Chapter 38
After Ash had swept her office for bugs—there hadn’t been any, thankfully—he’d laid out his research for Portia. This particular lab worked on anti-rejection drugs, which was not damning in and of itself. There were always a few labs with those types of projects. Ash had also uncovered a slow financial drain in this particular lab, as well as inconsistencies with certain supply orders. The types of supplies that you might need to make an illegal drug.
In addition to identifying the primary lab on one of the lower levels of Tremaine headquarters, he and the Jack had gone a step further and located the single Vyne cookery in the city. Portia’s blood buzzed with anticipation. If everything went as planned, they would soon be shutting down the Vyne pipeline before it got too big to stop.
The moment Portia entered the main lab, three things would happen. The lab would be coded for her entry only. The external lab would lock everyone in and communication with the outside world would be blocked. And Tremaine Security would be summoned to both the lab and the cookery.
Portia had no idea how Ash was going to manage the second. The man’s hacking skills terrified her and she was glad that he was mostly on her side now.
She pressed her hand against the scanner outside the lab. There was a slow whir as the computer registered her palm print. The scanner turned green and the lock hissed open.
Showtime.
Pulling the door open, Portia stepped into a near-blinding white room. She hadn’t realized the lab was this big. Lab tables sat in the center of the room, topped with a mix of modern technology and classic glassware. Desks with monitors and computer terminals lined the periphery.
It was quieter than she’d expected, given the number of scientists and technicians working in the space. Most were so focused on their work that they didn’t notice her entry.
She stood near the door, hands on her hips, and watched them work. She’d always tried to understand the details of each project she’d been assigned to as she worked her way up in the company. Science fascinated her, but her brain was wired for business. Portia would never be the one curing cancer or discovering the secrets of the universe, but maybe she’d be the one funding it.
It took several minutes for her presence to be noted. She sighed. These people might be geniuses, but observant they were not.
“Mm-m-Ms. Tremaine, what are you doing here?” The first technician brave enough to speak looked so alarmed she worried he was going to pass out.
The fear intrigued her. Was it because of her reputation? Or because he was doing something wrong, like making Vyne?
“I thought I’d pop by for a visit,” she said. They’d know her reasons soon enough, but she was curious about what they were working on right now.
The room went quiet, but it was a different quiet. Not the studious, highly energized one of before. No, this silence was scared.
“Which teams work on anti-rejection medications?” Those were big sellers for Tremaine Corporation. The corporation was always striving to make better products, especially ones that worked together. Creating drugs specially formulated for Tremaine implants would not only help the bottom line, but also benefit patients.
Portia honestly believed that. Her father apparently hadn’t.
Murmurs filled the room before a dozen scientists tentatively raised their hands. They looked at each other, unease clearly visible on their faces.
Portia asked a handful of questions about the process and the drugs. She generally understood their answers and by the time she moved on to the next group, most of the scientists and techs had stopped cowering.
“Who’s working on experimental drugs?” About half raised their hands. She asked about their projects before repeating the process with the scientists who had reached the active testing stage.
Once she’d set them at ease discussing their projects, she turned to the matter at hand. “How many of you worked on Vyne?”
Most of them looked at each other in confusion, although she could tell by their expressions that at least some of them had heard of the street drug. “Oh, come on. I know you’ve heard of it.”
Whispers traveled through the group quickly. They were too low for Portia to hear, but she’d gotten them talking. “What about compound 60648?” That was the project number, according to the documentation Ash had provided.
The murmurs increased in volume, with most of the scientists looking confused. She studied the group more closely.
There. In the back. A couple of scientists looked nervous and seemed to be edging toward the rear exit.
“You two, in the back of the room.” Everyone turned to look at them. They froze. Unfortunately for them, the lab was locked down and the only way in—or out—was through the door behind her.
Portia gestured for them to come to the front.
Both squared their shoulders and stood straighter, trying to look important as they approached. She scoffed. She’d faced down bigger assholes in her life.
“Dr. Vance and Dr. Johnson.” Both looked much sweatier and redder than their official employee photos. “Anything you want to share with the group?”
They shook their heads.
“No? You don’t want to tell everyone how you turned a failed Tremaine project into a deadly street drug?”
