Bliss (5 page)

Tonight, however, the room stood dark and quiet. He moved quickly to the drawer he wanted. Once there, he punched in a code on the lighted keypad. Instantly, the drawer he wanted slid open and he reached inside. He gazed at the vial of white powder and smiled. That should be more than enough.

Cautiously, he cracked the door and looked out at the reflective wall on the far side of the corridor. Vetter stepped out, let go of the door and it snapped shut. He moved quickly down the hall to the elevator.

Now to the production room.

Los Amigos was packed
and lively, the Friday night crowd jammed shoulder to shoulder, three deep at the bar. Cigarette smoke hung thick, and the music blared from speakers everywhere. Tonight’s dinner would be the first time Lindsey had been out socially since her last night out with Jason, four weeks earlier.

As she sat waiting for Katherine Blair inside the entrance, she felt out of place. Hanging out in bars wasn’t her M.O. A steady stream of young guys filed in and hungrily eyed every female in sight, including Lindsey. She was used to being with Jason when she went out, where other guys never presented a problem. Most men didn’t dare look at her after seeing Jason’s impressive six-foot six figure accompanying her. This would be an interesting night.

At 8:15, Katherine finally showed up. Lindsey joined her, and the two edged their way along the long chrome bar to a booth in the back. Every eye at the bar turned to Katherine. With her striking model looks, along with the extra makeup she wore tonight, she was a proverbial vamp. Lindsey could feel the ripple of pure animal tension.

“I think some of the guys at the bar just had a coronary,” Lindsey said.

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I forgot it’s Friday. This place is a meat market. You wanna go somewhere else?”

“No, it’s okay. Maybe we’ll get some free drinks.”

The waitress showed them to their table and took their drink orders. Katherine ordered a margarita. Lindsey chose a daiquiri.

It was noisy so the two leaned in close to hear.

“How’s everything going so far?” Katherine asked.

“It’s moving very quickly, faster than I’m used to. But I’m enjoying the challenge.”

“Do you miss New York?”

“Are you kidding? The traffic, the crowds. Oh I just miss it terribly.” Lindsey laughed.

“You have family there still?”

Lindsey looked away. “No, not anymore.”

Katherine fell silent. Finally she said, “Oh.”

The food arrived, and they both ate for a while without talking. Katherine ordered another margarita and the subject turned to Stephen Vetter.

“How long has Mr. Vetter been CEO of Imec?” Lindsey asked.

“About a year now. The former CEO retired. Unfortunately his retirement didn’t last long.”

Lindsey leaned forward, set her drink down, and tilted her ear toward Katherine.

“He died in a plane crash a month later,” Katherine said.

“Did you know him?”

Katherine shook her head. “No, I started not long after that.”

“Gosh, there seems to be a lot of tragedy associated with Imec lately. Didn’t you say your predecessor died, too?”

“Yea, it’s scary, isn’t it?” Katherine finished her Huevos Rancheros and put her fork down. “Lindsey, anything I tell you, I’d appreciate if you keep it between us. A lot of the employees are new and don’t know anything about these things. I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want to spook anyone. This is a great company to work for, I think you’ll agree.”

“Yes definitely.” Lindsey got the feeling that Katherine was more than just research director at Imec. She seemed to carry a lot more clout than someone in that capacity. More like an assistant CEO.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you,” Lindsey said.

Katherine fixed her gaze on Lindsey. “Okay, shoot.”

“How many people live inside Indian Springs?”

“Exactly one hundred,” Katherine said.

“And how many employees does Imec have?”

Katherine’s demeanor changed. “Approximately five hundred.”

“So where do the other four-hundred stay? I was under the impression that they gave all the employees a house in the community.” Lindsey said.

Katherine looked puzzled. “Where did you get that idea?”

“From Mr. Vetter. He said–“

”I’m afraid you misunderstood, Lindsey. We selected the residents for Indian Springs, based on their application.”

Lindsey’s eyes widened. “What! Using what criteria?”

“The best and brightest. We only want the young up and comers in there. You’re an exclusive group. You should feel privileged.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m unhappy–“

”Then what’s the problem? Have another daiquiri.”

