Out of Time

Trotter

As soon as we get the information for Eleanor Chloe and I head out to get the group, all except for Mitch, who we hadn't seen since we stormed out of the building. Obviously, they are a little nervous about being on a plane for a long period of time. I mean Abe, Jackson, and I had only crashed a handful of times since this whole thing started.

"We pushed our luck already with the trip to New Brunswick," Abe comments as we drive to the airfield. I am driving, which is odd for this group, but Chloe and I are the only ones who know where we are going.

"Apparently, according to Eleanor, this plane has been equipped with some sort of countermeasures," I glance to Abe in the rearview mirror.

"So, they're going to try and squeeze us into a fighter jet," we laugh as we approach a very very large plane. When we get out of the car the group looks on in awe at the sire size of this plane. "Looks like the skies just got a whole lot friendlier," Abe chuckles.

We get our bags out of the truck and head into the plane, when we get in we are greeted by the pilot and Eleanor, "this is your pilot, Greg Trotter Greg, this is Jackson Oz"

"Hi," the man smiles and nods.

"Abraham Kenyatta."

"Hi, How are you."

"Chloe Tousignant."

"Hi."

"And Katherine Smith."

"Well, nice meeting you all. I'm off to do preflight. Be in the air in no time. Enjoy your tour."

We nod and smile as Trotter walks but to the cockpit before Eleanor starts our tour, "the sleeping quarters and the lounge are upstairs. You'll have to decide amongst yourselves who gets the master bedroom."

We walk through the plane, Jackson and I walk into the kitchen and look around, "this kitchen is bigger than my first apartment."

I scoff, "please, it's bigger than the cabin we had back home."

"Vehicle bay is in the tail and this is the lab," Eleanor continues.

"Eleanor, whose plane is this?" Jackson asks as he and I step out of the kitchen.

"An interested third party who has a lot to lose if the Noah Objective goes forward."

"And this third party is giving us a ride to meet a scientist?"

"Not giving you a ride, giving you a plane."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. That was the first question I asked, too. I also asked for a basketball hoop right up there. Guess we haven't gotten around to that one yet, huh?" We look up and see Mitch coming down the stairs.

"So, you're back? I thought you quit," I step forward and give Mitch a hug.

"Well, to be honest, I got no place else to go and I made a deal with our new pal, Eleanor, here. She's gonna send a team to look for Jamie, and if they can't find her, she's gonna send another and another and another until we do find her. Right, Eleanor?"

Eleanor nods, "as soon as a team becomes available, I'll dispatch them to New Brunswick."

Abe looks over to Eleanor, "Eleanor, thank you, truly."

"It's the least I can do."

"And thank you for using your leverage."

Mitch sits onto the stairs, "all right if I won all of you in a raffle, I'd probably give you back to the guy who won second place. Although he probably wouldn't want you, either." I look down at Mitch, disapprovingly. "Nor would he want me, because I've been behaving like a five-year-old." He clears his throat, "as to why we're all being raffled off in the first place, I can't really... Look, I'm.... What I'm trying to say is we don't get to choose our families. For better, for worse, we're pretty much family now. Right? We've got work to do, so let's do it."

Jackson nods and looks over to Eleanor, "and what is that work, Eleanor? Do we have an official assignment?"

"Stop the mutation," Eleanor simple states.

"That's all?" I look at a little confused.

"Thanks to aggressive lobbying by Reiden Global, the IADG is set to vote on the Noah Objective in six weeks. If it's approved, there will be no turning back."

Mitch stands but up and steps down next to me, "hang on a second. Reiden Global? The biotech company that started this whole animal mess they still have a say in this?"

Eleanor nods, "they offered a solution, and people are listening."

Jackson's gaze moves from Eleanor to me, a disapproving almost betrayed look in his eyes, "the Noah Objective is not a solution. Its murder."

"We're part of a dwindling few who believe that. The only way we're gonna convince the others is by giving them a viable alternative. Start in Argentina. Meet with Dr. Vickers, see if his work if this animal he's hunting can help you."

I take a deep breath and nod, "we don't have much time." The team nods and we separate, going to look over the different rooms. Natural Chloe and Abe take a few of the individual rooms and Jackson and I take another. "It'll be cramped in here with two of us," I comment as I sit my bag onto the small bed and glance around the small room. For one person it would be nice, but it's a little small for two.

"Cramped is good for me," Jackson comments wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I thought you were mad at me."

"I'm not mad, I get where you are coming from when we were talking earlier. You were scared and panicked. But we can't let the Noah Objective go forward."

I nod as I feel Jackson rest his head on my shoulder, "I know...."

After getting unpacked Jackson and I head to the small living room area and flip on the TV, listening to the anchor, with Abe and Chloe. "We now have confirmation from the IADG that the rumored cure has failed. And in light of the attacks in Washington D.C., suburbs all along the Eastern Seaboard are being evacuated. Residents are encouraged to take shelter in the nearest protected city or government safe zone."

Jackson shakes his head and leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees, "I have the feeling things are going to get worse before they get better."

I nod and sigh, lightly rubbing his back, "we'll figure something out... We have to..."

Abe stands and sighs, "I need a drink."

I grab one of the files and look over Jackson's files and see that one of the changes I may have pushed through was done. I place a hand on Jackson's shoulder and stand, this had always been our signal for 'I need to talk to you in the other room.' When I get up I head back into our room and Jackson follows behind, "I pulled a few strings slightly illegal strings and I changed your medical records."

"Well, then, uh we got nothing to worry about, huh? We don't have to worry about anyone else finding out. We'll keep this between the two of us."

"Our little secret."

"Our little secret that what? My blood's changing? That I'm changing? Changing into what?" Jackson laughs nervously as thunder rolls and rumbles outside.

"I'm gonna go check out the lab," I smile wryly to Jackson before heading down to the lab and seeing Mitch, "hey."

"Hey, Kat," Mitch looks up from his work station, "what's up?"

I sigh and step over to him, "this thing between you and Abe, you gotta put it behind you. I don't know what happened up there, but I do know that we can't get this done if we don't work as a team, and that means you can't be moody Mitch all the time."

"Yes, mom," Mitch nods and jokes.

I turn and start back up the stairs, "hey, like it or not, I'm basically the Den Mother to this group, for some reason."

"Does that make Jackson dad or..."

I stop and look back to Mitch, "don't make it weird."