The Human Syndrome: A John Logan Action and Adventure Mystery Thriller Novel (Logan's Mysteries Book 1)

by AJ Newman

  Mike and Jane worked on the new catalyst while Cindy and I thoroughly examined Mike’s old data on the effects of temperature on the reaction. I saw it first but waited to see if Cindy noticed what Mike and his chemists had missed during the development of FXA1. Cindy stopped on the same page where I’d seen the light.

  “Dad, they stopped the reaction when they achieved ninety percent pure FXA1 using a metallocene catalyst. The next three steps and the most time consuming are the three purification steps. I think they should have added a boron-based co-catalyst to gain the purity instead of the additional three steps.”

  “That’s what I thought. What about the temperature range?”

  “I’m looking at that now. Wait a minute. The heat of reaction will be lower with the boron-based catalyst, and the conversion to FXA2 virtually eliminated even at higher temperatures.”

  I checked her formulas and then went over her theory twice. “I think you’re right. Now, what If I wanted to produce FXA2 from the FXA1 process?” I asked.

  Mike was looking over our shoulders. Cindy hesitated. “I’d try increasing the temperature after the slurry is thoroughly mixed with the methanol. Oh! My God! That’s where we chill the crap out of the completed reaction and get purer, well, almost pure FXA2. Dad, we can quickly make Nanobot raw materials or blow up the world from one lab.”

  “Daughter, you missed something.”

  “What?”

  “The FXA2 will most likely be almost a hundred percent pure and a hell of a lot more powerful. We need to run that test at a military test facility.”

  Mike pushed us aside and dug into Cindy’s calculations and the process map. He double-checked Cindy’s calculations. “Damn, I don’t see how my guys missed this. Guys, your work will be greatly appreciated by the US Military and profitable for J&M.”

  For the first time I could remember, I was more worried about my friends and daughter than making money. I’d been shot during the war and again catching the serial killer, but my loved ones and friends had never been in danger. This made me a bit sick to my stomach. “Mike, could you stop with the money talk? I love money, but this is serious. People are going to die, and if we don’t get this right, it could be some of us.”

  Mike looked up from the documents and panned the room, stopping at each one of us. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any excuse other than I’ve been struggling to build our company into something that would make my dad proud and make us a great living.”

  Jane frowned and hesitated to speak. She broke the silence. “Mike, I appreciate the job and what you and John have done for Jere and myself, but John is right. Besides, you said for our company. You and John own the company. Cindy and I just work here.”

  Mike looked around the room again. “I promise all of you will be rewarded for your work and loyalty. Now, Cindy will lead our efforts for the FXA1 production in the first batch and then the FXA2 in the second.”

  “Jane, call your contacts and obtain the boron-based catalyst and secure a source for nanogold particles for a potential catalyst. I also want you to quickly research the types of chillers we need for the new process.”

  “John, come with me for a short drive.”

  From the security of Mike’s SUV, we discussed the day’s events, and then Mike began discussing J&M. “John, what’s the chance that you rejoin our company, assuming you were to own a much greater percentage of the company?”

  I froze. I’d hated myself for selling out to please Sally. Now, when presented with a means to regain what I’d lost, I froze. “Mike, I’m intrigued by what you said and would normally jump at the idea. I’ve been doing some naval-gazing lately and kinda like being a professor since I really don’t have to do much except grade papers. Hell, I make my assistant grade most of them. I just don’t know if I want to work that hard again.”

  Mike pulled the car over to the side and slumped back in the seat. His head slowly turned to face me. “Are you freaking sick? You’ve been moaning and groaning about selling your shares to me. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. I think I’m at a point in life where working at the university allows me to dabble in entrepreneurship without all the work. I start up small companies and let my managers do all the work. I’m not getting rich, but I have more money than most people need. I’ve also started thinking about dating again. Before you say it, I want a relationship with a real woman and not friends with benefits.”