Lindsey exhaled silently. “I suppose you’re right.”

They spent the rest of the night on small talk and company plans for the following week. Lindsey remained astonished by what Katherine had told her. She didn’t know if she should feel glad or not. After all, two other Imec executives had been part of that exclusive group Katherine spoke of.

And they were
dead.

Stephen Vetter sat behind the
massive console in the backroom of his private office and stared at the video screens before him. Like a giant game of Jeopardy, each screen sat in a box on the specially designed wall. They’d connected each box to its own designated house in Indian Springs via underground fiber-optic cable. Hidden in every smoke detector, in every room, was a wireless video camera that recorded every minute of activity in the house.

Vetter observed the occupants at various times of the day. Sometimes were more crucial than others. Early morning, during sleep, and especially during sexual activity, or during marital discord for the ones who were married. He monitored and recorded, then passed the information to Katherine, so she could analyze it, correlate it with the blood work, then make adjustments in dosage based on all the acquired data. All without the subjects knowing a thing.

Vetter had to admit, it was an ingenious idea. Although not without its problems.

That was where the thug from New York came in.

A knock on the door reminded him of the meeting he’d set up earlier. Vetter pushed a red button on the console and a mahogany-paneled door slid across the bank of video screens. He buzzed in Frank Deldeo and swung his chair around toward the door.

“Mr. Deldeo, How are you. How was your trip to Las Vegas?”

“Peachy, just peachy.”

Despite his sarcasm, Vetter had to admit, Deldeo was impressive. As near wide as he was tall, the man was a proverbial killing machine. And he got the job done.

“We may have another minor problem,” Vetter said. “He’ll be coming to town tomorrow. One of our newer employees’ fiancé. I have a feeling he’ll need to be dealt with. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

“I’m not certain what it
means,” Dr. Sid Collett, said to Katherine Blair. “But one thing is for sure. Every single employee, with one or two exceptions, has high levels of norepinephrine in their blood. And these unexplained cases of syncope have me worried as well.”

“We can link several of those to pregnancy,” Katherine said.

“Perhaps, or perhaps not. Might be coincidence?”

They were standing at a lab table upon which sat a microscope, several small bottles of solution, an assortment of slides with specimens mounted, and a scattering of folders with a multitude of papers sticking out at odd angles. Collett, Imec’s medical chief, oversaw the employee’s health records. A grandfather type with thick gray hair going in every direction, he was the only one besides Katherine Blair and Stephen Vetter who had access to those files.

Katherine shifted uneasily. “Well let’s not jump to conclusions here. We can order some more sophisticated tests and see if it’s a fluke. You know as well as I that certain foods or drinks can cause norepinephrine levels to rise. Much like cholesterol does after a steak dinner.”

“True, but I can’t help worry with this new building and all. There are so many chemicals floating around here, it’s hard to tell what we’re breathing anymore,” Collett countered, not entirely convinced.

“Okay. If it will make you feel better, I’ll order a battery of mandatory tests and see what we come up with. In the meantime, let’s just keep this between us. Fair enough?”

Collett let out a lung shaking cough and picked up the folders.

“Sure. We wouldn’t want to cause a stir.”

After Collett left, Katherine walked around and sat down in front of the nearest computer screen. She punched up the software program for Bliss and typed in: NOEPINEPHRINE-LEVEL PROFILE-DOSAGE

The screen flashed and instantly a chemical formula appeared in front of her. It showed the formulary for Bliss, then next to it, the expected levels of brain receptor chemicals it affected. The first three, serotonin, epinephrine, and acetylcholine, appeared normal. The next two, dopamine and norepinephrine, leaped off the scale.

Katherine sat frozen in place as she stared at the screen. Nothing in Meyer’s notes had suggested there was a problem with the levels of these two neurotransmitters. Collett’s suspicions had been right.

But she had never imagined
how
right!

Obviously, Vetter had been lying all along. Katherine was looking at a potential disaster of enormous proportions. Pangs of betrayal and disillusionment settled hard now in her heart.
He lied.

