The Planck Factor

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. “Probab

ly 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.

EPILOGUE