  “Holy crap, my buddy has grown up. Could Jane have anything to do with this change of heart?”

  “Mike, I won’t lie to you. Jane is the reason for my change in heart, but I don’t see a future for us. She’s a single mom who had an abusive relationship and is very guarded around men. I owe her for showing me there are great women out there.”

  Mike laughed under his breath. “John, I’d already planned to expand J&M ten percent a year, but now want to take a major leap into polymer and explosives manufacturing. I might even take a look at these damned Nanobots and micro-drones. You could easily earn half of all of the new business you help startup for J&M. Just these would be three times the worth of J&M’s current value.”

  “Give me a few days to ponder the offer.”

  Chapter 31

  Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley

  Two days later, we had adapted the machinery and reaction vessels to meet the needs of the improved process. The jury-rigged cooling jacket was ready in time to start the first batch. Jane had to bring in a friend from the university who was an electrical engineer to help her modify the controls and assure the cooling apparatus would maintain a narrow band of temperature. The new boron-based catalyst was a considerable improvement, and all of our tests of the chemical process exceeded our expectations.

  I wasn’t surprised that Jane did outstanding work, but was pleased that she was ahead of any goals I would have set for her. “Jane, Jane!”. She watched the digital thermometer closely. “Earth to Jane.”

  “Sorry, I was deep in thought. This work means so much to Jere and me. I don’t want to screw it up.”

  “Jane, you and Cindy are the reason we secured the new contract and the cash. You’re doing great.”

  Cindy caught our attention. “The methanol injection into the slurry is starting … now. This is where the fun starts.”

  I smiled and watched Jane turn the valve to release the methanol and said, “I can think of a lot more fun things to do than make plastic.”

  “Dad, you do know you said that aloud.”

  “Whoops. Sue me. I’m human.”

  Forty minutes later, the dried FXA1 pellets began falling out of the dryer. Of course, we’d captured all of the solids and liquids produced by the chemical reaction so we could determine if the reaction was more efficient at producing the polymer FXA1. Cindy and Jane weighed them while Mike and I directed the New Wave team to clean up the reaction vessels, filter, and dryer.

  “Woohoo! We done it! Fifteen percent more yield and over twice as much product produced in thirty percent of the time.”

  I gave a warning. “Now, don’t get excited until Mike and Cindy analyze the polymer. Jane, please get with your guy and work on improvements to the cooling jacket and start thinking about one for a much larger batch process.”

  “John, my friend, Jeff, needs to go to his part-time job. He can come back in a couple of days.”

  “Jeff, come over here for a few minutes.” I held a short conversation with Jeff and handed him two one hundred dollar bills with a promise of a part-time job with us, making four times the money he made repairing iPhones. Money talks, and I wasn’t afraid to use it to push our project forward. Jeff would be a great asset to J&M.

  Brunner and Gorski showed up while we were fist-bumping. Gorski was excited. “Well?”

  Mike moved Gorski to the stainless bucket with the newly manufactured FXA1. I followed. Mike started his spiel. “We produced over twice as much, and it appears we attained a fifteen percent increase in yield. This is close to the maximum am
ount this set up can produce. I have my people back at our lab, drawing a new set up with increased capacity. The only question I want to ask you is - how large do you want the batches to be?”

  Gorski said, “Can you bump the capacity up to fifty kilos?”

  “Yes. We can have a set up make a thousand kilos if needed,” Mike said, and then thought about milking this for all it’s worth. “I believe we’ll probably sell dozens at fifty kilos before demand causes us to bump up the capacity. After all, fifty kilos of the polymer FXA1 will yield millions of Nanobots. Brunner and others are on the cutting edge of changing modern medical science with these medicine delivering Nanobots and bots that can attack cancer.”

  Gorski wasn’t happy judging by his flushed cheeks but smiled. “How much to give us sole rights to produce FXA1 with your equipment for two years?”

  Mike gave that some thought. “You have to realize that this will be a fifty million dollar business on the way to billions in two years for J&M.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Would you like to bet twenty-five million on that coming true?”

