Frozen Flora (The Gene Thief Series Book 2 - Short Story)
Read Frozen Flora (The Gene Thief Series Book 2 - Short Story) Online
Authors: Jason Cole
Frozen
Flora
The Gene Thief Series
Book 2
By:
Jason Cole
Copyright © 2014
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
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There was a set of dark brown, almost black, eyes staring at her. The room was dark, a faint smoke pouring in from the side of the room. It wasn't evident where she was but those eyes that were fixated on her were familiar, peering into her, looking right through the open windows and into her soul. That look of expectation, as if she were fulfilling a prophecy. Those eyes showed no sign of surprise; the only person surprised in the room was Kira, surprised by the fact that she didn’t sneak up on anyone, she simply entered a room as an anticipated guest and was greeted by those dark eyes.
She started to feel a burning sensation and suddenly her insides burst into flames. Ignited by those eyes. Bent over, reeling in pain, her stomach felt like it were turning itself inside out. It felt as if she had swallowed napalm.
Right below the eyes, appeared a slow and confident smirk.
The entire room began to shake and, before she knew it, she felt as if she were freefalling.
The entire room disappeared. The eyes were no longer there and, as she gathered her wits, she realized she was falling from a tree. She grabbed the nearest limb, effortlessly, and hung on. Her bearings continued to return, and her environment became familiar. She was in her favorite park, taking a nap high up in a tree. Those eyes – they must have been the shaman's. Nothing she had ever seen haunted her like those eyes. Someone whose life depends on her ability to go undetected should never have to experience someone so prepared and ready. What made matters worse was how he was seemingly willing to go with the flow. Her entire sense of reality and her perspective on the dangers of each mission was shaken. The shaman was so many steps ahead of her, that she never would have seen it coming if he wanted her captured and killed.
That thought alone sent shivers down her spine. She climbed back up to the bough where she had been resting and took a few deep breaths.
She became aware of her surroundings again, and she turned her attention to the voice of the public.
A young girl’s voice: "Can you believe what Johnny said?"
Her friend answered, "Yeah I heard back, what an asshole."
The voice of a businessman in his fancy suit, "All right, at 4 PM we will sell. I will never forgive you if I lose money on this deal.’.”
A skater passed by, “Okay Mom, I have an appointment at 3 PM with my therapist. I’ll call you after. I love you.”
One of her favorite things to do was to listen and observe. Lying high up in the tree, above everyone’s line of sight, Kira had found the perfect branch. Contoured around her, it was a match made in heaven. When she wasn’t working out or working on her inner self, this was where she was. Her home away from home. Located right in the middle of central park it was prime real estate for people watching. Fascinating people, some in expensive suits, others making big deals out of trivial events, and others enduring tragedies. All sorts of people in all walks of life.
Part of her wondered if it was all so intriguing because these were the types of lives that she would never live again. At some point, she had probably been similar to some of them, but she couldn’t remember. Obviously she had parents and if those flashes of memories told her anything, she may have had a sibling or two, but aside from that, she was a blank slate. Some may view this as curse, but this current state granted her an innate ability to always be present in the moment. No past memories or regret haunted her and no concerns for the future frankly, either. Being present in time was a gift and from what she could tell, the vast majority of humanity lacked the ability.
The wind wisped by, the leaves around her making a sweet symphony, almost a lullaby. Before she knew it, the sun had set above her. The afternoon was almost complete, the traffic of people coming to a halt.
In a little while, the dinner crowd would appear, and after that it would be the late night, walkers and joggers. She had spent so much time up there in her tree that she could pinpoint the regulars, the tourists, and those who were up to no good.
Once the people-traffic had slowed down, it was time for Kira to begin her dinnertime meditation. She would start out with a mindfulness exercise by focusing on her breath and the feeling of the air passing over each and every inch of her skin. After that, she would begin to accept her oneness with the universe and try to let go of her sense of ego and separation from the world. She always seemed to struggle with this part. How could someone with no memory, no identity at all, try to relate with everyone else? If anything, her life suggested that she was more separate than most an outcast living alone on a deserted island.
After she had struggled for a while to accept that reality, she would try to calm her mind. The stillness was terrifying sometimes, but over the years she had become comfortable and appreciated the benefits. Even in the middle of chaotic missions, her calm mind prevailed, saving her life more than once.
It was at this moment, after she had attained perfect stillness, eliminating all invading thoughts or feelings, that she heard a soft whimper. She sat there and remained still, unwilling to open her eyes, trying to ground herself and block it out, letting the sound pass like waving clouds in the sky, acknowledging it but letting it pass by.
There it was again, whimpering.
I wish that damn owner would just let their dog take a piss already.
She took some deep breaths, tried to regain that desired state of stillness, but it wasn’t going to happen. Something primal and desperate in that whimper attracted her.
She broke her meditation, something she hated, and looked around for where the sound was coming from. She noticed a stray dog a half-mile away. It didn’t look like it belonged to anyone, and it seemed pretty big from where she was sitting.
Like a monkey, she dropped down from limb to limb, using some as bars to swing to the next, and avoiding others entirely. She descended the entire thirty feet in a matter of seconds. One would think she had lived her entire life in a tree, if they saw how deftly agile she was.
Calmly, she walked over towards the dog and, when she was just one hundred yards away, she noticed that it was growling and snapping at everyone that approached. She was not phased and the whimper continued to resonate in her mind.
There were people around it, some on the phone probably calling animal control, and others taking photos with their phones. What else was new?
She was now just ten yards away, closer than anyone else had dared to go, and as soon as she made eye contact with the dog, it fell silent. It lay down on the ground and looked up at her. The whites in its eyes made her melt inside. The wrinkles on his head, the little orange eyebrows, and how they contrasted against his coarse black fur, made him the most handsome dog she had ever seen. He must have been at least one hundred twenty pounds, and he was built like a Roman statue. No wonder no one wanted to approach him.
