure where to go. “He is one of the richest men in the world and his company, Alexander Resources is the largest medical and biological science organization in the world. Their primary interests involve organ rejection drugs and genetic engineering.” Thinking that she had started down the wrong route, she decided to stop and start again. “Here” she said, “let me start again.” “Do you know what cloning is” she asked him. “Yes, I think so...” Jonathan responded. Breathing deeply she hesitated for a moment and finally began “ Everything Albert told us about your family was a lie.” “The truth is that Alexander is not your father. You did not have a mother named Brooke who died at childbirth. You did not have a mother and father like everyone else.” “The truth is that you were born of DNA taken from Alexander.” Jonathan looked at her, giving her no sign that he had a clue what she was talking about. She decided she had to be as straight as an arrow. “Jonathan, Alexander Cooke had a clone of himself made, and you are him.” Jonathan’s eyes narrowed and his brow tightened like a schoolboy trying to solve a math problem in his head as he tried to understand what she had just told him. Looking at him once again she said, “Sweetheart, you are Alexander’s clone” adding “that does not mean that you are not just as human as everyone else on the planet, it just means that rather than growing from two people, you grew from one.” Not wanting to give him a chance to ask a question that she could not answer, she continued “It is true that you were born twenty years ago. Everything else was a lie. Alexander’s DNA was implanted into an egg and a woman on La Playa Arena was paid to carry you to birth. When you were two years old you were sent to Aislado to be raised by Sebring.” He wanted to say something, but he had no words. “There’s more,” she said tentatively, knowing the most difficult part remained to be said. “He had a plan for you. And it was not a good one. It was downright despicable.” Struggling for words as the tears streamed down her face, she finally took one last deep breath and said what was possibly the most horrible thing she had ever said in her life “he cloned himself so that he could use your body.” “You never had an immune deficiency problem. That was a story to keep you from asking questions. You are actually in perfect health.” “You know those checkups you’ve had twice a year for as long as you can remember?” she hesitated, looking over at Jonathan. His eyes were closed, but he nodded his head. “Well the last one showed that you were in perfect shape. Literally, in almost perfect shape. I know, I read it” “You were created” she continued “so that Alexander Cooke could live forever in a perfect body. Your perfect body. You were not brought to La Playa Arena to receive treatment for some condition. You were going to be killed. Alexander planned to take your body. He was going to transplant his brain into your body.” Jonathan looked at her with a glance that was one part disbelief, another part revulsion and as the truth of what she had to say was becoming clear, another part fear. “How do you know all this?” Jonathan asked. “Are you part of this?” “NO!!! Of course not” she replied. Taking a moment, “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I had no idea about any of this.” “What I told you on Aislado is what I was told, that you were going to meet Alex and receive a treatment for your immune system condition that would allow you to leave the island and go anywhere you wanted.” “It was purely by accident that I found out about any of this. I stumbled across the files late last night but didn’t put two and two together until this morning when I saw Alex’s birthmark, it’s exactly like yours.” Jonathan looked down and touched his birthmark. “He told me that his injuries were of little consequence and that the most important part of his body, his brain, was uninjured.” That’s when I realized what was really going on. From what I could tell the operation was not scheduled for another couple of years, but Alex’s accident necessitated a drastic advance of the timetable so that he would not die before the transplant could be completed.”

“Sweetheart” she said as she searched his eyes for some sign of confidence. “Two seconds after I recognized the plan I was heading towards the lab to get you. You’ve got to believe me.” After what seemed an eternity with Jonathan staring out at the horizon ahead, he turned at her with what for a moment was a steely cold glare. A moment later the glare gave way to compassion. “I do,” he said as he reached and grasped her hand as it still gripped the throttle like it was a rope hanging from a lifeboat. “I’m sorry I was so startled at the airfield. I had never seen anything like that. I know you’ve risked everything to rescue me. I don’t think I could believe you were part of this if I wanted to.” His eyes dropped to the row of red and green lights that line the bottom of the control panel which would indicate problems with various elements of the plane if they were flashing, which thankfully right now the were not. “Sebring” his voice trailed off. Laura spoke, “I have no idea how much of this Sebring knew or knows, but after meeting him and seeing the genuine love that he has for you I cannot imagine that he would have any knowing part in this plan.” He nodded his head in agreement as tears finally streamed down his cheek as the words of the last hour finally sank in. The range of emotions that he felt was unexplainable. He had in the last hour been introduced to everything dark that he had only read about in books from greed to conceit to deviousness to hate to rage to cruelty to deception to evil. It seemed so unreal, yet he knew it was true. The bottom-line was that he was nothing more than replacement parts, or more accurately, a replacement part. He didn’t know what he was supposed to feel in this situation, it was so unlike anything he’d ever experienced or even imagined. Did this mean that he was destined to be as cruel and evil as Alexander? Did this mean that his story was written before he had had a chance to live it? Questions and concerns were racing through his mind at a million miles a second, but he could not put any of them into words.

They flew in silence with Laura knowing there was no way possible for her to conceive of what was going through Jonathan’s head. He must have felt like he was watching as some three-dimensional storybook spin out its macabre tale right in front of him and he couldn’t close it if he wanted to. He was being forced to watch.

Finally, after what seemed like forever Jonathan looked over and broke the silence “What now?” She reached over and grabbed his hand. They were both trembling. “I’m not sure Sweetheart, I’m just not sure.” “I don’t have any idea how this is going to play out, but you’ve got to know that Alex has more resources at his disposal than God and he will stop at nothing to get you back. The first thing we are going to do is to go to Martinique. From there we’ll go to Switzerland. There is a safety deposit box we need to get to. We will need money and proof if either of us is going to survive. I know we’ll find the money in Zurich but I’m not so sure about the proof. That may be a little more difficult to come by.”

Her mind was now running at a million miles an hour. Whatever they were going to do they needed to get rid of this plane or at least make it less recognizable. She knew she needed to think fast. On Martinique they could both get the documents that would allow them to travel unfettered in Europe and change the identification numbers on the plane. With open borders throughout Europe the odds were against them needing any documentation at all, but in the off chance that they were stopped by police at some point she needed to make sure they had some kind of documentation. From the island they would fly to Zurich.

They would use Alexander’s money against him. He had had her set up a secure account about four years ago. He did not tell her what it was for but simply that it should be an unnamed account, which could only be accessed by a matching the retina scan and hand print of either of the two authorized persons. He had her deposit $15 million cash, a mix of Dollars, Euros, Pounds, and Swiss Francs plus an equal amount in German bearer bonds. At the last moment he gave her an envelope to add to the bag. She wasn’t sure what was in the letter, but Alexander had said, “it might eventually be very important” and that it was “a will of sorts.” The implication from the money was obvious, if something ever went awry and he needed cash quickly without any questions, he could find it there. When she set it up she could not imagine any kind of scenario where he might need money in such an unconventional way. It seemed odd, but most people had their idiosyncrasies and with rich people they often involved money. She never went back to the box and had never read the letter, but in light of the recent events it seemed reasonable that it might be of some value to them now. She knew they needed to get to that box before Alexander got to them.

Chapter 11. Martinique

They arrived at Martinique four hours after they escaped La Playa Arena. Four hours was a lifetime in the world of instant communications and Laura could not be sure that Alexander and Albert had not somehow sent out a blanket alert for a stolen plane. She contacted air traffic control and gave them a fictional identification. Upon landing she taxied the plane directly to general aviation.

Martinique was no different than airports round the world, most of which have a rather porous underbelly that can typically be found in or around the cargo or general aviation areas. Like most pilots who come through various Caribbean airports seeking stealth and favors, Laura had money and she was willing to spend it. As they stepped out of the plane they were greeted by Roland the Chief of General Aviation and Oliver, who, by virtue of being at general aviation, was the lowest man on the Martinique Customs Office totem pole. His status as such had little to do with the rigors of the job, which frankly were largely confined to leaving a sweltering office and walking across the tarmac two or three times a day to ask a bunch of American tourists if they had anything to declare. Rather, his situation at the bottom of the hierarchy had much more to do with the fact that his father was at the top of the pole and Oliver had angered him for the last time by failing out of college. His parents had saved for years to send him to school in the United States. He lasted all of 18 months at Florida State University, having spent far more time knee deep in beer and women than books. Upon returning to Martinique, Oliver’s father, Carlos, didn’t even want to let him back in the house. After a week of pummeling by Kristeen, Oliver’s mother, Carlos relented and allowed him into the house and gave him a job at the Customs Office. But he was damned if he was going to be cowered into giving him a job worth having so he set him up in general aviation. His goal was to make Oliver so miserable that he would want to go back to school. In the month Oliver had been there before Laura and Jonathan landed it really hadn’t worked out that way. Not only was Oliver happy to sit in his little office and read or play video games, but his friends would come and visit with him and no one could tell them to leave. In addition, on two occasions he had struck up conversations with women who had been on incoming planes that culminated with him spending the night in their hotel rooms. When Laura and Jonathan stepped off the plane Oliver didn’t actually look at Jonathan because he couldn’t take his eyes off of Laura. Tall with cascading auburn hair, she was nothing less than stunning. As they approached the bottom of the stairs he was standing there, waiting. “Hello” he said smiling at Laura. “Welcome to Martinique. My name is Oliver and I am with the Customs Department. May I see your passports please?” “I’m sorry, we don’t have them. They were stolen when we were on Vacation in Haiti two days ago. We filed a report with the police in Port-au-Prince. I have a copy of the report on the plane. Would you like to see it?” she said, hoping he would not. He didn’t. She continued, “They were supposed to fax a copy over to he Council Regional’s office. We can call them if you would like.” “No, I’m sure that will not be necessary” Oliver said Laura picked Haiti primarily because the entire country was nothing but chaos and its dire condition was such common knowledge. Nothing worked in Haiti, particularly the government. As such, she knew that she could plausibly say that they had reported the theft and it would be almost impossible to disprove with any degree of certainty. Not that any of that seemed to matter one way or the other with Oliver. He had not released her hand since she reached the tarmac. Still shaking it, he asked “So, what brings you to Martinique?” “Well,” she started “We’re would like to go to the Council Regional to get our passports replaced.” “We?” he asked, for the first time noticing there was someone with her. “My husband,” she said, moving to her left as Jonathan reached the tarmac from the bottom step. “How do you do?” Oliver asked in a noticeably chilly greeting, looking and noticing that neither wore a wedding ring. “Very well” Jonathan said as he stepped forward and shook Oliver’s “Please forgive me. I let my wife do most of the talking as my French is so poor.” “Certainly. Very nice to meet you” said Oliver, barely even seeing Jonathan and rather unhappy that he had to let go of Laura’s hand to shake the hand Jonathan had extended. Turning again to Laura and once again grasping her hand, Oliver said “Roland here will be happy to let you know where everything on the island is. If there is anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask.” He kissed her hand and finally let it go before patting Roland on the back. While having no problem spending time with another mans wife, Oliver was never interested in trying to pick her up while her husband looked on.

Laura looked at Jonathan as he watched Oliver walk away. Jonathan found himself wondering about those rather dark unfamiliar thoughts he had just experienced watching Oliver cling to Laura’s hand. Jealousy and anger were not feelings he was particularly familiar with in practice, although he was certainly familiar with what they were. He was pretty sure the feelings he had just experienced and which had noticeably quickened his heartbeat were a combination of the two. Seeing the flashes of emotion and uncertainty in his eyes Laura reached for his hand. “We dodged a bullet there,” she said, referring to the fact that Oliver had not wanted to see the report she lied about having. He looked at her not knowing exactly what she meant. “Entering a country without a passport could have caused big problems. We were lucky with Oliver,” she whispered as she feigned brushing something off of Jonathan’s shirt. With Roland now standing right next to her she left it at that, although she knew that Jonathan had no idea that entering a country without a passport could mean immediate expulsion or even land you in a cell block if someone really wanted to play hardball.

Roland, who had been quiet the entire time led the pair to his office in the general aviation building. Upon entering his office the impression one quickly came to was that Roland was just another petty banana republic government official who ruled his little fiefdom like he was a dictator. On the wall behind his chair was a picture of the President of the General Council in a gaudy tin frame and on the desk was a small oscillating fan. The unsteady metal chairs were no doubt uncomfortable by design. There was even a skull sitting on top of a rusty filing cabinet in the corner. In reality it was a Halloween candle holder that some tourists had left a few years back. Despite it’s first impression, a closer look at Roland’s office revealed perhaps something of a more refined officeholder. On his desk sat copies of the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, which were delivered from Miami once a week, a copy of Martin Gilbert’s “Churchill - A Life” and a picture of Roland, in his Chief of General Aviation uniform, being besieged by three lovely daughters as he holds a guinea pig up out of their reach.

“Please sit” Roland said as he gestured towards the rickety chairs. “I wish I could make you more comfortable, but you know how red tape can take something as simple as purchasing chairs and turn it into a quest for the Holy Grail.” Sitting, he started “Now, why don’t you tell me what is really going on.” Laura, taken somewhat aback answered “Pardon me?” “Miss...” “I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?” “Laura” “Ms...Laura, I doubt you were in Haiti, I imagine you did not get your passports stolen and I’m certain you do not have the documents necessary to get passports legally issued here.” “Why would you say that?” she asked. “First, people who can afford $50 million dollar jets don’t vacation in Haiti and if they do have that kind of money the French consulate at Port-au-Prince would have certainly figured out a way to issue new passports already. And second, you flew in with your transponder turned off which suggests you didn’t want anyone tracking you. And if there needed to be a third reason, I would simply call it a hunch. Laura stared at Roland for a moment, weighing how much she should tell him. Picking up on his statement that they likely didn’t have the documents necessary to have passports legally issued to them she decided to take a chance with him. If there was a black market in documents, typically the Chief of General Aviation, as the main government contact with small private jets, would be in the loop or was at least paid to turn a blind eye. If she was wrong about him she would likely find out very quickly. “Well, Mr...” “Please, call me Roland” “Thank you, Roland. You are quite perceptive.” It didn’t take rocket science to figure out they hadn’t been to Haiti. She was glad that Oliver was more interested in her than he was her papers. “ I was a little surprised Oliver hadn’t been more inquisitive.” “You shouldn’t have been. His interests, as you could no doubt could tell, lay elsewhere.” Unsure of what to say next, she looked at the picture on the desk. She looked up at Roland and again at the picture. The little girls had the most beautiful smiles in the world and right in the middle was this man in front of her. There is never any certainty in life but sometimes one simply must go with one’s gut instinct and the smile on Roland’s face with those beautiful little girls told Laura to trust him. If it was a mistake she would deal with consequences as they came. “You are of course right. We were not in Haiti and our passports were not stolen. But I have to tell you, we are not carrying drugs or arms or contraband of any kind. You are welcome to search the plane if you would like. There is someone looking for us who wants us dead. We cannot go to authorities because he has moles everywhere and he would find us instantly.” She looked over at Jonathan and then back at Roland, “I don’t know if you can help us, but if you can I can pay. It is not a great deal right now, but I will promise you more when we get to where we are going.” “And where are you going?” He asked as he looked at Laura and then at Jonathan and then back to Laura. He surveyed their faces looking for something that would suggest whether or not he should trust them. With Laura he could tell almost immediately that she was ramrod straight and no-nonsense. Jonathan he could not make out. He was a good looking young man but to look into his eyes seemed to be looking into an abyss. He remembered once reading that someone said that ’the eyes are the window into the soul’ although he didn’t know who it was. Jonathan’s blue eyes literally gave away nothing, it wasn’t as if he was hiding something, it was simply that he had nothing to hide. Between the two of them he couldn’t be quite sure. Laura reached over and put her hand on Jonathan’s. He reached up and grasped hers. Neither took their eyes off of Roland as he sat there for what seemed like an eternity looking at them, seemingly inspecting them. Roland was not sure what he just saw happen in front of him, but when their hands clasped it was almost as if both of their eyes leapt with happiness or comfort or something he could not identify. He remembered the news programs he used to watch during the early 70s when the OPEC members would negotiate with the west over amount of oil they were willing to pump and the price they would extract. In those negotiations the OPEC ministers always wore black glasses so that no one could read their reactions or emotions from their eyes. Jonathan and Laura were not wearing glasses and Roland was sure that he had just read them. He was not certain what was going on with them, but the one thing he was willing to bet on was that they were telling the truth. He might be wrong but he decided to take a chance, telling himself “If I’m wrong I’ll just have to solve whatever problem I create.” Finally, after what seemed to Jonathan and Laura to be hours but was in reality less than a minute, Roland spoke. “OK, tell me what you need” A feeling of relief swept over the pair. Both smiled nervously. “Thank you sir” Jonathan said. “Passports” said Laura. “French preferably.” “Oh, and fuel.” she added. Roland picked up the phone. Laura and Jonathan looked at him, not sure exactly what had just happened. “Was he calling the police on them now” Laura asked herself. “Get me Thomas” Roland barked into the phone. Exactly 20 seconds later Roland picked up the ringing phone. Without asking who it was, Roland said “Thomas! How the hell are you? Good. I need something. I need two of your best documents.” Not waiting for a reply, knowing that Thomas understood what he was asking for, he continued, looking at Jonathan, “Male 21,"Female ...40...” Studying Laura after he said 40, he quickly added, no, “Female... 35” Laura nodded a thank you to him. “We’ll meet you in an hour. Yes, French.” Hanging up the phone he looked at the pair. “Done” he said. “We’ll pick them up in an hour. We will take the pictures here and we will take them with us” he said gesturing at the camera near the wall that they used when issuing Martinique pilot’s licenses. “Fuel is no problem. It that it?” “Well, actually there is one more thing” Laura said somewhat hesitatingly, not wanting to ask too much, “We need the designation changed on our plane.” Like a license plate, the designation number on a plane told exactly where it came from. Not only visible from the ground, it was the number that a pilot gave to the Air Traffic Controller when seeking clearances of any kind. If they kept their old number, just like a car license plate, they could be spotted or found. Roland smiled, that was an easy request.

The passports would reflect that they were issued on Martinique. This was of particular importance because if they ran into any difficulty in Zurich it would likely take a couple of days to verify their issuance because of the island’s distance from the Continent. Those couple of days might give them time to solve whatever problems they might run into. “Let’s go,” said Roland as he headed for the door. “We’ll get some lunch and wait for Thomas.” Stopping at the door Roland turned and saw Jonathan and Laura staring at him. Laura turned her head towards the pilots license camera. “Oh. Of course, we take the pictures first.” He put Laura in front of the white board on the wall and took her picture with a Polaroid. As the picture came out Laura thought to herself that she didn’t even know that they still made those. The picture had an outline of party hats and banners saying “Merry Christmas”. She looked at the picture and up at Roland rather inquisitively. He shrugged his shoulders. “We bought five boxes in January. They gave us a great deal on the price. Besides, we don’t use the frames on the licenses.” “Believe me” he said to her as she handed him back the picture, “It was it was much easier to go to the drugstore and buy them than try and get them through supply channels.” She nodded, understanding exactly what he meant and looked over at Jonathan. “Your turn.” Jonathan, having never had a flash picture taken of him hesitated as Laura walked him over to the wall and turned him toward Roland and the camera. Laura, sensing his discomfort said “Sweetheart, don’t worry. It is just like an x-ray” knowing that he had had quite a few of them, “except it captures the outside”. His picture came out with the same Christmas border. Roland quickly put each picture in the square holepunch that cuts away the frame, leaving only the central image there. Roland put the pictures in an envelope on his desk and they headed for his vehicle.

Roland instructed his mechanic Leon to change the planes’ designation. He gave Leon the numbers with which to replace the current designation and said they would be returning in two hours and he wanted the plane refueled as well. The trio piled into Roland’s black 2003 Toyota Pathfinder and headed to the capital, Fort de France. While they would not be going through any official channels to get their documents, like a contracted Chinese shoe factory that produces authentic Nikes during the day and knockoffs at night, their source for the fake documents actually worked at the permits office of the Consul Regional. After Roland parked the vehicle in a lot in the bustling center of the town they walked down the street and into the Coco Loco Bar and Restaurant. It was early afternoon and just as Roland had expected, the jazz club was dark and almost empty. He immediately headed for a table located near the back with a view of the entire restaurant and with access to the kitchen and the back door. Watching him as he moved swiftly while observing everything about the restaurant, Laura commented “You’re very good at this.” “Ms. ...” he hesitated, realizing he did not know her last name, “Laura, in this aspect of my work, attention to detail, including ones surroundings, is merely common sense. If one is not aware and alert it makes for a very short career.”

A waiter quickly arrived with three bottles of Evian and a bottle of Chateau Rouget Pomerol, 1999, Roland’s current favorite. Noticing the way his two companions looked at the pasta that was delivered to the table across the room, Roland told the waiter that they would be having lunch and they were in something of a hurry. He repeated the fact that they were in a hurry because he knew that without the added emphasis the waiter would think he was just posturing. Laura quickly perused the menu for something that would not be too rich for Jonathan’s rather inexperienced digestive system. Given that French food, with its extensive use of cheeses and rich sauces might prove to be rather unsettling for Jonathan, she quickly decided on two orders of plain pasta and baked chicken breast. The waiter’s chilly reaction to her special request made it clear that Martinique and Paris were not so far from one another.

