Chapter 23 – The Truth Comes Out

Claire sat silent in the passenger seat as they followed Deborah for about ten blocks until she pulled into the garage of the Hilton. She parked her bike, got off and took her bags with her and walked towards the elevators, not even waiting for Claire. “You wait here.” Claire told the driver as she got out of the SUV and headed for the elevators. “I know none of this makes sense Deborah.” Claire said as they waited for the elevator. “I'll explain it all.”
Deborah looked at her and shook he head, still not over the fact that her own mother had gone to such lengths to deceive her. She knew that there was some other hidden agenda. Even though Claire was pretty well an absent mother, Deborah had been raised by Claire's mother, and there was quite a bit of resentment that had built up between them and there was no love lost. Deborah was made well aware of the kind of personality Claire was. They stood waiting for the elevator in silence, she had a hard time even looking at Claire. The tension could be cut with a knife. Finally the doors opened and Deborah got in, followed by Claire. She pushed nineteen and stood back against the wall.

“Why?” Deborah asked. “Why did you get me involved in this?”
“I didn't get you recruited into the CIA.” Claire said. “Even if you don't believe that, it's true. I found out about a month after you signed up that you were assigned to the program.”
“Program.” Deborah said sarcastically. “I love the way everybody refers to everything as a program. Your program has become the personal vendetta of a rogue agent.”
“You mean Paige Mitchell.” Claire replied.
“Don't play dumb Claire.” she shot back.

Deborah glared at her as the door opened. She walked down the hall to her room briskly, opened the door with her car and walked in. She took out her glocks and put them down on the table, then sat down. Claire closed the door behind her and took a few steps into the room.
“How did you let this go this far?” Deborah asked. “You should have taken Paige out a long time ago. She's obviously out of control.”
“Her real name is Yulia Muskova.” Claire explained as she walked over and sat down. “The Russians recruited her about fifteen years ago. She was working with two scientists, but we didn't know exactly what they were up to. We had information that it was some kind of biological weapon, we just didn't know what it was. We were able to get a few people close, but they disappeared.”
“And?” Deborah asked.
Claire hesitated before answering, then said “They were found a week later dead, seemingly crushed to death. We didn't know at the time what had happened. It was only after we got hold of Orolov, one of the scientists, that the full picture emerged.”

Deborah didn't let on about knowing Orolov, nor did she want to let on about anything else she knew. She wanted to make sure she protected her and Carlos' interests and quite frankly, didn't trust Claire farther than she could throw her.
“And? What was the full picture.” she asked, getting a little frustrated.
“We found out from Orolov that he had developed a compound that made victims smaller.” she continued. “We just didn't know how it worked or if it had been used, until our people turned up dead.”
Deborah wanted to see just what Claire knew, and asked “So if I have this right, Paige – or  Muskova – was working with Orolov and they developed this thing?”
“Orolov told us that the compounds had not been perfected, and the two agents had returned to their normal sizes after the effects wore off.” she explained. “We're pretty sure Paige was behind it and had discovered how the compound worked.”
“You mean the shrinking part?” Deborah asked.
“Yes.” Claire replied. “Orolov told us that the antibodies that his work was centered around, degrade over time and will eventually become useless unless they can be extracted from a victim before the degradation happens.”

Deborah flashed back to the Bosati crime scene and realized how they were both linked. Paige had killed them both to get new antibodies, and was trying to frame her for the murders, so she could get to her and Carlos. It was becoming quite clear the Claire didn't really understand how the antibodies really worked. 
“You know how all works then?” she asked Claire, wanting to see if she did know.
“The shrinking?” she replied.
Deborah stared at her for a few seconds and then said “You have no idea do you?”
Knowing that Deborah was reading her quite well, Claire decided that it was better that she be truthful. “We don't know exactly. That's what I was hoping to get from you. We know that Orolov has made several breakthroughs and has produced a serum that can produce instant effects.”
“Really?” Deborah asked, playing dumb. “You mean an injection of some kind?”
“We can't be sure, but that's what we are afraid of. If that gets into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous.” she continued.
“So you think Paige will try to sell it?” Deborah asked.
“We're posing as buyers and have been funding the project under that pretense.” Claire said.
“Oh my God.” Deborah said. “She's smarter than that Claire. She could have already sold it.”
“No.” Claire replied confidently. “We've been monitoring everything. The funds we transferred to her account in the Cayman Islands are being closely monitored.”
“Really.” Deborah said in a sarcastic tone.
“Look Deborah, we have things under control.” Claire replied.
“I'll bet you do.” she replied.
“I've told you enough.” Claire replied a little impatiently. “Where is he?”
“Listen to me Claire.” she told her. “I know you need both of us if there's any hope of getting an antidote for this, so I want your word that you're going to help
Deborah was sitting her her arms folded. She didn't want Carlos to hear the conversation and take what was said out of context. After a few seconds, she un-folded her arms and unzipped her jacket. After taking her jacket off, she pulled the chain over her head, then pulled the tube containing Carlos from inside her bra and put it down on the table. Claire looked down at it and then back at Deborah. “You're kidding.” she said. “He's in there?”