  Mike choked a bit. “So, if I’m right, you’re offering twenty-five million upfront for the exclusive rights to all of our equipment and the rights to sole manufacturing of FXA1? Then we work out an arrangement to produce machinery and start up each of the operations for upfront money and an equal amount when the process has achieved its goal?”

  “Yes, but of course, I have to run it by my superior. Can we meet in two days to finalize the deal?”

  “I’ll talk it over with my partners. Of course, the money is to be deposited in our bank at the time of the signing.”

  “Of course.”

  Gorski and Brunner walked back to the front office, and I took Mike to the warehouse. “We get twenty-five million in two days?” I whispered in his ear.

  Mike nodded and whispered, “Keep this between us. I don’t want the girls misunderstanding how much they deserve.”

  My eyes flew open, and my head tilted. Mike said, “I’ve wired your cut of the two million. Of course, you’re getting your fair share of selling the exclusive rights, which would be a hell of a lot more if you decide to rejoin the company in an executive role. Off the top of my head, it would be about ten times more.”

  “Bastard.”

  “But, I’m your bastard. Let’s return to normal and stop thinking about money.”

  “I’m going to draw up the contract to give them the exclusive rights now. Can you cool your heels for a half-hour?”

  “Yunh huh.”

  “Mocking my LA dialect again. I may be an Alabama redneck, but I just made us multimillionaires.”

  I used my time to call my friend over at the Ford dealership to order a black Ford F150 Raptor and Jane an F150 Lariat. I also placed twenty grand in Cindy’s checking account.

  Not thinking about money just made me think about it some more. I could retire early with that kind of dough. Half of this new business would be twelve and a half million. I knew Mike would keep part of it for our new operating expenses, but I’d still be filthy rich. Hmmm, teach ungrateful brats and a couple of great future scientists or be my own boss flush with cash. I left Jane plugging away and grabbed Mike by the arm as Cindy watched us walk away.

  I told Cindy we’d be gone for an hour. Mike and I took his SUV north toward our lab. “I agree to rejoin J&M for half of the new business with the following stipulations.”

  Mike made the time out sign. “Stipulations is kinda fancy lawyer talk. You’re just a dumb punk from LA.”

  “Hey, I’m proud of Lower Alabama. The conditions are: I get to hire my own staff. I run my operations, only reporting to you. Now, the big one. I plan to push us into Nanotechnology and microdrones. I only work enough to make you lots of money. Oh, what’s my salary?”

  Mike thought for a minute. “I agree with every ‘stipucondition,’ and we need to put some thought into your compensation. I’m thinking one-hundred-fifty per year with bonuses and stock for exceptional performance. Performance means you made a ton of money and met your agreed-upon personal goals.”

  He’d said ‘stipucondition’ without breaking rhythm. “Agreed.” I stuck out my hand, and we shook.

  “Are you hiring Cindy and Jane? I’d like Cindy in my half of the business.”

  “Mike, I’d like her also, but working for her dad could bring on family problems. Let’s present our cases and let her decide.”

  “Deal.”

  Mike reached over and slapped me on the back. “It’s going to be great to get my innovation guy back in the fold. You always knew I was the management type, and you were the brains behind our business.”

  Rather modestly, I said, “No, shittin’ Sherlock.”

  We both chuckled when I said, “What if Gorski’s superior actually pushes us to deliver after New Wave and Gorski are vaporized?”

  “We’ll earn money while working with the Justice Department to shut them down. Either way, we’re filthy rich. Now, wipe the smile off your face and get ready to make the boom stuff.”

  We drove on to J&M’s lab and caught Bill to get an update on the mercenaries. Bill wasn’t as talkative as usual. “My friend has a six-man assault team that will be here tomorrow and ready to solve our problem. These are ex-SEALs and Special Forces who’ve done work for the State Department and CIA.”