As soon as their food arrived so did Thomas, the official from the permits office. A rather obese Parisian, Thomas had decided to escape the rain and traffic of Paris nearly twenty years ago. He and Anne had come to Martinique for a well-deserved rest after a very un-French two years without a vacation. As soon as they stepped off the plane on that late January day they both knew this was where they wanted to be. In a matter of months after returning to his position as secretary to the Conseil General for the Il De France he found a position in Martinique which would allow him to transfer without losing his rather generous state funded retirement benefits. Once in Martinique Thomas quickly became an expert in finding creative ways to use his new position to line his pockets. While selling assurances to “Preferred” applicants that their routine permits and applications would not be “misplaced” provided him with a supplementary income that was about equal to that he received from the state, the real moneymaking potential of his position was in “unofficial” official documents such as passports. Today he brought with him two passports. One for a young man who was born 20 years ago in the capital city of Fort de France and the other for a woman born 35 years ago in the Atlantic city of Basse-Pointe. Both had fictitious names and were completely legal, down to the perforated stamp issued from the Permits Office of the Consul Regional.

As Thomas approached the table Roland stood and invited him to sit, gesturing to the empty chair. “Thomas my friend. Welcome” Roland said as Thomas sat rather unsteadily down on the small wooden chair. Without bothering with introductions, Roland nodded to Laura who then placed a manila envelope on the empty chair that sat between she and Thomas. Inside was $4,000 in crisp $100 dollar bills. Having done business with Roland for a decade, Thomas knew that there was no need to count the money, particularly as it was only $4,000. Had the documents needed been export or import licensees worth millions to a manufacturer or hundreds of thousands of dollars to broker, he might have chosen to count what would have been a much bigger envelope. After placing the manila envelope in the right breast pocket of his cotton jacket, he pulled a plain white envelope from his left pocket, placed it on the table and slid it to Laura. Laura opened the envelope and found two brand new passports, one for a Jean Reajuan and one for Michael Colbert. Finding the official seal and dates that were approximately right for both their ages, she folded them and returned them to the envelope. As she nodded to Roland, the waiter approached the table to check on the meals that no one had tried. Smiling, Thomas quickly stood and left. Although he and Roland were good friends, this day he could not stay for long because Anne had insisted he come directly home as there was still much to unpack in their new house.

Jonathan was a bit hesitant about the plate in front of him, as it looked unlike anything he was used to eating, but Laura assured him it was fine. Jonathan found the lightly seasoned dish quite tasty, particularly since he had not eaten in over 24 hours. The plane would be ready to go in less than an hour so they would head back to the airport immediately after they finished.

As they walked back to the Landcruiser Jonathan was taking in the sights of the beautiful island. The cacophony of the streets was the perfect temporary antidote to the very heavy matters suddenly weighing on his shoulders. Fort de France was the first town he had ever been in and its sights and sounds mesmerized him. While Laura kept a firm grip on his hand he was looking at everything around him trying in vain to take everything in. The sounds of so many people talking so quickly and simultaneously. Buildings that seemed to rise to the sky. Flashing lights and cars that seemed to drive with no concept of order or coordination. Brilliant signs of all shapes and sizes that seemed to be made out of more colors than he had imagined could exist. In awe, Jonathan could not help but find everything around him fascinating, although the excitement was very much tempered by the violent and unimaginable events of the last twelve hours. Probably the most interesting thing Jonathan saw was a policeman who was clad in white sitting atop a glistening tan horse. The trio walked past him as they were crossing the street to the parking lot. Jonathan had seen the animals in books, but there was no way a book could prepare him for the beauty and the majesty of such a beast. It was standing in the middle of the street as the policeman directed traffic. Its skin glistened in the sun and sweat was rolling down its legs. As they passed in front of it, the horse lifted its head and Jonathan stopped without even realizing it. Laura, not losing sight of the fact that they needed to get going and that sitting on top of the horse was a policeman, tightened her grip on Jonathan’s hand and pulled. Startled, Jonathan looked back at Laura for a moment and then continued walking.

Once in the vehicle they headed back to the airport. As they left the confines of the city, Jonathan simply stared out the window at the buildings. There were different shapes and sizes and colors but they all seemed to coalesce to create a canvas of chaotic beauty. Approaching the airport Jonathan was swiftly brought back to his current situation when Roland indicated that they would have to leave immediately. He had heard on his Air Traffic Control radio that a dispatch had just come over the radio that the Peruvian Air Force had put out an alert seeking the location of a plane like theirs.

Laura quickly checked the plane’s markings to make sure they had been changed. After talking to Leon, Roland assured her the tank had been filled. They quickly returned to Roland’s office and attached the pictures in his pocket to their newly acquired passports. Laura examined both documents to make sure that the pictures were secure. Assured that she was comfortable with them, Roland then used a stamp machine to impress a seal onto each. He held both up, admiring his handiwork. Smiling he handed them to Laura and said “I guarantee you will not have any problems with either of these.” In flawless French Laura thanked Roland for his help as she handed him $5,000. As she embraced him to give him the traditional French kiss on both cheeks she looked into his blue-gray eyes, wondering if they conveyed betrayal or trust. Although she had only known him for a few hours, she was certain that it was trust she saw in his eyes and felt in his genuine embrace. She was certain he would not inform anyone of their stop.

Back in the cockpit Laura looked over at Jonathan. She could see the nervous energy in his face. It was hard for her to imagine what he must be going through. She knew there was no way for her to understand exactly what the world must look like to him. Once they were in the air she decided that the best way to relax him was to take his mind off of everything going on around them. She knew the best way was to start was to focus his mind on something else. She decided what better source of distraction than a flying palace. She spent much of the next few hours explaining the various elements of the plane and its instruments to him. Once again he amazed her. He had a mind like a steel trap. He quickly knew the names and functions of the dozens of instruments in the Gulfstream’s cockpit. She even let him fly. When a few hours later she found it necessary to powder her nose, she felt sufficiently comfortable with his abilities to allow him to fly rather than turning on the auto-pilot. When she returned she put the plane on autopilot and took him to explore the plane. He took everything with a great deal of excitement. From the bed to the kitchen to the leather seats everything was fascinating. He was particularly intrigued when she showed him how the toilet worked as the loud suction seemed to make the blue water disappear instantly. She finally showed him how to turn on the satellite television and he was mesmerized, never having seen a television before. As he sat on the leather couch he simply rolled through the channels, too exhausted to focus on anything.

The trip was going to take them approximately ten hours so she suggested that Jonathan get some rest. He went into the bedroom and despite his best efforts, it took him three hours to finally get to sleep as the images and ideas running through his head gave him faint hope of actually relaxing. Less than thirty minutes after he finally did get to sleep he was awoken by the bouncing of the jet as they landed in the Azores.

Martinique to Zurich was almost 8,000 miles, which meant they could not make the trip on just one tank of fuel. While Laura did not like the idea of stopping on the islands as they were relatively small and strangers might stand out, she decided doing so was a better option than trying to reach Europe on fumes. Besides, Alexander no doubt had many eyes looking out for them so this might be just the right place at the right time. They were on the ground for less than an hour and were back in the air at 35,000 feet by early afternoon. Jonathan was captivated by the sight of both the billowy clouds and the land below them. As they crossed into the Mediterranean he could see the Straights of Gibraltar and later the boot that was Italy. He had seen both on maps but he never imagined that he would see them like this.

Chapter 12. Zurich

They landed at Zurich International and immediately taxied to general aviation. They quickly pulled into the journeyman section which was reserved for fliers who were not based there and who typically did not stay for more than a couple of days. They definitely didn’t plan on staying long at all. They weren’t sure where they were going to go, but they knew that after tomorrow they would have to leave very quickly. It was 10:00 AM Tuesday when they touched down. They would go to the bank the next day as Tuesday was a bank holiday, one of those opaque holidays that no one ever seems to know what is being celebrated but every bank in the country seems to celebrate. At least they would be able to get some much-needed sleep before they headed to the bank. Laura taxied the plane to a spot just north of one of the general aviation hangers. As she opened the door and dropped the stairs, an official from Swiss customs came out to meet them. He was not happy with the fact that they had not filed a flight plan before they left Martinique. He became distracted and much less disagreeable when he discovered they had flown in from the Azores. It was too bad that they didn’t get a chance to stay there longer he volunteered. He loved the Azores and had a home there he and his wife had been going to on vacation for 25 years. He discovered the wonders of the island when he and his wife were on a honeymoon cruise to New York and the boat stopped on San Miguel for a day of sightseeing. They bought a house two years later and had been going back ever since. Did they get to see any of “The Green Island” as San Miguel is called? They may have even flown over his house, which lays just two miles from the airport just outside of the capital, Ponta Delgada. Were they going back soon? Did they want the names of some very good restaurants? There is a hotel that he could recommend. Laura considered trying to refocus the conversation on them but given his animation and enthusiasm she decided instead to let him continue expounding on the virtues of the islands. After about five minutes she was lulled into thinking he was done but he quickly disabused her of such thoughts. Just when his knowledge of the islands and his willingness to impart that information seemed endless, he abruptly stopped. “I’m sorry, I’m certain you have to get going,” he said smiling at both of them. “Well then, if you have nothing to declare then I’ll return these to you and enjoy your visit to Zurich” he said as he handed the passports he had been holding in his hands for fifteen minutes back to Laura. He had them both sign customs declarations and wished them well. “Thank you” they both said. “Before you leave” Laura asked, can you tell us where the general aviation reception is? We need fuel and a couple of other things.” “It doesn’t seem to be in the same place as it was the last time I was here a couple of years ago” she said pointing to a bare concrete foundation that was sitting just beyond the hanger she was parked beside. “Sure” he said, pointing to a new building just across the Tarmac. The old one caught on fire about two years ago and they decided to build a bigger one a little farther from the hangers. “Go over there and see Jacob. He is a good man. He should be able to help you with just about anything you need, and probably some stuff you don’t need” he said with a smile. “Well, thank you once again Mr.... I’m sorry, I didn’t even get your name.” “Helmut” he said, “Helmut Brown” and it was my pleasure. Enjoy your stay!”

They walked into the reception and asked for Jacob. Helmut was indeed right; it was obvious that Jacob was probably capable of getting them just about anything they wanted, legal or otherwise. In this case however they needed only two things and both were legal. The slightly more difficult of the two was a pilot who could fly their plane. Although Laura knew it was not a difficult plane to fly, they needed someone for that night and who could be gone for a week or so and who might not be put off by a little “adventure”. Once it became clear that money was not really a problem, Jacob was certain he had someone who could help them out. His name was Hans and he had been a pilot in the German Air Force during the late eighties and early nineties. When the German economy fell off a cliff after reunification, many pilots were given their walking papers and Hans was one of them. While he was a great pilot, he was far too much of a daredevil for his rather straight-laced superiors who came of age during the rather benign seventies. (Benign in that the only war going on was cold, which didn’t leave much “action” available for fliers.) Once the cold war was over and budgetary constraints made reductions possible, there was no compelling reason to continue putting up with Hans’es mischief. So he was out. After bouncing around for a while in the late nineties he bought an old Cessna and began giving flying lessons. He was always looking for something more exciting but his pocketbook never seemed able to allow him too many options. Jacob thought this might be just the thing for Hans, even though it probably wouldn’t last too long. “Nonetheless” Jacob thought to himself “At least it will be something and it will get Mary off my back” Mary was Jacob’s wife and coincidentally the sister of Hans’es mother Karol. The two of them were constantly badgering Jacob about using his “influence” at the airport to get Hans something that he liked to do. Jacob could honestly say this was the first time he had ever found anything he thought Hans would go for. Jacob was right. Hans leapt at it.

After spending 20 of the last 30 hours on a plane, she would love to have been able to curl up in front of a fire at the Zurich Marriott, but she knew better. Although she thought it unlikely that Alexander had anyone here looking for them here yet, the possibility of accidentally encountering someone she knew had to be avoided. She therefore decided on the Hotel Sternen Oerlikon, a bed and breakfast in an industrial area about five miles from the city. They registered under Michael and Anne DuPont, roughly a French equivalent John and Jane Smith. It was almost noon when they arrived. The room was about 10 X 14 with a shared bath. They were so tired and jet lagged that they didn’t even take the time to get undressed. They lay down on the bed, entwined in each other’s arms and both were asleep seconds after their heads hit the pillows.

Laura was the first to wake. They had been sleeping for almost eight hours and the sun was setting behind the mountains. Its reddish purple rays danced through the window and illuminated Jonathan’s face like the flashing neon lights on Time’s Square at midnight. Once again she was struck by the feeling that she was staring into the face of an angel. She wondered what must be going through his head. He had spent twenty years on an island smaller than her uncle’s Dallas ranch exposed to nothing more violent than reading about the Capulets and the Montagues. Now, here he was half way around the world in a place he’d never seen, experiencing temperatures he could never have imagined and he was getting a far too personal introduction to the evils of mankind from someone he had never met but to whom he was inexorably tied. It must have been like he had been swept up and taken to another planet. For him, she thought, this is another planet.

She gently brushed the hair from his face with the back of her hand as she slowly leaned down to kiss him on the corner of his lips. She kissed him again on his cheek and again on his shoulder. He began to stir and instantly reached out for her. Without opening his eyes he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her stomach. As they kissed and caressed one another, eventually every piece of clothing they had was on the floor except for Laura’s socks. Finally Jonathan opened eyes so that he could gaze upon this beauty in his arms. She was beyond a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on and while he knew the world that awaited him might hold a universe of wonder, he was sure that there were no wonders that could surpass the one that was in his arms right now. They spent the night making love with an unrestrained passion that took them both by surprise. The combination of the dramatic events of the last 48 hours had left them both unsure about what the future held, but conversely, equally sure that whatever it was they were going to face it together. They finally fell asleep wrapped around one another and drenched in sweat, despite the frost on the window from an unusually early burst of cold.

Morning coffee... Making love... Orange Juice... the Alps....They both knew the morning could not last, but they enjoyed it while they could.

The bank was Alpine Zurich, one of the most respected firms in the world of private banking. When measured against some of the world’s largest consumer banks, Alpine Zurich at first appeared to be an anachronistic anomaly that had somehow survived the consolidation that shook the industry during the last decade of the 20th century. Regional banking giants merged to become national giants and national giants to become international. Alpine Zurich was neither a regional nor an international powerhouse. It had always been a simple family owned bank that had one branch in Zurich and one in Geneva. While many banks could provide financial security and insurance against loss, none could do what Alpine Zurich did best, which was protect both assets and anonymity. If a billionaire businessman wanted to ensure his progeny didn’t squander his hard earned money after he was gone, there were dozens of banks to which he could go to who would happily provide his heirs with insurance, banking and financial management services. If, on the other hand he wanted to ensure that the Rolodex listing his maze of interlocking government and private contacts, (which was likely irreplaceable and therefore far more valuable than any cash in his bank account) would be accessible to only one person of his choosing, he would go to Alpine Zurich. Likewise if he wanted accounts that were accessible by ATMs across the planet and whose activities could be traced back and forth across the electronic universe, any international bank would suffice. Again, if on the other hand he wanted a bank where someone would have to show up in person, present irrefutable evidence of identity and walk in with true anonymity, Alpine Zurich was the bank.

Alex had Laura approach Alpine Zurich approximately four years before, with the specific purpose of establishing an account that would be accessible only by he and Albert and would have no names attached to it. Alpine Zurich allowed clients to establish any identification threshold they wanted, from signatures and passports to thumbprints, retina scans or voice recognition. Alex decided he wanted the highest level of security possible and required that thumb prints and retina scans would be necessary to access the account. There were no names, no billing information and contact information associated with it. Alpine Zurich’s clients were by default amongst the richest people in the world. Establishing an account required prepaying 50 years worth of account fees, which totaled $2.5 million, cash, when the account was opened. After the fifty years, if the fees were not paid, the account would sit dormant for another twenty years. If after that time no one stepped forward to pay the accumulated fees, the bank had the right to seize the contents of the account and sell whatever was in it to cover the outstanding amount. Once the contents were sold, and the arrears covered, any remaining balance would be returned to the box for another twenty years and this 20 year cycle would continue until the contents of the box could no longer cover the fees.

Laura could not be certain what Alex had been doing since they left the island, but she knew he wouldn’t be standing still. She was sure that he had mobilized every resource within his reach to find them. Police, Interpol and private “contractors” were no doubt looking for the two of them right now. Luckily, he would be loath to inaugurate a massive well-publicized manhunt that could lead to the exposition of his nefarious dealings. Instead he and Albert would no doubt work through back channels to keep the search inconspicuous, however one with a substantial reward. Such a request, essentially a rather precarious highwire act between an official manhunt and a private search could only have been possible because of Alex’s very strong public connections and relationships with law enforcement agencies across the west. He had purposely, and very publicly, given hundreds of millions of dollars to police and law enforcement agencies from Vancouver to Vienna over the last two decades. Laura was sure that Alex was now calling in all of those chips from across the international law enforcement community and there was no way she and Jonathan could just walk in the front door. One thing working in their favor however was the fact that there was no way for Alex to contact Alpine Vienna and have them put a lock on the account. It was simply not possible. As Alex had decided on fingerprints and retina scans, there was simply no way to identify the account in question. While the medical technology available on La playa Arena made it simple to get digital renderings of both Alex’s and Albert’s fingerprints and retinas, luckily, Alpine Zurich had never allowed such digital access. Its clients chose it for a reason, and that was security. Given that mandate, the bank required clients that utilized biometric factors for identification to be physically present in the bank in order to access or change the status of any accounts. As such, the advantage was theirs. She still had to figure out how they would get into and out of the bank however.

Although with a bank like Alpine Zurich, a banker was available 24 hours a day, Laura decided that she did not want to draw any attention to them by requesting special access while the bank was closed. She could not take the chance that Alex had somehow alerted the bank’s staff. While it was impossible to access or identify the account, he could have easily alerted the bank to their descriptions, suggesting that they were trying to employ illegal tactics to steal from an account that was not theirs. She therefore decided they would go to the bank just before it closed at 4 PM so that they might take advantage of the fact that in winding up the day the staff would perhaps be less focused than they would be otherwise. There were two other things she needed to accomplish before she could focus on the bank. The first had to do with a question Jonathan had asked her while she was falling asleep in his arms last night. “Laura” he had asked “What if there are others like me?” As they were both in the hazy neverland between conscious exhaustion and restful sleep she did not give it much thought. She must have been contemplating how to answer it during her sleep though because she now had a plan without even realizing it. The second was communication. She needed phones.

Jonathan was right. They had to find out. She knew that if there were others, there would be records at South Centre. There was no way she could go back there herself. It was impossible. She knew that the moment she left the island red flags went up everywhere throughout the Alexander Resources empire and beyond. There was only one person she could call. Felix, a paradoxical young research scientist who she had befriended soon after she arrived at South Centre. Having spent much of his youth as an anarchist, he surprised even himself when in college he became a finance savant, earning his doctorate in accounting at 23. The two shared an affinity for things outdoor and frequently spent weekends rock climbing, skiing or biking. Although it had always been obvious that he wanted more, they were simply very good friends and he was certainly the only person who was remotely connected with Alexander Resources to whom she could turn for help.

While Jonathan was taking his shower she walked to the Phone House, a mobile phone store that was about two blocks from the hotel. As she walked the sun was beginning to shine through the dissipating clouds and would no doubt begin to take the slight edge off the cool crisp morning air. The sidewalks were bustling with shoppers. She reached the Phone House just moments after it opened. She knew she needed to communicate with no chance of identification. She purchased six separate phones. Three were from Bouygues Telecom, the independent French company and the other three were from T-Mobile, the German giant. She bought two 1000-minute cards to go with each phone and made sure that each would work both with GSM, the European standard as well as CDMA, common in many other parts of the world. The four thousand Euros she spent was more than the 19-year-old store manager had ever sold in two whole days, nevermind to just one person. Technology was a great thing she thought to herself as she walked out of the store with her two bags of phones. Nokia and Samsung had done unbelievable things when it came to phones, each of the ones she just purchased weighed less than 3 oz and all six combined weighed less than half of what her first mobile phone did twenty years before. If they could just do something about the packaging they came with, which completely filled the two bags in her arms.

