A Human Element (17 page)

Laura felt like she was floating in the air as Ben consumed her body. She could only see his outline as he pulled her to him over and over and caressed her belly and breasts, stoking her fire to an almost painful intensity. She pushed herself up on her elbows to lick and suck his nipples this time, and he cried out with pleasure returning the favor as they rocked together. They strained slow toward release and when it came it was with a murmur and a gasp.

"Laura, my Laura," Ben whispered into her hair. "I've never made love before."

"What do you mean?"

"I never made love, only hate. Hate for myself mostly."

She was stunned by his blunt admission. "Why do you think that?"

Ben withdrew from her and fell back into bed. She snuggled into his chest and side.

"No one ever showed me love before. I haven't known love since my parents died. I guess I forgot what it was."

Ben stared at the ceiling with his hands under his head. She sensed he tried to resist telling her his deepest feelings. Laura could see his profile clearer now as the room grew lighter with sunrise.

She felt him freezing up on her. "Love remembers."

"Does it?" He twitched his mouth and shook his head. "I don't know if I believe it."

"You have to believe it, Ben. I grew up with it. Then when I lost so many I loved, I could still feel love. I was lucky enough to still have my friend, Mr. B, to help me keep going."

Ben was silent, a frown on his face. "I didn't have that."

"No, but if nothing else, you had your parents once. You have your friend, Andy. And now you have me."

He turned to look at her. "Do I have you? I mean really? We were foolish just now. We should have used protection."

Laura saw torment in his eyes and felt anguish flowing off him. She wanted to take it all away, to heal his heart. "I don't know what's going to happen. I know something bad is coming and I need to be prepared. And this paradise we have right now is just temporary. I don't want to worry right now about being pregnant. The chances are small, right?"

"I don't know what the chances are. Nothing is certain in life. And you can't count on people or love. You can only count on yourself."

"I don't believe that. I can help you remember how to love. I want to try."

Ben shook his head and stared at the ceiling again. "Part of me doesn't want to let you go, Laura, and part of me wants to drive away as fast as I can. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. I don't know what happened to you. I can't guess how horrible it must have been. But can't you tell me?"

Ben was silent. Laura touched his arm but he had closed up. He didn't touch her back.

"Can you read my mind right now?"

"Do you want me too?"

Ben turned to her again. She could see his eyes shining in the dim morning light.

"What if you discover me, the
real
me. Things I've done, things that have happened to me and decide you don't want me? Will you help me remember love then?" He got up out of bed.

"There can't be anything you've done I can't accept."

"How can you know? You've just met me."

"I just know. The shortness of time between us means nothing."

"I'm not a good person, Laura. I'm not worthy of love. I know this and can accept it. But you've changed everything and now I don't know what to do with that."

Laura didn't know what to say. She sat up and reached for him. "Don't go."

He turned to her with a half-smile. "I'm not running away from you, yet. I'm taking a shower and then calling Andy. We're going to find this doctor today, remember? After we visit Mr. B."

Laura nodded and hugged the blanket to her.

"Go back to sleep, if you want. I'll find some coffee and food to make in a bit."

He touched her head as he passed her and she watched him go into the bathroom. She wanted to hug him and tell him she loved him, but the moment had passed. So she did as he said and dozed into a dreaming state. Only this time the dreams were nightmares.

Doctor Bjord watched X-10 on camera in his office. The monstrous creature appeared asleep on his cot, his muscles twitched, and his jaw opened and shut at times as if he dreamed about eating some victim. His vital signs confirmed he was sleeping. His cot, special Government Issue, had been programmed to record basic body readings of the person on it. Bjord could see his heart rate slow and his body temperature dropping.

He abhorred the creature and was terrified of him, but he was so close to finishing his work. He had to overcome his fear for the greater reward soon to come. He felt confident he would soon create the magic potion to transform the U.S. military into one unsurpassed in strength and abilities. The same strength and abilities X-10 possessed.

Bjord had created a genetic mixture giving incredible strength to his lab rats, but they only survived a day after receiving his injection. On his last attempt the injected rat crushed the head of his fellow rat mate between his paws and gnawed through the thick cage bars in under a minute to escape.

Bjord was thrilled, until twenty-four hours later he witnessed the same rat run headfirst over and over into the concrete wall to smash his own head in. The rodent finally succeeded. Suicidal notions would not work well on soldiers toward winning a battle. He sighed and tried to figure out how to overcome this obstacle.

