The Planck Factor

Chapter 51

SIX MONTHS LATER

JESSICA

Boulder was ablaze with the golden leaves of aspen trees. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was shining.

Shelley saw me in her office. I took a seat and awaited her verdict.

"I'm still not comfortable with the end," she said.

I can't say I was surprised. Even so, I asked, "Why?"

"I don't know," she said. "Don't you think it's a bit corny? Derivative?"

"Maybe. But I can't picture it ending any other way."

Shelley shook her head and set her tortoise-rimmed glasses aside. "Can you take one more crack at it? Try for a more definite ending. More positive, maybe?"

I realized what she was getting at. "You think I sound like a crack-pot, right?"

She smiled and waved a dismissive hand, though her eyes didn't reflect her casual air.

"You've been through quite the wringer," she said. "You have every right to end this as you see fit. Just be forewarned, others may not like it."

"I know. I'm just writing it as I see it. Anything else would be dishonest."

She handed me her comments. "Good luck. I look forward to seeing it later."

I thanked her and took the comments. Then I returned to my condo and took another look at the ending.

***

ALEXIS

Afterward, as they left the building, Daniel said, "Thank God that's over. Now, we can have a proper reunion."

He placed his arm around Alexis' shoulders and they strolled like any other couple. Almost. Alexis was still very worried.

"What do you think they're going to do with your research?" she asked.

Daniel heaved a sigh. "Probably nothing good."

Mel delivered the research to an intelligence agent, who took the papers to a warehouse in northern Virginia outside Washington, D.C. There, a CIA clerk stowed them in a room filled with file cabinets. Each cabinet held documents deemed sensitive enough to be classified higher than "Top Secret." The file was given a code name, allowing access only to the highest defense department and intelligence community officials. The clerk made sure to enter the name into a ledger: "The Planck Factor Research."

***

JESSICA

As I read the ending again, I tried to imagine how I'd change it. A key rattled in the lock and Joel (the George Clooney look-alike, whose real name I finally knew) came in.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Great. I've finished a second draft. Now, I just have to revise it a few hundred more times and it'll be ready."

Joel came over and kissed me. I still thought of him as George and still thought he resembled his namesake.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?"

I grinned. "Of course not."

"If not for you, I wouldn't have transferred to the Denver office."

I nodded. "I'm glad you did."

"I'm so proud you finished the book. That's major. Do you know how many people would like to do that? You have real talent."

My face warmed. "Thanks. I hope I find an agent who agrees with you."

We fell silent. "You never found that man who led the group, did you?" I said.

Joel frowned. "No. But I promise, we're still looking."

"I don't suppose they're any closer to figuring out who actually killed Fred."

"No." He paused and added, "I'm sorry."

It figured. The anonymous killer was probably gone by now. Hiding in a non-extradition country, no doubt.

Even so, I was able to stop his insane plot to detonate Yellowstone. The entire incident still seemed like a bad dream.

"I wonder what happened to their leader," I mused.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't worry, if I were you."

"Sure,"I said. Still I had to wonder what he wasn't telling me.