On the way back to the hotel she stopped at L&H, a department store, to get a few personal items and some clothes. For Jonathan she picked up a couple of pairs of jeans, some shirts and a pair of Doc Martins, the most comfortable shoes she had ever worn. Shirts were not really a problem and for the pants she guessed he wore a size 32, so she bought both a pair of 32s and a pair of 34s just to be sure. Buying shoes for someone else would present a problem in most situations but Laura remembered that when they were at the lagoon they had been playing in the sand and Jonathan made her put her foot up against his to see how small it was. And it was small. She remembered clearly that his foot was about an inch and a half longer than hers, so it was easy to figure out his size by simply putting her foot into one of those foot-shaped measuring gauges that seem to be unique to shoestores. She also purchased a heavy brown leather jacket for him as the cool fall temperatures were much lower than he was used to. For herself she purchased the same, a couple pairs of jeans and a variety of shirts and sweaters to go with them. All of this, including various underclothes and socks for each of them required two more rather sizable bags and she became a little concerned at the conspicuous nature of a woman carrying so many bags from two rather expensive outlets, but she decided that there was nothing she could do about it, and besides she was only one block from the hotel. Luckily, when she returned to the hotel there was no one in the lobby so she was able to walk up to the room without attracting any attention. When she returned to the room Jonathan was sitting naked on a chair staring out the window. He stood as soon as she walked in. She had to stop and stare for a moment at how beautiful he was. Noticing she was looking at him and with not a hint of self-consciousness, he walked over to her and kissed her as she stood holding the bags with the door still open. As the warmth spread through her body she involuntarily dropped the bags and wrapped him in her arms. For a moment she could think of nothing but shedding her clothes and making love to him right there on the floor but she knew they had work to do. As she reluctantly pulled away from his grasp she realized that the door was still open and became flushed with red at the idea that someone might have walked by. She quickly closed the door and went to take her shower. While she was taking her shower Jonathan went through the clothes in the bags. It was pretty easy to figure out which ones were for whom, as the first pair of jeans he tried on he could not even get on past his knees.

He was standing in front of the mirror looking at himself when she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He stopped looking at himself and could not take his eyes off of her. The towel hung from her breasts like a curtain of clouds obscuring a full moon. You can make out the beauty behind it and you’re transfixed until you can see the real thing. He did not have to wait long. She dropped the towel and walked over to him and stood in front of him. She reached for his hands and wrapped them around her as she turned to face the mirror. They both looked at the mirror where she was standing naked in front of him, with his arms wrapped around her. They looked at one another in the mirror and smiled. She turned her head to the left and he kissed the right side of her neck. Slowly he moved his hands up from her stomach to her breasts. After caressing them for what seemed far too short a moment to Laura, he put his hands around her neck as she turned to face him. As they began kissing it was now he who wanted to take her right there, but again she pulled away. She stepped back and looked at him in the mirror. “What do you think?” she asked. “They are great,” he said, “although these are a lot different than anything I’ve ever worn. The shoes are pretty stiff, but the socks are very comfortable” “Good!” she said, “I’m glad you like them. How do the pants fit? That was the only thing I was worried about.” “Perfect” he said turning around and showing her. She noticed that he was wearing the 32-inch pants and smiled. As Laura dressed she could not help feel like she was doing a striptease in reverse, as Jonathan never took his eyes off of her. She was amazed. It was not that she was a particularly self-conscious person who gets embarrassed when naked in front of a lover with the lights on. No, what struck her was simply the fact that it all felt so natural. It was not an absence of uncomfortableness, but rather a true feeling of serenity. She looked over at him as she was bending over to put her shoes on. She actually felt a bit of pride, a little bit proud of herself for what she had picked out for him. He looked fantastic in those clothes, although she knew he looked even better out of them. “Damnit!” she said to herself “Focus! She had to call Felix.”

The first thing she had to do was to call Felix. She knew his mobile phone number by heart and knew that he never went anywhere without it. Sometimes she was sure he considered having it surgically attached to his head.

“Felix here” as he always answered the phone. “It’s Laura, Sweetheart, how are you? “Obviously much better than you. Where are you? What the hell is going on with you? Two days ago a message came down from the top that you were to be barred from all Alexander Resources facilities, anyone hearing from you was instructed to contact Alexander’s office immediately. What is going on?” he asked again. “It’s too long a story to go into right now.” She said. “Are you at home?” “Yes” Felix replied. “Are you alone?” she asked. “No, but I can be in about 15 minutes.” “OK” she said, sure that he was with Tabitha, the young lady he had met two months ago when they were biking on the grounds of the Trinion at Versailles. “I need you to do me a favor. I need you to go to South Centre and find something for me.” “Anything!” he replied. She continued “There is an island called Aislado which is not far from our facility on La playa Arena. Its records might be under that name or the name Jonathan or maybe even Monkey Games. I need you to do an analysis of that facilities’ cost profile for the last twenty years and then find out if there are any other islands with a similar pattern. If there are, I need you to find me the map coordinates for each of them.” “What do you want me to do with them?” he asked. “I want you to bring them to me.” I’m not sure where I’ll be, so save this number and call me when you find them.” “We’ll figure out where to meet then.” “Laura,” Felix said slowly, “Is everything all right? Are you in some kind of danger?” She responded with a “No on the first” and a “probably on the second.” “I can’t talk right now, but we’ll talk later.”

Chapter 13. Alpine Zurich

With that she hung up. Now that Felix was working on getting information on other potential “Jonathans” they had to focus on getting to the bank. Although she had not been there in four years, she knew exactly where the bank was. Squeezed between a French restaurant on one side and a used bookshop on the other, the bank looked like a paper tiger of security. In reality it was anything but. All three establishments were actually owned by Alpine Zurich. The bookshop and the bakery were rented to local businessmen whose families had been running the establishments for years. By owning the two shops on either side of it, Alpine Zurich never had to fear their being sold and some new owner deciding to knock them down and try and build something else. That would have be something of a problem because what was not obvious from the street, or from within any of the three storefronts, was the fact that the bank was like an iceberg, what you saw from above was but a small fraction of the bank’s true size. Once a customer entered the bank’s storefront with its dark wood paneling and brass filigreed counter, one could be forgiven for thinking they had just walked into the 19th century. After being properly greeted they would be taken to an elevator which looked equally ancient. When the elevator stopped one story below however, the juxtaposition could not have been more stark. While still elegant, the lobby was now purely modern with smoked glass and subdued gray steel combining to create a very modern atmosphere that was unmistakably secure, yet remarkably, still quite accessible. Inside the lobby the customer might be taken to one of the three private offices with walls of glass to await being served. The walls did not have blinds or curtains of any sort. Instead, with a touch of a button the hollow glass walls would become frosted, allowing for complete privacy while avoiding the feel of a closet. Once their personally assigned teller arrived, the specifics of the account would be discussed in terms of what type of access protocol had been established. The only universal record for the accounts was the date of establishment. Everything else from name to access codes to the contact numbers were account driven. If a client showed up at the bank without knowing what kind of security protocol existed for an account, they were unable to access it, period, regardless of their ownership. Once the type of security protocol was established and implemented, i.e. retina scan, numeric code or successful answer to a series of challenge questions, the bank’s computers would automatically search for the account tied to that protocol. It would then identify the location of the corresponding safe deposit box. Depending upon the size of the box, as some were as large as a small car, the customer would be taken to one of the three floors below to access it. Once on the appropriate floor the customer would be taken to one of the access rooms. The box would already have been delivered into the room before they arrived. The access rooms were stark, with frosted steel walls and black carpet, to allow customers to focus on the business at hand.

Before they went to the bank, she had to make sure that Jonathan understood how much danger they were in, particularly him. He was, after all, the one Alex needed. She was just so much collateral damage. Once the deed was done Alexander would be happy to use his money to spin yarns from Paris to Hong Kong denying the whole thing. Eventually he would be able to buy a truth that was to his liking. Once it was done there would be nothing anyone could do for Jonathan. She was determined that that was not going to happen. “Sweetheart” she said as she walked over and sat next to him on the bed. “You’ve got to be very careful at the bank.” Looking over at her he nodded his head. “Now listen to me,” she went on. “I know the last three days have been just crazy for you, but you have to understand. We are dealing with some bad people who will stop at nothing to get you back. Above all else, you are the one they want. I’m just an unforeseen annoyance. If I were dead tomorrow they wouldn’t care a bit. As a matter of fact Alex would probably prefer that.” She looked down and then looked back up at him, putting her hands on his cheeks, “If you get caught, you will be on a plane to La Playa Arena within an hour and I’ll never see you again. As hard as this is to imagine, if they catch you, you are dead.” Looking straight into his eyes, she continued, “so please stick close to me and don’t ask any questions. I probably won’t have time to answer them or explain anything.” He nodded and with a confidence she found startling he said “Sweetheart, do not worry. We will get through this. Both of us.” She smiled a half smile and then the hotel phone rang. Laura picked it up, listened for a few minutes and said “Thank you. We’ll be there in just a moment.”

Upon returning from the store she called Jean, the desk clerk to ask if he would call a taxi and have one ready for them at 11:00. The taxi was downstairs and they needed to leave. As the taxi drove by the bank, Laura saw just what she had expected to see, a nondescript car with three occupants. There was no doubt another was on the other side of the block where the bank’s private entrance was. As she guessed, Alexander had contacted the Swiss police and probably Interpol as well. The bank closed at 4 PM so that gave them a few hours to figure out how to get into the bank undetected. She was sure they would have no problem getting out but the key was to get in without being noticed. Laura instructed the taxi driver to take them to the famous Grossmünster cathedral about a half a mile away. From one of its steeples she would be able to clearly see the bank and its environs which might help her to formulate a plan.

When they arrived at the church Jonathan was mesmerized. He had never seen a building like that in his life. It was at the same time the tallest and most elegant structure he had ever seen. Walking in he found himself enchanted by the beauty and the spender of the 800-year-old church and in awe that men could build such things. Laura took his hand and led him to the stairs and ladder that lead to the observation deck. As they were looking at the bank and the bookstore she realized there was no inconspicuous way to approach it. It became clear that if they were going to get into the bank they would simply have to walk in the front door. If they were going to walk in the front door, they would need a diversion. That’s when she remembered something she had read about a few years back. In 1998 Zurich had made prostitution legal. Not that Zurich had been prostitution free before then, but the legalization simply allowed the government to dictate where the business could be conducted legally and tax it, just as dentists and florists were. One of the main areas of the prostitution business was only a few blocks from the cathedral on Niderdorfstr. Quickly she grabbed Jonathan’s hand and led him from the church and headed for the red light district.

Upon leaving the cathedral Laura and Jonathan walked the three blocks to the red light district. There they found “Carmella’s” one of the few understated boutiques. They went in and were greeted by Carmella herself. “How can I help you?” asked Carmella, not at all taken aback by the presence of a woman and a man together at her door. Soon after getting into this business twenty years before, Carmella learned that there was a distinct population of women who enjoyed her business just as much as men, and usually they came with a man happily in tow. “I need the services of a dozen women for the afternoon” said Laura. Now that was something she had never heard of thought Carmella. “Pardon me?” She said, wanting to make sure she had heard Laura correctly.

By 3:50 in the afternoon Pascal, Raul and Michael had spent almost 24 hours watching the front of the bank. Although they took turns sleeping in the back of the VW Passat, none of them was particularly happy. They had been given dark, grainy pictures of two individuals who were wanted for questioning by Interpol. They were told that the two would probably not even arrive. Traffic into and out of the small non-descript bank had been very slow. They hadn’t been told how long they would be on this assignment, but that they should expect to eat a lot of sandwiches. As Raul was sleeping in the back seat he thought they might have finally had some action. Pascal, the driver was calling back to him to wake up. He looked out the window expecting to see a man and a woman walking into the bank. What he saw instead were three taxis stopping in front of the bookstore. Exiting the taxis were what must have been a dozen beautiful, elegant women. Dressed in everything from jeans to knee length leather skirts, the woman were apparently just beginning what was going to be a wild night on the town. From the packages and multitude of balloons they were carrying it was obviously a birthday party. Indeed two of the balloons read “Happy 30th Birthday.” After standing in front of the bookstore for almost ten minutes the group slowly gravitated from the corner in front of the bookstore past the bank and into the restaurant. The three police followed the women’s every step. Raul, watching with the binoculars he had taken from Pascal watched as the women walked into the restaurant. Through the window he could see the maitre’d smile with a slightly puzzled look. One of the women walked around the maitre’d stand and together the two of them looked at the reservation book. Quickly the two found what they were looking for and everyone seemed to give up a brief cheer. The maitre’d finally showed the ladies to the long table at the rear of the restaurant, still in clear view of the men in the car. As the woman sat and began to chat Raul let down the binoculars, relieved that at least for a little while they would have something interesting to look at. The bank was closing and no one had come or gone from it since an hour after it opened this morning. Immediately he began thinking about which of them would get to go into the restaurant to get something to eat. He was not sure if they sold sandwiches or anything else that could be eaten while sitting in a small VW, but he was definitely planning on being the one who found out. Rank sometimes does have its privileges.

Quickly closing the door behind them Laura turned to look out the window of the bank. The blinds had already been dropped and she could easily peer out of the corner without being seen. She looked at the VW parked across the street for any sign of movement or communications. The three men were still looking at the women funneling into the restaurant next door. Suddenly she noticed one of the men had a pair of binoculars. She quickly froze, not wanting him to notice any movement in the blinds. It became quite clear however with the smile on his face that he too was looking at the women.

Confident that they had entered unseen Laura turned to face the manager who was by now standing two feet from her with a rather curious look on her face. Standing next to the two women was Jonathan, who, like the two women, was wearing a dress. Laura had hired a dozen of Carmella’s “hostesses” to spend their afternoon next door having a faux birthday party. Laura knew that the women getting out of the cabs would provide the perfect distraction to the men in the car. She and Jonathan were in one of the taxis and were just part of the group. Laura made sure the taxis let them out in front of the bookstore so they would have to cross in front of the bank in order to get to the restaurant. As the group slowly made their way to the restaurant Laura and Jonathan slipped into the bank, aided by the women and balloons obstructing the view of the bank’s wooden door.

Now inside, the three of them stood looking at one another until the manager, Christine, spoke. “Hello” she started hesitatingly, looking askance at Jonathan; “may I help you?” Laura was looking around the lobby of the bank. Not surprisingly it had changed little from when she had last been there four years ago to set up the account. “We’d like to see the manager, Mr. Bouvier.” Christine’s eyes seemed to widen just a bit as she looked more closely at Laura. You knew Mr. Bouvier?” she asked, realizing that these people had not just wandered in off of the street and they likely had business at the bank. “Yes I did” Laura responded, somewhat hesitatingly because of Christine’s use of the word knew rather than know. “Is he here?” she continued. Christine’s eyes softened slightly, “No ma’am, unfortunately Mr. Bouvier died of a heart attack last year. How well did you know him?” “Quite well actually, although for just a short period of time I’m afraid” said Laura, “He spent a couple of days entertaining me, and frankly, trying to set me up with his grandson about four years ago. I met him when I came to Zurich to establish an account here. He was such a pleasant gentleman. We had lunch together next door and we actually went to the theater one night. I spoke to him once or twice a year, but I haven’t had the opportunity to get back to Zurich since then.” Laura looked up at Christine, “I’m sorry, he was a very good man.” “You’re right, he was a very good man. Thank you.” responded Christine. Straightening up and lifting her chin Christine put aside the thoughts of Mr. Bouvier and started. “Now, Miss...” Realizing that they had not introduced themselves, Laura spoke up and gave her their new names, “Michael and Anne DuPont.” “Thank you. Now Mr. & Mrs. DuPont” Christine said, looking rather uncomfortably at the dress clad Jonathan when she said mister, “Is there anything I can do for you?” Noticing Christine’s discomfort, Laura gestured towards Jonathan and said, “My husband, Michael, he is an actor and he is spending the day dressed as a woman. He is doing research for a comedy he will be working on early next year” The relief in her face was obvious, conveyed by the smile that quickly appeared on her face. “We’ve come in reference to the account I set up four years ago when I met Mr. Bouvier.” “Very well then. Unfortunately my staff is gone for the day as we were getting ready to close but I will be happy to help you myself. What kind of Access Protocol did you establish?” “Retina and fingerprints” Laura responded. “Excellent. Please follow me” Christine said as she turned and led them to the elevator. Stepping out of the elevator Christine led the couple to a stainless steel column located just to the right of the receptionist’s desk. The column was approximately six feet tall and two feet in diameter. A foot below the top of the column was a recessed black square about twelve inches across. In the center of the square was a red dot and on the bottom was a small cushion. Jutting out from the sides of the column were two black glass panels approximately waist high. “Mrs. DuPont, you probably remember this protocol” Christine said gesturing towards the column. Laura was familiar with the device, however it was Jonathan whose biometrics would have to be scanned. “Sweetheart” she said as she looked over at Jonathan, wishing she had explained this to him before they arrived, but now hoping that he would go along with her, “This is the machine I was telling you about.” Jonathan turned to look at Laura and he could tell by the way she nodded her head ever so slightly that the correct response to her statement was “yes”. “Yes, I remember” he said, hoping he sounded somewhat convincing to Christine. “When that man from the bank came and scanned your fingerprints and retinas four years ago we sent the data here. Here, rather than using those mobile machines, the scanning equipment is built into this column.” “Oh,” he replied, “how does it work?” “It’s actually quite simple” Christine said, stepping towards the column and gesturing for Jonathan to step towards it. “Just place your feet on the two yellow footprints” she said as she pointed to the two yellow spots painted in the shape of shoeprints at the bottom of the column. Jonathan slowly approached the column and looking over at a nodding Laura, placed his feet on the yellow marks. “Now” Christine continued as she adjusted the recessed black square up to the height of Jonathan’s head, “Just put your chin on the cushion and place your hands on the black side panels.” Not at all sure what exactly was going to happen, Jonathan obeyed, and was greatly thankful when he felt the comfort of Laura’s hand on his lower back. A moment later a thin blue light passed quickly from left to right from a spot on the panel in front of Jonathan’s face. Simultaneously the panels where he had placed his hands illuminated with a misty blue hue. Light seeped out from around Jonathan’s hand, as the silhouette hands on each panel were slightly larger than his.

“That’s it” Christine said as she turned and walked over to the receptionist’s desk and picked up a piece of paper from the printer. The computer three floors below had run a series of algorithms that matched Jonathan’s data with that on file. Once a perfect match was found the computer then searched the database to find the account that corresponded to that biometric data. Once located, the computer printed a two-digit number that indicated which floor and to which room the person should be taken. In this case the figure was 23 which indicated the customer should be taken to the second level below and room 3 which was the second of six.

Once Christine had taken Laura and Jonathan to room 23, she explained that the computer was retrieving their box and it would be delivered in a matter of minutes. Jonathan stared around the stark room. It was cold but very well lit. With its stark metal walls it looked like what he had always imagined the room of Winston’s torment was in George Orwell’s 1984. Except for the coal black carpet which covered the entire room. He had always imagined the floor in Winston’s room to be gray. Laura looked over at him knowing he must be bewildered. First the brothel, where he was forced to put on clothes even women found uncomfortable and now this stark steel room, unlike anything he had ever seen. She wondered if he would ever be able to process all of these seemingly disparate yet tangled bits of information into a coherent picture of the real world. She walked over to him and pulled his hands around her waist. Looking up at him she said, “Sweetheart, things are not usually this crazy. It won’t be like this forever,” she said, shaking her head. “I know,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her.

Moments later Christine returned with a black pushcart. On the pushcart was a gray, two-foot square metal box with a black metal top. “Here is your box sir.” “Thank you Christine” Laura said as she was walking over to the box. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. If you need anything please press the buzzer” Christine said as she gestured towards the red buzzer left of the door as she closed it behind her. Laura immediately lifted the lid and let it flip over on its hinges. Inside was the familiar leather case she had deposited four years ago. It looked very much like a large doctor’s bag. As she lifted it from the box it seemed heavier than she remembered. Placing it on the table in the middle of the room she unbuckled the top and pulled the sides apart to reveal the stacks of money just as she had left them. The bearer bonds were still in the 9X12 manila envelope standing on its side. Sticking out of an inside pocket was the smaller manila envelope Alexander had given her at the last moment. “Alexander said this was a ’will of sorts.” She remembers thinking at the time “I wonder what that means?” She opened it. Inside were two standard white letter-sized envelopes, one with Alexander written on the outside, the other with Albert.

She looked up at Jonathan as she ripped open the first envelope, labeled Albert. In it was a handwritten letter on Alexander’s personal stationary. She began to read it aloud: “Albert, thank you for your service, companionship and most of all, your friendship through these many years. Much of what I accomplished over the last thirty years would have been much more difficult, if not impossible if not for your steadfast support and assistance. By virtue of the fact that you are reading this letter, something has likely gone horribly awry. Not knowing the exact circumstances you find yourself in, I wanted to make sure you had the resources necessary to get through whatever difficulty you might encounter. Enclosed with this letter you will find $15 million in cash in various currencies and an equal amount of bearer bonds. I hope it is sufficient. If I have died by the time you are reading this, I would like to ask one last favor of you. I have attached a letter that describes our research over the last thirty years and everything that goes with it, good and bad. I do not want that research lost simply because I can no longer avail myself of it. Please read it. I would like copies of the letter delivered to the New York Times, the Times of London and Le Monde. I leave it up to you when you would like to release the information as it no doubt has the potential to cause problems for you. Please my friend, you have never let me down before and I beg of you not to do so now. I have put so much work into this project that even though I cannot benefit from it, perhaps someone can.” Laura looked up at Jonathan as she flipped over the page and began to read: “To whom it may concern: My name is Alexander Cooke and by virtue of this letter being read, I’m most certainly dead. Now that I am gone I would like to set the record straight. I began Alexander Resources with the specific intent of finding a way to naturally extend the lives of people around the world, mine in particular. Along the way things changed, my goals evolved and somehow something went terribly wrong...” Laura was astonished at what she was reading. The letter went on to describe the entire history of his pursuit of immortality from the serendipitous discovery in the jungles of Bolivia to the experiments with monkeys to the cloning of humans. The letter ended with Alexander stating that he had succeeded in cloning humans and his wish that his work would be able to help science and benefit mankind. Laura was incredulous. She looked up at Jonathan. “Bullshit!” she said. “That son of a bitch is trying to whitewash the truth and turn himself into Albert Schweitzer rather than Joseph Mengele. Shaking her head she reached for the second letter. She opened it and it too held a letter on Alexander’s personal stationary, but this one was typed. It started “My name is Alexander Cooke. Being of sound mind and body do hereby declare...” It was Alexander’s will. It left everything he owned to his estranged son Jonathan. It stated that the while there had been rumors of his fathering children over the years with a number of women, it was Jonathan who would inherit all of his assets. It required that proof of identity would be required before the assets could be given to his son. The proof of identity could be established in only one manner, the matching of fingerprints and DNA on file with Alexander Resources. Under no circumstances was anyone who did not match the stored data to be allowed to take possession of any of Alexander’s assets. The will was signed by Alexander, Albert as the witness and by Warren Benson, Alexander Resources senior counsel. Again Laura shook her head. “This was his way of transferring his assets from himself to himself when he returned as you! Bastard!”