She felt stupid. Then she tried to bargain with herself. Maybe it was a mistake? But what if it wasn’t?

Oh my God. What if?

She didn’t even want to consider that grim possibility.

Lindsey finished preparing the
salad, put a top on the bowl, and slipped it into the refrigerator. Then she mixed the dressing, a simple combination of olive oil, fresh garlic, and white vinegar, with just a crumble of blue cheese. She put that in the refrigerator as well. Turning her attention to the lobster tails, she split the shells down the middle, pulled the meat on top of them, then stuck them into the refrigerator with the rest of the dinner. The last chore was the potatoes. It only took a minute to wrap them in foil and put them in the oven.

Wiping her hands on the dishtowel, Lindsey glanced at the wall clock. Jason would be there soon.

With dinner essentially prepared, Lindsey went around the house straightening up. Putting books back in their spot on the shelves, stacking magazines neatly, and watering her newly-acquired Arizona plants.

Next, Lindsey took a quick shower, changed into a halter-top and jeans, and put on a touch of makeup. As she did so she glared at the crow’s feet that had been developing at the corners of her eyes. Although still in her early thirties, the last two years had been hard on her since the untimely death of her father. There was no denying it had aged her.

Jason arrived on schedule. When she saw his broad grin, she opened the door and jumped into his arms like a little girl.

“Well, what do you think?” Lindsey asked.

Jason looked around the living and dining rooms, then stuck his head in the kitchen.

“I’m impressed,” he said. “I can’t believe this is part of your executive package. There’s got to be a catch.”

Lindsey shrugged. “Not according to the CEO. He wants the next Silicon Valley. A whole community of nothing but pharmaceutical and biotech firms all located here in Indian Springs. You have to admit, it beats commuting.”

“It’s fantastic. Let’s just hope I can find a position nearby.”

Lindsey walked up to Jason and put her arms around his waist. “That shouldn’t be too hard for a big, strong handsome guy like you.”

Jason Gallager. The only man she’d ever loved. Jason was a rugged, youthful thirty-five with sharp green eyes and a wit to match. His strong jaw and taut features reminded Lindsey of carved marble. Over six feet tall, with strong muscular forearms, Jason could literally pick Lindsey up as though she were a doll. His fellow colleagues at the hospital had a nickname for him. The Hulk.

Jason looked down at Lindsey and smiled. “I missed you.”

“Ditto. I can’t believe you’re finally here. In our own home.”

“You know I’m happy for you and all, Lindsey, but I think we have to be realistic, too. We may want to move at some point. What happens then?”

“I really didn’t get into that with them. I thought about it, but right now I’m just trying to get used to my new job. There
are
some things that bother me about this whole set up, I must admit.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “Such as?”

“Well it’s probably nothing. Just, I found out that they only let certain employees live in Indian Springs.”

Jason shrugged. “Well that doesn’t seem so unusual. I imagine it’s quite expensive for the company. They only provide houses for their top executives.”

“Well, that’s just it. There seems to be a mix of different echelon employees here. They’re not all top-level management. It’s almost like they picked them at random.”

“Did you ask them about it?”

“I did. And they said we were an, ‘exclusive group.’”

Jason gave Lindsey an impressed nod. “Well, there you go then.”

“The other thing is, we all have to take a monthly blood test.”

“That’s not unusual either, anymore. Especially in your line of work. The potential for abuse is great.”

Lindsey nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

Jason went to his bag he’d brought and opened it. He turned around and stood before Lindsey with a lopsided grin. “Anyway, I brought you a house warming gift.”

Lindsey was touched. “For me?”

Jason winked. “We can celebrate later.”

Lindsey took the Dom Perrigone champagne and held it up. “I like your taste.” Not wanting to hurt Jason’s feelings, Lindsey didn’t mention that Stephen Vetter gave her an identical bottle of the expensive champagne on her first day there.

“I like yours, too,” Jason said, taking Lindsey in his arms. He kissed her and then pulled back. “Tastes great,” he said, smiling.

“What about dinner?” Lindsey asked.