Until it was too late.
Regina smiled as she adjusted the vest underneath her uniform. The sounds of banter between Reed and Jesse in the living room was glorious. Reed was doing his best to convince his niece he was a better shot than Regina, and Jesse was having none of it.
“I’ve been to the shooting range with Mom so many times, I’ve lost count. She outshoots any and all competitors every time. Women have a steadier hand, plain and simple. She’d whoop your ass.”
“Care to put your money where your smart-assed mouth is?”
“Name the time and place. I have every confidence in Mom.”
Shaking her head, Regina veered off into the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee before heading to the station. After dousing the cup with more creamer than coffee, she joined the arguing duo in the living room.
“Enough, you two. Jesse, are you ready for work? I’ll drop you off on my way.”
“Mom, Uncle Reed thinks he is a better shot than you. When’s your next day off? We need to have a shootout! I’ve got a week’s worth of pay riding on you!”
“No time to talk about that now, Jesse. Your shift at Walmart starts in fifteen minutes! You aren’t even dressed yet.”
“That sounds like an excuse to me. Worried your daughter is wrong, Sis?”
Regina scowled at Reed. “Not at all. Sunday is my next day off, so you’re on. High noon, brother. Now, Jesse, hurry up!”
“Yes!” Jesse chirped. She rose from the couch and took off down the hallway to her room. “Don’t worry about taking me, Mom. Turner is picking me up.”
Before Regina could respond, Jesse was in her room. Regina took a sip of coffee and grinned at her brother. “What a turnaround, huh?”
Reed nodded and returned the smile. “No doubt. Seeing her healthy, clean, and full of life is a true Christmas blessing. She’s a completely different girl than the one a year ago. Always knew she was an amazing gal. Just like her mom.”
“And Uncle. After all, you were instrumental in keeping the two of us from ripping each other apart once she came home from rehab. Lord, those first few months were awful.”
Reed stood and grabbed Regina’s jacket from the chair. He handed it to her and laughed, “No kidding. It was like trying to separate two wet cats. You both have horrible tempers. That trait came from Dad. I’m more of a peacemaker, like Mom.”
Sliding the jacket on, Regina snorted. “You have a lot of her traits, including her inability to shoot the side of a barn.”
“Oh, did you just toss the gauntlet of challenge at my feet?”
“Yep. You may be taller and more of a peacemaker than I am, yet I will still school you at target practice. Just like when we were kids. Some things don’t change over the years. My besting you with a gun is one of them.”
A car horn beeped, followed by Jesse bursting from her room.
“Turner’s picking me up after work and we’re going to shop for gifts. Have a good shift, Mom. Love you.”
Regina bristled. “Jesse, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Stop worrying, Mom. I’m done with my old life, I promise. We’re going to buy gifts then come right back here to wrap them, I swear.”
Biting her lip before she said something that would spark an argument, Regina remained silent while Jesse kissed her cheek. In a flash, she was out the door. Reed’s warm arm wrapped around her shoulder.
“Let it go, Sis. She’s fine. Turner Addison is a good influence on her. You can’t expect her to spend all her time at work and this house. Girl’s got to have a life—and learn to live it sober.”
“The cop in me knows that. The mother in me doesn’t.”
With a fatherly pat, Reed pushed Regina toward the front door. “The mother in you seems to forget about the ace in the hole: me. Jesse hasn’t figured out yet I am tracking her every move. Now go, concentrate on keeping the peace in Rockport from crazy rednecks. I’ve got your back, as always.”
Regina nodded and left the house, thankful for her daughter’s sobriety and her brother’s presence.
Benito finished his breakfast and stared out across the vast expanse of what was now his estate. He picked up the notebook to his right and began thumbing through the pages again, going over every detail of the year’s transactions. Satisfied he was on track with the goals he’d set out for himself two years ago, he let a small grin appear.