Just as she was putting the second letter back into its envelope the door suddenly opened. Startled, the pair looked up just in time to see the three police from outside the bank coming through the door. Each had an automatic weapon in his hand; two aimed at Laura and one at Jonathan. As the police walked into the room and moved away from the door, Christine followed into the doorway. “May I have the letters please?” she said holding her hand out towards Laura. Laura looked at Christine and then over to Jonathan. “What is this?” she asked Christine. “What is going on here?” she said, keeping the letters firmly in her hand. “Please, if I may” Christine said as she walked over to Laura. She reached for the letters. Laura looked over at Jonathan, calculating all of the possibilities at this point. She looked over at the three men pointing weapons at them. She quickly deduced that there was nothing they could do under these circumstances so she let the letters be pulled from her hands. Christine immediately took a lighter from her coat pocket and set them ablaze, dropping the ball of flames into the empty metal trashcan sitting beside the door. Turning back to the pair Christine looked at Jonathan and then Laura. I thought it was you, but I could not be sure until you passed the protocol. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” said Laura. “When Mr. Bouvier died, Mr. Cooke purchased the bank from his estate. His assistant Albert contacted us last night and suggested that someone matching your descriptions might attempt to access the account you just accessed. We were informed that the persons who might be seeking access were fugitives on an Interpol watch list. The police had pictures, but obviously you were able to gain entrance without alerting them. I could not be sure you were the fugitives until you we matched his fingerprints from those sent to the police by Mr. Cooke. These men will be taking you to a van in the garage and you will be transported to police headquarters. Now, please step away from the table” Jonathan and Laura stepped away from the table. Raul, the sergeant instructed Pascal to search them for weapons. He first patted down Laura rather gingerly as she raised her arms to her side and stared at him coldly. He then frisked Jonathan somewhat more briskly as he mimicked Laura by raising his arms. He found nothing but two cell phones. Jonathan looked over to Laura. She nodded her head as if to say “Everything will be all right.” “Now, if you would not mind” Christine said as she stood aside and gestured towards the door. Laura looked around for anything they might be able to use to cause a diversion, but there was nothing. Slowly she started walking towards the door. Jonathan was simultaneously coming around the other side of the table and the two walked side by side through the door after Michael. Raul and Pascal followed with Christine behind, picking up the bag as she closed the door behind them. Michael headed towards the elevator to go up one floor to the reception and garage level. Before they arrived at the elevator Raul stopped the two of them. He quickly removed his handcuffs from his belt and placed them on Jonathan’s wrists as they were pulled behind his back. Pascal followed suit and pulled Laura’s arms behind her and placed his handcuffs on her. The elevator was an American made OTIS, which would hold 6 people or 1,500 lbs. Christine had taken the bag and returned to her office, which was on the same floor as the room they had just left. It used to be Mr. Bouvier’s office. He had always wanted his office to be on the middle level as it afforded him the greatest amount of privacy yet still allowed him quick access via a staircase to the reception area if necessary. Raul decided to stay behind and go down the hall to chat with Christine, a tall brunette he found particularly attractive. Confident that his machine gun carrying subordinates could easily handle the handcuffed fugitives, Raul said: “You two take them up to the garage, the van will be there in a couple of minutes.” The two junior officers nodded in unison at their superior. With the fugitives handcuffed, the two officers let their machine guns hang by their slings as they held the prisoners by the shoulders and gently guided them into the elevator. For a moment the prisoners stood facing the back of the elevator. Pascal looked at Michael and raised his hand in a circling motion as he said “Lets turn them around.” The four now stood facing one another. Jonathan and Laura looked at one another. Laura gave Jonathan the subtlest nod she could and hoped that he understood that it was now or never. They had probably one chance to get out of this situation and this was about to be it. Pascal pushed the button for the reception/garage level. The two police stood facing the prisoners with one hand on their sidearms and the other on their slings holding their machine guns. It was a short ride, but it would certainly be a memorable one.

The moment the elevator started to move Laura turned to Jonathan and said “Sweetheart, I love you.” He leaned over to kiss her and they careened their necks so that their lips might meet. Pascal and Michael looked at them and then at one another. As soon as the two police looked at one another it happened. Jonathan lifted his leg, ripping his dress as he did. As the sound of the ripping dress made a noise, it became mingled with the groaning sound Michael made as he was collapsing from being kicked in the groin. Before Pascal could react to his friend’s collapse, he felt Laura’s knee in his groin, which made it feel like it had been driven into his chest. At the same time she slammed her shoulder into his throat and pressed it against the wall of the elevator, instantaneously cutting off his oxygen supply and causing him to gasp desperately. As she let him slowly collapse she turned perpendicular to him, which allowed her to grab his sidearm which was holstered on his right hip. Even with her hands behind her back she expertly unsnapped the safety strap from the holster and removed the Browning 9-MM. Quickly she flipped off the safety and aimed the gun at his head. “Take off his handcuffs” she said to a wheezing Michael as he sat on the floor in front of Jonathan. Before he could move the elevator stopped and the doors opened into the empty, cavernous parking garage. The van had already arrived and there were three police standing at the door to meet them. They turned white as sheep when they saw the situation in front of them. “Drop your weapons” Laura shouted. The three looked at one another and at the gun resting steadily only two inches from Pascal’s head as he struggled for breath. “Now” she commanded as she cocked back the hammer of the weapon. Seeing that she was deadly serious the three did exactly as they were instructed. “Now kick them under the van.” Again they did exactly as they were instructed. Slowly Michael was able to regain his composure and said to Laura, “You will never get away with this.” “We’ll see,” she said. “Now, remove those cuffs.” He slowly reached into the top left pocket of his uniform’s shirt and removed the set of keys. Jonathan turned around and leaned down so Michael, still sitting on the floor could unlock his cuffs. As soon as the cuffs were off he leaned down and grabbed Michael’s gun. “Take the safety off” Laura instructed. Not sure what he was looking for, he turned the gun on its side. “There” she said, gesturing with her right thumb on the weapon in her hand that was identical to the one in Jonathan’s. He quickly flipped it the only way it would go and held the weapon steadily at Michael. “Now, “ he said glancing up at the three police outside the elevator before focusing again on Michael. “take them off her.” Michael reached over and unlocked the cuffs from Laura’s right hand. It was difficult to actually remove the cuff because her right wrist was pressed between her left arm and her back. After some maneuvering it finally came off. She stood and swung her right hand around to the front and held out the left for Michael to remove the remaining cuff as a slumping Pascal was finally regaining his breath. “You three, take off your clothes right now,” she said. The three looked at one another and seemed disinclined to follow instructions until they realized that she had raised her weapon at them. “You too” she shouted to Michael and Pascal. “Now! Everything!” I want you wearing a smile and nothing else.” Getting impatient, she shouted “Faster, damnit!” After watching Pascal and Michael slowly climb to their feet and begin to disrobe, Laura turned back to the three policemen outside of the elevator and asked “Who has the keys to the van?” “I do,” said the somewhat portly sergeant on the right. “Give them to me” she demanded. He nervously reached into his pants pocket to pull out the keys. He handed them to her wearing only his white boxers. “Everything” she said to the five, all of whom were hoping to keep some sort of dignity about them. One by one they looked at each other and then back at her. Almost in unison they realized she was deadly serious and sheepishly complied. Having taken the keys she walked over to the Volvo van and opened the back door which presented an empty holding cell with two metal benches along both sides with a metal mesh grate at the front separating the holding compartment from the driver. “Inside” she commanded. In single file each naked man climbed into the back of the van and sat on the cold metal bench. Laura closed the door and locked it, and was going to put the keys in her pocket until she realized she did not have one. She looked at Jonathan, who was still standing in the elevator wearing a dress and holding the weapon. Pointing to the middle pile of clothes from the three officers who greeted them outside the elevator, she said “He looked about your size, try those on.” Jonathan went over and quickly shed his dress and pulled on the trousers and the undershirt. The shoes were a little tight, but they were certainly better than what he had been wearing for the last hour. He looked up at Laura and she nodded, admiring for a second how good he looked in the tee shirt. “What now” asked Jonathan. “We’re going back to get the money and we’re leaving.” “OK. What about Christine and the sergeant?” “That’s what these are for” Laura said as she held the gun up in her hand. The two of them went back into the elevator and Laura pressed the button for the 2nd floor they had just come from. As the elevator opened she cautiously looked out both sides of the door. There was no one. As they exited the elevator they could hear laughing from what used to be Mr. Bouvier’s office. Raul was turning on the charm and Christine seemed very receptive. She had always been fond of men in uniforms and Raul was certainly a good-looking man. As he was now sitting on the corner of her desk, a slight lull fell over the conversation, both smiling at one another. Suddenly as Raul was looking up at the ceiling in an attempt to find something witty to say, he realized he should check on his men. Standing, he reached out his hand to Christine. With both hands and something that was half way between a shake and a caress he said “I’m sorry, I must go check on my men. It has been lovely meeting you. You are an exceptional woman. We should have dinner sometime.” For emphasis he added, “Soon.” “Yes, I think I’d like that.” He leaned and kissed her hand. Smiling he turned around and headed out the door. Once out the door he looked up and found himself staring down the barrel of Michael’s Browning 9-MM. Although the barrel seemed to take up almost his entire field of vision, he was able to see Laura with her finger over her lips telling him to be quite. Once he grasped the situation, Laura beckoned him to approach her. She was standing about ten feet in front of him. Given that Christine had an alarm in her office, Laura did not want to risk her setting it off and attracting more police than might already be on their way. As Raul approached Laura, he realized that Jonathan was not wearing a dress and that his pants and shoes looked very much like his own. He immediately understood that things had likely gone badly in the garage. Looking at the weapon that Jonathan had pointed right at him, Raul heard every syllable uttered by Laura. “I need you to be very quite. If you do, no one will get hurt. Do you understand me.” He quickly nodded his head. Whispering to him she said, “We are not going to hurt anyone unless you make us. We are going to take the money and leave. Now, I want you to call Christine out into the hallway.” Trying to think, Raul asked “What am I supposed to say to her?” “I don’t care. Tell her you love her. Tell her you’re lost. Just tell her something. Flustered, Raul tried to think of something. Nothing. “Ask her what is wrong with the damn elevator!” said a frustrated Laura. Lifting her weapon and putting it against his throat. She added with unmistakably deadly seriousness, “Nothing funny.” “Christine my dear, can you tell me what is wrong with this elevator? It does not seem to be working.” A pleasantly surprised Christine answered “Pardon me?” not at all sure what he had said, but she found herself happy, but not particularly surprised that he had found an excuse to prolong their encounter. Rising and heading to the door she said “I’m sorry Raul, what did you?” As she stepped through the doorway and into the hallway, the y-sound just seemed to just taper off into oblivion as she too was now staring down the barrel of Jonathan’s 9-MM. “Over here” Laura gestured to Christine, telling her to move close to Raul. Jonathan went into Christine’s office and picked up the bag from the chair upon which she had set it. He quickly opened it to make sure she had not taken the money out. She had not. He walked out into the hallway and said “It’s here. I’ve got it.” “Did you check to see if the money is still in it?” Laura asked. After seeing Jonathan nod his head, she looked at Christine and Raul. “All right you two, into the elevator.” As they filed into the elevator Jonathan told them to face the wall and stay there. Christine lost her footing somewhat as she tripped over Pascal’s belt that was still laying on the elevator floor. She caught herself and was able to avoid stumbling into the wall in front of her. Once they reached the garage level Jonathan told the pair to get out. As they stood just outside the elevator doors Jonathan told Raul to strip. “Take your clothes off now.” When he too stopped at his underwear, Jonathan simply pointed the gun at him and said “everything”. Reluctantly he complied, feeling like a fool standing right next to Christine, about whom he had just moments ago dreamed of being naked next to, but certainly in a different context. “Christine” called Laura. “Strip” she said rather coldly. Christine began to protest but Laura’s steely eyes let her know that it was going to be of no avail and therefore she shouldn’t even try. When she was down to her slip and panties Laura said “Enough. That is fine” Now, tossing the van keys to Raul she said “Open the back”, gesturing to the van. He was not particularly surprised to see his five officers sitting in the back. “Inside” she commanded. The men inside instinctively slid down to make room for the pair, although the van could comfortably sit ten detainees. Raul held his hand out to assist Christine as she climbed in first. The pair sat on the side with Pascal and Michael, with the three who had come in the van on the other side. “All of you, put your hands up, and keep them there.” Laura said. Turning to Jonathan she said “Keep an eye on them Sweetheart.” She then went rummaging through the piles of uniforms on the ground and in the elevator. She found a total of six pairs of handcuffs. She returned and gave Jonathan her gun. She did not want to take a chance of someone in the van taking it from her. As she began to climb into the van she turned to Jonathan and said, “If a single one of them moves shoot them all.” Jonathan nodded. She didn’t know if he would or could do it but that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that the people in the van believed that he would. She then stepped to the front of the holding compartment. On the left side of the van was Pascal, closest to the front. Next to him was Michael, then Raul and finally Christine. Laura proceeded to put a handcuff on Michael’s right hand and then pull him down and place the other cuff on Pascal’s left leg. She continued criss crossing the cuffs in a similar pattern until everyone was completely incapacitated. She then jumped out of the van and turned to Christine. “Where are the keys to your car? No response. Again, she asked where the keys were only to get the same steely-eyed response. Laura leaned over to her and asked, “Is your car, which is no doubt covered by insurance and which is otherwise just a pile of metal, worth your life?” Christine, having been a Philosophy major at the University of Zurich, knew a rational argument when she heard one. “They are in the right pocket of my jacket which is lying right over there on the ground.” Christine responded and as she unconsciously nodded her head towards her clothes as if Laura had no idea where she had left them. Laura walked over and quickly found the keys. She returned and locked the door to the van. She picked up the three weapons that had been kicked under the van and placed them in the bag. She then opened the driver’s side door of the van, knowing it was difficult to come by in both Switzerland and France she was looking for any extra ammunition,. Luckily in a metal box secured between the seats were two boxes of 9-MM ammunition. She had no idea how much they would need but she was sure this would be enough. She put the ammunition into the bag and headed back around the van. Handing the bag to Jonathan saying “Let’s go” they headed for Christine’s car which had just chirped in response to the button Laura pushed on the key ring. Suddenly Laura stopped and looked around. She was evaluating whether she should go back and gag them. She looked around and realized that they were in the Bank’s garage and the bank was empty. No one could get in the garage unless there was someone at the bank to OK their access so there was little chance of anyone walking by and hearing them even if the seven of them choose to scream for help. Besides she figured, they didn’t have much time. The police who were watching the back of the bank would likely get suspicious pretty soon and enter on their own. Walking to the chirping car Laura thought Christine had good taste as she drove a brand new cherry red BMW 735i. It was a convertible with a standard transmission, everything Laura loved in a car. Rather wistfully she put the top up on the car with the touch of a button. The car started with a roar and she quickly headed for the exit. “Damn”, she said, having forgotten to ask about the whereabouts of the garage card which was usually necessary to exit European garages. She looked in the visor and on the dash and in the glove compartment. Frustrated she smacked her hand on the wheel and started to put the car in reverse so she could go back and ask Christine where it was when she noticed Christine’s keys were attached to a case about the size of a credit card. She opened the little case and there was the magnetic garage card she was looking for. She quickly took it out and passed it by the electronic scanner that controlled access to the garage exit. The gates slowly began to open away from her. Once they were open she slowly began to pull forward. She moved at a relatively slow pace, but not slow enough to raise suspicions amongst any police who might be watching the exit. As she pulled up the ramp the only car on the street was the dark sedan they had seen earlier that morning when they drove around the block in the taxi. Neither man inside was paying a great deal of attention to the exit as they knew that five well armed officers had been sent in to apprehend two suspects, one of which was a female. They were having a rather heated discussion about who was the most valuable soccer star, Beckham or Maradona. While the two were trying to get the better of one another with arguments about everything from the size of the player’s respective shoe contracts to the number of goals scored, Laura turned the car left out of the garage exit and rounded the corner without either even realizing that the red BMW had exited where they were expecting a white van. As Laura approached the street where the bank entrance was located, she thought it a bit odd that there was not more of a police presence around the bank. Nonetheless she was not going to question fortune as she turned the corner and headed away from the bank. Unbeknownst to Laura, the reason that there was no backup was that while they were wanted by Iterpol, they had not been designated “Armed and Dangerous” which would have required a massive backup presence. Instead, the alert that had come over the wires from Peru simply said that they were wanted for theft and might be attempting to falsely gain access to a safety deposit box. They were therefore simply categorized as wanted.

Chapter 14. Felix

Smiling at their good fortune, but knowing that they probably had less than an hour before the van was discovered, Laura quickly drove the three miles back to the hotel, parking the car in an underground lot below a shopping mall two blocks from the hotel. She started to head back to the room when Jonathan stopped, “Why are we going back to the hotel?” he asked. “There’s nothing there.” Laura thought about it for a moment and realized he was right. They needed clothes and phones to replace the ones they had left at the bank. She realized they were in a mall and could get whatever they needed more quickly than walking back to the hotel. First they went to a men’s clothes store and purchased a two changes of clothes for Jonathan along with socks, underwear and shoes. He wore his new jeans and a shirt out of the store, leaving his half of a police uniform on the dressing room floor. They then went next door and did the same for Laura, picking up a dress as well as a couple of pairs of comfortable jeans. Finally they went to a mobile phone store and picked up a collection of phones that mirrored what she had purchased that morning. The saleswoman stood in awe as Laura paid the 4,000 Euro bill with cash. As she was counting the money Laura wished she had remembered to pick up her phones back at the bank because the police could trace her call to Felix earlier that day. She had to reach him now. As soon as she finished paying the bill she dialed Felix’s number.

Immediately after he had hung up with Laura that morning, Felix started to get dressed. Tabitha protested. They had been awake only a few minutes when the phone rang. It was enough that she was disconcerted when he decided to answer it in the middle of what for her was such an earthshaking moment. Now she was truly angry that he decided he had to go into work at this hour on a Saturday. “What are you doing?” she asked as he walked away from the bed, letting the sheet slip from his waist. He leaned over and grabbed his pants and pulled them up. He turned to her and said, “I’m sorry Tabitha, something important has come up and I have to go to the office.” With something more than a pout on her face as she was sitting up in the bed now with her arms draped over her bent knees which were under the sheet. “Does that mean that I’m not important?” Realizing that if he did not soothe her feathers he might end up having a fight on his hands which he didn’t have time for right now. “Listen, Princess” as he sometimes called her, although she never did realize that it was always when he was in some kind of hot water, “You are very important, but I’ve got to go.” He leaned down and sat beside her on the side of the bed. “Do you remember that Mr. Cooke, the man who owns my company and was injured in an accident about a week and a half ago?” She nodded that she did, although it was obvious she was not going to be happy with where this conversation was going. “Well, I have to go in and gather some very important data for his doctors and unfortunately it cannot wait.” He rubbed his hand on her leg and kissed her knee. “I promise, I’ll be home as soon as I can,” as he said the words he knew that he didn’t’ know if they were true and he didn’t really care at that moment, he just knew he needed to get out of there right now. He got up and finished dressing. He walked back over to Tabitha and leaned over and kissed her. Clasping her head in his hands he whispered in her ear, “I’ll be back soon, I promise”. With that he was out the door and into his Saab 9-5 sedan, one of Saab’s top of the line. Rolling down the windows he loved the feeling of the wind as it circulated behind him. The 9-5’s rear seat compartment was uniquely shaped so that at 85 miles per hour the wind would rush in and circulate in such as way that those in the front seats would get a gentle breeze rather than a tornado. He loved his car, although it was really much too expensive for him to afford, as was the house in which he had just left Tabitha and the clothes he was wearing. Frankly he was never sure how he managed to actually pay all of his bills each month but somehow he always seemed to get through.

