The Dolos Conspiracy

by Frank Perry

he only knew one way to respond. If Kelly hadn’t intervened, the owner would have been on the ground in seconds and probably bring a lawsuit -- the American way. John abruptly did as Kelly requested; he was mad as hell but left the office and returned to the lab because Kelly wanted him to go. He respected her and trusted her judgement, even if it meant countering his own instincts. Kelly stayed behind, bewildered by the change in attitude. “Jules, what’s this all about? This morning you confessed some awful suspicions to me, but now it’s like it never happened.”

  He ignored her as he fumbled with his keyboard, examining the display. “Ah…ha! The record and the inventory are in agreement.”

  She was shocked. “But …”

  “Return to your lab and get your things, Egan. We’ll call you when you can return. In the meantime, we will begin an investigation into your technician boyfriend. Don’t be surprised if criminal charges are brought for disclosing proprietary information. Now, get out!”

  Jules hoped he hadn’t overplayed it. Who knew what damage a couple of young, intelligent people could do if they smelled a rat. He hated it. This was nothing to do with him, yet now -- everything.

  An hour earlier, he had been visited by Irina Petronova and Matt Hanson. They were a completely mismatched pair entangled in a complex conspiracy that could bring down GHI. Without any announcement, Matt and Irina had entered his office and closed the door. Jules had been growing suspicious of everyone at GHI. He was nervous that someone was involved in a monstrous crime, putting GHI in the middle of it. Matt stooped over, placing both hands on the desk. “Jules, we need to talk.”

  He looked at them both. “What’s this about?”

  Irina spoke up. “Matt, sit down and be quiet.” He stood upright but didn’t sit. She looked back at her boss. “You have a problem, Dr. Redinger. We are here to explain that problem, and you must listen to our entire explanation, or you may miss some important points. Do you understand?”

  Jules looked first at her, then Matt, then back to her. “What do you mean coming in here, Irina? Why’s Matt here. He doesn’t get involved in any of your work.”

  She sat down and signaled Matt to do the same. His servitude toward Irina surprised Jules. Matt was a front-office executive, while Irina was an operations person, a lab rat. She’d been promoted farther than her social graces would have allowed, but it had been a reward. “Jules, we have to inform you that there has been a misuse of the Institute resources.”

  He stared hard at her, afraid of what she might say next. “What do you mean, ‘misuse’?”

  Her Russian heritage became more apparent as she spoke under duress. “You see, there are some things that will shock you, no doubt, but are nevertheless true. I will ask Matthew to explain first, and then I will continue with factors.”

  Jules could barely control his anger. “Irina, if you’ve been taking live virus from the Institute, you will pay. One way or the other, you will go to jail.”

  She continued unflustered. “That may be the case, Jules, but not because you reported any crimes, as the law would require. You will be in criminal behavior because of what you do not report. In that case, we will all ‘swing together,’ as they say.”

  Jules perspired as his nerves took over. “What are you saying?”

  She looked at Matt. “You may tell him your story, Mathew. Tell him everything. Leave nothing out.”

  For the next several minutes, Matt described how he had met with a dark man that he believed was with an Islamic group, probably ISIS or Al Qaeda. He had not asked. He didn’t care. The man had offered him a million dollars for live Hemorrhagic virus along with the vaccines to protect them. Matt had not asked them why. He knew why. It was only about money. He wasn’t going to get much when GHI sold and would probably be replaced when another owner took over. This was his only chance to get rich, and he took it.

  Jules was stunned. “You mean you got involved in biologic warfare, in weapons of mass destruction? Do you realize the position you’re in? The position GHI is in? You must be insane! I will report it, of course.”

  Irina sat slouching like a man. “No, you won’t.” Jules didn’t know what to say but just stared at her in disbelief while she continued. “You will listen to all that we have to say, and then you will be our partner. As you will see, you are already part of this.”

  “No, I’m not!”

