The Formula

by Don Viecelli

  “Where are you taking me?” Ingrid asked, visibly shaken.

  “Ivan wants to see you.” The shuttlecraft gained altitude.

  Chapter 12

  Wolfgang piloted the shuttlecraft around the space depot and headed for the SpaceMed building a few miles away. The wind was gusting over 50 miles per hour, the rose-colored dust swirling in every direction. It looked like the start of a major dust storm. It didn’t seem to bother Wolfgang. He was an experienced pilot, learned from military training. Ingrid, however, was feeling uncomfortable. She held onto both sides of the seat with clenched hands as the craft was buffeted by high winds and crosscurrents.

  Within a few minutes, Wolfgang reached the SpaceMed building and prepared to land on the roof. The landing pad was well marked and the shuttlecraft’s landing instruments steadily guided the craft down. Wolfgang landed smoothly, waited for the hangar door to open and taxied inside. He parked next to another shuttlecraft that appeared to be of the same model. Both were company owned with the SpaceMed logo painted on its wings and side.

  Wolfgang unfastened his seat harness and waited for the hangar door to close and the hangar to re-pressurize. He stood up. “Follow me.” Ingrid followed him out the door. The hangar was dark and cold. Wolfgang escorted her to a small door that led inside the building. He used a finger pad to open the door to Ivan’s apartment. They walked down some steps and entered a large kitchen. It was brightly lit and fully furnished.

  Wolfgang led Ingrid to the living room and told her to take a seat. Ingrid sat down on the nearest sofa. She had never been to Ivan’s apartment before, but her father had several times. He had described it to her. She recognized some of the artwork hanging on the walls. They were very rare and expensive. The room was tastefully decorated, but just a little too dark and ornate for her taste. It looked cold, she thought to herself, containing no warmth from a woman’s touch.

  Wolfgang disappeared around the corner. A few minutes later, Ivan appeared. He was dressed in a business suit as if he just came from his office, which was one floor below. He smiled as Ingrid stood up.

  “Hello, Ingrid.” Ivan warmly extended his hand. “I’m sorry for the way you’ve been treated. Can I get you something to drink?”

  Ingrid refused to take Ivan’s hand. She was upset. “Why have you brought me here?”

  “We have some important business to discuss—in regards to your discovery. I am terribly sorry about your father’s death. Is there anything I can do for you?” Ivan tried sounding sympathetic.

  Ingrid wasn’t buying it. “You didn’t have to kidnap me. You could have just called me.”

  “It couldn’t be helped, Ingrid. The stakes are too high,” Ivan pointed to a chair. “Please sit down. We must talk.”

  Ingrid sat down reluctantly. Ivan sat down in the sofa opposite her. She looked into Ivan’s eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but the way he was looking at her body made her feel uncomfortable.

  “I see the anti-aging drug works wonderfully, Ingrid,” He finally said. Ingrid blushed slightly and tried to ignore the remark.

  “I’m curious. How many vials did you take?” Ivan knew that Ingrid and her father had taken the drug recently to test its effects.

  “Three vials. It took one month to reverse the aging process and regenerate the cell tissue. I have the cell structure of a woman in her thirties. So far, there have been no negative side effects. You know the results. My father told you. It’s in the test data we provided you for the patent.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen the results, but I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you in person recently. I must say, Ingrid, you look lovely. No one will believe this is possible until they see the results. It’s simply amazing. You have no idea what sensation this will cause when people learn about it. It will be overwhelming.”

  “I certainly do understand. We all knew how big this discovery would be. That’s why we were trying so hard to find a way to increase production. No one can afford the cost of the drug with the current process.”

  “Precisely, Ingrid. That’s one of the reasons you were brought here.” Ivan leaned closer. “Look, Ingrid. Per our agreement, you and your father authorized SpaceMed to produce and test the new anti-aging drug. We’re working on the patent for you now. I know your father was working on the latest version of the drug. I need a copy of that formula.”