Arriving at his office he quickly picked up his financial statement book for the previous year. Although he had been working at Alexander Resources for over two years, he was still an analyst in the accounting department rather than a manager who actually wrote the financial requests and put his name on the reconcilliated budgets. From what he had seen he was smarter than just about everyone in the department, particularly the people for whom he worked. Nonetheless, he knew that eventually he would get his shot at doing the budget for one facility and by doing so he would finally show them what he was capable of. In preparation for that opportunity Felix had studied the consolidated budgets for the entire company for the past four years. On his computer he had copies of the company’s budgets for the last decade.

Just as Laura had thought, there were no records that corresponded to the name Aislado. He searched for the names Jonathan and Monkey Games with similar results. He tried different combinations of the words to no avail. He mixed in the words La Playa Arena and still came up with zero. Frustrated, he decided to look into the budget of La Playa Arena itself to see if it might provide a clue. He figured that if the facility Laura was talking about was a support facility for La Playa Arena then there might be some kind of line items suggesting where he should look. Unfortunately the facility at La Playa Arena had been in existence for over twenty years, which meant that there were a lot of budgets to search through. He decided to start at last year and work backwards. After the third year he found something of some interest. Once he noticed the pattern it was easy to find what he was looking for. The key was the consistency of their budgets.

While the budgets of virtually every facility in the company were highly erratic, jumping or falling depending on the level of success of a new drug or program, each of the budgets for these five anomalous facilities increased at an almost constant rate of 2% a year for at least a decade, some going back almost twenty years. In the ebb and flow world of scientific experiments, that kind of consistency is not only highly unusual, it’s virtually non-existent. For someone searching through a haystack of budget numbers, this anomaly was like a giant sized needle. Given the nature of their existence (ostensibly biological diversity studies) the budgets should have fluctuated greatly from one year to the next and should have had distinctly different patterns from one another. While the islands were no doubt very similar given their geographic proximity to one another, the fact is that they would have involved different species, different tests and different lengths of time. Had everything been the same the research could have been done at one facility. The data suggest that the research was almost identical, yet carried out on five different islands. Once he identified the five facilities, which were rather inconspicuously named C1 through C5 finding the rest of the data should have been rather easy. Each line item on the budget, or in this case, each facility was hyperlinked to a database that included all relevant bookkeeping and accounting data for that facility. Oddly, for the islands of interest there was no database to which he could connect. Outside their line items under La Playa Arena, there seemed to be no information available about them. Laura had said the thing she was most interested in was their location. Under the best of circumstances that was a difficult task to accomplish given simple accounting files, although with most facilities the location was simply a phone call or map away. These facilities had been purposely named in such as way as to make it impossible to find them on a simple map.

Felix decided there might be one other way to find out their locations. Alexander Resources pilots were required to log their origin and destinations and any stops in between if they were flying to or from research facilities. This requirement was established in response to an error in the early 1980s in which research samples from one facility were accidentally picked up and labeled as having come from another facility. The mistake cost the company approximately $30 million to fix, but more importantly it resulted in nine months of data being lost and the forced replication of dozens of experiments over the following two years. The company’s universal transport database was very thorough and was set up in such a way that a user could search for flights to or from any destination. In addition, it could query via dates of arrival or departure, by the pilot’s name or by the name of the research series.

Felix decide that he would start with the most obvious, flight numbers. After that multi-million dollar snafu, every facility in the Alexander Resources empire was given a three character designation. The first three characters of any flight number were the designation for the departing facility. The last three numbers of the flight number indicated the location of the destination facility. By sorting the flight data by number designation Felix was able to isolate all of the flights to and from La Playa Arena, which was designated by the number 241. Once isolated Felix sorted the La Playa Arena flights by destination. It became clear that there were five facilities where the travel patterns were almost identical. The date seemed to suggest flights between La Playa Arena and each of the five islands generally occurred on a bi-monthly basis. Armed with the location codes Felix was able to access the transportation logs and cross-reference the dates. This data mining allowed him to access a complete flight record for each of the five islands. The records were required by the Peruvian government in case of an emergency and were filed with the Lima air traffic control centers electronically. From records of those filings Felix was able to get both the name and coordinates for all five of the islands. He went to a map and quickly had all five islands plotted, as well as La Playa Arena. He thought to himself as he was looking at the map that this was the most convoluted research he had done in years.

He quickly dialed Laura at the number she had called him from while he was at home. Nothing, the phone simply rang and rang and no one picked up. He tried twice more thinking he might have dialed the wrong number. Nothing. Damn. He no way of knowing that the phone was sitting in a drawer in Christine’s and he could have let it ring for a day and no one would have heard it. He hit the off button and slammed the phone back into his pocket. Moments later when as he was heading back to the maps his phone rang. “Felix” he heard the voice on the other end say. “Laura?” he replied. “Yes” said Laura as she was walking down the street towards Zurich’s business district. “What did you find?” she asked. “Exactly what you thought I would” “Really, how many are there? she said. “There are five islands that are anomalies and located very close to La Playa Arena. One of them happens to be Aislado.” “Good. What do you have on them?” she queried. “I have their names, budgets and locations” “Excellent.” She said, “Thank you.” She hesitated, trying to figure out how to get the information. Although she could write the coordinates for the islands down, she imagined she would have to look at the data in order to figure out the next step. It was not feasible to have Felix e-mail all of it to her and there was no way to have it sent by courier in a timely fashion. She decided she needed to go and pick it up. “Felix” Laura said, “I need you to do something for me.” “Anything.” Felix chimed in before she could even begin to explain. “I need you to meet me with the information in Lyon. Tonight” “No problem. I’ll catch the next TGV and I should be there before eight. Realizing that things might get a bit hotter as soon as the police were discovered in the bank’s parking garage, she added “I have to tell you, it might be a little dangerous to be seen with me right now” “I don’t care” came Felix’s response. “Seriously” she repeated, “It could be very dangerous.” “Like I said, I don’t care.” “Thank you. I’ll explain everything to you tonight” “There is a McDonalds in the station in Lyon. Meet me there at 10:30.” “I’ll see you then.” “Thank you” said Laura Felix wondered what he was getting himself into. It didn’t matter. Laura had infatuated him since the day they met. He had just started working at Alexander Resources when Laura came storming into the office of his boss Edgard. Felix had been sitting in the chair listening to what was Edgard’s “Welcome” speech. Before she opened the door you could hear Edgard’s secretary, Madeline, arguing. “Mr. Alsee cannot see you right now. He is with someone.” “I don’t care, I want to speak with him right now!” said an obviously angry woman. “Well, I’m sorry, you can’t.” responded Madeline just before the door burst open and Laura came walking into the office. Madeline came scurrying after her “Ma’am! You can’t!” then finally, simply looking up at David she said “I’m sorry Mr. Alsee, I tried to stop her.” “It’s OK Madeline. Thank you.” Addressing Laura, Edgard said “Hello Laura, how are you today. I’d like to introduce you to Felix, he has just joined the financial team.” Laura quickly looked over at Felix, gave a fake smile and said “Hello” rather curtly. Felix smiled and nodded his head. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Laura asked Edgard, or more accurately threw at him with the velocity of a fastball to the head. “I’ve got a dozen people on my staff who are still out of pocket because of that damn bank change.” “I’m sorry,” said Edgard. “Bullshit! That’s exactly what you said last time and you told me then it would be fixed.” Glaring at him, she continued: “Not only is it not fixed, but now rather than three people having paychecks that bounced, I have a dozen.” “I’m sorry for the mistake. I obviously thought the problem was solved. I’ll have the problem solved by tomorrow.” “No, you’ll have the problem solved today. I want checks from a working account written and delivered to all twelve of my employees before they leave today, with an extra 150 Euros for their inconvenience and whatever fees they might have incurred.” “But” Edgard started to protest. “No buts!” Laura said as she walked closer to Edgard’s desk. “Do it. Do it today, and do not let this happen again. I don’t know what kind of an operation you are running here Edgard, but you had better fix this problem, and fast.” Finished, she simply turned and left without saying another word. Felix looked up at Edgard who was trying to smile, and was only half-successful. He had said nothing because there was nothing he could say. In every respect he was no match for Laura and he knew it. He always felt like the next time they had a confrontation that he was going to come out on top, but inevitably their confrontations always seemed to play out as this one just had. While something of a bookish man, he was far from sheepish, but there was something about that woman which he simply could not compete with.

Edgard looked at Felix, and said rather sheepishly “I’m sorry about that” “Ah... no problem” replied Felix, who was mesmerized by the woman he had just met, or more accurately had not met. He didn’t know who she was, but he knew he was going to find out. Ever since that day Felix had carried a candle for Laura, but while they had become great friends, she never gave him a second look romantically. Although he had made a number of rather thinly veiled attempts at romance, she never once accepted them. They ended up spending more time with one another out of work than they did in work yet still nothing ever developed, regardless of how hard he tried. It was not that there was someone else, it simply seemed that love was something that she had neither the time nor the desire for. Perpetually frustrated, Felix remained forever hopeful. Now, whatever the situation she found herself in was, perhaps it would be the event that caused her to see him in whatever light was necessary for her heart to open up to him. He didn’t even go home, although it was on the way to the train station and he had enough time. Knowing she was still there, he called Tabitha from the car. I’m sorry sweetheart; I can’t go with you to have dinner with your parents. I have to go to Lyon tonight. Right now as a matter of fact. I’m on my way to the train station.” “Maybe we can do it next weekend.” It was not that he was lying to her. He never felt like he was using her, he knew that she was not Laura. She was nice, very nice actually, and beautiful and fun and fantastic in bed, but the bottom line was that she was not Laura. Objectively he knew how difficult it was for a real person in a real relationship to measure up to the imagined romance of a longed for love, but that was life and if he was close to finally getting the woman of his dreams he was not letting anyone get in the way. He would do anything for Laura and today seemed like it might be that day. As he was saying “I’m sorry” to Tabitha, Felix’s phone rang. He had a call on the other line. “Sweetheart, I’ve got to go. Enjoy dinner with your parents” Quickly he clicked over the line to catch the other call. It was another number he did not recognize, it must be Laura. It wasn’t.

Chapter 15. Lyon

The Lyon train station was a beehive of activity. As the easternmost city of significant size in France, it was the point of departure for most traffic traveling to Italy, Switzerland, and much of south central Europe. Amid the chaos of the hustle and bustle and the chaotic symphony of sounds Felix was easy to spot. As instructed he was waiting at the McDonalds. He had taken a seat on the bench outside of the eatery. He was sharing the bench with a smiling Ronald McDonald statue who was permanently attached to the bench with his arm behind the shoulder of anyone who chose to sit with him. Felix was sitting for about ten minutes before he saw Laura walking towards him. She looked so beautiful it actually hurt. “Felix!” Laura said as she approached him. He leapt to his feet with a smile that seemed to rival that of the Ronald McDonald statue. She walked over to him and they embraced. “Thank you” she said. It was the warmest embrace he could ever remember getting and it was certainly the most enjoyable since he first wrapped his arms around Sonya, the girl that opened his eyes to love when he was 15 and broke his heart when he was 16. Stepping back Laura asked, “Do you have everything.” “Yes” Felix said as he pointed to the brown leather briefcase he had set on Ronald McDonald’s lap. “Great” she said, “we should get going. The car is just outside” Felix grabbed the briefcase as he said “see you later Ron.” The Ronald McDonald statue did not respond. The gray Audi A6 was parked on the side street just to the south of the station. Laura hit the unlock button and opened the drivers side door. Felix started to walk around to the passenger side and Laura gestured to the back, you’ll have to sit in the back.” Bending over Felix was somewhat startled to notice that there was someone sitting in the passenger seat. He opened the rear door on the passenger side and climbed in. The person sitting in the front seat looked vaguely familiar but Felix was sure they had never met. “Hello”, Jonathan said as he reached his right hand into the back to shake hands with Felix. “Hello, I’m Felix” “Jonathan. Nice to meet you.” Laura pulled the car out, coming within an inch of the Aston Martin that was parked in front of them with dents and scratches on its bumper, a telltale sign of any car driven in France for more than a week. As she was prone to doing, Laura wasted no time. “Now, tell me what you’ve got.” “Well” said Felix. “We’ve got five islands, one of which is Aislado.” Continuing, “The other four are all within 250 miles of both it and La Playa Arena.” “How long have they been active?” Laura asked. “Of the five, two have been active for ten years, one for fourteen years and two for twenty. Aislado is one of the twenty year facilities and El volcán is the other.” Jonathan and Laura looked at one another. They both knew it. They had hoped it would not be true, but they both knew it was now. There was undoubtedly another clone of about Jonathan’s age who lived on El volcán. The boys on the other islands were ten and fourteen years old, which meant they had literally not grown big enough to be considered candidates for what Alexander had in mind. The clone on El volcán on the other hand was exactly Jonathan’s age and therefore a perfect replacement for Jonathan. They both knew what was implicit in his question this morning “What if there are others like me?” If there were, they had to go and try and rescue them. They didn’t have much time. They had no doubt that Alexander had made plans to do to this other boy that which he was not able to accomplish with Jonathan....

Looking at Felix in the rear view mirror Laura asked “Were their any names associated with these islands?” “Well, all of them were code named C1 through C5, with Aislado being C1 and El volcán being C2. I don’t remember the specific order of the other three.” “No, what I’m really interested in is names of people. Did the name Jonathan ever show up with that data on Aislado?” “Oh” said Felix. “Not that I noticed, but I’ve got a printout of the data I could find for each of them.” He opened a manila envelope in which he had five sets of stapled sheets. He found the sheets for Aislado. Each paragraph or block of data was preceded by a heading and a number. The sheets were single spaced with ten point type which made them difficult to read, particularly in the dark back of the Audi. Finally on the third page at line number 48 he found the heading: SUBJECT NAME: JONATHAN on line 49 found the name TUTOR: Sebring. “Here it is. The subject’s name is Jonathan,” he said looking up at Jonathan. He continued, “and the tutor’s name is Sebring.” “Yes, that’s what I was looking for” Laura said. “What does it say about El volcán? Felix quickly grabbed the sheets for El volcán and flipped to page 3 and scanned down to line 48. “Here, I’ve got it. Benjamin. The subject’s name is Benjamin and the tutor’s name is Ho."She looked at her watch, it was almost midnight. They should be at the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport by one.

Earlier that afternoon after they left the mall in Zurich they took a taxi back to the airport. Just as Jacob had promised, Hans was there and ready to go. He was laying on the couch in the pilots’ lounge in the hanger inside of which Alex’s plane was sitting. He quickly stood and said “Hello” shaking Jonathan’s hand and then Laura’s. He was a tall young man in his early thirties with sandy blonde hair and strong features and a confident smile. “I’m Hans, I think my Uncle Jacob mentioned me to you. He said you had a week or more of flying and he wasn’t sure where we’d be going.” “Correct” said Laura. “Your uncle said you would have no problems with the Gulfstream IV-SP, is that true?” Smiling, Hans said that it was. And then for emphasis went down his qualifications and the jets he had piloted. He was not trying to be cocky, but it probably sounded a bit like it. Nonetheless, he simply wanted them to be comfortable with the fact that he could handle the plane with his eyes closed. “He said that you had promised to pay 25,000 Euros.” Laura looked at him, knowing that she had told Jacob that she was willing to pay 15,000 Euros. He had no doubt assumed that given her situation she would likely pay more without argument. He was right. She had neither the time nor the inclination to bargain right now. “Yes, that is correct” she said. After a few more questions the three boarded the plane and Hans flew them to Lyon. Laura had told him they would probably get back to the airport just after midnight and he should be ready to lift off as soon as they arrived.

“How did you find them?” Laura asked Felix as she once again began of focusing on the road ahead. Felix proceeded to recount the path he had taken that allowed him to find and isolate the five islands. “Amazing” she said, knowing that he had found the proverbial needle in a haystack, “Felix you are just amazing.” She continued “So where exactly is El volcán located?” “It is approximately 230 miles north of La Playa Arena and 175 miles southeast of Aislado.”

Soon after they pulled back onto the access road to Lyon-Saint Exupéry. She was hoping they would not run into any problems with customs inspectors. With the new designation code they didn’t have any problems in Zurich and when they arrived in Lyon the inspectors were out on a symbolic 12-hour strike to protest the government’s suggestion that adjustments might need to be made to their retirement plans. That should have meant that they had to wait to disembark, but as there was no one at the hanger to trouble them and they simply got off the plane, walked to the terminal and rented the Audi.

Returning it seemed the strike had gone on longer than had been anticipated and still no one was there to trouble them. They simply drove up to the general aviation terminal and left the car with the valet. Before they let the valet go, Laura asked Felix if he wanted the valet to drop him at the taxi stand. A disconcerted Felix protested that there was no way he was leaving. “But you don’t even know what is going on” Laura said to him. “That doesn’t matter, if you’re in trouble, I’m in trouble. I’m helping.” “OK” she said, happy there would be another person to help them face whatever might be ahead. She was fairly sure that was what he had planned the entire time but with something like this she did not want to be presumptuous. As they approached the plane Laura could see Hans sitting at the controls going over the preflight checklist. “Excellent” she said to herself, “we should be off the ground in 5 minutes.”

Felix was amazed at the plane. It was easily nicer than most hotels he had ever stayed and frankly bigger than some as well. Laura went up front and sat in the co-pilots seat. Hans taxied them out to the runway and within seven minutes of boarding they were in the air. They would once again head south until they reached the Mediterranean and would fly due West to the Azores. From there it was a straight shot to Martinique and then to El volcán. Total flight would take a total of almost 18 hours, including the two fuel stops.

Once they reached their 35,000-ft. cruising altitude Laura turned to Hans and asked “I’m going to head into the back, are you OK up here?” “Sure, I’m fine. Go ahead. I’ll call you if I need something.”

As she climbed out of the seat closed the cockpit door before heading into the cabin. She knew there would be a barrage of questions from Felix about what exactly was going on, what had happened, what that information was for as well as a myriad of others. She took a deep breath.

Jonathan had not talked much at all since Felix had arrived. It had been less than a week since his world was turned upside down. He had met more people in seven days than he had met in his entire life, many times over. As such he simply was not comfortable talking with people he did not know. Felix was full of questions but his first attempts at conversation with Jonathan led to quick roadblocks so he simply sat and looked out the window. At three in the morning there was more to see than he would have imagined. With the full moon he could easily see the contours of the clouds below and the outlines of the coast as well. It was not so much that he could see the land itself, but rather its silhouette could be seen as it interrupted the shimmering reflection of the moon dancing on the sea.

Chapter 16. My brother’s keeper

Sitting down next to him Laura said to Felix, “You must have a million questions.” “Well, a couple at least.” He responded. “To start with, where are we going?” “El volcán” “Why” “Because we have to rescue the young man named Benjamin.” “Rescue him from what?” “Well” she said looking over at Jonathan who was now looking over at her as well. “I’m not really sure where to begin.” For the second time in four days she found herself without words. Not exactly sure how to approach this she decided to jump in with both feet. “Felix” she said “I want you to meet Jonathan. I’m certain you’ve recognized he bears a striking resemblance to Alexander Cooke. “That’s it” Felix though to himself, “that’s who he looks like. Alex!” “Wow!” he said, you’re right he does.” That is no coincidence.” She proceeded to tell him much of what went on during the last week, culminating with their trip to Zurich, the $30 million and the research he had done in Paris. Felix didn’t say a word. He sat listening, his attention rapt. Every so often he would look over at Jonathan, who after a while became slightly agitated and looked away. Realizing he was staring, Felix said, “I’m sorry Jonathan. I wasn’t trying to be rude. This is just so staggering it’s hard to believe.” Jonathan raised his hand slightly and nodded, as if to say “no problem.” Although he didn’t really feel that way, he would certainly give a friend of Laura’s the benefit of the doubt. Turning to Laura Felix asked “Why are you doing this yourself? Have you tried to call some authorities to help? Wouldn’t that be the safest thing to do?” Actually, when we get to the Azores I plan on calling someone I used to work for at the US Attorney General’s office. I don’t know if I ever mentioned Jason. He was my boss when I was at the FBI in New York. I don’t know if he can help us, but either way, we have to do it. There are no other authorities to whom we can go. The islands belong to Peru and the police there are no doubt in Alexander’s pocket. Don’t forget, Alexander is one of the ten richest people in the world with an almost pristine public image and friends around the globe. He buys countries and politicians like women buy shoes; he’s always known that he may not need them all, but he always said ’they are good to have; just in case.’ How many times have you heard about him giving a $25 million grant to a third world country for some anti-poverty program or a $50 million gift to some European charity? Do you think all of those dollars go directly to the people who they are meant to help?” She was almost staring at him now and he instinctively shook his head no. “Of course they don’t” she answered her own question. “Government and influential people skim money from the top for their own Swiss accounts, their sports cars or their island retreats somewhere in the Caribbean. Don’t think this is some spur of the moment exercise. On the contrary, he has been working on this and spreading his millions around for twenty years in preparation for this very event. We might be able to eventually gather enough circumstantial evidence to generate some interest from some government, but it would take months and by then Benjamin would be dead and maybe Jonathan too.” As she ended her sentence she looked over at Jonathan and for the first time Felix saw something that should have been obvious from the moment he saw the two of them together outside the train station. When she talked about Jonathan being dead she looked at him in such a way that it was impossible to miss. She was in love with him. Felix could not believe it. He had been in love with Laura from almost the day he met her and for two years had made not an inch of progress with her. Here was a guy who had lived on an island for 20 years and she is in love with him after only a week. “How the hell was that be possible?” he asked himself. He felt his grip on the armrest getting very tight. He let loose of it, not wanting his white knuckles to betray his emotions. “You’re right” he said, “It would probably take us months just to get anyone to listen to us, nevermind actually believe us.”