But for now he worried X-10 was planning another killing. He had refused to eat for the past two days to avoid being drugged. Bjord had made the decision to turn on the halothane gas vents and put him to sleep that night. Once he became unconscious, he could enter his cell and inject him with Thorazine to impair his mental abilities and limit his strength. After experimenting with several tranquilizers he had discovered Thorazine, in high doses, kept X-10's dangerous powers to a minimum.

Bjord turned on the gas vents knobs, adjusting the dose of halothane to flow into the cell. It contained the strongest mixture made in order to knock X-10 out, and the cheapest non-flammable gas anesthetic on the market. It was still used in third world countries and veterinary facilities. X-10 wasn't in REM sleep yet, but he was ready to be gassed unconscious without waking up. Bjord readied his lab tray. It was a perfect time to take blood samples as well to continue his genetic testing. And he would prove again to the world he was a genius geneticist.

He brushed cracker crumbs off his stained coat and smoothed down his hair. He needed a shower and change of clothes. He sniffed and wrinkled his nose. His own body reeked of waste and grime, but every moment now was precious.

He fantasized of being awarded a fat sum for his work by the government to retire to a luxury spa where he could live out his days in comfort, all the while being applauded by the world instead of mocked. Once he succeeded he could then order X-10 killed. How he longed to do it himself. He shook his head to focus on the business at hand and checked the creature's vital signs one more time. He appeared unconscious and his twitches had stopped. Bjord had a good hour before the creature started to come out of his coma-like state. He switched off the gas vents to cut off the halothane.

Bjord picked up his lab tray and turned to head into the X-10's cell. His heart raced. He peered once more at the camera monitor to reassure himself his prisoner was indeed unconscious. Satisfied, he placed his tray on the floor and removed his keys to open the thick door that imprisoned the creature. He would be in and out within ten minutes. All he had to do was draw blood from X-10, and pump him full of Thorazine. Then Bjord could spend the night working on his new test. Tomorrow was a new day. Soon all his years of slogging away down here with this demon would pay off.

Ben sat on the porch and wrapped the blanket around him. It smelled like Laura and he breathed in deep. After his shower, he checked on her to find her sleeping again. She looked so young and appealing curled up in bed with her hair scattered on the pillow.

He stared at the woods now, watching the light grow from the grayness of dawn to the autumn colors of day. His mind wandered like a jagged puzzle of mismatched thoughts and he tried to organize them in a rational manner. But there was nothing rational about what he felt here, and he had to give into it. He was meant to come here for a reason. He would follow it through, no matter what the consequence. He was too entrenched now in the mystery surrounding Laura and him.

Most of all he was falling in love with her. It was a new, raw feeling that cut to the core of who he believed he was his entire life. At one point making love to her this morning, he thought,
soul mates
. She had looked at him and smiled as she strained toward him. She must have heard him think it. But now in the cold and light of day, he had to fight the urge to run and forget this place, and her. All his life he had run away from being connected to people and places. He never wanted to be so affected he lost control of his emotions and was committed. Yet here, for the first time he ran toward what could connect him forever and commit his heart.

He had no choice if he wanted to survive. Survive. What a strange word, he laughed to himself. He had survived physical abuse and near-death at the hands of brutal men. Now here, his soul sat on the line. His soul might survive here but not his body if this evil man was indeed coming who Laura professed to see. But where was the man in black? Would he save them from all this like he had saved him in Hawaii all those years ago? None of it made sense.

Ben checked his watch. It drew close to 8:00 a.m. Nearly 5:00 a.m. on the west coast. Almost time to give Andy a call. He reported on base early so Ben wanted to catch him before he left.

"Ben, top of the morning to ya." Andy's voice sang through the phone.

"Andy, you're too chipper for me and you're not Irish."

"Okay then,
hvordan de henger
,
minn venn
?"

"Is that one of your new languages for retrieving Intel?"

"Yep, I moved on from Russian and now poking around in Norwegian. Thought it would be nice to know the language of my land to woo busty Nordic spies with."

"First off, Norse God, I think you're done wooing and what does it mean anyways?"

"It means 'how they hanging, my friend'?"

"Nice. Somehow I doubt it will attract the busty ones."

"Yeah, you're right. I've got to get some new lines to work on. So, lover boy, how's the new woman?"

Ben didn't answer right away. He didn't know how to answer.

Andy chuckled. "I'm guessing good?"

"Complicated."

"Aha, one word that means so much with women. And a word I know you run from."

"I'm not running from this one. She's…I don't know."

"I do. She's special, right?"

"In more ways than you can ever know, or I could ever tell."

"Wow, my friend."

