Shapeless Read online

  "Good thing he's a baby," Michael whispered. "And he can't do much about it."

  Kim scowled at the twisting of her earlier words.

  William closed the suitcase and slid it on its back under a desk outside the nursery. It blended in with the other miscellaneous papers and folders the desk had collected.

  Michael paid close attention.

  William did something Michael didn't expect. He dropped to one knee and secured a padlock around a metal loop on the briefcase, sealing it shut. His heart skipped a beat at the first unknown in his plan.

  "I said to leave," William said as he turned. "Let's go. The sooner we deal with this, the sooner we can get back here."

  Michael slowed his pace on purpose. He walked near Kim at first, but slowly drifted to the back of the line as they neared the stairs. The sprinkler system continued to assault them. The security guard had already left his post. The mood changed when they saw the remnants of smoke at the end of the hall. A simple closet fire or not, the pace picked up.

  With a quick glance over his shoulder Michael noted the position of the camera in the corner. In his many walk-throughs, he decided either the bathroom or the break room would be his destination, depending on position. He casually side-stepped into the break room, closing his eyes and holding his breath. Leaning against the wall, he waited for someone, anyone, to call his name. William or Kim would notice he was missing, and search for him.

  Seconds passed, only accompanied with silence. He finally relaxed, breathing once again. The entire short time he counted in his head, visualized the camera moving back and forth. When it was at the end of its path he went back toward the basement once again, wiping water from his brow. He moved quickly, knowing the time to act was short.

  Michael walked straight to the metal suitcase. His heart went out to Zero-Twelve. His plan was to remove the child from the suitcase and leave, carrying him in his arms. Away from the prison he'd spent so much time in.

  A simple padlock changed all that.

  He lifted the suitcase with both hands, keeping it parallel to the floor. He wondered briefly how he was going to open it, but shoved those questions aside. One thing at a time.

  He took a final glance at the basement, the lab in which he'd spent so much time. No matter what happened, he knew he would never see it again.

  He moved through the halls, avoiding the cameras. Eventually, in the confusion that would follow, many people would stare at the video recordings. They would study where everyone was, where everyone went. His actions wouldn't remain a mystery forever, but at the very least his absence from security footage would delay them.

  Standing at the rear entrance, he looked out at the empty parking lot. Doctors and patients both had gathered out front, like the fire escape plan called for. He shrugged out of his coat, doing his best not to jostle the suitcase. He flung it over the last remaining camera over the door, pointing out at the lot.

  It felt good to step out from under the watery deluge and into the afternoon air. His journey was only just starting, but simply making it out of the building was an accomplishment. His confidence grew, at least now finally on the same level with his panic. His car was just ahead. As barbaric as it was, Zero-Twelve being in a suitcase only helped his escape. His original plan was to place him in the trunk, but now he could simply drive past the security gate, with the suitcase sitting innocently on the passenger's seat.

  Michael frowned as his gaze fell on his car. Something appeared off, and it took a moment to realize what was wrong. The car sat at a slight angle, the front right side lower than the rest.

  He had a flat tire.

  A chill washed over him, and the suitcase outstretched in his arms suddenly felt like an anvil. All his planning, his late nights hidden away in his home office, drawing plans, diagrams, studying camera timings, breaking into William's office when he was out at lunch, all of that was in jeopardy over a simple thing he didn't plan on. A flat tire.

  His mind raced. He had to hurry. He had a jack and spare. But it had been years since he replaced a tire. How long would it take? Twenty minutes? Thirty?

  He'd only taken one step toward the car when a familiar voice spoke from behind.

  "What are you doing?"

  He turned to see Kim, leaning against the wall near the corner of the building. A cigarette dangled from her fingers as she watched the scene with curiosity. Her curiosity changed to shock when she recognized the suitcase Michael held. She pushed herself away from the wall and took a cautious step forward.

  "Michael," she said. "Is that—?"

  "I need your car," he said. He didn't have time for questions.

