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Chapter 5: The Specimen
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2021-02-21 16:47:02Water streamed from the hand shower that Ella held over Red’s feet. Ella had the CEO sit on a stool and place his feet inside the catch basin under the emergency shower as she washed any acid off. Ella ran the shower head over Red’s exposed feet and she noticed that his feet seemed to be unharmed despite the acid seeping through his shoes and damaging his socks.
Matt watched Ella with amusement as she washed the CEO’s feet. He approached them with a faint smile on his face while still holding the thermal bag between his hands.“Sorry to disturb you, but would you know what I should do with this?” asked Matt, raising the thermal bag.Red raised his gaze and looked at the thermal bag. “I had that brought in because I want you to look at the specimen and tell me what you think,” he said. He uncrossed his legs and brought both feet on the catch basin. Ella realized that she had washed Red’s feet adequately.“Let me take that, Matt. Please help Mr. Kazor dry his feet and get him a pair of slippers,” said Ella as she turned off the shower and rose to get the thermal bag from Matt.“Are you sure you don’t want to dry Mr. Kazor’s feet yourself?” Matt teased Ella although his face looked serious.Ella wanted to jab Matt but managed to keep a cool composure. “I think you’ll do a better job,” she said, grabbing the thermal bag and taking it from Matt’s grasp. “Besides, I don’t think I can trust you to prepare this specimen.” She then walked away, leaving Matt and Red looking at her.“Don’t worry. We always tease her like that,” Matt said to Red. “Let me just get you your slippers,” he added while offering a hand towel to Red for him to dry his feet. “Sorry about your shoes and your pants,” he apologized.Red accepted the towel and dried his feet while waiting for Matt to get him the slippers.Ella opened the thermal bag and admired the secure way that the specimen was stored inside an airtight container. She had worn her gloves and carefully took out the container with the specimen. She had just placed the specimen under the microscope when Matt and Red stepped beside her.“Let me just get this in focus,” said Ella as she peeked into the microscope and adjusted the knobs slowly. After a few moments, she raised her head and turned to Red. “Where did you get this from?” she asked.“May I see?” Red asked Ella, ignoring her question. “Did you see anything peculiar about the specimen?” he asked as he looked into the microscope.“Nothing out of the ordinary,” answered Ella. “They seem like perfectly normal muscle tissue.”“Human?” asked Red which made Ella turn her head to one side.“They appear to me as human,” she answered slowly. “What were you expecting for me to find?” Her eyebrow lifted.“Ms. Freya told me to try our serum on that. Let me just drop this on the specimen,” said Matt and placed a few drops of liquid from a vial he was holding.Ella frowned, thinking that Matt was too hasty in offering to try an experimental serum.“From what batch did you get that?” Ella asked Matt.“The latest one. Batch 249A,” replied Matt as he quickly covered the vial.Red kept on looking at the microscope. “Are you sure this is human tissue?”“Let me see,” said Matt. Then, instead of taking Red’s place at the microscope, he turned on a display which showed the specimen that Red was looking at.Red stepped away from the microscope and looked at the display.“Yep, looks healthy muscle cells… and human,” said Matt.Red noticed that Ella was observing him and smiled at her. Ella could not help but observe how her body seemed to react with Red’s magnetic gaze and warm smile. She felt immediately drawn to the CEO and could imagine how he could direct his army of managers and staff to his bidding. However, her instincts as a scientist started to get hold of her senses. With the uncompromising objectivity demanded by her profession, she analyzed her own body’s reaction at the CEO’s appearance and slight gestures. Instantly, she broke from the CEO’s gaze and looked at the image on the specimen.“You still haven’t told us where you got the specimen from,” remarked Ella, expecting Red to answer. She avoided Red’s gaze as she looked at Matt moving the specimen under the microscope.“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” said Red. Then, he turned to Matt and said, “You can give me back the specimen now.”Matt raised his head and then removed the specimen from under the microscope. “Sorry, if we didn’t see what it was that you’re expecting,” he told Red. “I don’t expect to see any reaction of normal healthy cells to our serum though. We can try again under controlled conditions,” offered Matt.“No need to apologize. I was just trying to confirm a hunch,” said Red as he took the thermal bag where Matt had placed the specimen. Red was silent for a few moments before speaking again. “What day is it?” he asked.“Twenty-first of January,” replied Matt.