Deborah didn't say a word. Carlos was trying to get a look at who belonged to the foreign voice, but he wasn't able to see through the holes. He looked out the opposite side of the tube and could clearly make out Deborah's figure. It was just nice to have some fresh air. He had been tucked in between Deborah's breasts for quite a while. Suddenly, the tube lifted, then the terrible sound of metal on metal rang out as the top was unscrewed. He was turned upside down and slid out, landing on the soft skin of Deborah's palm, where he turned over and looked up to see her beautiful face.
“Are you alright sweetie?” she spoke softly down to him.
He nodded, looking straight up at her.

Tilting her hand on the table, she let him slide down off her palm to the table top, where he stood up. Claire had her hand over he mouth, staring at him. She knew what the antibodies could do, but nothing could have prepared her for seeing a two inch tall man standing on the table. He looked like a normal man, just incredibly small.
“Who's this?” Carlos yelled up at Deborah, after seeing Claire sitting there.
“Carlos, meet Claire.” she said. “Claire, meet Carlos.”
He looked up at Claire, who she still had her hand on her mouth. Looking at her, he saw the resemblance and looked over at Deborah and them back at Claire. “Is this?” he shouted up to Deborah.
“Yes sweetie.” she replied. “This is my mother, Claire.”
“So you're the CIA mother?” he yelled at Claire, pointing he finger at her.
“I see you've been briefed.” she said down to him, then looked at her daughter.
Pointing at Claire again, he looked over to Deborah and shouted “So she's behind all this?”
“You guessed it sweetie.” Deborah replied.
“You fucking bitch!” he screamed. “How could you treat you own daughter like that!”
Claire folded her arms and took a deep breath.
“We've already been through that.” Deborah interjected.
He looked at her then back at Claire and shouted “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“Calm down Carlos.” Deborah said. “I've already gone over all that with her.”
Carlos shook his head a little, then looked back at Claire and said “Just wait till I'm back to normal.”
Claire smirked and raised her eyebrows, finding it comical that such a tiny man was threatening her. “Just wait?” she asked him.
Deborah put her hand in front her her tiny man and said “Claire. If you ever treat him like he's two inches tall again, I will beat the living hell from you.”
“Just take it easy Deb.” she replied, motioning with her hand.
“My name is Deborah.” she told her, with a stern look on her face. “You don't get to call me Deb.”
“Okay Deborah.” Claire replied.
“Do we understand each other?” Deborah asked with Carlos cowering a little behind her hand, fearing that the situation could turn ugly.
“We understand each other.” she replied. “I didn't mean to treat him like that. I guess I didn't realize that you two were that close.”
Deborah move her hand aside and looked down at him for a few seconds, then back at Claire and said “You don't need to worry about how close we are. Don't treat him like you did and we'll be fine.”
“I got it Deborah.” Claire told her. “It's just a little shocking seeing a live person that small, that's all.”
“I know.” she replied. “Nobody is feeling as shocked as he is. And we don't need to be adding to it.”

“So where do we go from here?” Carlos yelled up to them.
“Listen Claire.” Deborah said. “You need me as much as I need you, but Orolov is the only one that can get Carlos back to normal.”
“I'm afraid that's not possible right now.” Claire replied. “It's just too risky.”
“What??!” Carlos screeched.
“Take it easy Carlos.” Deborah said down to him. “Listen to me, you're going to fix this. You got me into this mess, and you're going to get me out of it.”
“I understand you're upset, but we just cannot risk Paige selling this type of thing on the black market.” Claire replied.
“What makes you think she hasn't already done that?” Deborah asked.
“We know she hasn't.” she replied.
“Oh you do?” Deborah questioned. “How can you be so sure?”
“We're sure.” Claire replied confidently.

“So I'm stuck like this?” Carlos yelled, trying to interrupt the two giant women.
“You're not stuck like that.” Deborah said.
Claire looked down at him and then said “I wouldn't lead him on Deborah.”
“You just let me worry about Carlos. Okay?” she shot back.
Sliding her had across the table, she stroked his back with the tip of her finger and said “I told you I would get you out of this, and I will.”
She looked at Claire and said “You have no idea how this stuff works. Only me, Carlos and Paige do. Orolov can make and antidote, but he needs me and Carlos.”
“So how did you get him down so small?” Claire asked, pointing down to Carlos.
“Don't tell her anything!” Carlos screamed. “I don't trust her!”
“Well lets just say that I've had a certain effect on him that uhhhh.....You know what Claire? I'm not going to tell you anything more until we meet Orolov and he gets the antidote.” Deborah said.

