The Cure: A Genetic Engineering Thriller

Chapter 2

James had been blessed with a cool, cloudless evening, and, by the looks of it, another bright and sunny afternoon.

There was nothing worse than camping when it was hot and humid, but at least he wasn’t sharing the tent with another person. That always tended to make things worse. Alas, it was just him on his spontaneous travels to try and evade the malicious murderers that had ripped his old life out root and stem. Now it was just him and the open road.

Running on only a few hours of sleep, James knew that coffee was his first priority of the day. He was ashamed to admit he had been startled multiple times throughout the night from branches snapping somewhere in the forest nearby, and his immediate thought was it was the man in black hunting him down like a wild animal. In retrospect, it was likely just a small, nocturnal creature scrounging for some food, completely harmless to James’s life.

Dismantling his sad excuse of a campsite, he made his way back to his car, taking note of how full the parking lot had become since he arrived. It looked as if not a single spot was empty now, which meant the park was 10 crowded with families and couples enjoying what was left of the vacation months.

Spotting one of the rangers in the park booth entrance, James stashed his belongings in his trunk before walking over.

“Hello,” he greeted the older gentleman behind the desk. The sweet aroma of coffee filled the little shack, making James’s mouth water almost instantly. “I was wondering if you could point me to the closest coffee shop.”

“Of course I can,” he smiled. Swirling around in his rolling chair, he grabbed a long, wooden stick and pointed to their current location on the map. “Follow this road to the end and take a right,” he moved the stick along as he gave James the instructions, “it’s no more than five minutes after that. It’s a little local store, nothing fancy, but they sell pastries and other breakfast goodies if you’re looking to grab a bite to eat, too.”

“Wonderful,” James stated. “Does it have a name?”

“Miss Mama’s Bakery, can’t miss it.”

James saluted the ranger and walked quickly to his car before following the directions the man had given him. He was right, although his timing was off, and he’d arrived in just under fifteen minutes. Not that it really mattered, James was just happy to see that they were open and there wasn’t a huge line to wait in.

“Good morning! What can I get started for you today?”

A beautiful woman scooted in front of the cash register; her apron wrapped tight around her waist. She reminded James a bit of Melanie, and his chest hurt momentarily at the thought. He desperately wished that he could’ve brought her along, not just for the company but to keep her safe, too, but knew she needed time to wrap her head around things. He understood that.

“Large coffee, please. I’ll also take a bagel with cream cheese, a BLT wrap, and a few of those fresh donuts over there,” he pointed behind the glass, drool practically falling from his lips. It had been so long since he divulged in a few sweets, and he wasn’t about to pass up on the opportunity for some homemade treats.

“Feeding the whole family, are we?” she laughed before getting started on his order.

“No, no,” James muttered. “It’s just me. I’m touring all the national parks. I thought it might be easier to just pick up breakfast and lunch, so I don’t have to make so many stops.”

She nodded along as if she genuinely cared but was quick to wrap up all his items. Sliding the paper bag across the counter, the woman handed him his steaming cup of coffee and flashed him her best customer service smile.

“You’re a lucky man to get to travel across the country during the summer, not most people can say they’ve 12 done that. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“No, this is great, thank you,” he said.

If only she knew the reason why I was putting as much distance between me and my hometown, James thought as the café bell chimed above his head.

The morning eased into the afternoon and James allowed his anxious thoughts to float away with the wind.

There was little traffic to slow him down, and he had been so wrapped up in the gorgeous landscape that he nearly missed the exit to head to the Mount Rushmore Monument. He’d contemplated stopping somewhere to get another bite to eat, perhaps an early dinner, but he decided against it. As he pulled into the queue to purchase a pass, he noticed a few men in their minivans or hatchbacks eyeing his restored beauty, and that gave him a little jolt of confidence. He always loved the attention that came with driving a classic car.

“Welcome to Mount Rushmore,” the older woman greeted him at the entrance kiosk. “It’ll be $10 for the parking pass and another $10 for the pass.”

He handed her a single bill but flashed the annual pass he had purchased when he visited the first national park of the trip. “I have an annual,” he said.

“Go on ahead.”

Giving her a polite wave, James drove on ahead and parked in the first available spot that he could find. He knew that this area was going to be one of the more busy attractions along his trip, but he certainly didn’t expect it to be crawling with tourists. There were guided groups led by rangers, with a huddle of families trailing along behind them, kids running every direction James feared one of them were going to get hit by a car, and more selfie sticks than he’d ever seen in his life. His stomach twisted with uneasiness, but he swallowed his fear and paranoia, not wanting to have wasted all this time and energy coming all the way out here just to chicken out in the end.

Besides, there was nothing to be afraid of, or at least that was what he had muttered to himself nearly a dozen times as he sauntered down the trial at his own leisurely pace. The chances of Big Pharma’s goons tracking him all the way out here was slim to none. Nor would they even think to grab him with all these people around.

No, he was safer with the crowds.