In her most calming and soothing voice, Kira said, "Come here, boy. It's okay." She had no idea what to expect, but unlike everyone else, she had no fear. She wasn't aggravating an already volatile situation and, in any case, she was much quicker than any dog.
The dog started to crawl towards her, not comfortable enough to stand up and walk, and stopped five feet away. Her heart was racing. This poor dog was petrified, and she could see it in his eyes.
Someone had probably left him out here, she thought, the poor thing. The dog’s fear turned to anxiety, and anxiety turned to aggression. A tiring cycle she had experienced herself.
She held out her hand, palm up, and she saw his black little nose wiggling as he sniffed and assessed the situation. He started to pant, and she noticed his shoulders ease, the tension dissipating, and a mutual understanding between them began to grow. She maintained eye contact, and there was a connection between them that she couldn't understand, but she also couldn't deny.
The onlookers continued to gawk and stare. Both amazed at how she was able to connect with the dog and frightened. Half of them were probably in the process of calling animal control to have the scared dog taken away, only to live inside a cage until his allotted time would be up.
Finally, the dog made it to its feet, walked over to her, and sat down. She stroked his big broad head, and he hesitantly licked her.
Kira knew time was of the essence. In order to get out of here with this dog, she needed to pull the wool back over their eyes. Those annoying little sheep.
"Sorry about that everyone, sometimes he gets out, and isn’t so friendly to strangers. We had some bad experiences."
She pet him some more and began to walk, hoping that he would follow, and act like he belonged to her. In reality, she knew that she belonged to him just as much as he did to her. If she were to take this dog, she would need to be ready to handle him being dependent on her. This was something she had never done before, and something she had never dreamed of doing.
She felt like she should go home and spiffy up the apartment before she brought him into it.
Then, she smiled and laughed at herself. He's just a dog, she reminded herself. He's just a dog.
They successfully made it back to their apartment without attracting any unwanted attention. When she entered, Kira was reminded of just how small the place was. It was just right for her, but barely enough for the two of them, especially considering that he weighed as much as her. Food. She needed food for him. And water. And toys.
Holy shit, what did I get myself into?
First things first. She brought him into the shower and started running water over him. Like a scared little baby, his ears retracted back, and he surrendered. The dog behaved, and Kira practiced compassion. So far, so good.
Just as she was roughing him up with a towel to dry them both off, they were interrupted by a beeping. His big head perked up, he was on full alert. Obviously he wasn’t used to the sound like she was, but soon enough, he would get used to it, too. It only meant one thing: her next mission had arrived.
She walked over to the projector and started to review the statistics of the new mission. Danger level: 6.3. She nodded, in approval and excitement. She wasn't always interested in higher danger levels, but, once in a while, they proved to be intriguing and adventurous. Hopefully, this time would not require salvation by vine.
There is a plant being grown and worshipped in a remote corner of the Antarctic. Heavily guarded by warriors willing to go to any extent to protect it, you will need to extract a gene and get out. It is rumored that this plant is responsible for the indigenous people still being alive. Preliminary reports have shown an inimitable propensity to relieve pain completely. The tribe is located in the middle of nowhere, no technology in sight, and they rely on instinct to survive. Be nimble and be invisible.
Holy shit.
All she could think about was frigid weather, snow, and more numb body parts. She was glad the feeling had finally returned to her feet after hanging upside down by that vine, but now it was all about to go numb again.
Initially, this sounded like a corporate mission. There would probably be some big monetary payout with very little personal fulfillment. Definitely not her favorite type.
After she had finished reading the details about the mission, she heard that whimper again. The dog was still in the tub with a towel draped over him. She had forgotten all about him. Was this fair to him?
There was no way to know for sure, but something inside her told her that he would rather be in her apartment than in the park. There was a lot they could learn from each other, and he had already made her happier than she had been without him. All the money in the world couldn't buy her a genuine companion like him - something she had lacked over the last few years. Since relationships and family never seemed to be in the picture, it was only right that she should keep him.
She walked into the shower and, as soon as she entered the room, his little nub of a tail started to wag. It made her feel warm inside, a feeling that had grown completely foreign to her.
"Hi, beautiful. What are we going to call you?"
She finished drying him with the towel, and he remained perfectly still like a good boy. His big mouth was open and his tongue poked out like he was smiling.
As she scanned his massive shoulders, broad skull, and thick legs, Kira said, "How about Tank? Yeah, that sounds good."
She patted him, and he looked up into her eyes and licked her before she could react.
"You like that one? Okay, Tank it is."
They walked out into the living room, turned on the TV and lay down to rest for a few hours before she needed to start packing. Tank walked over and lay at the base of the couch.
Now that he was around, there was a feeling of safety and comfort and, more importantly, the presence of another life: a life that relied on her to stay safe and healthy. This was an overwhelming and invigorating thought. Maybe she would enjoy spoiling him, she thought. At least there would be a reason to spend some of the money rotting away in her account.
There was something about the mission that stuck in her mind. A plant that was worshiped. She knew when anything was worshiped, it meant people going to extremes to protect it. Whether it was ideas, plants, or people of the past, worship entailed extremism. Trying to convince herself that it was a just mission, Kira reminded herself that pain relief helped people, even if it also lined the pockets of pinstripe wearing CEOs. She considered them the modern plague of the earth, the greediest and most inhumane people, and she started to get nauseous at the thought of helping them out, furthering their agendas while risking her own life. There was no way to be certain that she was helping them out, but she knew that pain relief was most likely not for some little child, but instead some big Pharma company looking to capitalize on nature's bountiful solutions.
This was the type of shit that made her current situation less than desirable.