Agent M: Project Mabus (The Agent M Series Book 1)

by L. M. Vila

  That part confused Nicole a bit. She had to clarify. “What does that mean?”

  Donald knew they would hit this subject sooner or later. “Agent M was originally a foundation chemical. It was meant to be built upon and added onto,” his emotions started to get the better of him. “This was going to be the building blocks for complete human inoculation. Cancer would have become an afterthought. People would fear HIV now as much as they do Polio.”

  He was veering off topic but Nicole got the answer. Donald was, and appears still is, a very passionate man. Time to bring him back down to earth.

  “How dangerous is this substance?”

  “Danger?” He quizzically replied. “Agent M is the next step in human evolution. It has the ability to rewrite a person’s DNA. The very foundation of our bodies is at the whim of a two-hundred microgram dosage. Someone could manipulate the formula to turn all of our vital organs into glue in a matter of seconds. Or it could compromise the chemical structure of our bodies and reduce us to individual elements.”

  “What does this mean for us? For this country?”

  “Looking at the bigger picture, if they used it properly, it is the catalyst to take over the world.” Donald took a breath. He didn’t like what he had to say next. “Or destroy it.”

  “What?!”

  Nicole was immediately surprised to hear those words. She didn’t pay enough attention to the initial project reports. Agent M was obviously a substance worth utilizing. Those damn bureaucrats care about nothing more than dollars and cents.

  “Any company with substance has the foundation to own the world. The one thing humans have sought after since the beginning of time was longevity; the desire to live long and healthy lives. Using Agent M, this company could eliminate every biotech company clean off the map. They would have a monopoly on healthcare. The insurance industry would go bankrupt. Our entire system would be turned upside down. And capitalism would allow them to do it all.”

  Donald had one final warning for her.

  “You have to find them and stop this Nicole. And unless you do, this company will be controlling the world's health in two, maybe three years.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I never joke about this kind of thing. Looking at it now, it’s still as deadly as I remember it. If I only had a few more years to work with it, change it for the betterment of mankind. Sadly, the government wasn’t even concerned with its practical applications. They only saw the potential combat use and when the results didn’t occur to their liking, it was scrapped.”

  Donald seemed lost in thought. The memories of that project were a heavy burden. “We were so damn close.”

  The conversation needed to be directed once again. Nicole made sure of that with her next question.

  “How do we stop it from spreading?”

  Another question he was afraid to hear. Nicole was not going to enjoy hearing this. “Anyone who has this formula knows what it’s capable of and wants to keep it guarded. However, should it happen to become distributed, there’s not much I can do to help other than identify the compounds. No one knows more about Agent M is or how dangerous it can be other than the both of us. It may look harmless but in its current for it’s nothing more than a virus,” he finished with a statement that further impeded the severity of the situation. “One that’s hidden in plain sight.”

  Nicole couldn’t doubt it. He was absolutely right. Agent M was just a formula amongst thousands in the hands of any scientist. Chemicals have so many components in them it’s hard to distinguish them apart without a catchy jingle or company mascot. Whoever had this formula knew exactly what it was and how to use it properly. The secrets that men hide weren’t strong enough in this case.

  Dread was the next emotion inflaming Nicole’s brain. Donald could easily tell. It was written all over her face. He could alleviate most of her concerns for now. But it would be up to her to finish the rest.

  “For now, it looks like they’re just testing its capabilities. Any company that has this formula would know better than to share it without making some form of profit. I doubt this would be hitting the market anytime soon. Not in its current state anyways.”

  “Why do you say that?” She asked.

  Donald had thought Nicole would have picked up on this immediately. “Because this formula is chemically identical to the one we tested all those years ago. It’s currently too unstable for field usage. There was something about that chemical that struck me as odd. An imbalance of sorts.”

  Rising slowly from his desk, Donald’s glasses once again found themselves resting snugly around his eyes. “It's not to say that this chemical could not work but they did nothing to evolve the Agent M formula. One of the initial tests required injecting the substance into a series of developed and undeveloped cells. As usually, Agent M eventually destroyed every developed cell in the system attempting to replace them. However, the undeveloped cell tests were remarkable. When Agent M tried to change the undeveloped cells, instead of resisting, the cells adapted to it. It was a unique occurrence but also a noteworthy one. Those results gave me hope that this formula would save the world. Not end it.”

  His tone dropped to a pit of seriousness. “Don’t let it fall into the wrong hands Nicole. Today, you have a few murders. Next year, it’ll be a complete meltdown of the entire chemical industry. Our economy would seemingly collapse overnight and the world's entire health and wellbeing will have a price tag. The longer they have this substance the higher the risk you take allowing them to abuse it. It’s only a matter of time until they figure out how.”

  Nicole nodded. Again, he was totally right.

  “And be careful. Whoever owns that formula is likely to do more than kill to keep it a secret.”

  Once again he proved to be a worthy source of information. She had forgotten how much passion Donald had. Not only for science, but life as well. He originally set out to try and make the world a better place. Donald’s goals seemed so simple back then. To cure the diseases that plagued mankind. After the project was terminated, they had gone their separate ways. The only thing that seemed to change about Donald was his passion for research. As if it died that day. Like Nicole’s dreams of parenthood. There was one last question she had to ask. This one, however, had nothing to do with the case.