  “Yes, you are, and I will explain.” She did explain. It was so outrageous that he couldn’t believe most of it, yet the data validated her story.

  Hanson had approached Irina to be a partner, someone who had access to the interior labs. Irina was a loner, someone no one liked. She’d been overlooked at the Institute for years by the owners. She’d been guardedly open to Matt’s proposition and also vindictive towards her colleagues who would never treat her as an equal. She didn’t hesitate to become his inside partner. In fact, he hadn’t had any trouble convincing her. She’d been raised without a conventional sense of morality. Her South American family history had roots started by a Russian war criminal, a mass murderer who had never hidden his past from his granddaughter. To the contrary: he’d been proud of his “work.” He felt an invincibility that came from deciding if other people lived or died as easily as the decision to have toast with breakfast. When a particularly vile young boy had taunted the young girl, her grandfather has arranged for the boy to disappear. To her, this was an appropriate solution. Her upbringing had molded her personality and given her beliefs which had never changed.

  Matt Hanson was not a friend. They barely knew each other. The fact that he had come to her, given his nefarious motives, didn’t bother her. He was not asking to be a friend; he needed something that only she could, or would, provide. He was no scientist, but he was greedy and clever. He had offered her a percentage of his illicit money, but Irina had a different, even more sinister idea.

  She understood immediately how the scheme could grow to benefit them both and her in particular. With a new murderous ally receiving the live virus in Africa and testing it locally as part of the deal, she could start a plague for which GHI had already prepared an antidote; she could even create the data to prove her prediction ahead of the outbreak. Matt’s new “friends” would insure the outbreak. She would be the savior. GHI would become famous. She would prove to everyone that she was a genius, ahead of all other biotech companies working on these diseases.

  Matt knew that Irina had been passed over for promotion many times and was desperate for recognition. They formed a mutual pact based on a hideous certainty to follow. Thousands of people – or even more -- would die horrible deaths. But they would both become wealthy: Him by selling the germs, and her by predicting the correct virus. It was brilliant and diabolical at the same time. She became the mastermind, the manipulator. Matt was simply a thief.

  Jules was immediately mortified. He would call the police! But, no, it would disprove the Institute’s ability to predict the next outbreak and remove all of the Institute’s certifications. All of their creditability in the scientific world would disappear. They would lose everything. These two employees, without involving any of the partners, had managed to place everything in jeopardy.

  Jules was powerless. He’d been subjugated by subordinates, people who had no right to even be employed by GHI. Irina was a disgrace to her profession: an incompetent, diabolical scientist who had survived and advanced only through deception. Matt was more understandable: he was simply greedy and unable to manipulate anyone. Irina was the evil villain, Matt was the buffoon. But, in the final analysis, Jules had no options. He must continue the charade. His future, his fortune, along with everyone at the Institute depended on his silent agreement with these two murderers. From this point on, it would be a question: Who really works for whom?

  Danger

  Kelly was still upset by Jules’ reverse in attitude. He didn’t want to see the inventory numbe
rs. Something had changed during the day, and Jules was hostile again. She and John left the Institute in a rush, heading toward his apartment. She gripped the car door’s armrest as rage and fear started overtaking her. “John, I’m not delusional; I know want I was told to do. He wanted me to go into the lab and count the inventory. He wanted me to count it! He was as sure about the theft as I was. He talked openly about it to me. Now, he has somehow swept everything under a rug. Why did he change?”

  John was driving faster than usual. The sun had set minutes earlier, and the road was damp. Wind blew occasional bursts of colorful fall leaves, smearing on to the road like grease as tires passed over. “I know, Kell. He’s a snake. Something must have happened today, and he did an about-face. Something about the missing virus set him off. The only thing I can figure is that there’s someone else involved. Someone changed his mind. We can’t trust anyone.”

  She spoke emphatically, “Something has to be done! I don’t know how, but the inventory records have been changed. We can’t prove