The Einstein Equation

25 Calling in a Favor

Nina felt like a brand new woman after she had slept for seventeen hours in Sam’s hotel room. Sam, on the other hand, was exhausted, having hardly gotten any shuteye. After the disclosure of Dr. Jacobs’ secrets, he reckoned that the world was heading for disaster, no matter how good people tried to avert the atrocities of egocentric pricks like Tuft and McFadden. He hoped that he was not mistaken about Olga. It took him hours to convince Kasper Jacobs that there was hope, and Sam dreaded the hypothetical moment they should discover Olga’s body.

They joined with Kasper in the corridor of his floor.

“How did you sleep, Dr. Jacobs?” Nina asked. “I have to apologize for not being downstairs last night.”

“No, please do not worry, Dr. Gould,” he smiled. “Sam took care of me with age old Scottish hospitality, when it should have been I showing you two a Belgian welcome. After that much whiskey it was easy to sleep, even though the slumber sea was full of monsters.”

“I can relate,” Sam muttered.

“Don’t worry, Sam, I will help you all the way,” she consoled him, running her hand through his wild dark hair. “You did not shave this morning.”

“I figured that a rougher look is befitting of Siberia,” he shrugged as they stepped into the elevator. “Besides, it will keep my face warmer… and less recognizable.”

“Good thinking,” Kasper agreed lightheartedly.

“What is going to happen when we get to Moscow, Sam?” Nina asked in the canned silence of the lift.

“I will tell you on the plane. Only three hours to Russia,” he replied. His dark eyes shot up to the CCTV camera in the lift. “Cannot risk lip-reading.”

She followed his gaze and nodded. “Aye.”

Kasper delighted in the natural rhythm of his two Scottish associates, but it only reminded him of Olga and what terrible fate she may have faced already. He could not wait to step onto Russian soil, even if she had been taken elsewhere than what Sam Cleave speculated. As long as he could get even with Tuft, who was an integral part of the summit through Siberia.

“What airfield are they using?” Nina asked. “I cannot imagine they would use Domodedovo for such important people.”

“They are not. They are using a private airstrip to the northwest, called Koschei,” Sam elucidated. “I heard that at the opera theater when I slipped in, remember? It is privately owned by one of the Russian members of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”

“That smells suspicious,” Nina scoffed.

“It is,” Kasper affirmed. “Many of the members of the agency, as with the United Nations and the European Union, the Bilderberg delegates… are all in allegiance with the Order of the Black Sun. People refer to the New World Order, but nobody realizes that there is a far more sinister organization at work. Like a demon, it possesses these more familiar global organizations, and uses them as scapegoats before disembarking their vessels after the fact.”

“Interesting analogy,” Nina remarked.

“Actually, it is spot-on,” Sam agreed. “There is something innately dark about the Black Sun, something beyond global domination and elitist rule. It is almost esoteric in nature, using science to evolve.”

“That makes one think,” Kasper added, as the elevator doors opened, “that such a deep rooted and lucrative body would be practically impossible to destroy.”

“Aye, but we will keep growing on their genitals like a tenacious virus for as long as we have the power to make them itch and burn,” Sam smiled and winked, leaving the other two in stitches.

“Thanks for that, Sam,” Nina giggled as she tried to recover. “Speaking of interesting analogies!”

They took a taxi to the airport and hoped that they could make it to the private airfield on time to catch the train. One last time, Sam tried to call Purdue, but when a woman answered, he knew that Dr. Jacobs was right. He looked at Kasper Jacobs with an expression of alarm.

“What is wrong?” Kasper asked.

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “That was not Jane. I know Purdue’s personal assistant’s voice very well. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I fear Purdue is being held hostage. Whether he knows it or not, is irrelevant. I am calling Masters again. Someone should go and see what is going on at Wrichtishousis.” While they waited in the airline waiting area, Sam tried George Masters’ number again. He put the phone on speaker for Nina to hear, while Kasper went to get a coffee at the vending machine. To Sam’s surprise, George answered his phone, sounding sleepy.

“Masters?” Sam exclaimed. “Fucking hell! It is Sam Cleave. Where have you been?”

“Looking for you,” Masters replied sharply, suddenly a bit more cogent. “You gave Purdue the fucking equation after I explicitly told you not to.”

Nina listened attentively with wide eyes. She mouthed, “He sounds pissed as hell!”

“Look, I know,” Sam started his excuse, “but the research I did on it did not mention anything as threatening as what you told me.”

“Your research is useless, mate,” George snapped. “Did you really think this level of destruction is easy to access to just anyone? What, did you think you would find it on Wikipedia? Huh? Only those of us who know, we know what it can do. Now you have gone and fucked it all up, clever boy!”

“Listen, Masters, I have a way to prevent it from being used,” Sam suggested. “You can go to Purdue’s house, as my emissary, and explain it to him. Better yet, if you could get him out of there.”

“Why would I?” Masters played hardball.

“Because you want to stop this, right?” Sam tried to coax the mutilated man. “Hey, you totaled my car and took me hostage. You owe me a favor, I would say.”

“Do your own dirty work, Sam. I tried to warn you and you discarded my knowledge. You want to stop him from using the Einstein Equation? Do it yourself, if you are so chummy with him,” Masters growled.

“I am abroad, otherwise I would,” Sam elucidated. “Please, Masters. Just check on him.”

“Where are you?” Masters asked, seemingly ignoring Sam’s imploring.

“Belgium, why?” Sam answered.

“I just want to know where you are so that I can find you,” he told Sam in a menacing tone. Nina’s eyes stretched even larger at that. Her dark brown peepers glimmered under her scowl. She looked at Kasper way over by the machine, who wore a worrisome expression on his face.

“Masters, you can beat the snot out of me once this is over,” Sam attempted an accord with the furious scientist. “I will even throw a few punches to make it look two sided, but for Christ’s sake, please go to Wrichtishousis and tell the security at the gate to give your daughter a lift to Inverness.”

“Excuse me?” Masters roared, laughing heartily. Sam smiled quietly as Nina revealed her confusion in the dumbest, comical expression.

“Just tell them that,” Sam reiterated. “They will admit you and tell Purdue you are a friend of mine.”

“Then what?” the insufferable grouch jeered.

“Whatever you need to do to impart the dangerous element of the Dire Serpent on him,” Sam shrugged. “And be warned. There is a woman with him who thinks she controls him. Her name is Lilith Hurst, a nurse with a God-complex.”

Masters was dead quiet.

“Hey, can you hear me? Do not let her influence your conversation with Purdue…” Sam continued. He was interrupted by an unexpectedly soft response by Masters. “Lilith Hurst? Did you say, Lilith Hurst?”

“Aye, she was Purdue’s nurse, but apparently he finds a kindred in her because they share a love for science,” Sam informed him. Nina recognized the sound Masters made on the other side of the line. It was the sound of a distraught man recollecting a bad break-up. It was the sound of emotional turmoil still scathing.

“Masters, this is Nina, Sam’s associate,” she said suddenly, grabbing Sam’s arm to hold the phone steady for her. “Do you know her?”

Sam looked confused, but only because he did not have Nina’s female intuition on the subject. Masters breathed in hard and then slowly exhaled. “I know her. She was involved in the experiment that left me looking like Freddy fucking Krueger, Dr. Gould.”

Sam felt a jolt of horror strike his chest. He had no idea that Lilith Hurst was really a scientist beyond the walls of a hospital laboratory. At once, he realized that she posed a far bigger threat than he ever believed.

“Right, then, son,” Sam interrupted, striking while the iron is hot, “all the more reason for you to pay a visit and show Purdue what his new girlfriend is capable of.”