by David Kersey
The Yellow cab slowly inched along the departures lane of the Knoxville airport. The passenger, a female NSA agent wearing a blonde wig, instructed the driver to stop. “Solid green long sleeve shirt, tan pants, carrying a windbreaker over left arm. Directly in front of Frontier’s baggage check.” Two NSA field agents received the two-way radio message. They spotted the target, circled around to a vantage point directly behind him, then quickly approached and had the foreign agent cuffed in seconds. The jacket fell to the ground during the apprehension, and with it fell a hypodermic needle. Ashok Banerjee was caught.
One deck below, in the arrivals lane, the State Trooper stopped and surrendered his passenger to U.S. Marshall Dennis Schneider. “Let’s make this easy, ma’am,” Schneider said with a drawl, “hold my hand like we belong together and we’ll be nice and friendly. Otherwise, I restrain you and I won’t be nice for the next three hours. Surely you don’t want people gawking at you. So be nice, and don’t try to run. You won’t make it ten feet. Then you will be cuffed, and I will be angry with you.”
“Where are you taking me?” Tracy asked, too tired and upset to resist.
“Nice little ride up north. Baltimore, Maryland. Ever been there?”
+ + + + + + + + + +
Jackie Bingham called back at approximately 10:30. “Joshua, I received your email and printed it out. I looked it over, and frankly, some of the items in your list are beyond my grasp of expertise. One thing I know for sure though; I know what lophophora williamsii is, and that would have to go bye-bye. We can’t utilize the entheogen that is in the peyote. Some of these other things, I’m going to have to have others take a look and advise me, so it will be morning before I can make further comment.”
“I am glad you caught the peyote. I’ve already taken it out of most of my production. I do save some containers that contain the peyote and have it on hand for people with cancers. The last two pages you printed out should contain some notes I added. Perhaps you didn’t make it that far when you perused it. I have replaced the peyote with hemp and a slight elevation in kava. I scribbled that as an addendum, and I apologize, my handwriting is not the best. Oh, and another thing that you won’t find in what I sent you. I have a third version on hand that is for expectant mothers or anyone who is taking a blood thinner. Had I known you would be calling I would have been better prepared.”
“I appreciate you sending it. Before we hang up, I need to ask you some questions. Is that ok with you?”
“Go right ahead.”
“I count twenty-four different ingredients. Do you use all of them in your product?”
“I do. You will notice that some are used very sparingly due to possible side effects. For instance, the passion flower, which should reduce anxiety, can cause liver damage if used in excess. The maca, goldenseal, rhodiola, and graviola all have the potential to do harm, but also can be heroic soldiers if used in low concentrations. The goldenseal, as well as some of the others, like the amla, should be an effective flu fighter. I would think there are enough quercetins in at least five of the items to combat flu viruses, as well as the common cold.”
“I see. How long have you been producing it, and what do you call it?”
“I call it NIL, which is short for no inner limit. I’ve been developing it now for going on five years, and parceling it out for the last three years.”
“Do you have a background in pharmacology or botany?”
“Neither, really. I did graduate from Purdue’s agricultural college. And I’ve been a self-taught student of the human body, and what the earth provides for it, ever since I was a kid.”
“Hmm. Do you have the legal paperwork put to bed?”
“That is underway. But to be honest, I don’t have any permitting. I have a very small operation and I don’t advertise or charge any money for the product.”
“So, you are just getting started? Is that what I am hearing you say?”
“You could say that, but Jackie, my intention was never to be involved with something like the CDC. My goal was, and is, to be a catalyst in bringing people back to stable mental and physical health, and to do it on a small scale. Very small actually, like one person at a time.”
“To be candid with you Joshua, I am perplexed. Why would the lieutenant governor of your state recommend to me a small startup situation like you are describing? Can you tell me why she did that?”
“I had no prior knowledge that she did. I’ve just met her once, and she is charging full steam ahead. I suppose it’s because of the victories we told her about.”
“As in?”
“So far, we’ve had successes in a wide range of issues, including alcohol addiction successes, tumor disappearances, domestic violence retardation, and host of other things. And now apparently a success with the avian flu.”
“OK, what about the negatives. Any failures or harmful side effects?”
“None so far. I don’t expect any.”
“How do I get my hands on your product?”
“I could overnight it to you, so you’d have it Wednesday.”
“I’ll get back to you in the morning. Don’t do anything yet. And thank you for your time.”
“Jackie, one more thing. There was a video made just today that I can upload, then email to you as a downloadable attachment. In it, you’ll see an email sent from a registered nurse. You may want to contact her for credibility reasons. Do you want me to send it?”
“Please do. That will help.”