The Axelridge Series Book 4 Griff's Red Card

IVY

“RICH!!”

I rush in the door to my mother’s summer home and slam my briefcase and coat on the couch as I rush past it.

“Oof. Really?”

I stop and turn.

Wyatt throws my things on the floor.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you there.” I walk over and pick my things up.

“Can’t get any sleep in this place.” He complains as he sits up and stretches. He scrubs his bedhead and yawns.

“Why don’t you sleep in your own room?” I walk to hang my coat up and drop my case at the door.

“Lenard’s in there. He’s on a live stream.” Wyatt grumbles.

“Stand up?” I smirk as I fold my arms.

He rubs his neck. “Yeah. I swear his jokes get dumber by the day. He should really stick to general practice. He’s so annoying.” He lifts a red, tired eye to me. “What are you doing home so early?”

I walk over to him and sit. I grab the remote and turn on the TV. “Something happened in Axelridge last night. It’s bad, Wyatt.”

His brow scrunches as I switch to the news.

“Holy crap!” His brow raises.

“Holy crap is right. Look at them all.” I say as I stare at the TV.

The news video from traffic cameras shows the streets flooded with people rioting.

“Oh God, Griffin.” I mumble as I chew my nail.

I haven’t seen Griffin since he left me in the Hub. I’ve had no word as to how he is or what happened. I only know what the news this morning said about it.

The news shows fires erupting and people running in mobs as they fight with Enforcers.

‘There has been no statement from the Security Complex as to what happened in the downtown core.

At approximately 8 pm last night, a riot broke out at a temporary medical faculty set up by the city’s council to investigate a recent outbreak of clones. Yes, you heard that right…Clones.

In the last week, approximately, 2000 people so far, have claimed to be cloned.

Here’s what one witness had to say.’

The video switches to a burly man.

“I was just in the shower, you know. Minding my business, washing my man bits and things…I felt weird and fell on the shower wall. Next thing I know, I’m looking AT ME! This puss was on another body. Naked in the shower with me, seeing everything God gave me. I never screamed so loud in my life!”

“What did you do?” A reporter asks.

“I did what any man would do. I ran for my life. What’s weird is, when I went downstairs to the kitchen, there's two of my mates standing at the kitchen sink! Now, that I didn’t mind.” He chuckles and elbows the reporter. “My mate didn’t care for it and had me call the Enforcers.”

The video stops and the news comes back.

‘Enforcers have been fielding thousands of calls and it seemed like the Security Complex was holding a quarantine zone. This zone exploded in violence and from what we could see through local cameras, the clones were…dissolving…into what looks like water. We're still reaching out for answers and will update when we get them.

More at 11.’

We both fall back on the couch in shock. I lift the remote and click the TV off.

“Ivy…What was that?” Wyatt points to the TV.

I slowly shake my head. “I have no idea.”

“Ivy?”

My eyes widen. “Rich!”

I jump up, using Wyatt as leverage.

“Oof. Hey!” He scowls.

“Go back to sleep.” I say as I step over his legs.

“I can’t sleep now!” He motions to the TV.

Richard comes down the stairs and I meet him in the hallway. “Why are you home early?”

“Clones.” Wyatt says from the couch.

“Excuse me?” Richard flicks his eyes from me to Wyatt.

I grab his arm. “I need you to tell me everything you know about cloning.”

“Ivy, I’m a surgeon, not a mad scientist.” He furrows his brow.

“Not horror movie stuff. The medical advancements. I need to help the council. It’s important.” I insist.

He wraps an arm around his waist and scratches his temple. “Well, there’s not much to tell. We haven’t gotten far. Organs, skin. There was a goat once, but it didn’t live. It’s extremely complicated. Why? What’s this about?”

I fold my arms. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“What? What doesn’t make sense?” Richard asks.

“Clones.” Wyatt mumbles, laying down with an arm over his eyes.

“I got that. Ivy?” He questions.

“Axelridge is being cloned and we need to find out why before the island falls apart.” I give him a serious look.

He smiles then starts to chuckle. “That’s cute." He turns and walks to the kitchen.

“I’m serious, Rich! I’ve seen it!” I say to his back.

“It’s on the news!” Wyatt yells from the living room.

He walks to the coffee pot. “You’re saying Axelridge found the ability to clone a person.” He pours a cup and leans on the counter.

“Yes. I think it’s an accident. It has something to do with the island…I think.” I lean on the counter next to him.

“What do you mean?” He asks.

“It’s in the water, Rich.” I look up and he stops his cup. His eyes go to it.

“Not here, weirdo.” I smack his arm.

He sets down the cup. “Ok. Tell me everything.”

