Lethal Misconduct (14 page)

“The last of the seven is located on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The lead researcher’s name is Marcel Merrifield.”

The name didn’t ring a bell. Price exhaled. Time was ticking and he could only imagine what his family was going through. He was sure his grandfather was rolling over in his grave.

Jonas continued. “Dr. Merrifield got a grant a couple months ago for something called molecular destabilization. It doesn’t give any—”

“Hold on. Say that again,” said Price, something in his subconscious firing from a long discarded memory. 

“Which part?”

“What did you say they were studying?”

“Something about molecular destabilization and its origins within racial populations.”

My God
. The forgotten conversation came to Price like a crack of thunder. He’d been talking to one of his staff about an X-Men movie. The one where Magneto helps Jean Grey magnify her powers after bringing her over to the dark side. It had come up because of what they were doing with the substance the medicine man had given Price in Colombia. In essence, it was changing cancer on a molecular level, something akin to molecular manipulation. Instead of remaining in its original form, the cancer was being told to change, to morph into something else.

The two researchers hadn’t even noticed Col. Cromwell until he’d asked a question about how it might work in reverse, like in the movie. Price had thought it an innocent enough question, more fantasy than reality, so he’d answered truthfully.

Someone’s voice shook him from his thoughts. It was Cal.

“What is it, Doc?”

Price closed his eyes, replaying the conversation and matching the language with what Jonas had just read. Cold fear gripped him as he considered the implications.

“Doc, what are you thinking?” Cal asked, a bit impatiently.

Price’s face had turned ashen, and he couldn’t keep his hands from shaking.

“We had it all wrong,” he said, just above a whisper.

“What?”

“Cromwell doesn’t want the cure…he’s developing a weapon.”

Chapter 23

Bethesda, Maryland

11:39am, April 9
th

Col. Cromwell smiled as he read Dr. Merrifield’s email. Things were finally starting to go his way. Not only were the Feds putting the squeeze on Dr. Price’s family, his handpicked team in Fredericksburg was close to their objective.

Serum viable. Initial tests promising. Not as long-lasting as we’d hoped, but with a few minor adjustments, I foresee successful completion sooner than expected.

Cromwell liked Merrifield’s style. The French-born researcher had the ability to piss off his colleagues, but Cromwell had pegged him right from the start. While most firms might consider Merrifield a maverick, reckless in his pursuits, Cromwell understood what the man wanted. Money and recognition.

Such ambitions were easily manipulated. Not only had he swooped in with funding just as Merrifield had once again been denied for another project, he’d also promised to give the scientist all the credit. To a man who’d been laughed at during dinner parties and talked about behind his back for years, Cromwell’s offer was like the opening of Heaven’s gate for Merrifield.

Cromwell had gone out of his way to make Merrifield feel important. He’d also given him more funding and independence than he’d ever had in his career. The project wasn’t easy, but the French-American devoured the task eagerly. Just as the email had said, not only were they making progress (where others had failed), but they were also months ahead of schedule. 

He fired off a quick congratulations and looked forward to seeing him soon. Cromwell ended the email by asking if there was anything else Dr. Merrifield needed, knowing that the snob would probably ask for an overnight getaway to Aspen to recharge or an escort for the night. It was a small price for Cromwell to pay and would keep Merrifield chugging along at his relentless pace.

Cromwell pressed SEND and sat back in his chair. Pretty soon he’d be able to tell everyone, even Senator Thompson, to fuck off because he would be untouchable.

+++

Charlottesville, Virginia

Dr. Price had explained to Cal’s team what he imagined his old boss was doing with the research. It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel to Cal. To have the ability to manipulate a human body on the molecular level.

They had to get inside the research facility and see what they could find. Cal was waiting on a call back from the president with the go-ahead. The quicker they could pin something on Cromwell the better. Cal wondered how high the intrigue went, having experienced more than his share of government conspiracies since leaving the Marine Corps.

There were all kinds of ways politicians and their cronies could misspend taxpayer money. So far it looked like this project had been privately funded, but it still had to be linked to the American government if Cromwell and his office at the NIH were involved. Surely an Army colonel couldn’t be the man sitting behind the curtain. No, there had to be one or more people hiding in the shadows.

+++

The White House

President Zimmer didn’t like what he saw. Another program that had somehow gone unnoticed by the previous administration. How many covert deals were being conducted without his knowledge?

Zimmer looked up from the file.

“Do we know who else is involved? I’m sure Cal will want to know.”

Travis Haden shook his head. “That’s all I could get without Cromwell getting a whiff of my snooping. I’m sure we can get more, but it might send them scattering.”

“So you think we should let Cal try?”

“I think it’s worth a shot. He knows what he’s doing and he knows what’s at stake.”

The president leafed through Travis’s notes. Any kind of biological weapons being developed on American soil, and under the auspices of an Army colonel no less, had the ability to cripple his administration. Anyone and everyone would assume that the president knew about it.

There were risks, but Zimmer agreed with Travis, it was worth it. If Dr. Price’s hunch was right, they needed to know what the research entailed.

“Call Cal and tell him to do it.”

