The Chemist

Chapter 18

April 20, 10:45 p.m. Midtown, New York City

        Vanessa found herself in the basement level security room viewing the console monitor. The room contained no fewer than twenty separate monitors, each connected to various cameras stationed throughout every floor of the company.

Gunther pointed to the monitor only used to review prior surveillance tapes. "This occurred at 2:30 p.m. two days ago. Take a look."

It showed Kate walking out of the lab, slamming the door behind her carrying her purse, trying to cover something inside it.

Vanessa recognized it instantly as the case that held the Tri-Meth containers. "My God. She took them all," Vanessa shouted, banging both fists on the console. "You just let her walk right out of here with it in broad daylight." She turned to Gunther, eyes full of searing anger. "And I hold you fully responsible for this!"

He acknowledged to himself that this was an inexcusable professional failure. Up until now, his record protecting clandestine information had been perfect. Vanessa brought him on because his skill set dovetailed well with the cosmetic industry, where perfume formulas were kept top secret from competitors. His British military and MI-6 surveillance expertise proved valuable to Vanessa. She also delegated all the dirty work for her with aplomb, never shying away from employing blatant harassment and bullying tactics for problem employees.

Knowing he had to repair the damage to save his job, he offered Vanessa a silver lining. "We still have the test vial."

"Not good enough! The bidders want to see all of them. That's what they are buying"

"Not to worry, I'll retrieve all of them from her and get that formula out of that pretty little head of hers, too."

Vanessa wrung her hands and scowled. "It's whenever someone tells me not to worry that I start to worry."

Gunther let her comment sink in for a moment, then pressed on with new information in an attempt to deflect her anger. "There is something else you need to know that I just discovered through my surveillance."

"What?"

"Another agent has approached her and is fishing for what she knows. They met at her gym. A personal trainer."

"After what I said to her the other day? God, it never stops."

"Is this another one we have to worry about?"

"I believe so. Yes."

"How can you be so sure?

"Because I know him."

Vanessa's jaw froze as she wanted to hear more. Gunther obliged with a tale of his own.

He explained to her it had been in Geneva, twelve years ago. An operation gone wrong. Gunther was the seasoned professional MI-6 operations leader, Danny the CIA upstart. Both had a Special Forces commonality that just didn't seem to mesh with the intelligence operation. As he told it, Danny had been accused of murdering a young woman and had to flee. Danny and Gunther had never seen each other again. That was when Gunther 'retired' from MI-6 for greener pastures as the CEO of his Private Military Corporation, entering into contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gunther concluded, "I'd heard they'd discharged him when his drug addiction was disclosed a number of years ago. Apparently, he'd been reactivated."

"Whoever he is, I want him out of her life."

"That can be arranged."

"Good, because I have nothing more to say to that little shit!"

Gunther nimbly stepped forward and offered his counsel. "I know we are pressed for time, but I would advise that we wait a few more days before I turn the screws on either one of them. If we let them think we're not on to them, they'll lead us right to where the Tri-Meth is located. In the meantime, I'd let them feel comfortable."

"Oh, yes. You'll pay her a visit alright. Do you think you could handle that?"

"I look forward to it."

Copyright © 2016 by Alan Field. All Rights Reserved.