Chapter 5
The mail left no room for interpretation, Dinesh had to show up in Delhi early the next morning. As he was not a morning person, he called his assistant to prepare his private jet in order to leave Pune that same evening so that he could enjoy a full night of sleep, and told her to reorganize his schedule for the next two days, since he would be busy in the meetings with the Indian government.
The morning after, an Indian Air Force limousine picked Dinesh up at the Centaur Airport Hotel, then dropped him off next to an unmarked helicopter. Dinesh was welcomed by Vikas Kumar, a high ranking officer in the Indian Secret Service, who was his main connection to the Indian government. Vikas helped Dinesh inside, and immediately closed the doors. As Dinesh started to buckle up for the flight, the officer started talking.
"Thanks for your quick response, Dinesh, we owe you. We need you to see what's going on firsthand, just do not answer any questions from the people we are going to meet until I give you a nod. I will take care of the rest."
"Well, Vikas, when it comes to paying me back, I do have some debt with my homeland. Who are we going to meet?"
Vikas did not answer, and rather turned the liquid crystal windows to blind mode. Dinesh was about to ask for an explanation but the noise of the turbines started to flood the cabin. The helicopter took off and headed West.
As soon as the helicopter reached flying speed and the engines' roar subsided, Dinesh aired his frustration again.
"Vikas, would you mind explaining this godfather scene you’re creating? You have never used such B-movie tricks, no matter what we had to discuss whether you come to my office in Navi Mumbai or I come to yours in Delhi. Do I have to expect mafia bodyguards in black suits on arrival? It's getting on my nerves, I tell you."
"Alright, it’s time for an explanation," Vikas took off his glasses and switched off the intercom, separating them from the cockpit, "we are heading West. We will land in a secret place you do not need to know, not far away from Lahore. Does that tell you something?"
"It looks like the perfect place to have some meeting with the Pakistanis, our arch-enemies. I do not think you want to hand me over to them, though."
"Absolutely not," Vikas smiled. "You are one of India's core assets, as valuable as our nuclear warheads and far more valuable than the Taj Mahal, I dare to say."
Vikas paused for a second. Dinesh did not find the joke funny.
"Dinesh, your drug and the fact that it is legal in India has changed the balance of the world's drug trade. Consumers are moving away from heroin and switching to cocaine because they can later remove the side effects with Telomerax."
"This I know very well. Our government made the decision that the revenues, both legal and illegal, were worth the diplomatic frictions. Up to now, it has paid off. Our airports are crowded with Superjumbos that bring Europeans, Asians and Americans by the thousands just to buy Telomerax, and stay long enough to make sure that on their way back they are not detected by Homeland Security. But hang on, you said that the heroin market is collapsing, and that used to be the main source of income for Afghanistan..."
"...as well as of the Pakistani secret service, the ISI. We are making them desperate, which is something we do not like too much."
"I see," Dinesh continued, "is this what is behind the terror attacks of the last months against the Chennai malls and the Bangalore technology district? And the tightening of the security around me and my company? Why do you guys working in the undergrounds of power always need to attach a few hundred innocent lives to a meeting request?"
Vikas sighed. He did not like the naive side of Dinesh.
"I cannot comment, Dinesh. However, there might be a solution. Our Prime Minister decided to share Telomerax with the Pakistanis. After some balking, they accepted the offer. Obviously, we need your help to get them started."
Dinesh was shocked.
"Hang on. What are the terms of the deal? What if I do not agree? Do I have an exit? Or is it too late to jump ship?"
"You will decide for yourself after hearing the details. Or, better, what we can tell you about the details. Obviously, the Pakistanis have been eagerly studying Telomerax derivatives just like everyone else, and they called upon their best minds in biochemistry, from the Gulf to the United States. Their focus was to reproduce the drug-effacing behavior, much like the Russians did. Somehow, they figured out their own version, but need help in the final design and to setup their own manufacturing facility. That's where we volunteered you to help them, to put it in that way. So they will also enter the Telomerax market and have their fair share. Obviously, they won't legalize it, much like all other Muslim countries."
"Understood. But what does India gain, then? In a few months they will have their own factory."
"Well, first of all they committed to rein in all the militant groups in Kashmir. Then, but this is more my own view, I think this will help our two countries realize we have far more interests in common than we want to think of. If they do not stick to their commitment, we have a formidable weapon in our hands, we just have to let the whole deal go public, for example by posting the video of today's meeting on YouTube. It would mean the immediate end of every Pakistani government and the loss of the drug revenue. Now, all of this depends a lot, but not exclusively, on you. That's why now it's time you meet your counterparts. What do you want to do? We will be arriving in about ten minutes."
Vikas concluded by looking at his watch.
"Not exclusively on me.." Dinesh thought, "obviously, the government does not need me to run the factory in Mumbai, my team can manage that. True, research on the drug would be seriously delayed, for a while. But the time when Telomerax was the work of a single genius is long gone. By the way, I wonder what happened to Louis Picard. All I know is what George told me over the years."
The helicopter started descending.
"Alright, Vikas, I got the point. Somebody once said that freedom is nothing but the possibility to choose one's own master to serve. I prefer to help you by choice, rather than be in a situation where I have no control."
"Good decision. We can open the windows again now," Vikas said, switching off the LED curtains. The helicopter was landing in a wheat field, not far away from another unmarked helicopter. A few hundred yards further stood the main building of a Punjab farm, where the Pakistanis were most likely waiting for them.
Vikas got out first, and then helped Dinesh down. Before heading to the farm, the Indian officer looked at Dinesh and whispered "Once again remember, let me lead the meeting and answer only after my nod."
Then, they both started walking slowly towards the building.
The Last Enemy - Parts 1,2 & 3 - 1934-2054 Page 51