  "Oh my God. You're…stealing Zero-Twelve?"

  He shoved his hand inside the pocket of the light jacket he wore under his lab-coat. Pointing his index finger at her through the fabric, he could only hope he didn't look as ridiculous as he felt.

  "Kim, I don't have time for this. Give me your keys—" His voice started to shake. "And no one has to get hurt."

  She laughed and shook her head, her eyes on the suitcase the entire time.

  "Did you just point your finger at me? Is this a joke?"

  His tone bordered on desperation.

  "Look, please, I just need your car. I'll let you know where I leave it. I promise, I won't damage it at all."

  "Where are you taking him?"

  "Somewhere far from here."

  Kim looked back and forth from her car, four spots away, to Michael. He could see her struggling. With what, he didn't know. Was she going to run and scream, report him to security? Give him her keys?

  Relief took hold when she fished through her purse for her keys. But instead of tossing them, she quickly ran to the driver's side. Michael didn't move, not sure of what was going on.

  "Get in," she said.

  "What?"

  "I said get in! Hurry up, before more people start wandering back here."

  "I can't get you involved—"

  "Get in the damn car!"

  He sighed, accepting what fate threw at him. He slid the suitcase onto the back seat but stopped short of getting in. He held up a finger as he ran to the trunk of his car.

  "Just one sec."

  He quickly gathered the supplies he'd prepared. Diapers, bottles and formula, some tiny outfits that he hoped would fit. As he loaded them behind the driver's seat of Kim's car, their eyes met. He could see that she knew, without saying a word. She'd pieced it together. Michael had planned this, and was responsible for everything.

  They passed a firetruck on the way to the security gate. Kim fixed her hair while Michael fidgeted in his seat. He cast another glance to the motionless suitcase in the back.

  Greg the security guard smiled and nodded as they approached. Normally they could leave work without stopping, but he motioned for them. Kim slowed down and returned his smile.

  "What's going on?" Greg asked. "Is everything okay?"

  "Yeah," Kim said. "Looks like a little fire set off the sprinklers. We're going to grab a quick lunch while the fire department sorts everything out. You want anything?"

  "Ah, no, thanks. You two be safe out there."

  She nodded and drove away. They said nothing until she left the complex and turned onto the highway.

  "Where are we going?" she finally asked.

  "Just keep driving. Get on the interstate."

  "How long have you had this planned out?"

  "For a while." He turned to look at her, a small smile on his face. "How long have you had doubts about what we were doing?"

  Her lip curled, almost to match his smile. "For a while." She turned serious. "I heard some rumors about the next wave of tests. They want to hurt him, even more so than we've already done."

  "What do you mean?"

  "For starters, they want to burn him, see if he can alter his shape in a way to heal wounds."

  He wanted to believe that was ridiculous, but somehow he could see the orders coming in for such an inhumane tas
k.

  Michael thought about the next step. Hopefully, the complicated part of his plan was over. It didn't go exactly as expected. The unexpected extra personnel put him hours behind, and with unexpected company.

  "You shouldn't be here," he said. "Do you realize what you've done? I wrestled with this for a long time. I know what I'm doing. But do you? You've thrown everything away."

  "Maybe I have," Kim said. "Or maybe you kidnapped me with a gun. Either way, I wasn't going to steal Zero-Twelve back and put him in that basement again."

  The sound of his name jolted Michael into remembering that the baby was behind him, in the back seat. He turned and grabbed the suitcase, gingerly setting it on his lap.

  "Jesus, we've got to get him out of here." He shook his head. "I can't believe this. A damn suitcase."

  "William didn't seem too worried. I wonder what he knows that we don't."

  "Plenty, I'm sure." He pulled uselessly at the padlock. "Do you have anything I can use to pry this thing open?"

  "Hell, I don't know. Try the glove compartment."