  It sounded like a demand. She looked at Ivan. “Our agreement only covers the initial production run of the drug for testing purposes. That’s all! We were working on a new formula in the lab. I don’t know if it was finished. That’s why my father was working so late last night. He wanted to test the process. He was supposed to call me with the results.”

  Ingrid watched Ivan closely. She suddenly wondered if he knew something about her father’s death. She became suspicious. “Did you know someone was going to hurt my father?”

  “Of course not, Ingrid,” Ivan lied. “How could you ask such a thing? I just want you to live up to your father’s promise.”

  “What promise?” Ingrid asked.

  “Your father promised to give me the solution to the latest formula as soon as he had it.”

  Ingrid didn’t know if Ivan was telling the truth or not. “My father never said anything to me about that.”

  Ivan smiled at Ingrid. “That’s unfortunate. Did your father give you a copy of the new formula?”

  Ingrid didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “No, I don’t have a copy. It should be in the computer system in the lab. That’s where we kept all our records.” Ingrid decided it wouldn’t be wise to tell Ivan about the memcard in the lockbox.

  Without thinking, Ivan said, “It wasn’t there. Your father deleted it from the memcards.” The statement hung in the air. Ivan realized what he said before he finished the sentence. He could see the surprise in Ingrid’s eyes. He resigned himself to the fact that she was going to find out sooner or later. Now he would have to decide what to do with her.

  Ingrid was stunned. “How do you know that unless you had something to do with my father’s murder?”

  Ivan stood up and reached for Ingrid. He pulled her to her feet with both hands. He looked into her eyes and tried to reason with her by telling her the truth. He had nothing to lose, but Ingrid had everything to lose. Maybe she would see that.

  “I’m sorry, Ingrid. I only wanted what was promised to me. Your father became unreasonable. He threatened to cancel our agreement. I couldn’t permit that.” Ivan was pleading with her. He held her tightly, waiting for her reaction.

  Ingrid was in shock. She couldn’t look Ivan in the face. Tears flooded her eyes. She could barely hold herself upright. Ivan was inches from her face. He caressed her left cheek with his fingers. She couldn’t believe what was happening.

  “You bastard!” Ingrid shouted. “You killed my father! Get away from me!” She tried to struggle free. Ivan held her firmly.

  “Listen, Ingrid,” Ivan pleaded. “I admire what you’ve done. We could do wonderful things together with this discovery. The drug will be worth trillions of denoms. With the patent, no one will be able to produce it but us. I want you to be my partner. We could introduce this discovery together.”

  Ingrid was beside herself with grief. She looked into Ivan’s eyes. He was waiting for her answer. She was repulsed. How could he ask such a thing? Her repulsion turned quickly into anger. She broke free of his grip and slapped him hard in the face. “Never!”

  Ivan’s eyes changed to daggers. He looked like he was going to kill her right where she stood. She braced herself for the worst. Ivan slapped her hard on the face with the back of his hand. Ingrid cried out in pain and fell back into the chair. Ivan stood over her.

  “All right, have it your way. I know you’re lying to me. I want that formula and you’re going to give it to me one way or another.” Ivan forcefully picked Ingrid up from the chair. He held her tightly. He could feel her body close to his. She was breathing fast, her heart pumping from f
ear. Ivan suddenly felt excited. She looked so beautiful. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way towards a woman. It had been a long, long time. Ivan hesitated, calmly deciding what to do next. Finally, he turned away from Ingrid and yelled for Wolfgang. A moment later, Wolfgang walked into the room. Ivan pushed Ingrid into his arms.

  “Take Ingrid to my canyon home. Lock her in one of the bedrooms. Wait for me there.”

  “Yes, Mister Hellstrom. When will you be coming?”

  “In a few hours. I have some more work to do. Make sure Ingrid is comfortable. Don’t let her talk to anyone.” Ivan looked directly at Ingrid. “If she gives you any trouble, drug her.”

  Wolfgang nodded. “Yes, sir.” He pushed Ingrid in front of him for the walk back to the shuttlecraft.