“When is the next full moon?” asked Red.Matt took out his phone and did a voice search. “When is the next full moon?” Matt asked his phone.A woman’s pleasant voice was heard: The first full moon of the year, or what Native Americans call the Wolf Moon, will light up the night sky on January 28. Enjoy your camping, Matt!After the computer-generated voice, there was the sound effect of a howling wolf. Red smiled as he heard the sound effect while Matt immediately lowered his phone.“Thanks!” said Red as he appeared to consider something inside his head. Then, he raised his left hand and lifted his sleeve a little to reveal a gold watch.“I really enjoyed visiting your lab,” said Red, looking at Matt and then at Ella. “Unfortunately, I have another important appointment coming up and I need to leave.”“It was nice to have you, Mr. Kazor,” said Ella, smiling at the CEO.“Sure!” said Matt. “Drop by anytime.”“Pleasure’s all mine,” said Red, staring at Ella and smiling slightly.“Sorry again about your shoes and your clothes,” apologized Ella, slightly bowing her head.“You can keep the slippers,” added Matt.“Don’t trouble yourself, Dr. Garcia. This is nothing,” said Red, looking down at his feet. “Now, I really must go.”Red proceeded towards the exit and was followed by Ella and Matt. He returned Matt’s lab coat and retrieved his own black coat and necktie. Afterwards, he said his final goodbyes to the laboratory researchers and walked out of the Biotech Laboratory flanked by his two armed guards.Related chapters
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Ella did not expect the call from the CEO so soon and was even more disarmed by the fact that he was asking her for dinner that night.“Oh! I’m not sure if I can make it tonight, Red. I have to look at my calendar,” Ella replied. She knew she had nothing to do that night but found it hard to decide if she should have dinner with the wealthy CEO.Matt was listening closely and then made an exaggerated frown when he heard Ella’s reply. He spun around in his swivel chair and then placed both hands over his face.“Yes, Red…. Let me jot that down,” said Ella. She then grabbed a pen and wrote a series of numbers on a piece of paper. “Yes, I will. Thanks!” She replaced the phone on its cradle and turned to her colleagues who were all staring at her wide-eyed.“Well? What did he say?” asked Nancy, anticipation clearly evident in her face.“He asked me for dinner tonight,” said Ella slowly
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“What do you mean you’re not going?” asked Nancy once she had recovered from the shock. Matt bent his head to the side and acted like he was hammering himself with his fist.“Exactly what I said,” replied Ella. “I’m not going to dinner with him tonight.” She said it too plainly and without emotion that made it even harder for Nancy to comprehend what she was saying.“I don’t understand, Ella. He’s an extremely wealthy man and definitely not lacking in the looks department. What more do you want?” asked Nancy. She could not reconcile Ella’s objection to going to dinner with probably the country’s most eligible bachelor.“Goodbye, multimillion research grant!” Matt raised his hands as if in surrender, but did not look at his colleagues.“What is it, Elle? Tell me what’s bothering you,” said Nancy, a look of concern on her face.“Nothing&rsquo
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Ella passed under a streetlamp and was temporarily enveloped with yellow light. She walked with a steady pace, her footsteps hitting the pavement becoming the only sound in the night apart from the soft rustling of the leaves from the tree branches overhead. After a while, she saw the walking green man of the pedestrian traffic light ahead and walked briskly, hoping to cross the street before the light changed. She was a few steps away when she heard a click and the pedestrian light changed to red. The stationary red man replaced his dynamic predecessor, instructing similar bipeds on the sidewalk to remain still. Luminous numbers on the LED display underneath turned red as well and started counting down the seconds remaining before pedestrians were allowed to cross the street.Slightly disappointed, Ella slowed down before completely halting her steps. She had hardly stopped before the curb when a car came hurtling past, its horn blaring and its headlights full. It disappeared
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Ella glanced behind her and saw that the two men who had stood beside her at the intersection were walking purposely towards her. She had already turned a few corners and it would be highly improbable that the men were following the same route. Ella felt the reassuring presence of the pepper spray inside her pocket and decided to quicken her pace. She jogged some distance and turned another corner, hoping that her pursuers would quit following her. After walking a short distance, she hazarded another look behind her and saw that the two men were back. They too had quickened their pace and from the hunch of their shoulders and their purposeful steps, Ella knew that they were indeed following her. She felt her pulse quicken and decided to jog the next several meters.Up ahead, Ella saw two people who seemed to be talking to each other under the streetlamp. She felt some comfort seeing other people on the street. It was short-lived, however, as she saw them stand up straight to lo
