Project (6 page)

“So that’s how you knew I was up in the mountains that day. That turkey down the street has been watching me.”

Kincaid nodded. “He’s quite effective, really. Completely loyal.”

“Right,” Jim said, smirking. “As long as he’s wearing your mind-control device.”

Kincaid sat on the edge of his desk. “I suppose
it serves no purpose to tell you this, since you won’t remember anything when Ryan is through with both of you. But I am extremely proud of our little project, so let me explain it to you.”

He straightened the file and laid it on top of his desk. “You see, I have perfected the ultimate in mind control. No one in history has ever gotten this far. Oh, we’ve tried other drugs, even done a few lobotomies. But this … this is perfection. Once a person receives the implant, he is given certain suggestions at our little company meetings, and then he becomes a completely happy and fulfilled worker. It has worldwide implications. Crime can become nonexistent, productivity can be increased by fifty percent, and we may actually achieve world peace in our lifetime. Imagine.”

Jim looked at him in disgust. “You don’t want world peace. You want to be some kind of new Hitler and rule the world.”

“Who better?” Kincaid stood up. “Today, Folsum.” An evil smile contorted his face. “Tomorrow, the world. Now, as much as I’ve
enjoyed chatting with you, I have other things to attend to.” He stepped to the door and looked back at Dr. Ryan. “Take them to the medical wing, and this time make sure they no longer pose any kind of threat.” The door closed with a thud.

“My pleasure.” Ryan reached for Maria.

Sammy screeched, leaped for the man’s face, and hung on.

“Get it off!” Ryan fell to the floor, struggling to pry the snarling, hissing monkey off his face.

“Now’s our chance, Maria!” Jim grabbed the file and slipped out the narrow window. “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

Maria looked back at Sammy. She bit her lip and then dived for the window.

They crossed the compound and raced to the hole Maria had cut in the fence. Time was running out. It would be only seconds before Kincaid was after them.

Sammy had jumped out the window after them, and was now perched safely on Maria’s shoulder. A siren went off, and behind them they heard people yelling and dogs barking. Jim pulled Maria behind a supply shed.

“We’re not going to make it very far this way. They’ll have us before we reach the tunnel. Our only hope is to split up.” He handed
her the file. “You go for help and I’ll stay here and keep them busy.”

Maria didn’t argue. She slid the blue bag she had been carrying off her shoulder. “Here. This might come in handy.” Without another word she turned and headed for the fence.

Jim unzipped the bag. Maria had come prepared for a war. There were matches and several sticks of dynamite from the tunnel. There was also a familiar-looking brown bottle. It was the ether Max had used to knock Jim out when Max had removed the implant.

The yelling and the barking were getting louder. They were coming fast. He had to buy Maria some time.

Jim reached for one of the sticks of dynamite, lit it, and placed it next to the shed. Then he ran as fast as he could toward the next building.

The first explosion cracked the air with a satisfying roar. But seconds later, whatever was stored in the building caught fire and mushroomed into a giant burning cloud that
made Jim feel as if he were in the middle of a firestorm.

More sirens went off, and people started streaming out of the buildings. Jim watched from around the corner. Security guards and dogs were still looking for them. He lit another stick of dynamite and threw it into the parking lot under one of the new cars.

He didn’t wait around to watch it blow. Instead he ran the length of the building and looked for his next target.

Dr. Ryan, scratched and bleeding, was standing on the steps of the business office.

Jim pulled off his T-shirt and soaked it with the ether. He held it behind his back and called to the doctor. “Looking for me, barf-face?”

Dr. Ryan snorted and charged for him. Jim stayed where he was until the big man was on him. Just as a huge arm reached for him, Jim stuffed the shirt into the man’s battered face and hung on. For a second Dr. Ryan struggled; then he fell limp to the ground.

The strong odor of the ether began to overpower
Jim. He dropped the shirt and ran for the business complex. It wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few more of Kincaid’s files for extra insurance.

The little window was still open. Jim climbed inside and jerked open the file cabinet. Not knowing what to take, he started stuffing everything into the bag.

“You’ve caused just about enough trouble!”

Jim didn’t turn around. He knew it was Kincaid. He dropped the bag and ran for the window. Kincaid’s aides were too fast for him. They pulled him out from behind the desk and held him firmly.

Kincaid’s face darkened. “Take him to the medical lab. I’ll do this one personally.”

The aides dragged him down two long halls to the lab and strapped him to a narrow table. A nurse was ordered to administer an anesthetic.

In only a few minutes Jim could feel himself becoming drowsy. A bright light hanging from the ceiling was rocking back and forth, nearly blinding him.

Kincaid whistled as he put on his surgical
gloves. “This won’t take long, Jim. I’ve decided to do a prefrontal lobotomy on you. It’s been ages since I’ve done one. They frown on them now, you know. But it’s the only way.”

“You—you’re crazy.” Jim was having trouble staying awake.

Kincaid studied his tray of surgical tools. “You’re lucky, really. When we find your little friend, she’ll have to be done away with. Can’t have any loose ends messing up our project.”

Jim could feel himself going under.

In his delirium he could hear helicopters flying overhead, and he heard Maria talking. She took his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

What a wonderful dream.

Sammy hopped up onto the couch in the Stantons’ living room and crawled onto Laura’s shoulder. “Look, Jimmy! He likes me.”

Normally Jim would have made a sarcastic comment. But it had been only a week since the federal authorities had closed down Folsum National Laboratories, and he was just glad to have his sister back to normal.

“That’s great, squirt. Take good care of him. He’s a hero.”

Jim’s father slapped him on the back. “You’re the hero, son. You and Maria.”

His mother beamed with pride.

Max loudly cleared his throat.

Robert Stanton smiled. “And, of course, you too, Max. If you hadn’t already called the police and made up that story about Maria’s being kidnapped, help might not have gotten to Jim in time.”

“It was nothing.” Max feigned humility. “I was worried about those two being inside the compound so long and jumped the gun. I knew firsthand what kind of man Kincaid was. He’d stop at nothing to have his way.”

Maria was strangely quiet. She stood up and excused herself. Jim heard the back door slam and rose to follow her.

He found Maria by the back gate, staring at the mountains.

“Hey, why so glum, Maria? We came out on top. My folks are okay. The people at the labs are all back to normal, and Kincaid and company are behind bars. What more could you ask for?”

She ran her finger along the edge of the fence. “Now that the lab is closed, I guess you
and your family will be moving back to California.”

Jim shook his head. “My dad and a couple of the other scientists have offered to stay here and work with the government to get the lab back on its feet.”

“Really?” Maria tried not to sound too excited. “That’s good … I mean, I was kinda looking forward to having someone to play baseball with.” She opened the gate and slipped through.

“Baseball?” Jim touched his cheek and blushed bright red. He watched her walk up the hill and yelled after her, “Maria, I’ve been meaning to ask you something about the day you rescued me.”

She looked back over her shoulder and smiled mischievously. “It was all just a dream, Young Frankenstein. Race you to the tunnel!”

“A dream?”

A big grin spread across his face.

He started running.