Out of Time

Particle Accelerator

We leave the hotel as quickly as we can, probably making us look a little more guilty then we'd like, but what are they gonna do, blame us for killer ants? Once we get back everyone needs a break from everything, but sadly, time is something we don't have. We get to the lab and Mitch starts testing the spinal fluid while we turn on a news channel that has already gotten wind of Eleanor's death and are reporting on it. "If you're just joining us, we're covering breaking news out of Geneva, Switzerland, where IADG's consultant, Eleanor Lewis, was found dead in her hotel room. The cause of death has not yet been released. Eleanor Lewis is survived by her 20-year-old son, a freshman at U-Chicago."

Mitch takes a deep breath turning from the tv to Chloe and I, "we, um, we need to reach out to someone else in Eleanor's department."

I shake my head, "she didn't have a department. It was only her and Amelia."

Chloe sighs, "and with them both gone, we're working alone."

"Which means there's no search team being sent to look for Jamie," Mitch stands and shakes his head.

"Hey, Mitch," I get up and step toward him, "no one's giving up on Jamie, okay? We will find a way to..."

Mitch cuts me off, "no one is gonna waste any resources looking for a redhead lost in the woods, right?"

The new report continues, "another development in this ongoing investigation. And this information is coming to us live. Authorities have discovered five more unexplained deaths in Geneva, bringing the total count to 427. We're getting unconfirmed reports that each of the victims suffered strange burns."

"So other people died just like Eleanor?" Chloe looks over to me.

"It would appear so," I nod and take a deep breath.

"Well, then maybe this is bigger than General Davies."

"Or smaller," Mitch comments look up from the microscope, "check this out." Mitch waves us over and brings up a screen with the slide on in.

"There was an ant inside Eleanor's spine when she died?" I look over to Mitch, "so the ants killed her?"

"Maybe."

"But how?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll try to figure it out."

I nod and we leave Mitch to his tests. Jackson and I head to the room and get ready to settle in for the night. As I put my hair up it a high ponytail Jackson places his hands on mine, stopping me from putting my hair up and places his head against the back of mine, taking a deep breath, "I like it when you wear your hair down."

"Even when it gets in your face while we're sleeping?" I laugh softly.

"Yeah," he turns me around toward him and places his hands on my hips. "Because then I can smell warm vanilla all night." I giggle softly as Jackson kisses me, leaning forward, before he lays me down on to the bed, still kissing me as he does. Our embraces last for an hour or so, but sadly we don't get to rest afterward. When we hear Abe come in, we both head down to the lab to talk to him.

Abe is sitting at one of the tables when Jackson walks up to him, "you know the, uh, the social structure of ants is actually quite similar to that of humans? Male ants, for example, will mate with attractive new female ants even if they're from an enemy colony."

"You know, not everything is about mating, Rafiki. Not that you two would know that," Abe looks over to me as Jackson wraps an arm around my waist, placing his hand on my hip. "Dariela has an intriguing combination of strength and beauty. Much like Katherine is. What does it matter? I'm never going to see her again."