+++

Charlottesville, Virginia

“It’s a go.” Cal stood up from the conference table and stretched.

“When do we leave, boss?” asked Gaucho.

“Let’s hit it tonight. We can plan on the way.”

Gaucho nodded and moved to prep his team.

“Where do you want us?” asked Neil.

“I want you, Jonas, Price and Doc Higgins to hang here. I’m assuming that once we tap into their system we can shoot to you remotely, right?”

“No problem,” said Neil.

Everyone knew their place. Cal didn’t have to do any hand-holding. The warriors would take care of the infiltration and the brains would stay back and support. It was a scenario they’d played out countless times. Hopefully it would go off without a hitch.

+++

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Dr. Marcel Merrifield examined the last batch of slides for the day. He’d been at it for hours. His assistants called him The Machine. Not one to take breaks or let up from his hectic schedule, Dr. Merrifield expected the same from his staff.

Since taking over the project, he’d carefully doled out assignments, keeping information compartmentalized. Opposing sections weren’t even allowed to socialize together. He was the only one who knew the breadth of what they were developing, and he kept his teams under constant watch. They knew they were working on something big, mostly because requests for funds or new equipment were almost always approved right away. The researchers didn’t care what the final product was. They were worker bees used to carrying out orders, happy to get paid to do what they loved.

The handful of scientists who’d asked too many questions were quietly ushered to the door.

Merrifield couldn’t sleep most nights, dreaming about the implications of his research. He’d had lofty goals before, but with the seed planted by Cromwell, Merrifield knew his detractors would soon have a change of heart. Much like the sequestered scientists at the Manhattan Project, Merrifield felt like he was on the verge of making history.

He’d show them all, and then he’d reap the rewards.

Chapter 24

Fredericksburg, Virginia

1:49am, April 10
th

Their first option had worked. Rather than trying to sneak into a one-story building, somehow avoiding the front desk rent-a-cop, and accessing the sure to be highly secure labs, Neil had suggested they try something else.

“It might be possible to gain access from the outside. As long as you can get me into their wiring system, I can figure out the rest.”

It hadn’t been quite that easy, but almost. They were in the process of uploading the data to Neil when a small convoy pulled up to the front of the office building.

+++

Col. Cromwell knew the value of a surprise inspection. He’d learned it walking the defensive perimeter first in training as a second lieutenant, and then in real combat in remote locations around the world.

He’d given Merrifield a heads-up, but had told him not to say a thing to his staff, a portion of which were on the night shift.

Dressed in a suit and tie, accompanied by Malik Vespers and his handpicked team of seven men, Cromwell strolled into the building.

+++

“We’ve got nine visitors up front. Seven went inside. Another two are headed around the building,” said Trent over the radio.

“Shit,” muttered Cal. The uplink wasn’t done. “How much more time do you need, Neil?”

“Maybe two more minutes.”

Cal looked at Daniel, who was similarly dressed in dark street clothes. “Plan B?” asked Daniel.

Cal and Daniel were the only ones exposed, hugging the edge of the brick building as best they could.

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

+++

Dexter Jake and his partner, Paul Wyer, did a slow sweep around the office building. Cromwell had told them to do a quick once over. They weren’t expecting to find anything, but an inspection was an inspection.

Dexter had worked for Cromwell, or more specifically for Malik Vespers, for just over two years. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and the pay was pretty good. Besides, nobody fucked with them. Vespers saw to that and so did Cromwell. Dexter didn’t miss his days on the police force. Boring duty. Endless patrols. Shit. He’d take a midnight inspection over a desk job any day.

They’d just rounded the back corner when he thought he heard the sound of running water. “You hear that?” he whispered to his partner.

“Yeah. Probably one of the drains.”

Dexter unholstered his pistol and flicked on the flashlight mounted below the muzzle. Wyer did the same.

They soon found the source of sound. Some guy and his buddy were pissing on the rear wall of the building. One of them raised a hand and shielded his eyes from the bright beams of the flashlights.

“Can’t you see we’re trying to take a leak,” came the slurred voice.

Wyer chuckled.

“Finish up and move along,” said Dexter.

The guy with the blond ponytail gave him a shit-eating grin and nodded, wavering a bit, shaking off the end of his piss.

Vespers’ troops waited for the two men to zip up their flies and move on.

“Thanks for watching us piss,” said the second guy, taking a swig from a small bottle of booze he’d pulled out of his pocket. The two drunks giggled at the joke, stumbling away from the building. Dexter rolled his eyes and kept walking.

“You think we should tell the colonel about that?” asked Wyer.

Dexter snorted and moved on.

+++

Once they’d gotten far enough away from the complex, Cal and Daniel stopped their fake shuffle and joined up with the others.

“Did you get in?” asked Cal.

“Yeah. I’m in,” said Neil.

“Good. We’re getting out of here.”

The extraction was otherwise uneventful. No alarms. All men accounted for. With the adrenaline wearing off, Cal dozed as they made the hour and thirty minute drive back to Charlottesville.

+++

“Everything looks good here, Dr. Merrifield. Keep up the good work,” said Col. Cromwell.

Merrifield tried to keep a straight face, but a smile peeked out. He was happy to please his benefactor.