  Chapter 13

  Jack had just arrived at police headquarters around 5:00 p.m. when he heard the news about the kidnapping. The police had taken Tom to the hospital, but no one could tell him how badly Tom was hurt. Ingrid was missing. She was kidnapped right on the walkway in front of everyone. Why would anyone take such a risk in broad daylight? Jack was pretty sure he knew part of the answer.

  Jack walked to the surveillance control room. He asked one of the operators to pull up the video from the security cameras that monitored that part of the walkway. Maybe the video would show something he could use.

  The operator searched the video files and found the kidnap scene. Jack saw Tom push Ingrid into a doorway and fire his weapon at someone in the distance. He could not identify the man who fired first because he jumped behind a light pole. Then Jack saw Tom get blasted by a laser pulse from behind. Jack could tell it was bad by the way Tom fell to the ground. Then two men ran up to Ingrid and one man forced her to walk away with him. Jack couldn’t make out any faces. All three men had hats on hiding their faces. They hide their weapons in their long coats.

  Jack focused on the tall man who grabbed Ingrid. He looked familiar by his size and the way he walked. He asked the video operator to scan the man’s physical profile and send the data to Sam Connelly on Ares for a comparison. Jack attached a note about the kidnapping. Jack thought it might be the same man who murdered Doctor Johanson. Maybe Sam had some news on his search for the killer. Jack would call him as soon as he could.

  Jack called Captain Black on his smartcom. The captain answered the call. “Jack. Where are you?”

  “I’m in the control room looking at the video. What the hell happened?” Jack was angry.

  “Someone attacked Tom on his way to the train station and took Ingrid. I have men looking for her now.”

  “I told you she was in danger in my report, Captain. You shouldn’t have let her go.”

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I thought it was safe to send her home. I arranged for her protection. I never expected anything like this to happen on the street. It was a mistake; I admit it. Let’s get on with the search and find her. You can have all the resources you need.”

  “All right, Captain,” Jack replied as his temper slowly cooled down. Jack couldn’t believe what had happened. This complicates things considerably. Now he had to find Ingrid before something even worse happens.

  “I’ll get back to you, Captain. I need to see how Tom is doing at the hospital. I’ll call you when I have some news.” Jack ended the call and walked out of the room.

  Jack left police headquarters and went to the hospital. Once there, he found the nurse’s desk and asked for Tom’s room. She told him the room number and the floor. Jack got on the elevator and rode to the fifth floor. He got off the elevator, found the room at the end of the hallway and walked inside. Tom was lying in bed awake, but appeared to be in some discomfort.

  “How are you feeling?” Jack asked as he approached the bedside.

  “Like I got hit by a land rover,” Tom answered, slowly turning his head. He couldn’t move his body yet.

  “Did you get a look at the man who shot you?”

  “Hell no. He blindsided me. I should have known. I only saw the man who was shooting at me, but I didn’t get a good look at his face. He was too far away.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. It wasn’t your fault. The captain should’ve sent more men with you.”

  “Have they found Ingrid?” Tom asked weakly.

  “Not yet. We’re looking for her. We got surveillance video of the men who attacked you. There were three of them. One of them looked familiar. It could be the same guy who killed the doctor. I sent a profile to Sam on Ares for comparison purposes. I’m going to call him to see if the profiles match.”

  “Something doesn’t make sense,” Jack said, looking intently at Tom. “How did they know where you were?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they saw us leave police headquarters and followed us.”

  Jack wasn’t convinced. “Who knew where you were taking Ingrid?”

  “Only you and Captain Black,” Tom added after a pause. He looked at Jack’s face. “You don’t think the captain is involved in any of this, do you?”

  Jack looked away for a moment. He was thinking about something he found in Doctor Johanson’s house, trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. He wasn’t sure if he should say anything to Tom or not. He decided Tom had a right to know.

  “I found something at the doctor’s place during our search.” He pulled out the picture memcard from his pocket and showed it to Tom. “This was in the picture frame on his desk. It contains several pictures taken at some social function recently. The picture showing on the frame was a close-up of the doctor and Ingrid. But when I flipped through the rest of the pictures in memory, I found them posing with a group of men in the background.”