One this was for certain, he was sure glad of the serum running through his veins on a day like today; while the trail said it was for beginners, pre-potion James Scott would’ve been huffing and puffing by the time he reached the monument platform. Now though, he had barely even broken a sweat and was able to enjoy its 14 magnificent glory without struggling to regain a steady heartbeat.

In his youth, James had a bit of a passion for history, and seeing the faces of four past presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln brought him an unexpected sense of nostalgia.

Tensing up momentarily, it felt as if a gush of wind had passed right through his body, and James couldn’t help but smile, wondering if that was Amelia’s spirit, letting him know that she was right there alongside him. While a part of him would always long for her to be in the physical world, James had come to heal from her passing, although he couldn’t exactly say when that had happened. Perhaps this trip was about more than just running away from the monsters that had consumed his present life, but also come to terms with what happened in the past. Amelia was gone, it was tragic and he had lost her too soon, but that didn’t necessarily mean he had to be lost forever, too. He had a future, a bright one, filled with love and purpose, and if he played his cards right, maybe his future belonged to Melanie.

“Sir?” a raspy voice startled him out of his epiphany state of mind. “Are you with the tour? We’re moving along now, I don’t want to be responsible for any stragglers.”

“Oh,” James blinked, blushing when he realized a group of twenty people were standing there gawking at 15 him and the ranger. “No, no, I’m not a part of the tour, I apologize for holding you up.”

There were a few hurumphs and mumbles from the crowd, as if the few extra seconds were costing them money, but the ranger rallied them up and they had resumed their tour on the trail. Looking at his watch, James realized he had lost track of time standing there looking up at the carved faces, and figured it would be best to head back. Besides, his stomach was growling so loud he thought for sure anyone who passed by him would hear.

This time he didn’t mosey along at a slow pace but fast walked straight to the parking lot.

“See, now I told you we shouldn’t have driven it before having it properly tested,” a woman’s voice complained. “Now we’re going to be stuck here and I don’t have any reception to call for a tow truck.”

“Irene, it’s not that bad,” a man, her husband, James assumed, huffed in response. “It just needs a little…”

“Fixing, Reggie?” Irene crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, the boys are out of town and they’re the ones who helped restore this piece of—”

James couldn’t help himself but listen in on their little marital dispute. Mostly because the vehicle in question was an exquisite vintage Packard sedan, and they were not easy to come by.

“Having a bit of trouble?” James interjected, and both of them turned their heads in his direction. He gave an awkward wave before gesturing towards the older gentleman, who he guessed was Reggie. He was bent over the hood of the vehicle, dubiously inspecting the engine for the source of the problem.

“No,” Reggie replied.

“Yes!” Irene insisted. “Don’t listen to my husband, he’d rather leave us here stranded in the visitor’s parking lot than to call someone for help.”

“I don’t need help, darling, I keep telling you that. Once I diagnose it I should be able to get her back up and running in no time.”

“Mind if I have a quick peak?” James offered. “I fix up classic cars myself, that one over there is mine.”

He pointed across the lot to his most prized possession. Reggie’s eyes lit up, and he shimmied to the side, allowing James room to have a look himself. Irene seemed to sigh with relief that someone had come to their rescue. After taking a look at what was underneath the hood, James was able to spot the issue in no time.

“Reggie, is it?” he asked the man, who nodded in response. “Mind jumping behind the wheel and turning the key over for me?”

“Absolutely,” the man clapped with excitement. He had a little bit of a spring in his step now, eagerly sliding into the tan leather seats and turning the key. It glugged 17 for a few seconds, and James feared that he hadn’t done the trick, but after the initial first clicks it roared to life.

“Hallelujah!” Irene cried out before grabbing James by the sleeve and yanking him into a bear hug. “Thank you so much, you’re our guardian angel!”

“Here.” Reggie handed him a rag so he could clean off the grease from his hands, not that there was a whole much. “I appreciate the help, I don’t know how I missed that.”

“It’s my pleasure. Besides I’m a mechanic, it’s an unspoken rule to always help those who are having car troubles. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight if I hadn't stopped.”

“Please, let us pay for your services,” Irene suggested. She walked to the passenger side of the vehicle to retrieve her purse, but James shook his head, not wanting to take these people’s money for a simple repair.

“No, no, that’s not necessary, consider it a favor.”

“At least let us buy you dinner,” Reggie offered. “It’s getting to be that time anyway, and we know a great place out by our ranch. It’s not far from here, just outside of Custer. What do you say?”

“Alright,” James caved. “I can’t turn down a delicious meal.”

“Splendid. I’m Irene, by the way, but I’m sure you heard my husband here curse my name several times,” she giggled. “And this stubborn old man is Reginald, but I just call him Reggie.”

“Wonderful to meet you.” He shook both their hands, feeling a sense of comfort from the energy they radiated. It had been a long time since he felt a genuine connection with a stranger, not since his friendship with Dr. Ronald Clark. “I’m James Scott.”