“The goddamn World Health Organization is all over the scene! If they find out…”
“Who said the WHO is on the scene?” Even Kunnert’s accent couldn’t hide the emotionless quality of his voice.
“It’s all over the news for Christ sakes!”
“Yes…and?”
A thought slowly crept into Alex’s mind, too incredible to believe. “You…you mean to tell me those are actually all our people?” Alex lowered his voice, completely lost in the grandiose dimension of what was being presented before him.
Kunnert gave Alex an expectant look.
“You? How?” Alex managed.
“That is the reason you pay me the extremely large sum of money you do.” Kunnert spoke calmly as a slight half smile broke through the right side of his mouth. “Do you want to know the details?” Kunnert asked, with no expectation of having to reveal any details.
“I want to know everything and anything you do on behalf of the company. This is not a request. What if someone was actually trying to call the WHO?” The air of authority returned to Alex’s voice and he could see Kunnert’s physique shift to a more submissive demeanor.
“They will be told Pharmanetics is acting as duly appointed representatives of the World Health Organization and we have been given full authority to function on their behalf in Los Angeles,” Kunnert spoke calmly.
Stunned, Alex said “You have a contact within the WHO?”
“Yes, within the WHO’s main headquarters in Europe. This enables our credentials to be confirmed at the highest levels of the organization.”
Alex was impressed, but moved quickly on to other matters. “Right now I want to know if we are safe. Have our plans in any way been compromised?”
“We have not been compromised. All equipment at the location was collected and returned to our research facility. The witnesses have been dealt with and the Press has been misled.”
“That’s quite a mass of witnesses Kunnert, including the majority of them being LAPD. Are you sure their abduction was wise?”
“Wise or not, it was necessary. If need be, we can always say our efforts to save their lives were ultimately in vain. I have already stockpiled enough Anthrax to create the corpses necessary to substantiate our story.”
Alex nodded. “Good.” He stopped pacing behind his desk and sunk into his large leather chair. He calmed himself and gestured for Kunnert to sit across the desk from him. Kunnert obliged and sat in the guest chair.
“How do you plan to proceed from here?”
“I would say we should move to the next phase; however, Dr. Whelan feels another test is in order.”
“Another!” Alex quickly picked up the phone and hit another speed dial number.
“Put the doctor on the line—now!” Alex tried to take a deep breath before the sound of Dr. Whelan’s voice came over the line.
“Hello?”
“Didn’t you have enough fun during the first test at The Inferno ? What is this I hear about needing a second test?”
The doctor’s unusual voice answered after a long sigh. “I’m sorry to say the first test was not a 100% success. One person didn’t succumb to the device.”
“Only one out of nearly one thousand is an overwhelmingly good percentage.” “True but it shouldn’t have been possible and I haven’t been able to determine why the man wasn’t affected.”
“Still Doctor, only one…”
“What if certain individuals are immune due to their particular brain chemistry or other genetic predisposition?” The doctor waited as Alex considered in silence.
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but if you have any plans on selling this in a military application then it would be a good idea to find out.”
Alex let out a long exasperated breath. “Yes it would. Hold on, I’m going to put you on the speaker phone so Kunnert can hear…there.”
“Hello Ken,” came the doctor’s disengaged voice through the phone’s speaker.
“Doctor.”
“I must commend you Ken. That bit
“Who said the WHO is on the scene?” Even Kunnert’s accent couldn’t hide the emotionless quality of his voice.
“It’s all over the news for Christ sakes!”
“Yes…and?”
A thought slowly crept into Alex’s mind, too incredible to believe. “You…you mean to tell me those are actually all our people?” Alex lowered his voice, completely lost in the grandiose dimension of what was being presented before him.
Kunnert gave Alex an expectant look.
“You? How?” Alex managed.
“That is the reason you pay me the extremely large sum of money you do.” Kunnert spoke calmly as a slight half smile broke through the right side of his mouth. “Do you want to know the details?” Kunnert asked, with no expectation of having to reveal any details.
“I want to know everything and anything you do on behalf of the company. This is not a request. What if someone was actually trying to call the WHO?” The air of authority returned to Alex’s voice and he could see Kunnert’s physique shift to a more submissive demeanor.
“They will be told Pharmanetics is acting as duly appointed representatives of the World Health Organization and we have been given full authority to function on their behalf in Los Angeles,” Kunnert spoke calmly.
Stunned, Alex said “You have a contact within the WHO?”
“Yes, within the WHO’s main headquarters in Europe. This enables our credentials to be confirmed at the highest levels of the organization.”
Alex was impressed, but moved quickly on to other matters. “Right now I want to know if we are safe. Have our plans in any way been compromised?”
“We have not been compromised. All equipment at the location was collected and returned to our research facility. The witnesses have been dealt with and the Press has been misled.”
“That’s quite a mass of witnesses Kunnert, including the majority of them being LAPD. Are you sure their abduction was wise?”
“Wise or not, it was necessary. If need be, we can always say our efforts to save their lives were ultimately in vain. I have already stockpiled enough Anthrax to create the corpses necessary to substantiate our story.”
Alex nodded. “Good.” He stopped pacing behind his desk and sunk into his large leather chair. He calmed himself and gestured for Kunnert to sit across the desk from him. Kunnert obliged and sat in the guest chair.
“How do you plan to proceed from here?”
“I would say we should move to the next phase; however, Dr. Whelan feels another test is in order.”
“Another!” Alex quickly picked up the phone and hit another speed dial number.
“Put the doctor on the line—now!” Alex tried to take a deep breath before the sound of Dr. Whelan’s voice came over the line.
“Hello?”
“Didn’t you have enough fun during the first test at The Inferno ? What is this I hear about needing a second test?”
The doctor’s unusual voice answered after a long sigh. “I’m sorry to say the first test was not a 100% success. One person didn’t succumb to the device.”
“Only one out of nearly one thousand is an overwhelmingly good percentage.” “True but it shouldn’t have been possible and I haven’t been able to determine why the man wasn’t affected.”
“Still Doctor, only one…”
“What if certain individuals are immune due to their particular brain chemistry or other genetic predisposition?” The doctor waited as Alex considered in silence.
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but if you have any plans on selling this in a military application then it would be a good idea to find out.”
Alex let out a long exasperated breath. “Yes it would. Hold on, I’m going to put you on the speaker phone so Kunnert can hear…there.”
“Hello Ken,” came the doctor’s disengaged voice through the phone’s speaker.
“Doctor.”
“I must commend you Ken. That bit
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