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Their driver stopped the car upon reaching an intersection and waited for the cars in front to move. They were near the center of the city and the traffic had become quite heavy even at that late hour.“How are you feeling now, Dr. Garcia?” asked Red, his handsome face slightly lit by the streetlamps outside. He moved closer to Ella to see her more clearly.Ella could almost feel Red’s warm breath as he leaned his body closer to him. She was glad to have left her handbag between them which acted as barrier between her and the attractive man beside her. She felt uncomfortable and wanted to look away, but Red’s intense gaze held her and she felt that she could not move. Sensing that her body was only reacting to Red’s magnetic personality, Ella blinked her eyes and broke her connection with him. She managed to look in front of her at the translucent privacy screen through which she could barely see the outline of the driver and the red tail ligh
Last Updated : 2021-03-05
Latest chapter
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 13: On the Way to Elisa's
Their driver stopped the car upon reaching an intersection and waited for the cars in front to move. They were near the center of the city and the traffic had become quite heavy even at that late hour.“How are you feeling now, Dr. Garcia?” asked Red, his handsome face slightly lit by the streetlamps outside. He moved closer to Ella to see her more clearly.Ella could almost feel Red’s warm breath as he leaned his body closer to him. She was glad to have left her handbag between them which acted as barrier between her and the attractive man beside her. She felt uncomfortable and wanted to look away, but Red’s intense gaze held her and she felt that she could not move. Sensing that her body was only reacting to Red’s magnetic personality, Ella blinked her eyes and broke her connection with him. She managed to look in front of her at the translucent privacy screen through which she could barely see the outline of the driver and the red tail ligh
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 12: Ella's Pursuer
The strong headlights of the black car illuminated the dark alley where Ella found herself trapped. She had not gone to that part of the city before and in her haste to get away from her pursuers, made the wrong decision to enter the narrow alley, only to find herself cornered. She raised her hand over her face to lessen the glare of the headlights as she stood helplessly at the end of the alley.In a moment, she heard the door of the black car open and a man got out. Ella could not see well because of the powerful beams of the car, but she could discern from the man’s movements that he adjusted his coat before slamming the door shut. He then walked in front of the car as he approached her.Ella got hold of her pepper spray and readied to defend herself. As the man walked closer, she tried to see his face but the light coming from behind him meant that his face was darkened.“Stay away from me!” shouted Ella. “What do you want?”The
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 11: Followed
Ella glanced behind her and saw that the two men who had stood beside her at the intersection were walking purposely towards her. She had already turned a few corners and it would be highly improbable that the men were following the same route. Ella felt the reassuring presence of the pepper spray inside her pocket and decided to quicken her pace. She jogged some distance and turned another corner, hoping that her pursuers would quit following her. After walking a short distance, she hazarded another look behind her and saw that the two men were back. They too had quickened their pace and from the hunch of their shoulders and their purposeful steps, Ella knew that they were indeed following her. She felt her pulse quicken and decided to jog the next several meters.Up ahead, Ella saw two people who seemed to be talking to each other under the streetlamp. She felt some comfort seeing other people on the street. It was short-lived, however, as she saw them stand up straight to lo
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 10: Walking Home
Ella passed under a streetlamp and was temporarily enveloped with yellow light. She walked with a steady pace, her footsteps hitting the pavement becoming the only sound in the night apart from the soft rustling of the leaves from the tree branches overhead. After a while, she saw the walking green man of the pedestrian traffic light ahead and walked briskly, hoping to cross the street before the light changed. She was a few steps away when she heard a click and the pedestrian light changed to red. The stationary red man replaced his dynamic predecessor, instructing similar bipeds on the sidewalk to remain still. Luminous numbers on the LED display underneath turned red as well and started counting down the seconds remaining before pedestrians were allowed to cross the street.Slightly disappointed, Ella slowed down before completely halting her steps. She had hardly stopped before the curb when a car came hurtling past, its horn blaring and its headlights full. It disappeared
