Chapter 36
Icalled the sheriff, and he sent the harbor patrol looking for Covalent Bond. They found the sailboat in Dirtbag Bay of all places—a pejorative coined by the locals. The name stuck.
Kara and I borrowed a patrol boat from the station and cruised out to the bay. In an abundance of caution, Jack had stayed behind to look after Piper. With the information we had acquired, none of us were safe.
Over the megaphone, I shouted across the bow, "Coconut County Sheriff's Department. Prepare to be boarded for routine inspection.”
The county had the authority to ensure compliance. It gave us a little wiggle room.
Dr. Vernon Malcolm poked his head out of the hatch and looked at us with an annoyed gaze. He was in his mid-60s with silver hair, a bushy beard, and narrow eyes. His face was lined with the requisite amount of wrinkles, and he had a swarthy tan.
"Everything is in order, I can assure you," he shouted back.
I climbed over the gunwale, into the cockpit, flashed my badge, and made introductions.
Dr. Malcolm was unimpressed. "Why don’t you spend your time doing something productive?”
Kara joined us.
That changed the dynamic a little. Dr. Malcolm’s eyes drank in her form. Even though she was under the weather, she still looked pretty good, all things considered. The dark sunglasses hid the circles under her eyes.
“Relax, Dr. Malcolm, I’m not here to harass you. I’m here because I need your help.”
His brow crinkled. “What kind of help?”
“It’s about Velotraxin.” I let it hang there like smoke.
Brief recognition flashed in his eyes. “What’s that?”
“I think you know damn good and well what that is. I don’t have time for games. She’s dying because of it,” I said, motioning to Kara.
His face went pale, and he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, you’ve got me confused with someone else,” Dr. Malcolm said. “Carry out your inspection, then leave.”
“She’s running out of time,” I growled.
Dr. Malcolm’s face tightened, and his guilty eyes flicked to Kara again.
“Please,” Kara begged in a desperate voice.
The silence was thick.
“I know you worked with DRI and the CIA,” I said.
Vernon glanced around, looking uncomfortable. Then he mumbled, “There’s nothing I can do. There is no antidote. I’m sorry.”
Dr. Malcolm retreated into the salon.
I exchanged a look with Kara, sadness pulling her face.
I moved to the hatch and climbed down the companionway. “There has got to be something you can do.”
“You shouldn’t be here, and we shouldn’t be talking about this.”
“Well, we’re here, and we are.”
Dr. Malcolm stared at me with a tense face. It was easy to see he was tormented by the fact that his creation had come back to haunt him.
“Would you just take a look at the data? This variant could be a modification of your original design.”
He looked horrified at the thought.
I pulled up the chemical analysis on my phone and handed it to him.
Kara had followed us below deck.
Malcolm studied the data, and his eyes filled with concern. Somewhat perplexed, he looked at me, then at Kara. “This chemical was isolated in your blood?”
She nodded.
“When do you think the toxin was administered?”
Kara shrugged. “Two days ago, maybe. I’m not sure.”
He looked over the data again. “This has been modified. But I’m not sure to what purpose. These changes wouldn’t necessarily enhance the effect.” He thought about it for a moment, putting the puzzle pieces together. “I need to run more tests.”
“By all means, please do,” Kara said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"You have to understand, I created this as a force for good.”
I gave him an incredulous look.
"Velotraxin was originally designed to inhibit strokes and break up blood clots quickly without harming surrounding endothelial tissue. Needless to say, it was a miserable failure. It was something I was working on while under contract at DRI.” A frustrated look tensed his face.
"Of course, my work got co-opted for a military application. I never intended to create a tool for death and destruction.”
"I don't really care what your intentions were," Kara said. "I just want to live past tomorrow.”
Dr. Malcolm hesitated for a long moment, then relented. "I’ll need to do another blood draw and run more tests. From what I know, a generation two drug has not been developed. At least, not with my knowledge.”
"Are you still working with the CIA?”
Vernon shifted uncomfortably. "I prefer not to answer that."
"I'll take that as a yes.”
"It's not that simple.”
"It never is.”
Dr. Malcolm paused. "This chemical structure has some bond deviations. Possibly a missing isomer.”
"Speak in English," I said.
"It looks like this variant was synthesized with nonstandard chemicals. I need to do a full isotope analysis, look at the trace compounds, see what stabilizers were used, and evaluate the delivery mechanism."
"And that could lead to an antidote?" Kara asked.
"If I can determine exactly how the structure deviates, perhaps there might be a way to halt the mechanism of action." A grim frown tugged his face. "I don’t want to get your hopes up. It's a long shot.”
Kara nodded. "I'll take any shot we can get." She paused. "You’ve never come face-to-face with your handiwork, have you?"
Dr. Malcolm frowned and shook his head. "You have to believe me when I say the current application of the drug was never my intention.
My life's work has been about increasing longevity. Not shortening it. It is important to me that my work is a net positive for humanity.” He sighed.
“There was a time when I believed that a drug like this, in the right hands, could save lives.”
“Save lives?” Kara balked.
“Maybe it does." He paused. "There are bad people in the world who wish to do this nation harm.
I don't know who you are, or how you've lived your life.
I don't know why you were poisoned in the first place.
I don't know if you're a good person or a bad person.
I guess none of that really matters now.
" He thought a moment, working through complex feelings.
Arriving at a conclusion, he said, "What matters is that I do what I can to help you. But I’ll do so under one condition. "
Kara breathed a relieved breath. “Name it.”