  “Who were they?”

  “I only recognized Ivan Hellstrom and Captain Black. Hellstrom and the captain were talking to each other. I think the captain knows more about this case than he is telling us.”

  “I don’t believe it, Jack. The captain wouldn’t be involved in a murder. He was probably just attending the function. He goes to a lot of public events. It’s part of his job.”

  “You’re probably right, but the captain didn’t mention it to me when we talked about the case. I also spoke to Ivan Hellstrom. I believe he’s hiding something too. I’m doing a background check on all his associates now. These people are pretty important. We have to be careful. Don’t say anything to the captain about the pictures. I need to work some things out. There’s a lot at stake. The drug vials that were taken at the lab are worth a large fortune, enough to kill to get them.”

  “What about Ingrid. Will they kill her too?” Tom asked, looking concerned.

  “I don’t think so. She knows how to produce the drug. They were almost ready to announce their discovery. The only thing holding them back was how to produce the drug in mass quantities. I think the doctor found the answer. And I think he may have told Ingrid. That’s why someone took her. I think Hellstrom is involved.”

  “But Ingrid said she didn’t have the latest formula. Why would she lie to us?”

  “I don’t have all the answers yet. Maybe she doesn’t trust us. Her father may have hidden the formula and she hasn’t found it yet. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out, but we don’t have much time. I need to find Ingrid, and you need to get some rest. I have to go. I’ll check back with you in the morning.”

  Jack got up to leave. Tom said goodbye. He looked tired. A good night’s sleep would probably fix him up, Jack thought. A laser pulse can shock your system pretty bad, but the effects usually wear off within twenty-four hours. He should be up and around by tomorrow afternoon. Jack left the room. He had work to do. He needed to make a call.

  Jack called Sam as he walked back to the office. “Hello, Sam. I sent you a profile from the kidnapping. Did anything match?”

  “Hello, Jack. I just finished sending you the file. We searched everyone in our database. We found over fifty people that fit the killer’s profile. We narrowed it down further by adding military service and experience with expl
osives. That narrowed the list to ten. Then we added your recent profile data from the kidnapping. It matched our profile perfectly. We’re certain it’s the same man. On your request, I then cross-referenced all the known associates of the doctor. I came up with one person who fits all the characteristics. His name is Wolfgang Strossberg, a former military officer. He’s the Chief of Security for SpaceMed and works for Mister Ivan Hellstrom. Do you know him?”

  Jack paused for a second. The connection to Ivan Hellstrom was too close for coincidence. “No, I don’t, but it sounds like a good lead. How accurate is your data?”

  “Ninety-nine percent. It’s the best we can do, Jack. It won’t convict anyone in a court of law. You’ll need more proof.”

  “All right, Sam. Thanks for your help. I’ll follow up and get back to you.”

  “No problem, Jack. Good luck in finding the woman.”

  Jack ended the call with Sam. He had a solid lead. It was more than he had two minutes ago. Jack hurried back to his office. Upon arrival, he asked a police officer to do a background search on both Ivan Hellstrom and Wolfgang Strossberg. He wanted to know everything he could about them. The officer said she would have the data within the hour.

  Jack then placed a call to Ted Little in CIT. “Hello, Ted. It’s Jack. Did you find anything at the doctor’s place?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, Jack. There were no prints other than from the doctor, his daughter and a housemaid. Whoever searched the place was wearing gloves.”

  “Okay. Anything more from the lab on Ares?”

  “Nothing we can use. No prints, fibers or DNA from the killer. Everything was vaporized in the blast.”

  “How about the dead security guard’s place?”

  “Sorry, Jack. It was clean. Whoever did this was a pro.”

  “Alright. Did you send me your report?”

  “Sure did. It’s on your computer. By the way, Captain Black called me. He asked for a copy of the report. I sent it to him. I hope you don’t mind.”