Soon thereafter they stopped for fuel in the Azores. Felix wanted to stretch his legs a bit. Laura went outside to make a phone call. Felix came back after about ten minutes. Jonathan was sleeping in his seat. Felix sat down and fell sleep in seconds. He was awoken about ten minutes later by Laura’s return. She had tears streaming down her face. She slumped in the seat next to Jonathan. The movement of her seat when she fell into it jarred Jonathan awake. “What’s wrong?” Felix asked as he stood up and walked over to her. A startled Jonathan looked over and asked “Sweetheart, what has happened?” She waved both men away as they tried to comfort her, holding her hand up weakly and shaking her head. Jonathan looked up at Felix “What happened?” he asked. “I have no idea. She just came back.” As the pair looked at her helplessly, Hans came out. Felix held up his hand slightly in anticipation of the question he knew was coming. “We don’t have any idea what’s wrong. She won’t tell us.” Suddenly Laura looked up at Felix, “It’s Jason. They killed him.” “What?” said Felix. She shook her head. “On Friday, he was killed in a hit and run accident in Washington.” “Who’s Jason?” Jonathan asked, looking at Felix. “He was an old boyfriend of hers. She worked for him before she joined Alexander Resources.” Still not sure of the connection, Jonathan asked, “What does he have to do with all of this?” Laura, realizing that Jonathan had no idea what was going on lifted her head. As she wiped away the tears from her face she said “He worked for the US Government. Albert knew that Jason and I have remained close and that I would call him for help.” She looked down, shaking her head, “I couldn’t get hold of him from Zurich so I left him a message telling him that I needed help.” Taking a breath, she continued, “I just spoke with his secretary Ashley. I couldn’t get hold of him because he was on a fishing trip. He got my message and cut his trip short. He was heading to the office from home when a truck ran him off of the road on the George Washington Parkway. The driver never stopped and the police found the truck an hour later in Springfield, Virginia.” None of the three men had a clue where either the George Washington Parkway or Springfield, Virginia were, but none questioned her, assuming correctly that they were both close to Washington DC. “I should have warned him to be careful. I should have known Albert was capable of something like this, but I wasn’t thinking.” Unsuccessfully trying to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks, she looked up at Jonathan and then Felix; “Now he’s dead, and it’s my fault” Felix put his hand on her shoulder as he bent down on one knee next to her, “Listen Laura, there’s nothing you could have done. This has been a crazy couple of days for you. You couldn’t have known what they were capable of doing. What they were willing to do. Hell, you only found out what the hell was going on three days ago.” “But I knew...” Laura started to protest, thinking that she should have known what they were capable of and if she had just called Jason sooner, maybe things would have been different. “Shh....” Felix tried to quiet her. “Discovering what they are doing on some island in the South Pacific is different than knowing what they will do in Lyon or Zurich, nevermind in Washington DC. There is no way you could have known. Besides, you said he was killed Monday night, right?” She nodded her head, still looking down. “Well, it sounds like Albert set things in motion the second you left La Playa Arena and with him out fishing you wouldn’t have had any more luck contacting him even if you had tried.” Dropping to his knees in front of her and lifting her chin with his finger, Felix looked at her and said. “Laura, do not do this to yourself. There was nothing you could have done. I know you feel terrible, but Alex and Albert did this, not you. If you let them stop you now, they win.” Laura took hold of Felix’s hand and closed her eyes as she nodded, knowing that he was right. After a moment she looked up at Hans and said, “Lets get going.” She held Felix’s hand as he sat in his seat across the isle. “Thank you Felix, you are such a good friend. Thank you very much.” He nodded and smiled. She let go of his hand and leaned back into her seat, taking a deep breath. She looked over a Jonathan, who felt helpless in this situation which was just a continuation of the surreal life he had stepped into when he stepped onto that plane four days before. He could see the pain in her eyes, but knew he didn’t have a clue as to what he could or should say that might make her feel better. He gently picked up her hand and kissed it. Laura caressed his cheek, knowing that her pain, while difficult, probably paled in comparison to the confusion and chaos that Jonathan must be going through. Once Hans had the engines running Laura decided she needed something to do in order to focus her mind. She stood up and went into the cockpit where she climbed into the co-pilot’s chair. As she strapped herself in Hans turned to her and said, “I’m sorry to hear about your friend.” “Thank you” she replied.

After they were airborne and had reached 25,000 feet Laura looked over at Hans and asked if he was OK. “Everything’s fine. Go get some sleep. We’ll be in Martinique in about six hours.” She opened the door and walked back into the cabin. Felix looked up at her, hoping that this event might have finally been the spark that opened her eyes to what the possibilities could be between them. Perhaps now, seeking comfort she would sit next to him and lean on him for support. And he wanted to be there for her. He was there for her. His hopes were dashed when instead she crawled back into the chair next to Jonathan. The chairs leaned back to form almost a cradle for the two, where Laura curled up in Jonathan’s arms. Jonathan held her and caressed her head like a father might a daughter whose heart was broken for the first time. Soon she had stopped crying and had fallen asleep in his arms. Not long thereafter Jonathan too was sleeping. Felix couldn’t keep himself from staring at the two, as if by staring at them he might finally make her understand she should be with him. The more he stared, the more he saw how they touched one another the more he knew there was no chance for him.

On Martinique Laura, Jonathan and Felix had lunch at the terminal with Roland while Hans looked over the plane and had it prepared for the last part of the journey. Although unaware of what exactly they were doing or needed, Roland nonetheless offered his assistance. Laura, remembering the picture of Roland and his three daughters on his desk and knowing what kind of danger they would likely be facing said, “No, we’ll be fine. But thank you nonetheless. You’ve been a great deal of help already.” She thought for a moment and there was one favor she needed if he could accomplish it quickly. He could and he did. As she hugged him goodbye she dropped an envelope in the pocket of his jacket that was hanging on the stool he had been sitting on. When he found it later that evening he could do nothing but shake his head as he stared at the 200,000 Euros it contained.

Laura flew the plane off the island so that Hans could get some sleep. They would arrive on El volcán four days after having escaped from La Playa Arena. Although according to the Monkey Games file, Alexander’s macabre operation was to take only seven days from start to finish, there were likely issues specific to Benjamin that needed to be addressed simply because the original operation was supposed to be done on Jonathan. While on a DNA level Jonathan and Benjamin were identical, there are undoubtedly differences between the actual size and shape of their brain as well as the patterns of their nervous systems. It was as if two cars came off of General Motors assembly line one after the other. While the parts might have been the same, after 20 years of driving they would likely be in different condition due to different levels of use, abuse and simple wear and tear. The odds of Benjamin still being on El volcán were pretty slim, but they decided they had to try. If he was not, he was no doubt already on La Playa Arena, 230 miles away. They would arrive on El volcán at about 2 AM local time. Fortunately there was a full moon, which would allow them to land on the airstrip, which was certainly not lit. Once they arrived at the coordinates Felix had found, it took Hans, who had returned to the captain’s chair, about a half-hour to actually locate the island. Upon landing Laura pulled three of the police weapons from the bag and handed one each to Jonathan and Felix. The three then climbed out of the plane while Hans stayed onboard, keeping the plane ready to take off quickly if necessary. From the moment they stepped on the ground Laura was certain the island was deserted. Nonetheless they had to check. In walking around Jonathan marveled at how similar the compound was to his on Aislado. The island itself was also very similar, although it did not have mountain in the middle of it. As she had suspected, there was not a soul to be found. Just to be certain the trio screamed Benjamin’s name as they made one last round of the compound. It was Felix who first noticed the shell casings that were lying on the ground alongside the low wall that surrounded the patio and small pool. Someone had unloaded what appeared to be a complete 15 round magazine right where Felix found himself standing. He called to Laura and Jonathan and they came running. They looked around until Jonathan discovered the silhouette a body. It was Ho, Benjamin’s teacher, mentor and friend. Jonathan called out quietly “Laura, come over here.” Laura and Felix ran over and the three of them stared down at the little Chinese man who was so riddled with bullets. From the looks of it, he had been shot about 8 times. Jonathan had never seen a dead person before and could not help but stare. He used his foot to nudge Ho’s arm, but no response. Laura and Felix looked up at him and Laura said “Hey, don’t kick him.” Taken aback, Jonathan said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to see if he would move.” Laura nodded and leaned down to close Ho’s eyes. Unexpectedly it took her a moment, as rigor mortis had set in. She shook her head, stood up and said, “We need to get going, now.” All three of them knew that Benjamin was now on La Playa Arena. They would have to leave now. Just as they were getting on the plane Jonathan thought about Ho and then Sebring. “We’ve got to get Sebring before we head for La Playa Arena.” Laura looked up at Jonathan and she could see the combination of anger and fear in his eyes. She didn’t think they had time, and she had an uncertain feeling that they might find Sebring in the same condition. Nonetheless, she was not willing to try. When they arrived at La Playa Arena she needed him to be focused and he probably couldn’t do that wondering what was going on with Sebring. As she pulled up the door she told Hans, “All right Hans, we’re heading east. I’ll give you the coordinates in just a moment.” She picked up the files that Felix had brought and walked into the cockpit. After putting on her seatbelt she found the coordinates for Aislado and gave them to Hans. As they took off from the dark landing strip she contemplated what they would encounter next. Depending on what they found, flying to Aislado would put them into La Playa Arena at least an hour later than they had planned. She looked at her watch and it took her a moment to realize that in this entire week she had never once changed the time. Throughout all of this her watch had stayed on Paris time and she had never noticed. Now, for the first time the disconnect was crystal clear as the still ascending full moon contradicted the 08:00 indicated by her Casio. She looked out at the horizon in front of them and hoped that whatever they found on Aislado they would make it to La Playa Arena before sunrise.

Chapter 17. Aislado

Laura’s feeling that they they would not find anything good on Aislado the closer the got. Nonetheless she knew Jonathan needed to try and save the only family he had ever known. She wished that she had not been right, but just like on El volcán, from touchdown she knew things were not going to be good. Jonathan found Sebring lying just beyond the path that lead to the compound. He had come from the house expecting to meet the pilot who was bringing the medical equipment for Jonathan. Instead he found two men who pulled automatic weapons from their bags. He never had a chance. Jonathan crumbled and wept at his side, attempting unsuccessfully to wipe the dried blood from Sebring’s mouth. He put his hands over Sebring’s eyes and closed them. He looked down at the blood covered body. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was inconceivable. He cupped Sebring’s face in his hands, shaking his head as the tears rolled down his face.

Laura knew there was nothing she could say. She only knew that they didn’t have much time and they needed to get back in the air if they were going to save Benjamin. “Jonathan,” she said as she walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. “Sweetheart, we have to go.” He looked up at her with a combination of revulsion, fear and anger. She wasn’t sure which was directed at her, but she knew they had to go. She put her hand on his cheek, wiping away the tears that would not be stopped, “Sweetheart, there is nothing we can do for him now. We have to go so that we can stop the people who did this from doing it again.” Without saying a word Jonathan nodded and picked up Sebring’s body and walked towards the compound. He walked into Sebring’s room, and laid his body on his bed. Jonathan straightened the body out, put his hands by his side and covered him with a blanket. Standing ramrod straight, Jonathan just stared down at Sebring not saying a word. Jonathan did not want to leave him, but slowly Laura made him understand that they needed to go so that they could make sure the same thing did not happen to Benjamin. The walk back to the plane was a silent one.

As tears ran down his cheeks Jonathan stared out at the clouds as they were illuminated by the moon. His thoughts returned to his conversation with Sebring at the age of 14, the one he had been remembering on his first flight to La Playa Arena less than a week before. Sebring and Albert had met while on a tour of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Beirut, which was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Both were traveling alone and struck up a conversation after sounds of one of the all too frequent explosions in the distance caused a plume of smoke to billow from the city below. This was indeed a world of chaos they both agreed as they proceeded to talk for much of the afternoon. Albert worked for a pharmaceutical company and was on vacation in Beirut. Yes, it was a strange place to vacation Albert agreed, but he had had enough of cookie cutter ski resorts and sunbaked beaches. Having always been a student of history he came to Beirut looking for something different. Albert was fascinated by Sebring’s journey and his strong interest in the Martial Arts. Most compelling however was his interest in teaching. Sebring explained that he was returning home to the Shaolin Temple where he had spent most of the last thirty years. He had traveled across the continent in search of something and had discovered that that which he was looking for had been with him the entire time. He realized that one day while in Oman and having struck up a conversation with a little boy in the street. A few minutes after meeting the little boy it became clear what he wanted to do. The boy was holding a bottle of Coke in his hand with an exasperated look on his face. He could not get the top off. He put the bottle between his legs and tried to twist, to no avail. He started to put it up to his mouth in order to try and pry the top but stopped the moment the metal touched his tooth. He softly tapped the top of the bottle against a light post in hopes of loosening it but again found no success. Noticing the little boy’s difficulties Sebring thought he might help and found himself fascinated as he felt he could almost see the wheels in the young man’s head turning as he considered how to extricate the brown nectar from the bottle. “Would you like some help” Sebring asked in perfect, if heavily accented Arabic. (One of three “foreign" languages he studied growing up, the other two being English, and French. Growing up in Macau, Chinese and Portuguese were his native tongues) Startled, the boy looked up at Sebring for a second and said “Yes sir” as he cautiously held the bottle towards the stranger. Sebring quickly popped the top off of the bottle with his hand, despite the fact that it was not a twist off. He was careful not to take the bottle from the boy’s hands. As the boy quickly drank the soda he was surprised the drink was not nearly as cold as he imagined it would be. After emptying the bottle quickly, the boy looked up at the stranger rather sheepishly, knowing he should have offered him a sip. “What is your name?” the boy asked. “Sebring” he replied. “Well, thank you Mr. Sebring.” The child then began a verbal assault upon Sebring that he was not sure he could keep up with. “You’re not from around here are you? Where are you from? Where’s your car then? How long are you here for? Do you want to have dinner with our family? What is China like? Do you own a Panda bear? Does everyone look like you there?” The assault was deafening, almost overwhelming but before he had realized it he had been talking with that little boy and answering his barrage of questions for over an hour. Suddenly Sebring realized that he enjoyed that hour with that little boy more than he had enjoyed anything in longer than he could remember. Like a door opening to a road beyond, it became clear to Sebring in that instant that teaching was what he wanted to do. How or where he was not sure, but he knew that he found more joy in that one hour than he had found in decades and he knew he had found the calling he had been looking for. He decided he would return to the Temple and would consider teaching there, but he was not sure that was what he wanted because he knew from experience that the world of Shaolin instruction could be very narrow. Nonetheless, that was where he would start and he began his return journey that very day. He decided that he would return along a slightly different route in order to see other sights along the way. It was on that return trip that he decided to visit Beirut.

As the church was closing for the night Albert invited Sebring to breakfast the next morning so that they might continue their discussion. After a day of talking and taking in the sights of Beirut the two had dinner at one of the dwindling number of French restaurants that remained open in the city. As they dined Albert told Sebring about a baby named Jonathan. The baby was a relative of Albert’s employer, but he had a unique problem. He had just been diagnosed with a condition that would not allow him to be around people. As a result he had to be brought up in an environment without almost any human contact. He was, Albert explained, like one of those boys in a plastic bubble. Sebring wasn’t exactly sure what a boy in a plastic bubble was, but he nodded his head, assuming he would get a better picture as the conversation went on. “Alex, the man I work for and who is related to Jonathan, has decided that he doesn’t like the idea of the boy living in one of those bubbles. He has instead decided that the boy should be raised on an island he owns named Aislado. The island is actually quite nice. It’s off the coast of Peru and was built as a vacation estate for Ameil Houte, an early 20th century oil baron.” Never having heard the name Ameil Houte before and unsure of exactly where this conversation was going, Sebring simply nodded. “The doctors say that the condition may get better in time but it will take many years. It will be imperative to his survival that Jonathan train and stay in almost perfect health and away from just about everyone.” Sebring thought he might be getting an idea of where this was going but was getting a little annoyed at Albert’s taking so long to get to his point. “Why did you say earlier this might be something of interest to me?” he asked, referring to a statement Albert had made at the beginning of their conversation. “Because his mother and father are dead and someone has to train him and educate him” Albert said somewhat defensively. “Given what you’ve told me about your plans to become a teacher, I thought this might be exactly what you have been looking for.” Albert was right. As soon as Sebring understood what he was being asked to do, his mind started whirring. There were a million questions that would have to be asked and answered and details of all sorts that would have to be looked at, but the first brick was laid in the road which would lead to Jonathan bounding off of the plane on Aislado almost a year later and into Sebring’s world. It was the beginning of what Sebring was certain were to be the most rewarding period of his life.

Twenty years later when the last breath was flowing out of his body, Sebring’s heart hurt, knowing that again there was nothing he could do to save someone he loved. But this time he knew things would turn out differently as he had trained Jonathan well and Laura was a match for anyone. As the darkness overcame him he recalled the moment when that little boy came bouncing off that plane with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the twenty years of joy that little boy had brought him and he knew that he had indeed fulfilled his destiny.

Chapter 18. Loved ones lost

Telling himself that Alex and Albert would pay for this, Jonathan continued to stare out the window as be concentrated on calming his breathing. He closed his eyes so that the anger would not overtake him. Sebring had always taught him that anger can be useful to a point but too much anger can cause one to lose focus. It must therefore be held with a tight rein. As she sat next to him, Laura could not imagine what was going on in Jonathan’s head. Sebring was the only family he had ever known. He was a mother, a father, a friend and everything in between. Her mind instinctively went back to when she lost her father. Her mother had died not long before he did, but her father was the light in her life. He was in every respect her Shining Knight, her champion of all that was great. To her he was always bigger than life, fearless in his every day existence. After she first found out about what he did for a living and that policemen sometimes were killed, he would tell her “I’m ready to go whenever the Lord needs me in heaven. Until then, I’m here for you.” She thought about the day when she first saw a chink in his armor. She was seventeen and a senior in high school when she came home one day and his Lincoln was parked out in front of their brownstone in Brooklyn. It was strange because he was never home before her. Unlike many cops, shift work was not a part of his life after his first couple of years on the street. His schedule was almost set in stone by virtue of the job he held. Bank robberies almost never occurred between 6 PM and midnight so he was almost always home during those hours, but it was not unusual for him to go off during the middle of the night. When she walked in the house on that day her parents had obviously been crying, but had tried to put on a good face. Her dad walked over to her and said “Sweetheart, I’ve got great news. We’re going on a trip. I’ve always promised you that one-day we were all going to drive across the country and see everything we’d always read about. Well, now’s the time.” “What?” she said, not sure what the heck he was talking about. “When?” “We leave the day after tomorrow,” he said. “The day after tomorrow? What do you mean? What about school?” “Don’t worry about school, I’m going to talk to your teachers tomorrow. We’ll take your books with us. You’ll be back in a month and a half.” Dumbfounded, it was not until the next day that her parents sat her down and told her that her mother had been diagnosed with cancer that had spread throughout her lungs and stomach. Surgery was out of the question and they could not start the chemotherapy for another 45 days for reasons having to do with medicines she had been taking, a situation the 17-year-old Laura never really understood. There was little chance the chemo would be successful, but they were going to try. Her parents had decided that there was no time like the present and that they were not going to put this trip they had talked about for 15 years off another day. They talked to Laura’s teachers that day and they were leaving the next day. The trip was at the same time the most wonderful and the most difficult time of her life. Her parents had never been so happy. They had caught a case of “Vacation Love”, which is a love that one shares with another when, for whatever reason, the situation can only last a certain length of time. Given that finite duration, you can give everything you have. It is like running a 50-meter race relative to simply running as far as you can. If you know exactly when the race is over you can give 100% for that specific period of time. If you are running as far as you can go, your exertion level will be controlled, limited. In the same way, with “Vacation Love” by knowing the vacation is of limited duration, it is easier to give 100% because you want to get everything out of it as is possible. Laura’s parents certainly were experiencing that and Laura was enveloped in it. Her most vivid memory of the trip was of the three of them standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon watching the sun set through the hues of red, orange and purple. It was as if that beautiful sunset, glowing like a supernova bursting with one last brilliant firestorm before it died was symbolic this trip. None of them mentioned it, but they all recognized the same symbol. The trip and that day in particular had the potential to become very somber. Her father would hear nothing of it. He quickly packed them up and drove to Las Vegas. She remembered it was almost impossible to keep a smile off of her father’s face that entire trip. And his smile and laugh were contagious. It was the most wonderful month of her entire life.

