Chapter 35: 10.2 Research & Development

  The three make it into an elevator. It’s a rounded tube of glass that provides a continuous view of the atrium as it ascends. Wolf gets on last, turning to stand in the center. A lady dressed in business attire approaches the door with a coffee in her hand but stops when she sees him. “I’ll just wait on the next one,” she says before hurrying out of view.

  “What was that about?” Jack asks.

  “Who knows,” Sarah replies. “Some people are weird like that. Hit twelve for us. We’ll have to change elevators to keep going up.”

  Jack nods and selects their floor.

  “Thanks for that, Sarah,” Wolf says, suddenly. “About the guard, I mean.”

  “Don’t mention it. I just don’t care for people touching my stuff.”

  Wolf scoffs. “So, I’m property now?”

  “Of course. You are mine, and no one else can have you, Wolf.”

  The door opens a few times with each stop consisting of people that all seem adamant about waiting for the next elevator. They get to the twelfth floor, then move to a different one that requires a badge to access. Sarah scans her clearance, then punches the thirty-eight.

  Jack whistles. “Going all the way to the top, huh? Guess that security guy was right about you being important.”

  Sarah rolls her eyes. “It’s not really the top. It’s just as high as this elevator goes.”

  “Why so many different elevators?” Jack asks as the doors close.

  “Security, mostly. And traffic flow. If you’ve got a high priority floor that you need to get to, you don’t need it stopping for every pencil pusher on the way there. Think helicopters taking you to a hospital and you needing to ride an elevator down to the Emergency Room. Do you really want it to stop on every floor as Tom, Dick, and Harry come and go for their lunch breaks?”

  Jack nods. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. A necessary inconvenience, I suppose.”

  The elevator continues its steady whine, sounding like the drum of a dryer turning and a loose boot smacking the side as safety stops click into place after each passed floor. It’s the only sound other than breathing and shifting bodies as they each watch the lights move to ‘18’…‘19’…‘20.’

  “Is it always this slow,” Jack asks.

  “Not that I remember,” Sarah admits.

  “So do you think we’ll take the fight to your grandmother soon?”

  Sarah squeezes her eyes shut, crosses her arms, and shakes her head. “I don’t care what you call her, but don’t call her that. She’s not associated with me, not anymore. She’s just someone that has something she shouldn’t and I’m the consequences.”

  “So, the hag?”

  Sarah nods. “A little too polite, but that’s fine. And no, I’ve got something more important to take care of first.”

  “Uh,” Jack hesitates, looking over to Wolf.

  Wolf shakes his head as if the message was clear. ‘Don’t even think about it.’

  “When has anything been more important than stopping your gra—stopping the hag?”

  Sarah nods, the leather across her back rubbing as it shifts across her tightening arms and shoulders. “I’ve got a list and some other ass-hat just shot straight to the top of it.”

  “Who? And when? I thought the hag wa—”

  “Trust me, Jack. This fucker’s got it coming and I’ll gladly walk past the hag just for the chance to cut off this guy’s arm, then beat him to death with it.” She closes her eyes again, clenching her jaw. “The guy’s name is Frankenstein. It’s someone the hag brought over. No, I don’t know why, but I know what she’s used him for and it’s bad news for us and everyone else. You’re just going to have to trust me on this, Jack, and leave it alone.”

  Jack nods as the elevator dings, the doors opening to show metallic laden walls, ceilings, and floors. It looks like they’re crossing into the corridor to Xavier’s Cerebro chamber. They step out and Sarah steps ahead, thumbing to the right. “It’s this way.”

  “What’s R&D?” Jack asks.

  “Research and development. I’ve got a partner here that’s working on a few things for me. She was Lanning’s aide before he passed.”

  Wolf’s toes make a ticking sound on the metal flooring as they walk, causing Sarah to look towards the noise.

  “Sorry,” Wolf offers, trying to walk quitter.

  “It’s fine,” she replies.

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  They stop at an electronic door with another card reader. Sarah shows her badge, and it slides out of the way to the sound of an actuating pneumatic cylinder. The door leads into a sterile environment. A white trench coat faces away from them as the three file into the room. The floors are the same metal as in the corridor, with counters and cabinets along most of the walls made from a similar metal, but one that’s more polished and returns a distorted reflection.

  The white trench coat looks up from a work bench across from the door. The girl’s brown hair is pulled into a messy bun with two pencil-shaped objects skewering through its center. She spins around with a large magnifying glass suspended in front of her face.

  “Agh!” she cries, as she sees them a lot closer than she is prepared for. She bats at the glass with both hands like a bell had just been dangled in front of a cat’s nose. She finally takes hold of the lens and wrenches it out of a clasp before setting it back on the workbench.

  “Geez, big fella,” she says, standing and looking at Jack. “You about scared the marbles outta me.” She reaches up and adjusts her bun, then begins to grin for no apparent reason. She has large-rimmed glasses with square frames. Freckles sit across the top of her cheeks, and she has a black smudge on her forehead and coat collar.

  Jack starts feeling like a deer that knows it just stepped into a shooting lane. His eyes flick over to Sarah, expecting her to say something any moment now.

  “Marianna?” Sarah asks.

  Marianna’s attention suddenly shifts over. “Sarah? Good grief, girl, when did you get here?”

  “I’ve literately been here the entire time. How else do you think we opened the door?”

  “Oh,” Marianna replies. “Well, have you met my friend here,” she asks, gesturing to Jack. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

  Sarah steps up and grabs Marianna’s pointing finger. “These two are with me,” she says, meeting her eyes.

  Marianna quickly loops her arm under Sarah’s and tows her across the room.

  Jack looks over at Wolf, not sure of what to make of the girl.

  Wolf just shakes his head while closing his eyes. “Definitely a clinger,” Wolf says. “Possibly even stage five.”

  “Are you and Sarah doing that on purpose?” Jack asks, exasperated. “What if I said flurgen hoffin smuggle muffin?”

  “What? That doesn’t even make any sense.”

  “Exactly! It’s like telling a joke I can’t know but still waiting for me to laugh.”

  Wolf begins to wheeze. “That’s actually kind of funny.”

  “But it’s not funny.”

  “It’s a little funny.”

 

  A door closes behind Sarah, and she looks around seeing the vanity and toilet stalls. “Marianna, why are we in the bathroom and—” Sarah’s nose contorts. “What is that smell?” she asks, fanning her face.

  Marianna looks about, then leans down and sniffs her coat sleeve. “What’s today?” she asks.

  “I don’t know. I’m not one to really keep up with a schedule, you know?”

  Marianna seems to look up and into the back of her head as if doing some calculations, then nods once they are complete. “It’s possible that I haven’t left the lab in a few days. But you gotta help me with your friend in there!”

  An expression of comprehension spreads across Sarah’s face. “Absolutely not!”

  “Please, please, please,” she complains while gripping Sarah’s arm. “I need this!”

  Sarah twists her wrist out of her grip. “We are here to check on our projects, not to end whatever dry spell you’re going on about. Besides, do you really want him to be smelling all this?” She gestures around like the smell is coming from everywhere.

  Marianna’s mood falls. “Oh, I reckon you’re right.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. Just get our needs sorted out and I’ll bring Jack with me anytime I need to stop by.”

  Marianna’s expression brightens and she begins to grin again. Yay, she mimes while shaking her fists.

  “Alright, well, let’s just get back out there and get everything sorted out. Oh, and try to settle down You’re practically humping his leg with your eyes.”

  “Right,” Marianna says, nodding so hard that her glasses slide down her nose and her bun loosens.

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