  “Donald, if I may ask, why did you stop your research after the project?”

  “Why bother?” His words came out soft and remorseless. “The earth is plagued with thousands of bacteria and natural chemicals that could end any man’s life. Who am I to fight Mother Nature? When one disease is cured another will take its place.”

  Donald almost wanted to laugh as he continued, “Hell, humanity is corrupt and greedy enough to build it themselves. We were created to live in a fundamental loop. Took me almost fifty years to learn that. So instead of trying to fight it, I’d much rather sit back and teach those who are willing to learn to correct our mistakes. Just as my father’s generation did with us.”

  A sad fate for such a wonderful human being. Donald didn’t deserve this. He was truly one of the greatest minds in the world. Not only that, he also had the biggest heart. Donald’s family was his world. Next to them, science was just a hobby. Now it seemed like he’d given up entirely.

  Nicole stood up. This conversation proved to be extremely beneficial.

  “Thank you for your time Donald,” stated Nicole. “It was good to see you again.”

  Donald smiled, “You too Nicole.” His heart felt a tug of sadness that she was leaving. “Take care of yourself.”

  He was almost overwhelmed with nostalgia. Those were the same words he said to her when they last parted. They had an increased meaning now given her condition. He offered a silent prayer in his heart for Nicole. It was the least he could do. No one should suffer that kind of fate. Life is far too precious to be cut short.

  “You too Donald. Please give your wife and daughters my regards.” Of course Nicole replied in kind.
She had gotten to know Donald’s family very well over the years. They spent a great deal of time with the boy. Their goals were simply just to try to teach him some of the more refreshing aspects of life. Things you didn’t learn on a military base. There is a lot to say about a man who raised six daughters. Most of them deal with patience. However, that child and Donald held a special bond. He was the closest thing to a son Donald ever had.

  Nicole understood it clearly now. Watching the boat Mavryk escaped on explode killed more than Project Mabus. It took Donald’s spirit as well. Just as Nicole’s hand touched the door handle to exit, Donald finally had a question for her.

  “Nicole,” was the first thing he needed to say to get her to stop. As she turned towards him, Donald asked. “Do you think – I mean,” this was harder to say than he planned in his mind. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if he survived?”

  There was no other question he could have asked to make Nicole feel guiltier. He was still so young when the government ordered the project terminated. Nicole did her best to protect him. Even gave him the instructions to escape. Her insubordination did not go unpunished. A bullet through her abdomen gave the child his path to freedom. Until he was targeted by an Apache Helicopter. The only thing Nicole remembers seeing that day was the sea covered in fire. And the boy she once raised as her own was lost.

  “Every day,” was her response. Nicole’s heart wouldn’t allow a lie. Not about him.

  Emotions began to get the better of Donald. He could feel tears attempting to form. His will stopped them from showing. The words still came out with hints of depression.

  “If he did manage to survive… I’d just want to know if he’s happy. And that he’s doing ok with his new life.”

  The last thing she had to say to him this day was sure to make him feel better. “If I ever see him again, you’ll be the first to know.”

  The sun blared down violently gentle rays all over Kurtis’ body. So many minutes have passed that boredom was starting to get the better of his judgment. Kurtis was not a sniper in the traditional sense. He was trained with a variety of rifles of course, but only how they operate and their effective uses. Sniping was never his full time job. The mentality of being a sniper and shooting a long range rifle versus his preferred way of doing things was comparing apples to gunpowder.

  Maybe popping off a few rounds into the streets would relieve his ennui. They would be hard pressed to find him. The silencer on the weapon was top of the line. It would be easier to hear a mouse fart while driving on the freeway than to hear a gunshot from his Dragunov.

  Traffic here was incredible. So many cars moving up and down, back and forth. It’s like the people here do nothing but drive. Suddenly, the thought of living in a barren desert didn’t seem so bad. At least it would be quiet.

  His thoughts may have drifted away, but the objective was still clear. In fact, Kurtis drew his attention towards a panther black vehicle that was turning into the parking lot. This could be it. It moved slowly. Probably searching for something that didn’t exist.

  Two people exited the vehicle as soon as it stopped, a woman first. Decently shaped, about average height, and medium length brown hair. Nothing to write home about. He was warned about her presence but it’s of no consequence. Opting for an additional target would normally be easy. Refraining from shooting her would be the tricky part.

  The second to exit started looking familiar. He was tall and the black hair was a dead giveaway. Kurtis reached for his binoculars stowed in the case for verification. His eyes were covered by sunglasses but one couldn’t forget seeing that face. That was definitely Michael Madison.

  Kurtis began prepping his rifle. It would only take a minute or so. They would surely be disappointed when they realize their trip was all for nothing. Watching them chase ghosts is actually humorous from this perspective. Kurtis couldn’t wait to blow his mind.

  Michael slammed the door and started walking towards two buildings. The GPS landed here, albeit with a little difficulty. Reception in this smog filled town was fleeting in some parts. Nevertheless, they finally arrived. And before they took another step Michael immediately sensed that something was amiss.