“Good morning, my love. My, but you seem especially happy this morning. May I dare hope it is because of the way I woke you up earlier?”
Maria’s sweet voice from behind him made Benito’s dick hard. Again. The woman was sexier than any woman he’d ever met. Her beauty was only matched in intensity by her abilities between the sheets. Benito reached around the chair, grabbing a handful of her full ass.
“Si, my treasure. You always make me happy. However, you cannot take all the credit for my mood today. It is almost Christmas, and I was just going over the books for the year. Things are so profitable I am having trouble deciding what extravagant present to give you. Any ideas you’d like to share?”
Maria squealed and jumped into Benito’s lap. “Si, mi cielo. Other than your undying love, I only wish for two things.”
Benito nuzzled her soft neck. “And they are?”
Maria groaned while grinding her hips in Benito’s lap. “Fuller breasts and the ability to say they were a gift from my future husband. I want to be at my best for my sister Teresa’s wedding next December. It will be my first trip to the United States, and I want everything to be perfect. And for everyone to want to be me.”
“Ah, you wish to be my wife?” Benito whispered before nipping Maria’s soft flesh. “What a coincidence. That was my Christmas wish as well, and why I bought this.” Benito extracted the small black box from his pocket.
Maria’s eyes widened and she clapped her hands like a little girl. Her fingers shook as she opened the box, revealing a twenty-two carat, princess cut ring nestled inside the white satin. Maria was so excited it took her two tries to slide the ring onto her finger. “Mi cielo! Oh, it’s beautiful!”
“As are you, my love. Now, about your other wish: I disagree,” Benito pulled down the silk blouse from Maria’s shoulders with his teeth, exposing her perky breast. He let his tongue slide around the nipple twice before sucking. “These beauties are perfect the way they are. I don’t understand why you want to change them.”
Maria moaned again while jutting her chest forward. “I will give you all the pleasure you desire, mi cielo, more than I am capable of now, if you allow me this indulgence. It will make me feel more in proportion—and much sexier.”
“Whatever you wish, my love,” Benito mumbled. He wrapped his arms around Maria’s firm rump and hefted her off his lap. Then, as usual, he took the daughter of the man whose life he ended into the bedroom and violated every inch of her body.
When reflecting on the moment later, after the phone call that changed everything, Benito would realize the defilement of Mario Alvarado’s daughter was the final time things worked in his favor.
“If this is some sort of joke, I assure you will regret playing it on me.”
“No, sir. You wanted me to report any and all new developments and this is where we are. It is ready. The formula passed all the trials with flying colors. The test subjects will be released by week’s end. The team is nearly finished with all the paperwork and a press conference scheduled for next week. I don’t have the exact time or location as of yet, but I assure you when I do, I will let you know.”
Benito forced himself to remain calm. He knew this day would come and had been making preparations of his own. When he opened the safe and discovered Mario’s secret, he’d been stunned. After reading through all of Mario’s notes, he’d been surprised to actually agree with the prick’s conclusions, which was not to let the atrocity happen. Of course, Benito’s reasoning was far different than Mario’s.
The discovery would ruin Benito’s livelihood. A permanent cure to drug addic
tion would wipe out not only his business, but thousands of others around the globe. Economies would be devastated when drugs quit flowing.
Ever since he’d been alerted to the possibility of the cure, he’d worked nonstop, risking his life numerous times by setting up meetings with not only local competitors, but other cartel warlords across the globe. Only a few rejected his proposal to band together to keep the medicine from hitting the streets. Most were on board when he gave them a demonstration of the cure’s abilities.
Benito suffered too many years of abuse to walk away from the lifestyle he’d stolen from Mario. Living a life of luxury, banging the sick bastard’s daughter and owning the massive estate were his rewards for being tortured by the fat slob. There was no way he’d give up the prizes he’d earned from every vile, disgusting moment he’d endured for almost twelve years.
