Chapter 1- The experiment

    

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"I wasn't made to struggle like this! " Mary shouted and threw her arms up in the air.  

"We have tried so many times and nothing works out the way we want it. I give up!" 

"Giving up is not an option here. We have to continue, and try to get the result we want. We have worked too hard to just give up now. There are just too many lives that depend on this formula."  Peter said and sighed.  

"Let's go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day and then we will try again. I'll drive. We can stop for some Chinese take-away. We haven't eaten since this morning."

Peter grabbed her bag and dragged her out of the laboratory. He locked the door and walked with her towards the elevator. 

"I just can't see what we are doing wrong... we have tried this so many times and nearly every time we had a totally different result. I just can't do this anymore."

"A good nights rest will do you good." 

They walked through the parking garage and Peter unlocked the door. He opened the door for Mary to climb in, and she threw her bag on the backseat before making herself comfortable. Her mind was still stuck on the formula. This could save the lives of millions of people. They have been working day and night for the last month and they were so close to a breakthrough. If they could just get it right.

"Perhaps we have to look at this from a different angle. Perhaps we just need to start over...."

"I think that we might be closer than you think...but for Pete's sake, can we just forget about it for one single night!"

Mary knew that she should stop talking. Peter never got angry but he seemed a bit frustrated tonight.  She opened the car window to let in some fresh air and the cold winter air nearly took her breath away.  

"Remember when we used to have fun...perhaps we need to take a few days off work just to get away from everything for a while." Peter asked and she smiled at him.  

"That would be lovely, but Peter we are so close....let us grab some food and then we talk about it in the morning."

"Our research won't go anywhere. We need a break. Please just think about it. We just can't go on like this..."

Peter stopped in front of the Chinese restaurant and unlocked the door. "The usual?"

Mary nodded and turned her head to look out the window. She was so tired, and she could hardly keep her eyes open.  She watched as Peter walked into the restaurant, and shrieked when someone opened the car door behind her. She was too scared to look to the back but the door slammed closed and she heard a hoarse voice.  

"Don't be scared, I'm not here to hurt you. I am here to warn you. You are being watched. I'll keep in contact. Just know that the people you think you can trust is not so trustworthy. You can trust no one!"

Within seconds the door closed. She looked back to see if she could make out who was in the car but she only saw someone in a black jacket disappear around the corner.  

She had such a fright and she could feel her heart beating in her throat when Peter opened the door. 

"You frightened me..." she said and he smiled. 

"Sorry I didn't mean to. Let's go I am starving."

She wanted so badly to tell him about the visitor in the car, but all she could hear in the back of her mind was the strange words of a total stranger ringing in her ears.  

"You can trust no one."