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 9: After Work
Having made her decision, Ella was able to take off the burden of thinking about Red and his proposal to have dinner with her that night. She had a lot of work to do. There were samples to prepare, experiments to run, and reports to file. The least that she needed were distractions to prevent her from accomplishing everything that she had planned to do that day. Nancy and Matt had been nice enough not to bring up the topic of Red inviting her to dinner or the grant that Wyvern Minerals had hinted on giving. Ella knew that research grants had been more difficult to find lately and sponsors tend to be more selective in choosing those to which they would provide funding. Still, Ella believed in equal opportunities for everyone and she would not commit herself to activities that she considered unprofessional or unethical just so she could get what she wanted.The day was over quickly and Ella massaged her nape as she started preparing the last batch of samples. She looked at the cl
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 8: Ella's Reasons
“What do you mean you’re not going?” asked Nancy once she had recovered from the shock. Matt bent his head to the side and acted like he was hammering himself with his fist.“Exactly what I said,” replied Ella. “I’m not going to dinner with him tonight.” She said it too plainly and without emotion that made it even harder for Nancy to comprehend what she was saying.“I don’t understand, Ella. He’s an extremely wealthy man and definitely not lacking in the looks department. What more do you want?” asked Nancy. She could not reconcile Ella’s objection to going to dinner with probably the country’s most eligible bachelor.“Goodbye, multimillion research grant!” Matt raised his hands as if in surrender, but did not look at his colleagues.“What is it, Elle? Tell me what’s bothering you,” said Nancy, a look of concern on her face.“Nothing&rsquo
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 7: Ella's Decision
Ella did not expect the call from the CEO so soon and was even more disarmed by the fact that he was asking her for dinner that night.“Oh! I’m not sure if I can make it tonight, Red. I have to look at my calendar,” Ella replied. She knew she had nothing to do that night but found it hard to decide if she should have dinner with the wealthy CEO.Matt was listening closely and then made an exaggerated frown when he heard Ella’s reply. He spun around in his swivel chair and then placed both hands over his face.“Yes, Red…. Let me jot that down,” said Ella. She then grabbed a pen and wrote a series of numbers on a piece of paper. “Yes, I will. Thanks!” She replaced the phone on its cradle and turned to her colleagues who were all staring at her wide-eyed.“Well? What did he say?” asked Nancy, anticipation clearly evident in her face.“He asked me for dinner tonight,” said Ella slowly
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 6: Nancy
The plump woman slowly came down the stairs, with a cup of coffee in her left hand and a handbag in her right hand. She could have gone down quicker but chose to take her time as she reflected at the scene outside her building. She wondered why there was a row of sleek black cars as well as a small group of private security men. As senior researcher and deputy head of the Biotech Laboratory, she often got emails and reminders from the university as well as the building administrator if there were important events that would take place in the building. The building’s spacious auditorium was often used by the different colleges or even government agencies to hold special programs and events such as conferences and symposia. Recently, the building administrator permitted students to rent the auditorium for their own functions such as when conducting inter-university competitions and special film screenings. The university, however, was very careful in holding events that mi
Entice the Moon to Fall Chapter 5: The Specimen
Water streamed from the hand shower that Ella held over Red’s feet. Ella had the CEO sit on a stool and place his feet inside the catch basin under the emergency shower as she washed any acid off. Ella ran the shower head over Red’s exposed feet and she noticed that his feet seemed to be unharmed despite the acid seeping through his shoes and damaging his socks.Matt watched Ella with amusement as she washed the CEO’s feet. He approached them with a faint smile on his face while still holding the thermal bag between his hands.“Sorry to disturb you, but would you know what I should do with this?” asked Matt, raising the thermal bag.Red raised his gaze and looked at the thermal bag. “I had that brought in because I want you to look at the specimen and tell me what you think,” he said. He uncrossed his legs and brought both feet on the catch basin. Ella realized that she had washed Red’s feet adequately.“Let m