Shaking the thoughts away, Benito took in a gulp of air. “No, you will make sure the press conference never happens. If it is as you say, then proceed with the plans we set out. Make sure nothing—and no one—remains. Only bring our little friend to see me. He will turn out to be quite useful, I believe. After all, what better asset could I ask for? The man who created this nightmare will atone for his mistakes by creating the world’s most addictive drugs known to man. He is to arrive here without one hair out of place and the concoction he created in one piece. Can’t create an antidote unless we have the sickness. Understood?”
The voice on the other end of the line was cold, harsh. “As you wish, sir. Consider it done. I will contact you on the new number once everything is completed.”
The line went dead and Benito stared at the blank screen of his cell. He tore the phone apart and threw the remains into the fireplace. While he watched the plastic melt, he dreaded the next calls he needed to make. The other businessmen would be just as nervous and disturbed about the turn of events as Benito, for all of them knew the gravity of the situation if his contact inside the laboratory failed them.
Opening the drawer of the massive wooden desk, Benito extracted fifteen disposable phones. One by one, he made the calls to others in similar positions around the world, dropping the latest, unsettling news into their ears and then assuring them his next phone call would be full of good news.
STARTING OVER - Wednesday - December 16th – 4:00 a.m.
The throbbing at the back of Everett’s head felt like someone running a jackhammer inside his skull. Disoriented, he tried to make sense of the sensory overload bombarding his mind. A weird, unfamiliar sound drummed in his head. It took several seconds for him to figure out the noise was the rhythmic hum of tires on the open road. Coupled with the motion of riding in a vehicle, the knowledge made his head spin. A vehicle? How? The lab was underground, and Everett didn’t recall leaving.
Then again, Everett couldn’t remember a thing after leaving Susan and the other test subjects in the meeting room.
What the hell is going on?
Nothing made sense, so he concluded he must be asleep in his quarters, dreaming.
He could hear someone speaking in quick yet hushed tones. The sound of the muffled, male voice seemed to be coming from all around him. He forced his mind to slow down and hone in on the words.
“Repeating…the White House has just confirmed First Lady Roxanne Thompson succumbed to ovarian cancer less than an hour ago. President Thompson will give a press conference at nine a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the President and his daughter Melissa during this trying time, especially with Christmas less than a week away. As we’ve reported before, the first lady has been battling the disease for several months now and…”
Panic welled up inside Everett at the news report. He’d been keeping up with the first lady’s fight against cancer online when he had down time. Hearing the news report made his fuzzy brain aware he wasn’t dreaming. When Everett opened his burning eyes, he was greeted by darkness and a faint tinge of neon green not far away. Mind still on the fritz, it took him a few seconds to recognize the glow was from a dashboard.
“You’re awake? Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid you might have suffered permanent damage. You took a nasty blow to the head. Pretty sure you need stitches but I didn’t have time to patch you up. Too much was going on. Getting you to safety was my main priority.”
Everett felt a rush of relief at the familiar voice. He forced his body to move and sat upright in the seat. Reaching up, he felt the knot on the back of his head. The lump was the size of a walnut, and he could feel a two-inch gash. When he pulled his hand away, he felt the wetness and assumed it was blood on his fingertips. “Want to tell me what the hell is going on, Riverside?”
Daryl turned down the radio before responding. “Not sure where to even start, Dr. Berning. I’m still not quite sure myself.”
“Gee, that’s helpful. Okay, how about this: explain to me why it feels like someone whacked me with a two-by-four, and where we’re going. I’ll formulate more questions after you answer those.”
“It was from the floor.”
“What?”
“The bump on your head. You got it when you hit the floor.”
Everett closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Are you trying to tell me I passed out and you’re taking me to the hospital or something?”
Riverside chuckled, but the sound was anything but humorous. “No. After Dr. Flint put you in a chokehold and you passed out, she let go and you fell onto the floor. Your head bounced off the concrete like a ripe watermelon. The sound was disgusting.”