I open my mouth, but the doorbell rang.

We both look at each other and Richard goes to answer it.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I see the shadow on the other side of the door.

Richard opens it. He stands tall in his 6 foot 3 frame and stares the old woman down. “Grandmother.” He postures.

“Richard." My grandmother looks older now in a dull red dress suit. “May I come in?”

“That depends on why you’re here.” He chews his lip as I get closer.

“I’ve come to see Ivy.” She looks around him and our eyes meet. Icy shivers crawl over my skin. I can feel her disdain from here.

I step to the door. “What do you want?” I try to keep my composure, but it’s hard around this woman.

“I was wondering if you were coming to work any time soon. You do have a company to run.” She eyes me.

“Why? What’s going on?” I fold my arms and question.

“Aside from the fact that the building is still in shambles from the quake, the shareholders are starting to question you’re involvement.” She lifts her chin.

“You mean you told them to question.” Richard grits.

She eyes him then looks at me. “They need to see you. You can’t spend all your time at the Security Complex.”

“There’s a bit of a crisis there.” I say.

“There’s a crisis at Clima-tech. It’s your company.” She says smugly, but I can hear the hate in her words. She doesn’t like that my mother pushed her out.

I roll my eyes. “Fine.” I grab my things. “I’ll be home for dinner.” I say to Richard and give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Ok. I’ll keep it hot for you.” He smiles then shoots my grandmother a snide look. She returns it in kind.

We walk to the awaiting car and her driver opens the door. We get in, he closes it and walks to the drivers seat.

“I can’t believe your mother left the company to someone so irresponsible.” She side eyes me as she settles in the seat.

“Don’t start.” I mumble.

“A lady doesn’t mumble.” She grits.

“I’m not a lady.” I glare at her.

“Finally, we agree.” She says with pompous attitude.

****

I walk into the company my mother made after my father left. She was so heartbroken that she wanted to turn her pain into something good. She loved the planet, so Clima-Tech was born.

Clima-tech is the leading technological company on climate change and environmental protection. Yes, this company is filled with tree huggers.

Using modern technology, we invent ways to clean up the earth faster to make it last longer.

I know what you’re thinking. How can I use technology to clean things up when we contribute to the very things we're trying to ger rid of? That’s a debate for another day. We do try to reduce our carbon foot print as much as possible. Things like a water sweeper that was made from recycled cans. It’s a cute little robot. Like a roomba for water. Unfortunately, we'd need an army to clean up the mess and it all comes down to money.

Anyway, Axelridge is a prime example of the damage people do to an environment. The man made island was just asking for problems. It looks like the lake is paying them back for their intrusiveness.

I step off the elevator and head to my office. I stare at my grandmothers back and wonder how a woman can be so hateful. I often wonder what happened to make her that way. She never talks about her life and my mother didn’t either. I also know nothing of my grandfather. There must be one. I wonder why he’s such a secret.

“Now, the shareholders are meeting in the next day. You need to be prepared. We need the government backing us on this so, expect a late night.” She instructs as she walks tall in front of me.

“I can't. I have to…” I start

“Ivy…” She stops, turns and crosses her arms. Her brow raises as she gives me a stern look.

I know I’m weak.

“Yes, grandmother.” I say quietly.

Without my brothers here, I feel like a small mouse around her.

“Good.”

She turns and walks to a set of big double doors. My office. It’s huge, white and lavish. Totally not me, but it was created by my mother so, I won’t change a thing. The rooms large windows overlook the six towers, but three are blacked out by wood boards due to the glass shattering in the quake.

“They haven’t fixed those yet?!” She struts into the room with an irritated tone to her voice.

“Everyone’s been so focused on the structural integrity of the…”

“Nonsense.” She barks. “Once again, I’ll have to take care of it. I swear, you'd die without me. You get to work.” She orders, spins around and pulls out her phone. “Get the contractor on the phone…I don’t care if he’s on lunch, GET HIM!”

She slams the door and I groan as I sit in my chair.

I pick up the presentation file, stare at it and drop it. I glance out the window to Axelridge. I should be there helping Griffin, not talking to people who are only a part of this company for the money.

I hate this.

I turn to my computer and open the files that have been tracking the islands integrity. There’s new information in there.

I was about to click them when my door opens and my assistant, Wanda, walks in. “Hey. You seen the latest?” She fixes her yellow blonde hair and adjusts the files in her arms.

“No. I was about to…” I say as she drops the files on my desk.

She leans on the desktop. “You gotta see it.” She points to the screen. “The readings are usual. Just tremors here and there, but the base…”

I find the video and click the link.

It plays an underwater dive. “Is this from the survey?”