"Yeah." Ben cleared his throat. "So, did you get any info for us on this Doctor Britton?"

"Yep. He had a small practice in Coopersville and moved to Albany, building a much bigger practice there twenty-five years ago. Must have come into some dough. Then he got into drinking and prescription drugs and botched several deliveries over a period of time. They all had brain damage and when one died, his problem came to light. He was charged with medical malpractice, went to court and lost his license to practice. The hospital awarded the family of the dead kid $5 million but the evidence couldn't quite prove the good doctor was criminally negligent so he wasn't sentenced to jail time. Boy, he must have had some good lawyer."

Andy gave him the address and phone number and wished him luck.

"And one other thing, Ben. He hasn't paid his taxes in fifteen years."

"Boy, you dug deep didn't you?"

"Friends in high places and access, of course, will get you anything you need. And for you, that's what I do." Andy laughed. "Will you keep me posted on this Laura?"

"Of course, and thanks again."

"Remember what I told you."

"What?"

"Love makes the world go 'round, my man."

"Maybe for you, buddy."

"Wait and see. I'm making bets on you."

Ben shook his head and hung up. He went into the kitchen to get more coffee when Laura screamed. He bolted to the loft ladder, jumping up the rungs two at a time. She sat on the bed, shaking her head and screaming over and over. He grabbed her shoulders.

"Laura!"

She stopped screaming and looked at him with eyes darting back and forth. She was having dream terrors. He pulled her to him and she shivered all over.

"Laura, it's okay. It's just a dream. Everything is okay."

"No. No, it's
not
okay. He's coming for us. He killed me this time in my nightmare. I was dead. My throat r-r-ripped open, just like Moe. I saw my dead body. I didn't think you could die in your dreams. And you. You were dead too."

She gripped his shirt harder.

"It was just a dream. That's all." He stroked her hair.

"A nightmare that's going to come true. I know it."

They held each other in silence. Ben didn't know what to say to comfort her. She could be right.

X-10 remained still. His lungs did not cry out for air. It had only been a few minutes since he had heard Bjord turn on the gas. This was his one chance to escape. A couple more minutes he could last. He concentrated on his breathing in an effort to increase his heart rate allowing more blood to pump through his body. He couldn't wait to spill the old man's blood.

He heard the thick slab door open. The doctor's tray jingled with glass vials. X-10 didn't hear the heavy door shut close in place. Bjord had left it open.
Good thinking, old man
. He heard the tray set down on the cold concrete floor. Then he felt the rubber tie on his arm as the doctor readied him to pierce his vein to take blood. He opened his eyes and grinned at Bjord and took a deep breath, filling his lungs.

Bjord's mouth fell open and he dropped the syringe. Before Bjord could scream, X-10 sat up and grabbed his arm with one hand. He shoved the other hand into the doctor's mouth. Bjord flailed before him in a weak attempt to break free. X-10 shook the doctor in his pathetic attempt to flee.

"I can smell the putrid filth rolling off you. It's you who are the disgusting creature, not me, Doctor Bjord. Scientist of refuse and evil. That's what you are."

Bjord shook his head and twisted his body in a grotesque display to run. His legs pumped in a crooked dance.

"Now, good doctor, I want you to address me as Charlie and apologize for the years of imprisonment and experimentations you have tortured me with, do you hear? Charlie is my chosen name. A name you never gave me. If I take my fist out of your mouth for you to address me properly, you won't scream, will you? For if you do I will kill you slowly with pain, do you understand?"

Bjord stopped flailing and nodded.

X-10 extricated his pod-fingers from Bjord's mouth, but continued to grip his arm as he stood up. Bjord looked up at him wide-eyed. Then he smiled.

"You'll never get out of here, X-10. You'll never find your girl. She isn't a freak like you. She's human and free. No human will ever want you. You'll never be called Charlie for who could name a hideous, murdering beast such as yourself?"

Then he laughed and laughed. X-10 shook with rage and pushed his fingers into Bjord's throat. Bjord stopped laughing. He clutched at his neck. Blood gushed.

Bjord stared into X-10's eyes and gurgled. "Go—to—hell."

X-10 shoved his hands in further, ripping out the doctor's neck, and threw him on the floor. He shouted in rage, angry at himself for killing him so fast. The doctor got the best of him in the end, enraging him to kill him quick without suffering. X-10 stared at the crumpled, filthy man beneath him, blood oozing outward in a circle on the gray floor. X-10 promised himself the girl would die slowly. He would not let her affect him.

He would bring cold death to her.