Chapter Ten

When is she coming, Jack? Why do we not have any visuals on her?

She is an intelligent woman. Mr. Royal taking her family was a big mistake.

I like surprises, says Royal. Jack walks into the lab, looking over at Thomas, " how is the vaccine coming along?

"Boss, we tried everything, but it's unsuccessful."

Julia never told us the formula.

You were working closely with her. How could you not have seen the procedure?

"Mr. Royal walks in and walks over to Thomas with his hands behind his back.

Do you know who funds these toys you got going on here?"

Thomas had never seen Mr. Royal enter the lab before, and having him in the Lab made him nervous.

"Yes, Sir, You do"

Do you? Is that how you address your superior, he snaps?

No Sir, My apologies. Jack nervously laughs as he attempts to diverse Royal focus to something else.

Jack, go and wait for me outside.

But Sir, I can assure you Thomas is giving his full attention to this matter.

"Royal now snaps and hits the table. Dammit, if that was true, why do we not have the antidote."

Sir, says Thomas, What? Snaps Royal? We are going to fix this.

When Tom? When? That is my question to you. Sir, we have Julia's family here. She will give us the formula for the antidote.

It's been two days since we have not heard a single word from her. Do you think she will pitch and hand us the formula?

Thomas looks down "he knows Julia won,t give the formula, but hopefully, taking her family into account, she would voluntarily give them what they want.

Royal looks down at Thomas. I am giving you two days.

What I cannot understand is how is it possible that you do not know what the antidote is?

"Sir, Mr. Royal Thomas stutters, Julia saw this coming before we saw it, and she conducted her experiments in private,"

"Phone rings"

It's an unknown number, says Royal looking down at his phone. It is her, says Thomas. Royal looks at Thomas as he answers the phone hesitantly

"Are you done with your interrogations? Royal looks up and around him. Where are you?"

I thought by now you would have figured that out?

Royal looks at the camera at the entrance of the door, "listen, all we want is the antidote."

Julia laughs. What makes you think I have the antidote?

Your family is healthy, and your daughter was one of the first to take the vaccine before the virus was known, so that vaccine your daughter had, Royal, goes quiet, then says, who stole the vaccines have been working on?

That vaccine was a placebo. If you double-checked your reports and results after those injections were given, you would know it never worked.

Royal now takes a deep breath. "Stop messing with me." If I do not have that vaccine by 6 pm, you can say goodbye to your daughter and husband.

Thomas overhears the conversation and checks the reports, and picks up a pile of documents with the word "confidential" written on it.

Jack looks down at the paperwork Thomas is holding, then takes the file and scrolls through the paperwork. Boss says Jack, she is telling the truth.

Royal hangs up the phone, "what are you idiots telling me?"

"Jack nervously replies," the vaccination her daughter took is the same as our vaccine.

Royal grabs Jack by the throat staring him into his eyes, so you are telling me there is no vaccine, "Thomas intervenes."

Sir, we are all okay even though we took the placebo. Maybe the placebo is the real thing?

Royal looks over to Thomas, "did we hire a bunch of idiots here?"

There is a new variant, and if you turn on the television, you will see people around us dying. The variant is more deadly than the first wave we had.

So all along, you were under the impression we were trying to find a cure for the first wave?

"No,/Yes Sir says Thomas hesitantly. So we have many scientists who do not know what's going on globally?

Jack, so you wasted my time coming here? No Sir, Julia never informed Thomas on the new variant.

Ok! Enough Excuse, let the family go back to the house, and for your sake Jack, I will give you 48 hours to get back to me with feedback.

Jack looks over at Thomas, 48hours Jack!

Royal walks out of the Lab. Thomas is looking at Jack.

Boss? What are we going to do? I don't know, Jack snaps!

If you idiots have done your job as you should, we would

not be having this discussion!

Boss, we will find a vaccine, even if it takes us all day and night. Jack knows Thoma's family, wife, and kids, and he regards Jack as more than just an employee but as a friend.

"Please, Jack pleads," I am counting on you. I have a wife and kids, "and I know what Royal can get that vaccine."

Boss? Yes, Thomas, has anyone ever asked her husband for the vaccine?

Thomas, you forget he only got home recently. There is absolutely no way he would know what she was working on.

I think our chances of knowing are much better.

You are right, boss, "so are you going to release them? "

Yes, you heard what Mr. Royal had instructed me.

"Jack's phone rings an unknown number."

Hello?

There is no answer.

Hello? Julia, is this you, "yes, answers Julia."

I do not have the vaccine. I would not let innocent people die.

I figured, Julia, we are returning your family safe to the house they were taken from.

"Julia goes quiet, Julia are you there?"

Yes, I am Jack. "Have you hear what I said? We are returning your family home."

Julia believes Jack is naive to fall for Royal's trap.

Jack, you are not getting out of this one, says Julia.

"Excuse me"

You need to save your family while you can.

What are you talking about?

Royal will have your men drop my family and see if I will pitch, and he was sending people after your family.

How do you know that? I tapped his phone.

I am sending you the recording.

Jack turns and looks at Thomas as the recording comes through.

He hears Royal's voice saying.

Follow them and do not lose them. When we get the vaccine, we will kill them all.

The supply is low.

Jack looks at Thomas as Thomas looks around at his colleagues. Thanks, Julia.

We will drop your family. Jack?

Yes, Julia?

"Trust no one."

Thomas looks over at Jack as Jack looks at Thomas.

Thank you, Jack needs a plan. Whatever he is going to do will get him and his family killed unless he has some leverage.

Jack walks out of the Lab and walks into his office, sitting back and thinking, Julia knows the vaccine, and she does not trust Thomas or anyone.

Why else would she say do not trust anyone?

Why did Thomas have that look of guilt on his face? Why was the file not presented to him before?

There are so many unanswered questions as Jack stands up and looks out the window to the tall building opposite.

People with ordinary Jobs go about their day carrying files up and down and have no clue what is going on in the world.

Jack looks up at the tall building and notices the guy standing on the ledge about to jump off the building. Is he going to jump?

Before he can scream, stop the guy falls off the building flat down to the ground.

Jack, can't believe what he had just witnessed as he sees the lady in the opposite building screaming frantically as a guy in a suit is walking up to her with a knife, "help" she screams as she turns and sees Jack looking in her direction.

"Jack pulls out his gun and aims to the guy in the opposite building shoots as the glass in his office shatters." Agents come bursting through the door armed.

"Boss, are you ok? "The wind blow through the shattered windows as he looks at the lady in his opposite direction covered in blood.

In a daze walking to the point of the window 12 stories up, no he screams as she steps off the floor and falls to the ground.

The agents behind Jack turn their guns facing eachother and shoot at eachother as Jack holds his hair, confused at what happened, then snaps in a daze.

He is covered in blood as he takes a gun and walks out of the office.

Walking down to the cell where Julia's husband and child are kept in captivity.

He is Aiming the gun at Robert, "no screams Kathy as Jack looks at Kathy the places the gun in his mouth."