  We showed our building diagrams to Bill, along with our thoughts on what needed to be done. I noticed Bill’s head shaking several times while Mike went over the plans to blow up the building and people inside.

  Bill asked, “Will there be any innocent people in the building?”

  I quickly responded. “No, we’ve set up a private meeting with the targets, and I’ve convinced them the machinery has to be reworked to deliver maximum output. None of the New Wave workers will be on site. The other side of the shared building only has targeted people.”

  “Mike, this won’t be cheap, and can you guarantee the government will look the other way?” Bill asked.

  Mike said, “My government contacts won’t get involved beyond assuring the public that it was a simple factory explosion. As far as the local police, don’t get caught and don’t leave any evidence.”

  I thought for a minute. “There won’t be much left of the building or bodies. The raw materials, which include five hundred gallons of methanol, should burn for a while. The buildings close by will be shut down for the day and will only suffer some strikes by falling debris.”

  Bill was obviously nervous. “Mike, I originally told you this wouldn’t be cheap. They want three hundred thousand to complete the job. Half to be wired today and the other half after the job has been completed.”

  Mike wasn’t happy at the amount but now had over twenty-seven million of Bates’ dollars, so the money seemed to be a good trade. “Give me their bank info, and I’ll have half wired to them an hour after I leave here. Bill, I’m giving you a fifty thousand dollar bonus when this project is successful for handling this for me.”

  Chapter 32

  Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley

  We were a bit jumpy the last day before we took out the operation that could kill hundreds of thousands of people. I tried not to think about the Russians and Bates’ men on Brunner’s side. They were all evil and deserved to die. We’d memorized and practiced our jobs a dozen times the night before and were ready to do our part in stopping the madness.

  Now, we had to keep our minds on making the rest of the explosives needed and making it through the day. Cindy and Jane were nervous and a bit high-strung that morning but functioned perfectly. I wasn’t used to their solemn attitude and behavior. Joking around with them didn’t seem to help. I just couldn’t get them to loosen up much.

  Mike was busy with lawyers and accountants trying to figure out what to do with the millions Gorski wired over to J&M’s bank. We’d finished making the first batch and had performed the analysis on the explosive and found it to be almost pure. It would take the crew two hours to cl
ean up the reaction vessels and dryer, so I took the ladies out to an early lunch.

  My SUV was gone, and my new Raptor had been parked in its place. I walked toward the truck and heard taunting coming from behind me.

  Cindy said, “That’s a pretty truck. I guess you’ll have to buy one like it with all your new cash.”

  Jane said, “That’s one beautiful truck. You should get one. You deserve it.”

  I opened the door, and Cindy said, “Dad, you’ll get in trouble for breaking into someone else’s truck.”

  I found the keys and the engine roared to life. “Like my new wheels?”

  Cindy climbed into the back seat, and Jane sat upfront with me. I punched the accelerator down a couple of times, and the tires burned rubber. The ladies were still grumpy, so I said, “This was my gift to me from the new contract with Gorski. What would you two like as an extra bonus?”

  Cindy said, “You just bought me a new truck, so maybe a little cash to make school a bit less stressful?”

  “Done, I made a deposit yesterday. Jane?

  “My truck is in bad shape. Could you pay to get it fixed? I need some dependable transportation.”

  “I’ll get that done next week. Until then, you can drive one of the company vehicles. I’ll throw in ten grand in cash to help you with any bills. Remember, this is in addition to any bonus from Mike.”

  Jane was very grateful even though she didn’t know the new truck she would soon be driving was hers. She was in for a surprise.

  During lunch, I remembered that Jane had made a big deal about other men trying to buy her. Then, I felt guilty because I wanted to make her life more comfortable. I rationalized the gift because Cindy and Jane had been vital in obtaining the new contracts with New Wave. I hoped Jane wouldn’t think I was trying to buy her because she’d earned everything she was about to receive.

  Jane said something, and I didn’t notice it. “John, what are we doing next? John!”