  Michael found a flathead screwdriver. It wasn't much, but he did what he could. The lock held tight, but he did manage to pry the suitcase open a half inch. In the gleam of the sun, he could see Zero-Twelve's eyes, staring back at him. His heart broke as he tried to slip a finger in to touch him. He wondered if Zero-Twelve had ever seen the sun before.

  "It's okay," Michael whispered. "I'm so sorry for all of this."

  Zero-Twelve blinked before he started to cry. The cry turned into a wail that filled the car.

  Kim cried right along with the baby. She wiped at her eyes as she stared at the road.

  "I don't know how much longer I can take that."

  "I didn't think William would lock the case," Michael said, fighting tears himself. "I'm not sure what to—"

  What almost sounded like flowing water came from the suitcase, a sound Michael had heard countless times before. It accompanied Zero-Twelve whenever he changed shape, his body softening first into the goo-like substance. The goo poured out of the suitcase, slowly squeezing through the tiny gap. It formed across Michael's lap, not leaving moisture behind. It pushed the suitcase aside until it finally began to take another shape. Two chubby legs, flailing arms. A head sprouted, along with other familiar features. A nose, two eyes, dark hair, red cheeks. Skin color followed.

  The shape solidified, and nearly fell at Michael's feet. He grabbed the baby quickly, supporting his head and under his rump. Zero-Twelve, naked and smiling, looked at Michael with an intense stare. He kicked and twitched, like all excited babies do, even catching Kim on her arm.

  Apparently not even a locked suitcase could contain him.

  Michael held up a hand and recoiled as Zero-Twelve unleashed a stream of urine on him. Kim laughed, nearly swerving the car in the process.

  "Oh, wow," she said. "I wish I could have filmed that."

  Michael did his best to cover Zero-Twelve.

  "His escape? Or the pee?"

  "Both."

  CHAPTER 3

  Michael had Kim wait in the car with Zero-Twelve while he checked into the hotel. They'd driven all afternoon into the early evening, all the way to western New York. He offered to drive several times, but Kim refused. In the parking lot, she held Zero-Twelve in her arms, and they both fell asleep as he headed to the hotel lobby.

  He was grateful for her help, but didn't know what he would do about her. All his planning didn't involve her. Whatever fallout awaited them she might have to deal with on her own. He imagined whoever financed Project Zero-Twelve wouldn't be happy that their shape-shifting baby was missing.

  After changing the room arrangements from a single bed to two, he returned to the parking lot. He stifled a deep yawn. Hopefully some rest would help him focus, let him see everything through to the end. There was still much to do.

  Kim jumped when he tapped the glass. She shifted Zero-Twelve from one arm to the other and rolled down the window.

  "Everything okay?"

  "Yeah. I just had to change the room I reserved."

  She smiled as she opened the door and handed Zero-Twelve over.

  "You really did plan this out, didn't you?"

  "You have no idea."

  They hadn't talked much during the drive, which was a blessing. He didn't feel like answering many questions. Kim was probably better off not knowing.

  She carried Zero-Twelve while he handled the supplies from the trunk. It was a short walk to the elevator. Their room was on the second floor of the five-story hotel. He worried as they mingled with the passersby. It wasn't the curious looks they were getting, no doubt wondering about the odd combination of a fifty-year-old man, thirty-year-old woman, and an infant. He worried that at any moment Zero-Twelve would change shape for all to see. For all their research, they still only scratched the surface of the hows and whys behind his shape-shifting.

  If Michael had his way, the only one who would know was Zero-Twelve himself, after he grew up in a happy and healthy home.

  Kim nudged Michael as they made their way through the halls. She gestured to Zero-Twelve, who watched everything with intense interest. Michael had to remember that the little one was experiencing everything for the first time, even a simple hotel. He smiled as he gently ran a hand through Zero-Twelve's hair.

  The hotel room was in no way equipped to handle a baby, but it would have to do. He set their supplies in the corner chair while Kim set the baby on the bed. It didn't take long for him to cry. Kim held him once again and rocked him in her arms, which he seemed to love.