They returned to Brooklyn a week early and her mother began therapy forty days after the cancer had been found. She lived only another two months and by the end she was a frail shadow of the vibrant 44-year-old woman she had been only six months before. While her father tried to put on a strong face for Laura, there was no hiding his loneliness. He was a man who had lost his best friend, his soulmate and his reason for living. Laura never doubted that her father loved her, but without her mother the spark that had been his eye for as long as she could remember was gone. He became dark and quiet. Six months to the day after they buried her mother her father had a massive stroke. He survived two more days in the hospital and died on a brilliant May evening just as the sun set. The doctor’s talked about cholesterol and hypertension and exercise, but Laura knew all along that her father died of a broken heart. While she was unsure of God’s existence, she often hoped there was one and that if he did exist, her parents were together somewhere in heaven reveling in the happiness they shared on that wonderful trip together.

She knew how difficult it was for her when she lost both of her parents in six months. She now looked over at Jonathan and her heart hurt for him. After this chaotic, macabre and unbelievable week, now he had lost the only family he had ever known at the hands of the person who gave him life, and who now sought to take it. She was surprised he was able to function at all. She could not even imagine an equivalent set of circumstances for her or for anyone she had ever known. There was so much beautiful and wonderful about the world but in one week he had been taken from the Garden of Eden and shown nothing but the most vile and contemptible of what mankind had to offer. She leaned close to him and clasped his hand in both of hers. She knew there was not a thing she could say that would make him feel any better, so she simply held his hand and kissed it. “I promise sweetheart, this will all be over soon.” It wasn’t much, but at least it was true. He looked at her for a moment with tears streaming down his face and then turned to the window once again. Suddenly, he recognized he was losing the battle within. He had been angry many times in his life, typically at a rock he had stumbled over, or the fact that he didn’t hit an exercise mark he was shooting for or when one of the girls brought to the island had to leave, but he had never experienced what he quickly recognized as a rage, which focused on a desire to exact revenge. Rage was exactly what he was feeling now and he knew it. He didn’t know how natural it was and he knew Sebring would not like it, but he felt it pulling his entire body like a strong undertow from a storm driven surf. As he felt himself grow tense his hands begin to form fists, he heard Laura saying “Jonathan, Jonathan, my hands.” She had been holing his hands and he had not realized that he was crushing them. “I’m sorry Laura” he said softly, feeling himself grow more calm just by looking at her. He was so glad she was there. Even though all of this chaos started when she came into his life, she seemed to be an angel leading him through the darkness. He held her hands up and kissed them, once again saying “I’m sorry.” She put her left hand on the back of his head, brushing his hair from his neck while her right hand cupped his left cheek. “It’s OK.” She smiled at him. “I promise, this will not last. I know it probably seems impossible to imagine right now, but things will get brighter. Someday you will look back at your time with Sebring and it will bring a smile to your face that you were lucky enough to have him in your life in the first place. I know that does not mean much right now but I wanted to tell you that I know from experience that while the missing him will never go away, the emptiness will. They both turned and looked out the window. It would be a half-hour before they would arrive at La Playa Arena. Jonathan leaned his head back on the headrest keeping his focus on the clouds below. Laura leaned over and put her head on his shoulder seeking a few moments of respite before what she knew lay ahead.

Chapter 19. La Playa Arena redux

Felix, sitting across the isle from them couldn’t bear to watch them. He forced himself to look out the window the entire time, wondering how things were going to play out over the next couple of hours.

“We’ll be there in about 15 minutes” Hans said over the loudspeaker as he had picked up the silhouette of the island against the flickering hue of the horizon as the glow of the sun’s penumbra started to inch above the water. He could have just as easily shouted out the door because all three had fallen asleep and none of them had heard him. He then called them by name over the loudspeaker. Laura was the first up, quickly grabbing the bag of clothes she had picked up at the 24-hour store in the terminal on Martinique. They were all dark blue, which might turn out to be a liability on the sandy island if the sun rose too quickly. Throwing the two men their clothes, all three changed immediately. She then gave both of them one of the Browning 22-mm automatics they had taken from the police in Zurich, for which Roland had been able to get silencers just before they left. All were loaded and each of them had five extra 9-round magazines. They carried the magazines as well as one extra box of ammunition in black “fanny packs” she picked up in the mall in Zurich. She had also picked up three diving knives, the salt-water equivalent of a hunting knife. Each came with a sheath that strapped around the leg at the calf. Finally she inspected each of them to make sure they were ready to go. Once they were dressed Jonathan and Felix sat back down and put on their seat belts. Laura went up to the cockpit and took the co-pilot’s seat. She and Hans had decided that the only way they could land without being noticed was to glide in. It was a dangerous maneuver, but having armed gunmen meet them at the end of the airstrip was probably even more dangerous. Hans flew over the island one time at 20,000 feet to get a reading on the airstrip. He was careful to not fly between the setting moon and the island as someone might see the planes’ silhouette. Once they had the heading for the runway, he turned the plane’s engines off three miles from the island so that they would glide down to the airstrip. Laura only approved of the maneuver after Hans demonstrated his ability. They decided to try it over open ocean. After they reached the Pacific from Martinique Hans turned the engines off. With Laura watching closely, Hans perfectly controlled the descent from 20,000 ft. to 8,000 ft. They both knew that aiming at a small island is much different from freefalling over open ocean, but they agreed that it was their only chance. Despite almost clipping a coconut tree, the plane landed perfectly three minutes before the arc of the sun broke above the horizon.

Although they had technically reached La Playa Arena before daybreak, it was only by minutes and they knew they didn’t have much of a window of surprise. They would have to get off the plane and away from the airstrip as soon as possible, hoping to find some cover before Alexander’s men were able to begin whatever kind of confrontation was coming. She didn’t even know if Alexander and Albert were expecting them, but even if they weren’t, they would certainly be ready for something, anything. Hopefully they would assume that she would take the money and run. They didn’t know about Felix and he wouldn’t show up as missing at South Centre until Monday morning. So in theory at least she thought, they might not be expecting them, or at least not yet. Nonetheless, she knew Albert well enough to know that he no doubt had planned for the worst and had probably brought in soldiers or guerrillas from Peru. Either way, Laura knew it wouldn’t be a cakewalk getting back into the facility.

As soon as the plane came to a stop the trio leapt from the plane, dressed in black. There were two guards with their guns drawn coming at them. Laura went down on one knee, and aimed at their silhouettes against the dawn sky and fired twice at each man. The first man went down as if he had hit a brick wall. The second stumbled for a moment and his finger pulled the trigger as he started to fall. His two shots rang out loudly through the dark morning sky. Laura fired once more hitting the man just below the throat. Standing, Laura announced that their remote possibility of a surprise entrance was now a distant memory. Luckily, given the haste with which Alexander had been forced to operate, he was unable to assemble a significant force of highly skilled fighters, instead he had to settle on a group of twelve ex-guerrillas from Peru. They were battle tested, but they were far from Seals. Although Laura realized there was no sizable army coming their way, she knew that whatever troops he had assembled could be problematic nonetheless. They would have to be careful. They had two objectives in returning to that island. The first, and most important was to find Benjamin. The second, and only slightly less important was to find Alexander and Albert. While they were still on the plane she had laid out the plan. “Felix, you go with Jonathan to the operating room.” She imagined that Benjamin would likely be in the operating room, as no doubt they had already taken all of the scans and went ahead and administered the ACX. She said “If Benjamin is being prepped, that’s where he will be.” “Jonathan knows the layout,” she said as she looked over at the man who had so quickly become such a big part of her life. “I’ll find Alexander and Albert” She knew they would likely be in the study keeping an eye on the surveillance video monitors.

The sun was beginning to crest above the trees and they would have to hurry. They could have taken the dead guards’ Rovers into the compound, but doing so would have given up whatever little element of surprise they had left. They would have to cover the two miles by foot. There would no doubt be guards along the way. The first two were hiding behind the gates just outside the airstrip. They were waiting for the Rover to pass. Laura crept up beside the one on the left and quickly covered his mouth. He tried to scream but nothing came out because she had simultaneously garroted him. He fell to the ground in a heap. Hearing the rustling, the guard on the right leaned over the wall and whispered “Sergio! Sergio!’. Those were the last words the guard known as Ren would ever speak. Jonathan crept up beside him and snapped his neck like a twig. Felix’s eyes were wide as melons. Having spent one year of obligatory service in the German Bundesstadt, he was not unfamiliar with the idea of weapons and mortal combat, but this was the first time he had actually seen their use in real life. They quickly made their way to the compound, staying in the bushes but traveling parallel to the access road. As they approached the compound they could see the outlines of guerrillas-cum-guards. There seemed to be six of them in total, each carrying an M-16. From behind a small clump of bushes the trio observed their movements. Laura knew their only chance to get in undetected was to take out the two on the western side of the compound. That was the only area that was not in plain view of the other posts. The two guards on the western post approached the knee-high stone wall. As they had been doing every twenty minutes for the last three days, the two stepped up on the wall with their weapons drawn. Together they canvassed the thin bushes that covered that side of the compound until it dropped off to the island’s only rocky beach, twenty feet below. As they began to step down from the wall Jonathan threw a small rock over the cliff which was about ten yards away. Both men spun about and followed the sound. They looked at one another and then gingerly stepped down from the wall and approached the cliff. As they began to peer over the side Laura and Jonathan darted out from behind the thin brush and silently pushed the pair to their deaths on the rocks below. Both the men tried to scream as they were careening towards the earth but neither had time. Luckily both of their weapons simply crashed on the rocks and didn’t discharge. Inside Alex and Albert were furiously scouring the monitors to find the trio. Although the sun was beginning to illuminate the island, the cameras were picking up almost nothing. The lights surrounding the compound began automatically clicking off as the level of sunlight made them redundant. Luckily for the trio the island’s haze didn’t allow for much visibility at that hour of the morning and so the video cameras were virtually worthless. The three immediately leapt over the wall and ran to the first building in the compound. It was a dorm with windows on three sides. They would have to crawl under the windows in order to approach the main building unseen as they could hear voices inside. Crossing the remaining lawn would be almost impossible if there was someone in the front of the dorm. Felix peered around the corner and into the day room window. Empty. The full panel windows on the western side of the main building gave them a perfect view inside. The lounge was empty which meant they could cross the green undetected. Successfully across the green it was time to split up. Before she left, Laura told the pair “When you find Benjamin, he might look dead, but he’s not. I don’t care what you have to do, but wake him up. If he won’t wake up remove the IV from his arm and carry him out to the patio.” Looking at both of them she asked “Got that?” The pair nodded and with that she was off.

Jonathan and Felix headed off to the operating room, where Laura had found Jonathan. Even if they could open the door at the end of the hallway they wouldn’t because it was a fire exit and the alarm would no doubt give away their position. They had no choice but to try and go in through the window in the operating room. The only window in the room was one of those European windows with hinges on both the sides and the bottom so that the window could be opened from the side or leaned in from the top to let a breeze in. While it would have been much easier if the window had been opened to the side, the fact that it was tilted open at the top was better than if it were closed. Jonathan remembered being fascinated with a similar window in his room the first night there. He didn’t understand how it worked, but he found it fascinating. He had decided that later he would like to try and take it apart to see how it worked. Jonathan crawled over to the window and peered inside to see if there was anyone there. There was not. Good! He called to Felix “Felix, come over here and help me with this window.” He knew he didn’t want to break the glass, but he was sure they could lift it off of its base. The two climbed on the sill and pushed up on the window to no avail. Finally Jonathan jumped down and said, “Keep pushing.” He removed the scuba knife from the sheath on his leg and the one strapped to Felix’s. He put both in the void at the bottom of the window and pushed on their handles. Although the manufacturer had not intended to come apart like that, the window came out of its frame. Felix almost fell into the room when the window popped open. He clung to the top of the window as it was still secured to the frame. He found his footing and jumped to the ground. The two climbed into the room, careful not to knock any of the medical supplies lying on the cart they were forced to step on. Once inside they looked into the reception room. It too was empty. They walked over to the door and looked out into the hallway. There was no one there, but Jonathan cautioned Felix as he knew that depending on where the guard was sitting, he could see right down that hallway. Luckily the guard had gone to the front entrance when Albert called and had not returned. Jonathan nodded at Felix and the two crossed the hall with their weapons drawn and stepped into the door below the sign saying Operating Room. It was a mirror image of the reception and operating rooms they had just walked through. As soon as they walked into the reception room, Jonathan knew that Benjamin was not there. Had he been, the operating room would have had more people in it. As it was there was one doctor and one guard. The two were joking about something but neither Felix or Jonathan could make it out. Jonathan wanted to be certain that he was right that Benjamin was not there. Staying low, below the line of sight of the men in the operating room he approached the panel window that looked into the operating. As he rose he could see that the guard was sitting on the otherwise vacant operating table. He sat looking out the window while the doctor stood in front of him trying to remember the punchline of a joke he had just started. The guard was needling him for not remembering the end of the joke. If Albert had been standing there he would have strangled both men as he had called for everyone to help look for the intruders. Neither man had heard the call as both had switched their phones off.

After assuring himself that Benjamin was not there, Jonathan shook his head at Felix. He dropped to his knees and two crawled back over to the door and made their way back to the hallway. Jonathan had to figure out what to do next.

Laura had headed for the patio where she was sure that Alexander and Albert would be. The two were certain their quickly assembled force, which was brought in from Peru the day after Laura and Jonathan escaped, would be sufficient to handle whatever problems the pair might present. They were confident their fighters would quickly find Jonathan and the traitor now that they were back on the island. Laura approached from the north side of the building and she could see two silhouettes against the fiery red morning sky. Albert was, as normal, standing ramrod straight with his hands clasped behind him. Alexander, wearing a thick white hooded robe, was sitting in his wheelchair just behind the filigreed ironwork of the patio wall. Neither man was speaking; they were simply looking out over the ocean watching the sunrise. Despite the fact that they had brought in a small force to capture her and Jonathan, Laura found it slightly un-nerving that they were sufficiently comfortable to be relaxing out by the pool. She couldn’t figure out why they seemed to calm.

Before moving she carefully studied the patio and the den. There had been two guards at the corner of the patio when she approached. They were smoking and discussing the plight of the Peruvian national soccer team under the reign of a coach who would have been fired years ago if he did not enjoy the patronage of the President. Both would have to watch their next World Cup from Heaven or more likely Hell, as Laura’s twin 9-mms left both crumpled on the grass with the base of their skulls missing. While the silencers damped most of the noise, had she been in a rather quiet room Albert and Alex would have surely heard her. Here however just yards from the ocean the faint sounds of the blasts just blended into the morning cacophony. They were alone on the patio when she approached. Two more guards came around the far corner of the patio just as she began to approach Alexander and Albert from behind. They saw her and reached for their guns. Neither was even able to get their hands around their weapons before Laura’s weapon sent both flying backward into the hedges. This time Albert and Alexander could not help from hearing. Albert spun around and looked at Laura with her weapons now pointed at he and Alexander. “Good morning gentlemen” she said as she stopped 10 feet from them. Albert had not an ounce of surprise in his face. “Hello Laura! How wonderful to see you. We have been expecting you,” he said as he gestured toward the table with five place settings. “How was your trip?” he asked. “Nevermind that” as she hesitated for a moment as she tried to put her thoughts into words “You two jackals” she said, struggling to find the right words as her anger seethed. “How could you be so... so... so calculating, so brutal... so evil?” Albert started to speak and raise his hands in a rhetorical defense. “Don’t” Laura commanded as her hand stiffened on the Browning she was pointing at him. “Move those hands again and you are a dead man” she uttered with a calmness that surprised even her. She knew he was not moving for a weapon, but nonetheless she wanted to make sure he knew she was in charge. “Not that any of your plans matters now because this place will be ashes before noon” she continued.

“Must we be so hasty?” asked Albert. “There is so much we could do together”

“You’re crazy... both of you. There is no way in Hell that I’m going to let you get away with this.” “Albert, you I understand.” “I’ve known from the first time I met you that you are nothing more than a sycophantic weasel that would do anything for money. I remember that time in New York when we all went out to dinner and the check was $3,500 and you made an excuse to go back in and argue with the waiter over an extra $60 bottle of wine.” “You pretend that you are above the fray but in reality you are very much in the gutter.” She continued, “You Alexander, I’ve only recently come to understand. For years I’ve watched you give billions of dollars away to charities, build schools in underprivileged neighborhoods and fund anti poverty programs.” “I’d always thought you were one of the most generous men I’d ever met.” “Laura” Alexander interrupted in a gravely voice from under his hooded bathrobe “I hope you’ve now lost your naïveté,” he said as he slowly spun his wheelchair around to face her. “There are two sides to every coin and there are two sides to every man” he continued. “I’m no different than anyone else in the world in that I want to make the world a better place and I think that I can do great things while I’m here. Those donations often benefited millions of people, but they also bought access to government officials. Given the resources and vision I have for the future I think the best way I can go about helping the world is by staying here as long as is possible.” The sun shone brightly through the clouds now and their features were slowly coming into focus. Two more guards came around the corner where the two guards lay in the hedges. Immediately Laura moved the weapon that was on Alex towards them. “Ponga hacia abajo sus armas” she told them in perfect Spanish. They looked over at Albert. He nodded and they complied, putting their weapons on the ground. She then told them to come onto the patio and to lay facedown on the deck with their hands on their heads. Alexander continued “I have known for a very long time that I had much to offer this world. It would be selfish of me not do everything I could to allow myself to contribute to the world for as long as possible” “I thought of all people you would understand that given the loss of your parents in the prime of their lives.” “Now that I’ve created the key to immortality, we can all share in it. Imagine living forever Laura. Imagine knowing that you are going to be around for the dawn of the 22nd century. Imagine having no time limits on your life and your life’s ambitions. I have the money and the power to make you immortal. Imagine every good thing you’ve ever wanted to do in your life. Every experience you’ve ever wanted. Every person you’ve ever wanted to help but didn’t have the time. Think about every charity you wanted to start. Imagine a moment in time when you never had to worry about age or money or time or anything” “That is what I have created and that is what I have to offer the world. I am now offering it to you. I’m offering you everything there is to be had”

“You’re crazy” She uttered. Certainly the picture he was trying to paint was a compelling one. She would be lying to herself if she said the idea of immortality was not appealing, although frankly she had never really given it much thought before this macabre episode had begun. She had never been one to waste much time dwelling on fantasy. Nonetheless, she had to admit that the thought of such a thing had floated in and out of her thoughts over the last week. The idea of living forever or as close as is possible certainly could make for an attractive proposition, particularly when there are so many things she would love to do. Of course, like “Vacation Love” when you know that your time on earth is finite, you have no option but to make the choices that define your life, about the things you want to do, the people you want to share your life and the legacy you will leave behind. If your time is limitless the picture becomes far more clouded because you simply do not have to make those decisions or choices because there is always tomorrow. Everything is there for you, simply waiting around to enjoying it. Of course that finite quality is what gives lives meaning. It is the decisions and the choices that one makes that gives shape and substance to our lives.

She did not want to get into this philosophical discussion with him about the merits of immortality, nevermind the necessary sacrifice of an innocent life just prolong your own. “All of that is wonderful in theory Alex, but the bottom line of what you’re talking about here is murder. Pure and simple. You’re planning on killing that young man so that you can live forever. Just because he has life thanks to you and just because he comes from your DNA does not give you the right to kill him, or any one of them. They are people. They are humans. Just because the world does not know of their existence does not mean that they’re not human or their lives are any less valuable than yours. Just because you have been playing God for twenty years does not make you so. I am putting this to a stop right now!”

“How are you going to do that?” Albert asked.

“Jonathan and Felix are waking Benjamin right now and we will be taking him with us.” “Don’t think for a moment about trying to stop us because I will have zero reservations about killing either of you. In fact, I may do it before I leave on principal alone. “Suddenly Jonathan and Felix appeared through the sliding glass door. The two were alone. “Where is he?” She snapped. “I told you to bring him out, even if you had to carry him out!” “We don’t know,” said Felix “the room was empty.” “Damn!” she said. “Albert, where the hell is he?” she said angrily. He didn’t say a word. “He must be here somewhere.” “Find him!” she commanded, and shoot anyone who gets in your way. Before the pair could leave Albert said “It’s no use, you will not find what you are looking for.” Angrily Laura turned to Albert and said, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “I simply said that you will not find what you are looking for” Albert repeated. “You are operating with inaccurate data, Laura.” “What are you talking about Albert?” She snapped. Albert began “Well, the file you stumbled across was called Monkey Games.” “It chronicles the experiments that laid the foundation for this entire endeavor and describes the processes that were necessary for the simian transplant.” “Your point” she snapped, her anger increasing. He continued “Well, those experiments on simians, much like others throughout the world of biology and medicine, differ in many respects with those done on humans”

Again she stiffened her grip on the Browning that was pointed at Albert and said “You had better hurry up and make a point!” In his rather incessantly slow pace he continued “One of the key differences between the simians and the humans is the ability of the body to absorb ACX. Humans seem to absorb it far faster than the apes and as a result our bodies reach the optimal body temperature and metabolism rate far more quickly.” Laura looked at Albert and then Alex and while he had not said it, she thought she was starting to get an inkling of the what he was trying to say, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. Alexander slowly rolled his wheelchair towards her. Wearing his hooded bathrobe, she had not been able to get a good look at him. “Laura my dear” he started. “What Albert is trying to say is that what you thought would take five days in reality took two” Stopping his wheelchair just five feet from the front of the 9-mm that was now beginning to shake he reached up and removed the hood from his head. “You see my dear, you lost this game long before you ever decided to play”

Staggered for a moment Laura lowered the weapon that had been pointed at Albert and braced herself against a chair. Staring up at her from Alexander’s chair was a 20-year-old man with a black and blue face, bandages covering a shaved head and eyes so bloodshot they looked like he spent a month on a binge in Bangkok. Reeling, she sat down in the chair and tried to speak but couldn’t. Her mouth had gotten so dry that she could not utter a sound. Albert picked up a glass of orange juice from the table and started over towards her. She again pointed the gun towards him as if to say “slowly”. She set one weapon on the table and reached for the glass and quickly gulped it down. She looked back at Alex. “As I was saying,” he continued “The procedure took much less time than those you read about in Monkey Games.” Laura was disgusted that he referred to murder as a procedure. He continued, “This one was complete not long after you emptied my safety deposit box in Zurich. Frankly I was quite impressed with your work there. I was confident that you would get it. I appreciate you bringing the money back to me given I’m in no condition to get it myself.

