D Carpenter - Infertile Grounds

“Save ourselves for what?” Sarah asked. “Prison?”

“Or to be killed like the others,” Jerry said. “So far there are no prisoners, Sarah.”

“I’ve noticed,” she replied.

“You’ve got skills, Sarah. Knowledge that the government could use. How many people in the world could do what you’ve done?”

Her face softened a bit at this. He was getting through to her with the simple ego-stroke.

“You know I’m right,” Chris said. “With what you can do, they would undoubtedly be prepared to make a deal. You wouldn’t be free but I bet you could get easy time in some research facility or something. Let you carry on your work, just for—”

“What about me?” Jerry said.

“We work you into the deal,” Chris replied. “Think about it, Sarah. Government funded lab, no prison bars, a future, a chance to take what you’ve learned and apply it in different ways. What you did was amazing. No doubts but, right now, you guys are in a jam and you need to start thinking creatively to get out of it and I can help. I was talking to the Deputy Director of the FBI. He’s the kind of guy who can make things happen and he owes me for giving him the carriers. Don’t get sidetracked, I didn’t know they would end up dead, that wasn’t my doing but I undoubtedly earned some points giving them the tip. Think about it.”

Chris stopped talking and let her digest what he was saying. He could see her contemplating it, not dropping the gun but definitely considering what he had said. Jerry tugged her shirt and when she looked at him he motioned with his head across the room.

The two of them stepped to the other side of the room. Sarah kept the gun pointed in Chris’ general direction but he wasn’t going to make a run for it. The odds were still not in his favor. He watched the two of them talk. Jerry was animated, Sarah subdued but it looked like he was winning her over. Chris caught a few of the softly spoken words as they conversed but not enough to understand. All he could do was wait.

After a few minutes they came back over. Sarah kept the gun pointed at him as she said, “You really think you could cut a deal?”

“Absolutely. They’ll want to put this thing to bed as soon as possible.”

Jerry and Sarah exchanged glances and then she said, “Okay, who was this Director you were talking about?”

“Arthur Kent,” Chris replied.

Jerry was immediately on his phone confirming the man’s identity. He held the phone in front of Sarah and said, “He’s legit.”

“Why should I trust you now, Chris?” Sarah said.

“Are you fucking with me?” Chris said. “Why should you trust me? I’m nobody, do you understand? I shouldn’t be here. All of this has nothing to do with me. I just got caught up in your fucked up, chaotic wake and I want out. Don’t take this the wrong way but I never want to see either of you ever again. I’ll get you the deal with Arthur and my upside is I’ll get you out of my life.”

Sarah nodded, “Fine, but I’ll negotiate my own deal, thank you very much. You just need to get Arthur here and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I can do that.”

“He comes alone. Anyone else shows up and you’re a dead man. Got it?”

“Just him or I’m dead. Got it.”

Sarah scowled at him and then held up her phone, “Ready?”

The headlights sliced across the dark parking lot and stopped in front of the base lodge. Chris, Sarah and Jerry sat on the railing of the large Peak Lodge deck staring down at the car. It was too dark to see anything in detail but they watched a single flashlight beam turn on and then begin the trek up the mountain.

“Think he’s alone?” Sarah said.

“He said he was going to be,” Chris replied.

“Well, we’re going to see, aren’t we,” she replied.

After thirty-minutes, the light was approaching up the final light grade.

“Take him over there,” Sarah said to Jerry, motioning for him to move Chris back against the wall. Sarah stood behind the railing. “If anything happens, kill him.”

“That will be my pleasure,” Jerry replied.

Arthur came to a stop on the ground ten feet below the deck. He glanced up at Sarah and then leaned over and placed his hands on his knees as he took deep breaths. He stayed in this position for several minutes. Finally, Sarah said, “Big hill, huh?”

Arthur stood up and grunted.

“Stairs are over there.”

He trudged around and up onto the deck where Sarah stood with her pistol.

“Stop,” she said as Jerry came over and frisked him – nothing. Jerry stepped back, keeping his pistol leveled on Arthur.

Arthur’s shirt was drenched with sweat – his breathing heavy as he raised his eyebrows, wiped his hand on his pants and offered it to Sarah. “Arthur Kent,” he said.

Sarah shook his hand as she said, “Sarah Burns.”

She motioned to a picnic table and sat down on the top of it. Arthur dropped down on the other end and swabbed sweat from his face with his shirttail. Sarah waved Chris over.

“I guess I should’ve told you to leave the business clothes at home,” Chris said. “Chris Foster.”

The two men shook as Arthur scanned the area and chuckled. “That’s okay. I’ve got an expense account.”

“You’re alone? Nobody following you?” Jerry asked.

“Look, I told you on the phone I’d be alone and here I am. All by my lonesome. Now what the fuck are we doing here?”

“Pretty bad situation, isn’t it? We saw the news feeds. It’s a mess,” Chris said.

“That, my friend, is an understatement,” Arthur replied.

“I want to make a deal,” Sarah said.

“That much I figured out,” Arthur said. “But I’m afraid you don’t have much to deal with.”

“Yes, I do,” Sarah replied.

“You people are all the same. When the game’s over, you always think you have something to save yourself. A final play. But, I hate to tell you, I highly doubt you have anything to bargain with.”

Sarah clenched her jaw and glared at Arthur. He was a no-shit kind of guy and she was sizing him up. Chris was about to say something to try to kick start the conversation but as soon as he opened his mouth, Sarah said, “All I can give you is me and what I have here.” She pointed to her head. “Gen96, the virus, is real. It works. Better than I would have predicted.”

“We know. I spoke with the WHO in Ngami,” Arthur replied. “They’re there in force. They couldn’t understand what was happening and why it was so localized. It was working them into a bit of a frenzy.”

Sarah nodded and smiled. “Perplexing an organization like that is a tribute to what I’ve created.”

“Forgive me if I don’t celebrate your accomplishment,” Arthur said.

“That’s your perspective skewed by your ideals but look at the science. Look at what I built. It’s brilliant. Simple. Elegant. Effective.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You’re a genius. That’s all great. What do you want from me?”

“I’m sure my talents are worth something to Uncle Sam.”

Arthur nodded, acting as if he was surprised by this offer. “I see, now that you’re cornered and your plan to change the world has been thwarted, you want to flip allegiances.”

“I’m not flipping anything, I’m making you an offer for skills that are incredibly unique and valuable.”

Jerry cleared his throat as he trembled nervously, his leg shaking, his head bobbing repeatedly but his gun still pointed squarely at Arthur.

“Him too,” she said motioning to Jerry. “Both of us. No jail cells. We work for the United States government. We don’t expect freedom but we do want to continue our work. In different areas of course.”