  “Kind of a funny place for a biochemical company, isn’t it?” Meryl posed. Michael nodded. Indeed, their thoughts were similar. It was as if they were on the same wavelength sometimes.

  Michael proceeded first. Meryl quickly followed. They walked slowly, meticulously checking every detail of their surroundings. Hopefully there was something here that would help their case. Otherwise all of Meryl’s work would be in vain.

  This air of the place was normal and boring. Definitely a sign of good business. But not the business they were looking for. Which begged Meryl to ask a question.

  “What is the name of the company again?”

  “Laesare Biotech.”

  A very odd name. One that didn’t have meaning in any language Michael knew. A biochemical company needs distinguishable facilities to perform all of their technical and detailed work. This place was anything but. The area was decrepit and old. Buildings were beyond archaic. Definitely not a typical place for a pharmaceutical company to operate.

  Meryl moved in slowly. It felt like they were searching for something that wasn’t here. Like a phantom building or something. There were too many missing pieces of the puzzle.

  “What was the building number?”

  “Fifty-two-fifty,” he responded. It started to make sense. The military-green colored building to their right was numbered fifty-five-hundred. One the left, the white building sitting on the corner of Alameda and 52nd street was labeled fifty-two-hundred. Theoretically, it should be right in the middle of these two structures. But it was empty.

  The address may be a hoax, probably registered incorrectly. Or perhaps they meant for this to happen. Michael eyes caught the name of the white warehouse. This was the facility owned by a famous frozen pastry company Sara Lee. Suddenly, a sinking feeling formed in his abdomen. Michael checked the name of the facility once more on his phone.

  Laesare Biotech.

  He immediately rearranged the letters. It was an anagram. Sara Lee Biotech wasn’t in the pharmaceutical industry the last time Michael checked. Suddenly, his frustration spiked. The phone nearly crushed in his hand.

  “We’ve been had.”

  “You mean it doesn’t exist?” Her level of surprise equaled Michael’s. As far as rage was concerned, he was still winning.

  There was only one thing left to do here. Michael released the death grip on his phone and called Steve. He’d better find a good reason for why this happened. Unless he’d like to take the brunt of Michael’s growing fury.

  Kurtis positioned the rifle towards the edge of the silo. He adjusted the sights accordingly. It didn’t need much tweaking. The winds were calm and the target was closer than two hundred yards. He’d be dead before the casing had a chance to bounce. A perfect setting to die. Kurtis stared through the scope of the rifle. The crosshairs were fixated on the skull of the target. He watched him speak on the phone, probably yelling at the moron who gave him this address. There couldn’t have been set up any better than this.

  His finger inched towards the trigger.

  “I don’t know what happened Mike. I gave you all of the information we collected verbatim.” Steve was in the fight of his life here. He’d never let Michael down before. This situation baffled him.

  Meryl listened to Michael raise issues with the information they were given. It was rare to see his temper this heated while still keeping it cool. Anyone that had to deal with a seriously angry Michael would have her deepest sympathies.

  She began to drift away from that conversation. Maybe there was something else they were missing. Alameda did have two sides to the street after all. Meryl looked across it and her eyes were fixated on a fairly rundown factory. It wasn’t much to look at. The years have sure put a beating on that old place. But it must have been a place of some kind o
f importance. Looked like operations continued and it had some fairly large silos in the background.

  As Meryl peered up she guessed that they were over one hundred feet tall at the very least. Her eyes started to twinge. The sun was shining down right above them. Before she could turn away it warned her of something. Nothing major. Just a flicker of light. Meryl raised her hand over her eyes, shielding them from the powerful rays above. The flicker continued. Her mind began to work rapidly. Suddenly the object behind the flicker started to take shape. Immediately her instincts shouted.

  “Michael!”

  Meryl threw her body at his. The shot exited the barrel with astounding ferocity. Time slowed down. It was over in an instant. Pain roared. Michael’s nerves uttered their discontent loudly. He had not expected any of this to happen. His thoughts dwelled on other matters. Something was not right. Michael closed his eyes during the sudden impact and attempted to direct his thoughts.

  The bullet slapped the stagnant concrete laden earth without as much as a drop of blood drawn. Unbelievable. Kurtis had missed. No, that wasn’t true. He was foiled. That woman saw him. The bitch caught a lucky break. He began streaming a slew of obscenities. This was a screw up. Plain and simple. Their bodies fell behind the car, foiling his attempt for a second shot. Time to use the exit strategy.

  Kurtis packed up the rifle immediately. He pocketed the shell casing. With the case slung around his back, Kurtis took the exit from the opposite side of the silo. That would afford him a better chance of escaping. They’ll be too busy freaking out over the shot to see where he was heading. Getting out of there without getting caught was top priority.

  Pavement hit Michael’s body with an unforgiving thud. His thoughts had drifted elsewhere. Frankly, he was careless. Meryl dove on top of him, using her body as a shield to protect him. Michael could feel every grain of gravel press against him as they slid. Breaths exited and entered her body at a rapid pace. It was obviously urgent. Michael was still unsure about what had just happened.