“Okay.” Claire said. “I'll make the call.”
She stood up and took out her phone, but before she could make her call, the phone vibrated. She answered “Claire Ryder”, then walked towards the door and spoke quietly. Deborah looked down at Carlos while she was talking and said “I'm so sorry you've been dragged into all this.”
“I know.” he yelled. “But on the bright side, I would have never have fallen in love with you if this didn't happen.”
She just shook her head and smiled down at him. Claire came back to the table, visibly shaken from what she had just been told over the phone. She sat down and just stared off into the distance. “What's wrong?” Deborah asked.
After not replying, she put her hand on Claire's arm and said “Claire?”
Claire looked at her and said “This has just taken on a whole new level of importance.”
“What happened?” Deborah asked.
“Director Wiley has been missing since yesterday. We intercepted a call from his wife.” she said.
“So he's okay then?” she asked.
“Not exactly.” Claire replied. “According to his wife, he was reduced to the size of a bug.”
“What?!!” Deborah said, almost shouting. She looked down at Carlos and then back at Claire. “How do they know this? Did they actually see him?”
“No, but they spoke to her and Mrs. Wiley did confirm it.” Claire said. “She said that he had been glued to her toenail.”
“Glued to her toenail?” Deborah asked, totally shocked. She knew Paige was behind it. She must have used the serum on him.

The two women both looked down at Carlos after hearing him yell “Paige!”
Claire looked back ad Deborah and said “If this is true, we could have a very serious problem on our hands.”
“Claire, we have to act now.” Deborah said. She saw that Claire's eyes were shifting left and right and she seemed to be off somewhere. “Is there something you're not telling me?” She asked her, snapping her fingers.
Claire looked up and said “No, I'm just a little shocked, that's all.”
“Okay.” Deborah said, frowning. She wasn't buying it, but she needed to get to Orolov before Paige caught on and then it would then be too late. “We need to get to Orolov, and I mean now. If we don't get him to produce an antidote....well I don't need to tell you what could happen.”
“I know.” Claire replied as she stood up again. “I need to make that call.”
“Then make it!” she said.

Deborah looked down to see Carlos, standing still on the table, staring off into space. She leaned down close to him and whispered “I know you're thinking about what she said.”
“What?” he blurted out.
“You're thinking about my toenail.” she whispered.
“No. No.  I...uhhh....I wasn't thinking about that.” he stuttered.
“Yes you were.” she said. “Get that off your mind little man. There's no chance in hell that I'm going to make you shrink any smaller and glue you to my toenail.”
He just stared up at his love and nodded. She knew him so well.

“Okay, we're all set.” Claire said, walking back to the table. “We'll go to over the the Agency right now. My driver is still down in the garage.”
“I'll drive myself there.” Deborah said as she stood up.
“It will be faster if we just....” Claire replied.
“Save it Claire.” Deborah interrupted. “We have a long way to go before I start trusting you.”
“Okay.” Claire replied. “I can't fault you for that.”

Deborah looked down at Carlos. He was already getting himself inside the tube, ready for her to put him back in her bra. She leaned down and said “You're so on the ball sweetie.”
He looked up and smiled, then motioned for her to pick up the chain, which she did. He slid down into the tube and got himself set in place. It was the strangest feeling, but he actually liked being so small and having Deborah take care of him. The thought of being stuck at his current size wasn't seeming all that bad. He would have a beautiful woman that would take care of him and protect him, but it didn't take very long before he realized that it couldn't possibly work. She would never be able to have any relationship with him at two inches tall. He slumped in the tube with the metal on metal sound of the cap being screwed on. He loved her with all his heart, but he thought about it and was crystal clear that he was nothing. If he was shrunk permanently, how could he live being so tiny. He would have to look up, just to see Deborah's ankle. It would be hopeless.

“Are you good to go sweetie?” he heard her say.
Looking through the holes at Deborah giant eyes, he nodded at her.
“Okay.” she said in a comforting tone. “I'm going to put you on.”
Carlos kept thinking about how life would be with Deborah being a hundred and forty feet tall as his confines shifted around. The sound of the tube rubbing on her bra, then the tender skin of her breasts made him fell all the more useless and dejected. Once she had him seated comfortably, the light was cut off and he was now in darkness once again. Hearing her heartbeat gave him some amount of comfort, but he couldn't shake the thought of being stuck at his current size permanently. Not wanting to put Deborah into a situation where she had to take care of him the rest of his life, he started thinking about what he would do to end it. “I'll just put myself in the path of her foot.” he said to himself. “She'll squash me like a bug and that will be that.”

Deborah put on her jacket, not knowing that her tiny lover had been contemplating his demise underneath her foot. “Here we go sweetie.” she spoke softly down to him. “I'll get you back to normal. I promise.”
Carlos heard her, but he was still feeling like the situation was hopeless.