  "What would your wife say about this?" Kim asked, laughing quietly. "You in a hotel room with a younger woman?"

  "She doesn't know. She doesn't know about any of it. She thinks I'm still helping cancer patients." He eyed her curiously as he collapsed in bed. "They swore me to secrecy. They didn't do the same to you? Your family knows?"

  She shrugged. "No family to tell."

  Zero-Twelve finally fell asleep, and Michael and Kim lay down in their separate beds. They were both lost in their own thoughts. Michael didn't know how much time had passed. An hour, maybe two. He dozed off as well, and heard Kim snoring quietly several times. Zero-Twelve's quiet cooing pulled them both from their dreams.

  "Why us?" Kim asked suddenly. "Why were we brought into that basement?"

  "Well, Nancy is a pediatrician. Cooper is supposed to be an expert in genetics, I heard—"

  "That's not what I mean. I just don't get the whole thing. Why not a government research lab, with security and doctors that have seen more than you and I could ever hope to?"

  Michael used to stress over those very same questions. Then he realized he'd probably never know the answers.

  "Who knows? Maybe they were going to, and we were just a temporary stop. Or maybe the whole thing is part of the illusion. It doesn't look secret, so prying eyes don't think it's secret. Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight."

  Kim was quiet for a moment, stewing over his words. He wasn't sure if she accepted his logic, but ultimately it didn't matter.

  "So, what's next?" she asked, still lying flat. "How far does this go for you?"

  Michael sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"

  "It's a little late to try to protect me now."

  "I've got a couple who are waiting for me to call them." He sat up and looked at the time on the cheap microwave next to the dresser. "In fact, I should be doing that. I'm already so late."

  "They're going to adopt him?"

  "Yes."

  "There's no way that adoption is legal."

  "Of course it isn't. But it is right."

  "This lucky couple. Do they know he can become his own rattle?"

  "They do. I told them everything. They're very well off, have a lot of connections, able to protect Zero-Twelve, and, sadly, unable to conceive their own child."

  "Desperate for them is lucky for you, I guess. And then what for you?"

  "We
ll, if everything went the way it was supposed to, they have no idea where he is, and I'm not on camera at all. I go back home and everything is fine."

  She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Michael, but there's just no way."

  He swallowed hard. "I agree. That's why after I deliver him, I'm going to Canada, then flying to Paris. My wife has family over there, and we can live the rest of our lives without people breathing down our necks. Before I took him, a little program sent her an email from the break room, just telling her to lay low, and I'd be there soon. It also moved some money around, so we should be set."

  Kim sat up and stared at him, finally seeing how far Michael had went.

  "Shit! You're willing to give up everything? Your home, job, the country…everything?" She glanced at Zero-Twelve at the foot of her bed. "I don't know if I could do that."

  "You might have already done that. Seriously, Kim. That's why you should have just tossed me your keys. If you want, leave now, wait a day, and make up whatever story you want."

  The silence stretched. Kim couldn't take her eyes off the baby. Her face went through a range of emotions. Fear, resolve, uncertainty. Zero-Twelve began to stir, throwing his hands in the air and moving his head from side to side.

  "He's hungry," she said. "You go call your people, and I'll feed him. And get me something from the snack machine." She playfully tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I've earned that much."

  Michael sighed, assuming she would stay around for a while longer. He gave her a small smile before leaving the room.

  His destination was the pay-phone they passed in the lobby on the first floor. The vending machines were nearby, which would satisfy Kim's request. He knew he owed her more than a Snickers bar, but he'd have to think about that later.

  He grabbed the phone and wedged it between his ear and shoulder. As he fished through his pocket for loose change he pulled out their number, scribbled on a notepad.

  He'd only dialed the first four digits when something caught his attention.

  There was a commotion out in the lobby. It could have been anything, but Michael felt his nerves tense up regardless. He hung up the phone and approached the archway separating the vending machines from the lobby.