“Yes. The filters are holding strong, but when we went to survey section D for the next install, well…” She grins and motions her eyes to the divers.

A small team of Clima-tech divers were surveying the base of the island to see where the best places to install water filters were.

These water filters are sophisticated. They can remove the tiniest particle of micro plastic, send out fresh water and the pollution is sent into pipes that is then sent to a facility where our filtration system removes it completely.

We're testing a way to disintegrate the plastic by speeding up the breakdown of their polymers. So far, we've been able to chemically breakdown 5 million pounds of plastic and keep old plastic out of the landfills by creating a new raw material without using fossil fuels. The plastic isn’t gone, but it can be used again without making more.

Section D is one of three sections that doesn't have a filter. This ring will be the test field before we go global. We need this to work for the board to approve.

I chew my pen as I watch the camera follow two divers ahead.

‘Coming up on Section D.’

‘These rocks are going to need clearing.’

‘Copy that.’

I hear the air from their respirators as the swim. Streams of bubbles float from their heads as they dive deeper. The lakes water is murky as it should be, but there’s definitely a level of pollution in the water that should concern everyone.

Their flippers push and glide them around the tall, 10 mile wide pillar that holds up the city of 60,000 above their heads.

The first diver one the video stops and pulls up his underwater camera. ‘This looks like a good spot.’ He breathes and takes some photos.

One diver dives down and moves some dirt.

‘There’s rock. We can anchor it.’

‘It’s not too far from the connector?’

The other diver looks toward the camera. ‘We may need an extra 20 feet, but that shouldn’t lower power. I can boost it if we need to.’

‘Guys. What’s that?’

“What the…” I scrunch my brow.

“Keep watching.” Wanda smirks.

The hand that popped into frame, pointing behind the diver, drops and the camera swims forward.

Pike dart off into the dark as the divers get close.

In the dank water, a red light pulses. It’s slow. It dulls then brightens.

‘Where’s that coming from?’

‘Section F.’

They swim forward and the camera picks up the light.

“Oh my God.” I say quietly.

‘Holy shit!’ One diver says as he coated in red light.

My eyes widen as the light pulses in my face.

The camera pans and lifts. The crack in the side of the pillar was at least 15 feet tall, but it was only a foot or so wide. It pulsed like a slow heart beat.

‘I’m checking it out.’

‘Careful.’

‘It’s just light.’ The other diver snickers.

He swims up to the crack and looks in. ‘There’s something in there.’

‘What?’

‘Hold on. I think I can…’

Thick streams of white bubbles come from his respirator as he reaches into the crack up to his shoulder.

‘Almost got it…’

He reaches into the crack more. ‘What the…’ His head whips to the crack and he screams. He tries to free himself. His flippers plant on the rock wall and he pulls, but he's stuck.

‘HELP ME!!’

‘ROBERTS!’

The camera starts to shake and spin as the diver with the video, drops it and swims.

‘IT BURNS!! GET IT OFF ME!!’

‘PULL HIM OUT!’

‘HIS SKIN IS BOILING!’

‘WATCH IT!’

‘HELP ME!’

‘BACK OFF, NOW!!!’

‘ROBERTS!!’

“What’s happening?” I try to make sense of what’s going on.

“Just watch." Wanda says, glued to the video.

The diver taking the video, picks up the camera in his shaking hands. He's panting hard.

The water is filled with a giant cloud of bubbles. As they start to clear, I can make out the divers in front of him.

‘Geskie…you ok?’

‘Yeah…you…’

‘Yeah…Roberts…’

‘He’s unconscious…he’s breathing. We…need to…get him out of here…’

‘Don’t you mean them.’

The camera pans and my fingers cover my lips as I yelp. My eyes fill with horrific shock. Just at the entrance of the crack, floats a naked man.

The diver swims to the man and checks his neck. ‘He’s dead. He…He tried to breathe.’

‘That’s Roberts. What’s going on, Geskie?’

‘I-I…I don't know.’

The camera scans the naked look alike of the unconscious diver and stops at the open eyes and mouth of the clone. His hair floats lazily in the current as the divers tie a rope around his shoulders and shut off the camera.

I hit stop. “Where is it?”

“It…um…it fell apart. Turned to water as soon as we brought it up. What do you think that is, Ivy?” Wanda leans forward.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, I think it’s the thing causing the havoc in Axelridge.” I raise my eyes to her.

I jump up and quickly grab my coat. As I walk around my desk, I point to her. “Send that to my phone.”

“Where are you going?” She turns.

“I have to see an Irish man. I’ll be back.” I say as I get to the door.

“Irish man? Is he cute?” She smiles.

I smile, throw open the door and leave.