The rest of the lab employees gasped.
The scientists spoke over each other as they tried to deny the charges.
“I’m sure the rest of you have questions,” she said, interrupting them. “While I don’t owe you any explanations, I will explain what is going on.”
The room got very quiet and Portia used that to her advantage. “It was brought to my attention that the street drug known as Vyne was originally created by Tremaine Corporation scientists. The intentions were good—to create a new anti-rejection drug. Unfortunately, the drug didn’t work as expected and failed its trials.”
She paused and swept her gaze over the employees in front of her. “The project was shelved until some enterprising soul decided they could make a profit off it. I don’t know if it was sanctioned by my father or not.” She hardened her voice. “I don’t care.”
The room got very quiet.
“Vyne has proven to be 100 percent fatal to those who become addicted to it and nearly everyone who tries it becomes addicted. If the information about its origins gets out, it will become 100 percent fatal to this company. Especially now, when our competitors are looking for ways to bring the Tremaine Corporation down.”
Whispers filled the room. Portia raised her hand and they silenced. “I don’t care if other companies do it. I don’t care if it has been company policy under other CEOs here.” That was an understatement. “It stops now.”
She stopped speaking and let the silence lengthen until her captive audience shifted uncomfortably. “Questions?”
More murmurs, then one brave soul raised her hand. “What will happen to Dr. Vance and Dr. Johnson?”
“They’ll be taken to holding while the matter is investigated.”
She heard a muttered “Yeah, right” from someone in the crowd.
“You have doubts, I understand that. The last few months have been tricky for all of us. The Tremaine Corporation is a proud company, a strong one. It has always had a reputation for excellence and I intend to keep it that way.” She chose her words carefully, knowing that there was a high chance that they would end up in public, no matter how many requests for confidentiality she made.
The only way through was by trusting her employees and herself. And hoping Dizzie was correct that most of the workers just wanted to do their jobs with as little drama as possible.
“Is anyone else working on a project that I should be concerned about?” She really hoped not. She didn’t want to gut the R&D department. There would be nothing left.
Could she trust that these people were loyal? She studied their faces as they looked around the room. Most of them looked nervous. None of them looked like the mastermind of another black-market drug scheme.
One man raised his hand. “We’ve, uh, we’ve got another drug that isn’t showing any usefulness as a pain reliever, but it does offer some euphoric side effects.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” Just what she didn’t want. She kept her tone even when she responded, not wanting to spook anyone else who might come forward with potential problems. “I’d like you and your team to schedule a meeting with me. Bring your research. We can discuss your concerns and if you think the project can be tweaked and remain viable or if there are other areas for your team to explore.”
The man swallowed audibly. “Thank you, Ms. Tremaine.” He stepped back behind a few of his colleagues.
Portia understood. Being in the limelight was not for the fainthearted. Good or bad, she had years of practice.
“Anyone else want to talk about their projects?” A handful more scientists stepped forward and she smiled.
Her phone vibrated. Excusing herself, Portia pulled it out of her pocket. The front screen showed a message from Ash.
Done.
Relief washed over her. Maybe they really could shut down the whole operation. She composed a message to her assistant.
Join me at the lab. Need you to schedule meetings for me. Then she slid her phone back into her pocket.
“Thank you all for your candor.” She gave them a sincere smile, because this could have gone very differently. “This is what’s going to happen now. Those of you who just came forward, please be patient, because I want to hear from you. Right now, though, I’m going to open that door and Tremaine Security is going to take these two into custody.”
More gasps and a moan from Dr. Vance.
“My assistant will be joining us to schedule meetings for everyone.” Another wave of panicked murmurs started. “There’s no reason to panic. I want—and need—to learn more about the projects you all are working on. I should have done that sooner. That’s on me. I would like to speak to everyone, although you can decide if you’d like a one-on-one appointment or to come in with your team.”
The tone of the room started to shift to a less fearful one. “In the meantime, this lab will be shut down for the rest of the week. You’ll all receive your pay as if you’d worked. Your project deadlines will be adjusted to reflect the timing.”
“Any last questions?”
She studied the gathered scientists as they shook their heads and murmured no.
Satisfied she’d handled the situation for now, she opened the door and let security in.