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TOP-SECRET FACILITY. LOCATION, UNKNOWN:
Pandora hears a steel door slam shut just before Shaw walks into the room and stands outside the bars of her cell. “You don’t realize what you’ve done. You must let me go before it’s too late.”
Shaw stares back evenly. “You seem to be back to normal. What happened to your eyes?”
“Never mind that right now. The infection has already begun. Pandora is demonstrating her power by getting rid of all the CRUDS. If you let me go, I might be able to stop her.”
“I thought you are Pandora.”
“It’s confusing, I know. How do you think I feel when she takes over my mind?”
“Are you saying she is not in control right now?”
“Yes. For some reason I cannot connect with the ship.”
Shaw looks up at the ceiling and walls. Although nothing is visible, she knows the room is shielded from the outside world by an electro-magnetic field. She smiles at Pandora. “The sample of blood we took from you is being analyzed. Once we isolate the gene that makes you impervious to disease, we’ll let you go.”
Pandora crosses her arms and stares back coldly. “It won’t work on your species. All you have done is hastened the demise of all your people. For the moment, the disease is only infecting people with brown eyes, but if you don’t release me so I can stop this, not even Alex will survive.”
Shaw snaps her head around to stare at Pandora. “What has this got to do with Alex?”
Pandora keeps her eyes locked on the woman. “Everything. Let me go and I’ll explain why he is so important to us.”
“Tell me now and I’ll consider it.”
“No.”
“You did something to him, didn’t you? Is that why you bit him?”
“You’re not going to release me, are you.” When Shaw doesn’t answer, Pandora turns to face the wall. “I have nothing more to say to you.”
Shaw stares at Pandora’s back for a few seconds, then turns and walks out of the room. She knows she can’t get phone reception inside the building and waits until she is outside to make her call. “This is Chief of Staff Shaw. Put me through to Director Donner.”
“I’m here, Ms. Shaw. Where is Pandora?”
“That’s none of your concern, Martin. Where is Alex Cave?”
“He’s on a mission. And like you said, that’s none of your concern.”
“You know I can find him without your help, so why not just tell me?”
“Why do you need him?”
“I’m not sure, but Pandora seems to think he is special and I need to know why. Have him report to my office immediately.”
“Alex doesn’t know any more than you do. He’s wondering the same thing. All I can tell you is that his mission is time sensitive and he can’t leave right now.”
“I’m making this an order, Director. I want him in my office in four hours. Is that understood?”
Donner’s hands tighten around the phone until his knuckles turn white. “Yes ma’am.”
Shaw grins and climbs into the rear seat of the government sedan. “Take me to the airport.”
***
Donner slams the receiver down onto the cradle and stares out the window. “Damn!”
He suddenly has an idea and grabs the phone. “Hey, Doug. Run a trace on my last incoming call.”
“Hang on a second.”
Donner puts the call on speaker, then stands and walks to the window while he waits. What the hell is so important about Alex?
“I have it, Director.”
Donner steps back to his desk and writes down the information. “All right. Thanks.” He sits down and brings out his smart phone, then enters the address into a text message to Alex, followed by, “It’s urgent you call me back ASAP.” He sends the message and calls his friend, the Director of the CIA. “Get me everything you have on the President’s Chief of Staff.”