Puzzled she said, “I don’t understand” “Of course you don’t” he continued “I couldn’t have you running around the whole world telling anyone who would listen about your fantastic story.” Laura’s eyes narrowed as she knew what was coming. Alexander continued, “While 99.9% of the people on the planet would think you were nuts, I couldn’t really take the risk on someone in that .01% hearing you and understanding that you might be right.” “Like Jason” she said, “you son-of-a-bitch.” “Yes, like Jason” he replied. “I am truly sorry about that.” “Fuck you Alexander” “With Jonathan you had the story and the proof, which could have made for a very unpleasant situation for me.” “Now that you are here I have much more control and we can keep this our little secret.” Deflated, she had to now face the fact that she had let the situation dictate her actions and that by doing so she had allowed herself to be predictable and open to manipulation. She knew better. She never did that. No doubt the spectrum of emotions she was feeling from horror to surprise to love to anger when combined with the shortness of time and the traveling had made her drop her guard. Nonetheless, that is no excuse and she had to take control of the situation right now. She put down the OJ and picked up the weapon she had laid on the table. Very deliberately she leveled it back at Albert, once again having a weapon pointed at each of them. “Gentlemen, let me say once again, the game is over. While I’m not sure what we will be doing with you, the three of us will be leaving here today and everything about this place will be nothing but ashes when we do” “Laura” Alexander said slowly “You know that I can give you anything and everything in the world you want. You may not want to take me up on my offer of immortality, but there is the entire world out there and it can be yours for the taking” “You could spend the next sixty years teaching Jonathan about all of those things he has only read about. The world is at your feet, with no strings attached except for silence about our secret. And if you defied me and told the story to anyone, it would carry far less weight than it would have before my operation. Now a DNA comparison would simply show that Jonathan and I were identical twins, sons of Alexander Cooke. Without my old body to compare it to, there is no way to prove that we were not natural offspring.” You see my dear, other than those guns in your hands you have no leverage over me at all. You have nothing to gain from shooting me or exposing me and everything in the world to gain by simply walking away. Benjamin is already gone and you can change nothing. How much easier can the choice be?”

Although she wasn’t sure how long she took to answer, Laura knew that however long she took it would look to Alex and Albert that she was seriously considering what he had said. In the first place, she was sure that given the chance he would not let her walk off of this island. There was nothing to be gained by letting her live and everything in the world to lose if she talked. Murder was certainly not a constraint on them and there would be nothing stopping them from killing her if she agreed. And then they would no doubt send Jonathan off to another island just in case some of his body parts were needed. Besides the pragmatic considerations, these men were guilty of murder, and of the most heinous sort imaginable. No, while she was considering her options, they were not the choices Alexander and Albert thought they were. Her decision was not between escaping or joining them, it was between killing them now or taking them somewhere to face justice. Of course she had not even begun to contemplate the question of where. Washington? Lima? The Hague? That question was far too distant a thought to even consider right now. The immediate question facing her was should she kill them and be done with it or take them with her. Her grip became tighter and her fingers began to grow heavier on the two triggers as she weighed her actions. Finally she decided that killing them in cold blood would make her more like them than she wanted to be so she decided to take them with her. “I’m sorry Alex. As charming as your offer sounds, I decline to accept on the grounds that it would make me a participant in your pernicious scheme. Unfortunately for you I’ve decided to take you back with us so that you can stand trial for your crimes.” She stood holding one weapon on Alex and the other on Albert.

“Please...” Alexander said condescendingly. “We’re on an island in the middle of the ocean, a thousand miles from civilization. Who do you think has jurisdiction? No one. What prosecutor in the world is going to try and make a name for himself by playing Don Quixote and going up against one of the richest men in the world to bring a case that will make him a laughingstock within his chosen profession? In addition, without my body you have nothing with which to even think about making a case. What kind of proof do you have? Do you think any of the half a dozen people in the world who know what has been going on is ready to jump off the gravy train, ready to put their lives and those of their families in jeopardy just to tilt at windmills with you? Not a chance.” “Face it, you have nothing to prove your story and the only chance you have now is to throw in your lot with me and live happily ever after like the rest of us. I don’t expect you to be my best friend or to even talk to you ever again once we are off of this island. You have my $30 million dollars, which should be more than enough to keep the two of you solvent for a year or two” he said with sarcasm. Even with his heavily bruised face, Alex’s new bloodshot eyes had all the power his natural ones ever had. He stared at her for another interminably long few seconds and said, “What is it going to be Laura?”

Standing still for a moment, Laura knew that again Alex thought she was contemplating his offer. Again he was wrong. She did find it annoyingly strange however that he was as self-confident as he was. Even though she held all of the cards he spoke with her as if she had no choice but to let him get away with his treachery. She didn’t know if it was simply that he was so used to getting his own way that he couldn’t contemplate a world where he was not calling the shots. He apparently was having difficulty realizing that now she was in charge or perhaps he simply couldn’t conceptualize a situation where by sheer force of personality that he could not take control. Well, now he would have to visualize just such a situation because this was one of them. “Once again Alex I have to decline your invitation. As I said, I’m not exactly sure how this will play out from here, but there is no way I am going to be a participant in your lethal charade. You will be coming with us, period.”

He looked up at her and said “I’m sorry you feel that way because I really liked you. I will not however let those feelings get in the way of doing what is necessary.”

She was nothing short of bewildered. He still thought he had a choice. He didn’t. “Jonathan. Felix. Come over here.” They started walking towards her. Jonathan reached her and the two turned expecting to see Felix approach. He didn’t. He had stopped about five feet from the two of them and was now facing them with his weapons drawn. She couldn’t believe it. She had known Felix since she had first arrived at Alexander Resources. They had been friends for years. Very good friends. Felix was in love with her. She always knew it, but she never had time for love so she never wanted to lead him on. He would do anything for her. This was impossible. It could not be happening. It was pure craziness. “Felix?” Laura said with a sinking voice that clearly conveyed the sadness she felt. “I’m sorry Laura.” was all he could muster. He mumbled for a moment and then said “ The only thing I really wanted was you, but I can’t have you so I’m taking the next best thing. Everything else I ever wanted. He offered me more than I could turn down. I’m sorry.” “You see Laura” Alex said “you should have taken my offer.” She was dumbfounded. Everything was spinning. How could this be happening? Every step she had taken since she left Zurich he knew about. They never had a chance. She looked at Jonathan. They had only known each other for a week but it was by far the most intense week of her life. There were so many things she wanted to do with him, so many things she wanted to experience with him for the first time. This crazy chaotic situation could not end like this. She had to do something before they were both dead. Drop your weapons, both of you. Now!” yelled Albert. Laura slowly placed her weapons on the table as far away from Alex and Albert as could be done without eliciting a reaction. Jonathan slowly took out his weapons and bent down slowly to put them on the ground. As he did Laura asked, “what are you going to do with us now? Before Alex could answer they heard a splash and two shots rang out. With the attention on Laura, Jonathan took that fraction of a second of opportunity to make something happen. While setting his weapons on the deck, he grabbed the rope at his feet that was tied to a rail on the wall. Albert had put it there when they arrived so that Alexander might use it to pull himself to safety if he was in the pool with no one around. It was tied to the flotation chair that they had brought with them. The chair was not in the water and the rope was simply draped over the side of the pool, hanging in the water. Jonathan had noticed that Felix was standing just to the left of where the rope bent at a 45-degree angle to the wall. If he pulled on it quickly enough Felix would lose his balance and fall. The only way he could accomplish that was by grabbing the rope where it hung in the water. He slowly leaned over and set his guns down and backed away from them in the direction of the pool. He took one last step and seemed to fall into the pool. As he was falling, he grasped the rope just before he hit the water. Felix saw him pick up the rope but realized too late that he was in jeopardy. As the rope was pulled taunt by Jonathan’s 200 lbs, it clipped Felix’s legs just below the knee and literally took his feet out from under him. It worked exactly as Jonathan had expected it would. As he began to fall he involuntarily fired both guns. One shot struck Jonathan in the thigh while the second barely missed both Laura and Alex. It struck the glass breakfast table, the one upon which Laura had just placed her weapons. Laura looked over. Albert was scrambling to reach his gun. He found it. By that time Laura was diving onto the glass below the table frame to retrieve her weapons. As she rolled onto the ground with her left shoulder her right hand managed to clasp the handle of one of the weapons. In a split second she had Felix in her sights and she pulled the trigger. He had regained his footing and was standing on the side of the pool firing at Jonathan. Luckily Jonathan had swum to the bottom of the deep end of the pool and the bullets were dying long before they reached him. Laura’s first shot caught Felix just under the left arm and his heart ceased pumping before he hit the water. A moment later a hail of bullets came in her direction. One tore through her leg. Thankfully Albert had a difficult time getting a clear shot at her because Alexander was in the way and could not move because his flanked by the pool on one side and the table on the other. By moving to the edge of the pool Albert could now take a clean shot at her. He raised his weapon again and aimed at her as their eyes met. She knew she couldn’t react in time and she was sure she was history. Just as he was pulling the trigger an arm came out of the water and grabbed him from behind. Losing his balance, his shot careened off of one of the table’s metal legs into the side of the building. Suddenly he was in the pool looking up through a pink haze of blood and water. He scrambled to find his footing and catch his breath. He was successful at neither. Jonathan snapped his neck like it was a wooden stick. He sank to the bottom almost immediately. When Jonathan climbed out of the pool he saw Laura standing behind Alexander with her gun to his head. The two guards who had been lying on the deck had scrambled to their feet and had gone after their weapons. Neither one would make it, as Laura shot both while she was still lying on the ground. Her hands were bloodied and her right leg had been shot. She looked at Jonathan with a glance that said a million things, none of which could be put into words.

Moments later the four remaining guerrilla /guards arrived with their weapons. “Put your weapons on the deck, get naked and get into the pool” she commanded in perfect Spanish. Looking at Alex with a gun to his head they obeyed. The four hesitated when they noticed the two dead bodies in the bloodied pool, one floating and the other resting on the bottom. “Get in the pool or your blood will be mixed with theirs. It’s your choice.” One by one they jumped into the bloody water. By now the six doctors and the four remaining residents of the compound arrived. “Get naked and get into the pool!” she commanded, giving them the same choice. Once everyone was in the water she had them come over to the side of the pool one by one so that she could tie their hands behind them. In all there were fourteen live naked men in the pool, and two dead clothed ones.

Jonathan walked over to Alexander. As Laura slumped into a nearby chair, Jonathan leaned over and looked into Alexander’s bloodshot eyes. Although the face was bruised and swollen, he knew he recognized it. Alexander stared back at him. Thinking of Sebring, Jonathan seethed “I should kill you now.” He looked over at Laura who was now sitting, exhausted, looking at him. “It is up to you,” She said as she waved her hand dismissivly towards Alex. At that point she didn’t really care if he lived or died.

“"Jonathan” Alexander said, “Join me, the three of us can enjoy everything life has to offer. Forever. I’m sorry about Sebring. That was not my doing. I told them to bring him here, not kill him. I’m sorry. They misunderstood. Laura just shot the two men who were responsible for killing him,” he said gesturing to the two guards lying dead on the grass.” Seeing that his pleas were making no impression on Jonathan, he turned his attention to Laura. “Laura” he said softly, “Imagine the good we could do with all of my money. I would share all of it with you both. How many poor people can we help feed, how many vaccinations can we develop or deliver to children across the world, how many homes can be buy for the homeless? “Pathetic, you are simply pathetic,” Laura said to him. “You would promise anything just to get out of a tough situation. Well, it’s not going to do any good. We are not going to make a deal with a monster.” Angry that his pleas were going unheeded, Alexander started to feel backed into a proverbial corner, and like many animals in that situation, he lashed out. He began yelling at Jonathan; “You owe me! I gave you life. You are here only because I created you. You are nothing without me.” He called Laura a “traitor and a thief.” He seemed to be approaching a breakdown when he suggested: “When I get off of this island I am going to have the both of you arrested for theft. Don’t think you can spend my $30 million without me knowing exactly where you are. I have people around the world. Again he reversed course and tried to appeal to Jonathan. “Jonathan, please, we are family.” Sensing he was succeeding even less, his head dropped as he let out one final plea “We are the same. You and I are the same.”

“We may share the same face and the same blood” he continued “but you and I are not the same Alex. A man is more than the building blocks on a DNA strand. I’m nothing like you. “

“In time you will be,” Albert shot back knowing he was fighting a losing battle. “You’ve had the luxury of spending your entire life in Paradise. Wait until you’ve spent a few years in the real world....” Certain of what he wanted to do yet uncertain of what he should do, Jonathan stood for what seemed to be forever with his weapons trained on Alexander’s emotionless eyes.

Finally he stood up and stepped away from Alexander. Although he wanted to shoot him he felt it was somehow not the right thing to do. He lowered his weapons and walked over to the pool. Jonathan pulled David Smith out and cut the tape binding him. With Laura keeping an eye on everyone, Jonathan and David walked to the operating room to gather equipment to patch up the wound on Laura’s leg. She would not let him give her a sedative as she could not be sure what he would give her and she could not take the chance on Jonathan being alone if it somehow incapacitated her. Luckily the shot went through cleanly and hadn’t hit either a vein or artery. It was a relatively easy patch up job. “Sit down there” Jonathan commanded David after he was done, pointing to a chair. Jonathan looked down at his own leg where Felix’s shot had struck him. It was only a scratch and it had already stopped bleeding. He wouldn’t need any attention.

Laura had Jonathan watch the men in the pool and David sitting in the chair while she went into the office to get the computers. With a hole in her leg it probably would have been easier to let Jonathan get the machines, but as he was unfamiliar with computers it would have been harder to explain what she needed. There were many machines, but knowing they could not take all of them she decided to get the three that were most likely to have incriminating evidence. She had no desire to carry the PCs themselves so she simply opened the snap-on cases and ripped out the hardrives. She took the hardrive from the machine she accessed the Monkey Games program on as well as the one from the machine in Alexander’s study and the one in the reception area. On her way out the door she also picked up two DELL notebooks that belonged to a couple of the scientists who were now cooling their jets in the water. After placing the computers in the back of one of the Rovers, she then went to the garage and picked up two five gallon barrels of gasoline and proceeded to pour them over the entire compound, focusing a particular amount of fuel on the communications room. She set the compound afire and walked back to the deck as the building burned in the late morning sky.

Laura made things very clear to the thirteen men in the pool and as well as David. She knew who each and every one was. She knew where they lived. She knew the names of their children, their wives and their parents. (Although that was true for the doctors and staff, it was not at all true for the four Peruvians, but she did not feel it necessary to split hairs) If she ever heard of one of them again, saw one of them again, even if it was crossing the street to go to church, or any one of them tried to contact one another, anyone at Alexander Resources or anyone else who worked there, she would not only kill them, but she would find the other eight and kill them as well. “If you do not want your families to suffer from your deaths, the exposition of your despicable character and the destruction of their lives, you will simply crawl under a rock somewhere and stay there. If anyone ever asks you questions about Alexander Resources or what has gone on this island you will not give them any information unless that request comes from me personally.” She wanted to make sure they knew she was serious. Standing, she announced “Just in case any of you have any doubts as to my sincerity, I want you to know that if you cross me in any way you will wish I had killed you here today.” At that she picked up her two Brownings and aimed them at Alex’s knees. She fired twice with each weapon. Alexander jerked in pain and was thrown out of the chair by the force of his reaction. He lay there on the deck wreathing in pain. “Just ask Alex,” she said as the men in the pool stared at Alex in disbelief. She was sure they got her point. . “He’s going to spend the next 80 years of his unnatural life in a prison somewhere, sitting in a wheelchair in his crippled, brand new body. And that assumes he survives.” She wheeled around with the weapons in her hand and asked simply, “Any questions?” There were none. “Good, then we understand each other.”

Next Laura instructed David to remove the bullets she had just moments ago put into Alex’s knees. Having passed out soon after falling from the chair he did not need a sedative. After removing the bullets the doctor patched up the wounds. It was not that she was particularly concerned about Alex’s health, because she wasn’t, but not knowing how events were going to play out she didn’t want him to die before authorities, whoever they might be arrived to pick him up. After David was finished bandaging Alexander’s legs, Jonathan bound him and put him back in the pool with the others. Laura took the smelling salts out of her pocket and put them under Alexander’s nose. He slowly came to and screamed out in pain as consciousness set in. Laura kneeled down next to him so that she could whisper in his ear. “Alexander,” she wheeled the chair into the sun so that both of them could bask in its warmth, “I don’t know what is going to happen from this moment forward. Some authorities may arrive in a couple of hours or they arrive in a couple of days or they may not come at all. All I can tell you is that if I ever see you again, or hear of you trying to do anything with Alexander resources I will find you and kill you.” “You’ve got the new body you’ve always wanted but if you want to keep it you’d better keep a low profile.” Alex sat there, wreathing in pain, barely able to focus on anything Laura had said. Wanting to make sure there was on confusion, Laura put her hand on his left knee and gave it a slight squeeze. “Do you understand me?” she asked. With clinched teeth and eyes that could not have focused on Laura more if they were looking through a telescope, Alex nodded his head in the affirmative.

Not long after the fire had started burning people from the village began to arrive. In Spanish Laura had told them that she was burning the lab because the doctors had been working on a poison that they had planned to use in a guerrilla war in Peru after they had tested it on them. While there was not any real danger to them, it would be safer if they went back to the village and didn’t return to the compound for a couple of weeks. Leaving the men in the pool bound, Laura and Jonathan took the Rover to the plane. She had to admit that she was a little surprised that Hans had remained. She had told him to expect some gunfire and a lot of smoke, but nonetheless she expected that he might leave. She was very grateful that he did not, particularly as she had just destroyed all of the communication equipment on the island. He met them at the door. “Hans, we are so glad to see you. We weren’t sure you’d still be here after all of that.” “Laura, you should never have worried. I may be many things, but amongst them all is one constant. I am a man of my word. “And I couldn’t appreciate it more,” she said as she limped over and kissed him on the cheek and gave him a hug that seemed to tell him that there was much to this story that he didn’t know.” “It was my pleasure.” A moment later she was even more impressed. She saw one of the guns sitting on the co-pilots’ seat. She knew that he must have retrieved it from the bag with the money. He couldn’t have missed the $30 million, yet he stayed nonetheless. He was indeed a man of his word. Although honor was its own reward, she thought that it didn’t hurt to reward it sometimes. He smiled when she leaned into the cockpit and told him that she was increasing his paycheck from 25,000 Euros to $1 million. Once in the air they set out a course to bury a great friend and to pick up three teenage boys who were in for the surprises of their lives. Sitting, knowing how close they had come to never leaving that island, Laura and Jonathan just sat holding hands and staring out the window. Neither said a word. Neither wanted to speak. As the plane took off and the mid morning sun shone brightly through the windows, they both stared silently out, pondering not only what they had just been through, but what lay ahead.

Epilogue

Sitting on the coffee table, beside the fresh fruit and croissants was a copy of Le Monde with the headline reading “International Financier and Philanthropist Alexander Cooke Assumed Dead in Island Fire. Fate of $25 Billion Fortune Uncertain.” Hidden on page four was the coroner’s final report on the accident that took the life of Spanish driver René “Le Pistol” Pistolero exactly three weeks before. It stated that Pistolero’s accident was likely caused by a slight decrease in his depth perception resulting from his having taken the stimulant Rixalt, an over the counter product taken by college students, bar patrons and football fans around the world to give them a boost after a late night of drinking, sport or any other activity. No one at the paper recognized the irony of the fact that Rixalt was manufactured by Acxisis, a small unit of Alexander Resources.

This eBook of “Monkey Games” by Vince Coyner is copyright by Vince Coyner. Reprinted here with permission.