The memory of walking down the hallway flashed by in Everett’s head. He looked out the window and noticed it was dark. “Dr. Flint did what? Why in the world would she…?”
Riverside let off the gas and pulled onto the shoulder. He put the truck in park and turned around to face Everett. “Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I was coming out of the lab and saw her attack you. I didn’t have a chance to ask what was going on because just as you hit the floor, the alarm went off, followed by screaming from all the test subjects in the conference room. Dr. Flint ran in the opposite direction the second the power went out. By the time the backup generator kicked in, she was gone. Then, I smelled smoke and felt the ground shake. I grabbed you, flung you over my shoulder and took the stairs until I reached the surface.”
“Are you saying there was an explosion of some sorts? What about the others? Whose vehicle is this?”
Riverside tried yet couldn’t hide the fact he was shaking. “It would only be an educated guess to say there was an explosion. I didn’t see any fire, nor was there any structural damage, at least none I could see. I just felt the rattle—you know—like the whole place was going to collapse around us, so I grabbed you, my backpack, and took us to safety. Not a clue as to the owner of the truck, and honestly, I don’t care. Lucky for us the keys were inside, so I tossed you in the back and waited for a few minutes to see if anyone else made it out. When no one came out the door, I took off. Just as I started up the vehicle, I heard another rumble and smoke billowed out the front entrance.”
Everett looked out the window again. Nothing but woods as far as he could see surrounded them. The trees and terrain looked unfamiliar. “How long have you been driving?”
“About ten hours.”
“Holy shit! Where in the hell are we?”
“Close to Laredo. I think about twenty miles out.”
Stunned, Everett sputtered, “Laredo…as in…Laredo, Texas?”
Riverside nodded. Everett noticed the kid had no color in his face and looked terrified.
“Look, I don’t really know how to say this so I’ll just spit it out. I’m pretty sure the lab is gone. It sounded like the cave was about to collapse in on itself when I was hauling you up the stairs. Judging by what I found out before running into you in the hallway, I’d lay my life down on the bet the incident was from internal sabotage.”
Everett blinked twice, trying to absorb the words. “Are you saying you
think Dr. Flint destroyed all our work? Killed our test subjects? Why in the world would she do that?! What about Dr. Thomas? Did you see him? Did he make it out? Oh, and did you contact the authorities? Are they sending backup?”
“I don’t know about anyone but us. And yes, I’m saying Dr. Flint did all this. In terms of backup, you are kidding, right?”
“No I’m not kidding. You didn’t call anyone and inform them what happened?”
The look of incredulity on Riverside’s face would have been funny under other circumstances. The kid looked at Everett like he’d just asked the stupidest question ever. Riverside arched an eyebrow. “You’re serious? Oh, man, you really don’t have a clue, do you? No, I guess you wouldn’t. You’ve been too obsessed with your work.”
Frustrated at not only the pain in his head, but the feeling of walking in the dark on jagged rocks, Everett could only shake his head.
Riverside let out a long sigh. “We haven’t been working for any government entity, Dr. Berning. This whole project consisted of me, you, Dr. Flint, and Dr. Thomas. All funded and put together covertly by one individual: Dr. Thomas.”
A wave of dizziness swept over Everett at the news. He wondered how in the hell he’d been so easily duped. “That’s going to take a minute for me to digest. Okay, okay. So, we were on our own. Let’s get back to what you found out before you rescued me.”
Riverside leaned across the seat and grabbed a bag resting on the passenger side. He opened it up and retrieved several sheets of crinkled paper. “I overheard Dr. Flint talking to someone on the phone in her office about two hours before all this happened. She didn’t know I was at her door since her back was to me. I have no clue who she was talking to, but I did get the gist of their conversation. None of it was good for us. I was going to come find you first, but figured you wouldn’t believe me without proof, so I went back to the lab and hacked into her email account and found these.”
Tainted Cure (The Rememdium Series Book 1) Page 5